Baptism of Jesus

Luke 3:21 Now it came to pass, during the immersion of all the people, Jesus also having been immersed and praying, for the heaven to be opened,
Luke 3:22 and the Holy Spirit to descend in a bodily form as a dove upon him, and a voice to occur out of heaven, saying, Thou are my beloved Son. In thee I am well pleased.
Luke 3:23 And Jesus himself was beginning to be about thirty years old, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,

That means Jesus was almost 30. From that we can conclude it was shortly before Tabernacles. Just a few days before Tabernacles is Atonement Day. Below I’ll show some supporting evidence for that claim.

2. Parallels between baptism and the 2 goats

A great many things in the Old Testament point to Jesus. The ritual with the two goats during Atonement Day is one of them. Let’s explore the paralels that pinpoint His Baptism to 10 Tishri.

2a. Atonement by two goats

Lev 16:7 And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Lev 16:8 And Aaron shall cast lots on the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
Lev 16:9 And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the LORD's lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.
Lev 16:10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.

Two goats were taken and lots were cast.

• The goat on which the God’s lot fell was sacrificed (killed).
• The other goat, the scapegoat, was presented alive to God and then let into the wilderness.

Lev 16:20 And when he has made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat:
Lev 16:21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
Lev 16:22 And the goat shall bear on him all their iniquities to a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

This set of verses gives more detail on what happened to the scapegoat.

• After the sin offering (dead goat) was completed the scapegoat (live goat) was brought to the high priest.
• The high priest did put his hands on the scapegoat’s head and that way put all the sins of Israel on the scapegoat.
• Then a fit man took the scapegoat and together they went into the wilderness.

To summarize:

• 1 goat was sacrificed as sin offering.
• 1 goat carries all Israel’s sin into the wilderness.

2b. Atonement by Jesus

This may look a bit odd at first because Jesus played the roles of both goats.
Contrary what many assume a goat is clean sacrificial animal accepted by God. Sometimes they are even used interchangeable.

I think the parallels are best explained by taking the summaries above. Black is Leviticus about real animal goats. Green is Jesus symbolically playing the role of that goat. Blue are the relevant verses.

Two goats were taken and lots were cast.

• The goat on which the God’s lot fell was sacrificed (killed).
• John 1:29 The next day John sees Jesus coming to him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.
• John 1:36 And looking on Jesus as he walked, he said, Behold the Lamb of God!
• The symbolic death of Jesus is exactly how many Christians see baptism. The moment they are under water is their death. Their grave. That was when Jesus dies as the first goat.
• Col 2:12 having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
• Rom 6:3 Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
• The other goat, the scapegoat, was presented alive to God and then let into the wilderness.
• Mark 1:12 And straightaway the Spirit drives him forth into the wilderness.

• After the sin offering (dead goat) was completed the scapegoat (live goat) was brought to the high priest.
• John was the high priest and Jesus came to him.
• The high priest did put his hands on the scapegoat’s head and that way put all the sins of Israel on the scapegoat.
•  Matt 3:6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
• Before the people were baptized they confessed their sins. So John ‘collected’ the sins of all he baptized.
• When John baptized Jesus, he placed his hands on Jesus’ head and that way loaded all sins on Jesus the scapegoat.
• Then a fit man took the scapegoat and together they went into the wilderness.
• Mark 1:12 And straightaway the Spirit drives him forth into the wilderness.
• While the animal scapegoat was led by a real person, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit.

• 1 goat was sacrificed as sin offering.
• Jesus ‘died’ during baptism.
• 1 goat carries all Israel’s sin into the wilderness.
• Jesus carried our sins into the wilderness were He fasted for 40 days.

2c. John the Baptist was a High Priest

He wasn’t according to almost everyone. But what really counts is God’s opinion on this matter.

Summary:

• 25 Kislev: Jesus’ life is counted as being started on the Festival of Lights.
• 15 Tishri: Born on the first day of Tabernacles.
• 22 Tishri: Circumcised on the ‘Eight Day of Assembly.
• 10 Tishri: Baptized during Atonement day.
• 14 Nisan: Died on Passover.
• 16 Nisan: Resurrection.