His Immersion
"Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the teaching of immersions, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment ...," Hebrews 6'1-3.
“I have an immersion to be immersed with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!", Luke 12'50.
"YOUR WILL BE DONE"
It may be that the writer of the letter to the Hebrew Believers did not have this immersion in mind for inclusion in his Teachings of Immersions. After all, it does refer to a time of very deep challenge for Jesus. So much so, that He was highly distressed.
But, on the other hand, because it has been done, completed and fulfilled and there is a lot to learn from it, the writer may have included it. And it needs to be kept in mind that it was for Jesus exclusively. And only His Disciples accompanied Him in it.
The immersion that the Lord is referring to is not the immersion in water that He insisted on John performing. However, that was significant in that He was pleasing His heavenly Father and putting Himself in a spiritual place where the Holy Spirit could come upon Him.
But the first mention of this immersion emerged during one of the many interactions Jesus had with His Disciples. Strangely, the conversation began with a request that had nothing to do with immersions:
"The mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. And He said to her, 'What do you wish?' She said to Him, 'Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in your kingdom.'
But Jesus answered and said, 'You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be immersed with the immersion that I am immersed with?' They said to Him, 'We are able.'
So He said to them, 'You will indeed drink My cup, and be immersed with the immersion that I am immersed with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.'
And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to Himself and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.
Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many'," Matthew 20'20-28.
So Jesus response to the request for two places of authority "in your kingdom" from the mother of James and John was: "You do not know what you ask". But, before explaining why that is, He interrupts Himself by asking James and John a surprising question. It's almost as if He's testing them as He asks them:
"Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be immersed with the immersion that I am immersed with?" With confidence they say, "We are able".
Then He says: "You will indeed drink My cup, and be immersed with the immersion that I am immersed with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father."
This interchange hasn't gone unheard. The other ten disciples have picked up on exactly what Mother Zebedee is getting at and they don't like the idea of being lorded over by anyone who hasn't earned their place of authority.
So Jesus points out that in order to be "someone" in His Kingdom: "...whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many".
They all, like James and John, would have answered Jesus' question with: "We are able". Excepting Judas?
JESUS, THE PASSOVER LAMB
But the Lord was aware of what was ahead and about to happen as He said: “I have an immersion to be immersed with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!", Luke 12'50.
But His whole life was like an immersion because He lived fulfilling the expectations of what the Son of God was. Paul describes Him as one:
"... who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross," Philippians 2'6-8.
As the crucial point in His immersion approached all Israel was keeping the Old Covenant Passover in the knowledge of their great Passover-deliverance from the bondage of Egypt. But Jesus was conveying to His Disciples the symbols of the New Covenant deliverance from sin that He, the Passover lamb, was going to accomplish:
"And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, Take, eat; this is My body.' Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom'," Matthew 26'26-28.
Because "... you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel,” Luke 22'28-30.
"And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives,” Matthew 26'29.
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Jesus had said to His Disciples: "You will indeed drink My cup, and be immersed with the immersion that I am immersed with". Now:
"Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, 'Sit here while I go and pray over there.' And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, 'My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.'
He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, 'O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.'
Then He came to the disciples and found them asleep, and said to Peter, 'What? Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.'
Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, 'O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.' And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.
So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words," Matthew 26'36-44.
Everything in the Lord's life was related to His heavenly Father and "Your will be done" was the core of His desire. From the Sermon on the Mount to the Garden of Gethsemane to the Cross, He aimed always to do the will of His Father. He said; “He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.”
"Your will be done" is also to be the desire of His Followers today, knowing that "Christ, our Passover, was crucified for us," 1 Corinthians 5'7.
Therefore:
"... let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God," Hebrews 12'1-2.
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"... if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us," Romans 8'17-18.
Α-Ω
Next: The Laying on of Hands.