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Did Jesus need to be born again?
Did Jesus need to be born
again? The Watchtower's answer is "yes". They
say that it was necessary for Jesus to be born again in
order to become a spiritual son of God. In the Insight on
the Scriptures Vol. 2 pages 1000-1001, the Watchtower
says "Jesus of course, continued to be God's son
when born as a human, even as he had been in his prehuman
existence...However, about 30 years after his birth as a
human, when he was immersed by John the Baptizer, God's
spirit came upon Jesus and God spoke, saying, "You
are my Son, the beloved; I have approved you"...Evidently
Jesus, the man, was then "born again" to be a
spiritual Son with the hope of returning to life in
heaven, and he was anointed by spirit to be God's
appointed king and high priest."
These statements by the
Watchtower are in keeping with their teaching that Jesus
was not born the Christ but became the Christ at his
baptism. When he was baptized, the Watchtower says that
Jesus received his approval as
the Christ and therefore as a spiritual son of God. As
proof of this, the Watchtower has their New World
Translation saying "You are my Son, the beloved; I
have approved you", yet in
their Kingdom Interlinear Translation, the English under
the Greek does not agree with the Watchtower. It says
"This is the Son of me the beloved, in whom I found good
pleasure." So, at Jesus' baptism
Jehovah God said that he was pleased
with his Son. 2 Peter 1:17 confirms that Jesus received
honor and glory from his Father at his baptism not
sonship.
What about Jesus' inheritance?
Jesus did not need to be
born again to go to heaven as the Watchtower teaches,
because Jesus already received the kingdom of God by
inheritance. Hebrews 1:1, 2 says in the New World
Translation "God, who long ago spoke on many
occasions and in many ways to our forefathers by means of
the prophets, has at the end of these days spoken to us
by means of a Son, whom he appointed heir of all
things, and through whom he made the
systems of things." He did not need to become a
spiritual son of God, he already had the sonship by
inheritance. He did not need to become the Christ at his
baptism, he already was the Christ at his birth. The very
best witness to this fact was the angel's testimony at
Jesus' birth and Jehovah's angel has never been impeached!
Luke 2:10-11 in the New World Translation says "...
Have no fear, for, look! I am declaring to YOU good news
of a great joy that all the people will have, because
there was born to YOU today a Savior, who is
Christ (the) Lord..." So
Jesus is Christ even at his birth!
Since the prophecy about
the coming of the Messiah predicted the birth of a baby,
not the baptism of a man, why does the Watchtower insist
that Jesus was not the Christ until his baptism? Why does
the Watchtower deny that Jesus was the Christ at his
birth? Why do they deny that he was the Christ the day before
his baptism? Their denial is in essence because they deny
that the Christ, or anointed one is a person, instead
they claim that it is a title that a person or group of
people can claim for themselves. They are the
anointed (or Christ class as they previously called
themselves). They are equal with Jesus and have
his authority. They are the ones to be followed. They
are the truth. Jesus said in Matthew 24:4, 5. "Look
out that nobody deceives you. For many will come in My
name, saying 'I am the Christ (or Christ-class or the
anointed),' and deceive many.'"
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