Cheryl

Kerryn,

Good job with the identification of baptism with the cutting off of the flesh from the first covenant! You are absolutely right on. Jesus did not need to be baptized because he had no sin, but he identified with us as humans and he completely fulfilled the requirements of the law. In the same way Jesus did not need to have the sign of sin in his body, but because he came to identify with us in our flesh, he was born with a foreskin that also needed to be cut off.

In this way, Jesus identified with the physical seed of Abraham by having his foreskin cut off as required by the first covenant. He also identified with those who would become his body by being baptized himself. He took on the sign of both covenants even though by being the Son of God he would not have needed to come down to our level. Praise God that he identified with us and fulfilled the law that we were not able to fufill. By trusting in the finished work of Christ, we are complete – fully reconciled with God.

Keep up the good work at thinking this all through!

Cheryl