Numbers 19:11 ‘He who touches the dead body of anyone shall be unclean seven days.

Was Jesus considered to be *ceremonially* unclean (or would he have considered himself ceremonially unclean) when he touched the dead body of Jairus' daughter before she was revived? I had never considered this before but when I heard the above passage recently it made me wonder.

He also touched people with leprosy *before* he healed them and this would also seem to cause a ceremonial uncleanness.

Any thoughts on this?

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Todd

I am sure they considered Him ceremonially unclean. They also considered Jesus a "blasphemer". Jesus showed that true uncleanness is only in the heart. It is not an outward uncleanness that is offensive to God.

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." (Matt 23:25 - 28)

He also demonstrated Gal. 6:2. "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." The law of Christ is love and this is the fulfillment of the law which extended no mercy.

The actions of Jesus contrasted by the actions of the religious: "And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers." (Luke 11:46)

When it came to what people really needed, Jesus did not wax religious/hypocritical on them.

Was Jesus justified in what He said to them?

"Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and YOUR FATHERS KILLED THEM. Truly ye bear witness that YE ALLOW THE DEEDS OF YOUR FATHERS: FOR THEY INDEED KILLED THEM, and ye build their sepulchres. Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and SOME OF THEM THEY SHALL SLAY AND PERSECUTE: That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, MAY BE REQUIRED OF THIS GENERATION; From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in YE HINDERED." (Luke 11:47-52)

Julius-

Do you think he subjected himself to the "remedies" fir ceremonial uncleanness as required by the law? I know the gospels are silent on this point.

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Todd

From what the Gospels have revealed about the character of Jesus Christ, my personal opinion is that he did not. However, his parents did observe the ceremonial laws of Leviticus.

"And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." (Luke 2:21-24)

"Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean. And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised." (Lev. 12:2-3)

"And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest:" (Lev. 12:6)