Tag Archives: Baptism

The Marriage Mikvah

Posted by estherslegacy on

First off, Yeshua went through what is known as the mikvah. 

Mikvah is water immersion of a perspective bridegroom and bride done separately before the Kiddushin (their engagement ceremony).  Typically, this is practiced only by the bride, but the bridegroom can also go through the ritual.

For the perspective bride and bridegroom it was a physical representation of them passing from being unmarried to being married. 

Now, let’s see Jesus go through the mikvah.  In Matthew 3:13-17 it says, “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”  Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.  As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.  And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.””  

We call this Jesus’ baptism.  He is going though the mikvah.  I want to look at the two times in scripture Jesus is actually referred to as the bridegroom because you might be scratching your head saying, “Yah, that’s His baptism, how do you get the fact that that is a Jewish mikvah and that He is going through a mikvah ritual.  They did celebrate the mikvah for other occasions as well: 

1.  A woman would go through the mikvah after her monthly.  

2.  The High Priest would go through the waters of the mikvah after being in the Holy of Holies once a year. 

Yes, there were other reasons to go through the mikvah.  These were primarily issues of clean verses unclean.  Our purpose here is to take a look at Scripture to see that He is doing this specifically as the bridegroom.

Read John 3:27-29.   

“To this John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.  You yourselves can testify that I said, `I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.’  The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.” 

That of course is John the Baptist speaking of Jesus the bridegroom. 

Read Matthew 9:14-15.

“Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”  Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.” 

That is Jesus referring to Himself as the bridegroom, but did you notice who He was talking to.  He’s talking to the disciples of John the Baptist. Both times in Scripture that we see Jesus referred to as the bridegroom it is either John talking about Jesus or it is Jesus talking to the disciples of John.  There is a connection between John the Baptist and Jesus and it is part of His role as the bridegroom.  For some reason, both Jesus and John seem to understand the baptism of Jesus as a part of His role as the bridegroom, Jesus’ mikvah.  They both seem to understand that.  That is the one connection they have.  He was fulfilling a Jewish wedding ritual.

Thankful for My Bridegroom,

Vicky

All Biblical Quotes are NIV

Be sure to check out the Baptism page for more information

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