49"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
Key verses 49 and 51
49"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!
51Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.
Context
Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem where he would be rejected and be crucified. (Luke 9:22, 9:51) At this time Jesus' popularity was the highest. A crowd of many thousands gathered around Jesus, so that they were trampling one another. We see Jesus' priority for his disciples when he had so many people gathered around Jesus. (Luke 12:1) Jesus first taught his disciples. Then he taught the crowd.
Last week we learned that Jesus told his disciples to live with an expectation that Jesus would come back after his death and resurrection. He told his disciples to be ready for his second coming. Jesus taught us to live as faithful and wise managers waiting for the master.
So we can see how history is unfolding. It is like this: Jesus death and resurrection followed by his ascension and return.
Today's text is part 2 of Jesus' discourse with his disciples. Not only does Jesus teach his disciples to be ready, he shows them how Jesus would be ready to meet God in Jerusalem.
Here we can learn mainly how Jesus came. He told his disciples that he came
- to bring fire on the earth and
- to bring division, not peace.
Let's pray. "Dear Lord, thank you for teaching us how history is moving to your coming back. Help us and open our eyes to see why you came. May the meditation of my heart and words of my mouth to be pleasing to you, my rock and my salvation. (Psalm 19). Amen."
1. I have come to bring fire on the earth (49-50)
Why did Jesus come? Did he come so that we can take days off during Christmas holidays and exchange gifts? NO.
Look at verse 49.
49"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!
Jesus came to set fire on the earth. God is almighty and holy. He is the creator of the heavens and the earth. He has many names and one of them is fire.
Let's see how God is described in the Bible. You know the history of Exodus. The Israelites were freed from the bondage of Egypt by God. God led them out of the Egypt and through the desert. Before the Israelites entered the promised land, God reminded them who he was. Deut 4;24 says. "For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." When the Israelites came out of Egypt, they were very much afraid. They had to adjust to a new environment and new culture. To calm down their fears, they made a golden calf. God's people worshiped the idol instead of worshiping God who brought them out of their slavery. The Holy God could not tolerate their idols and the idol worshipers. Moses told them that God is a consuming fire. (Deut 4:24, Heb 12:28) God's anger burned against them.
The reference to fire appears to suggest judgment (Lk 3:9, 17; 9:54; 17:29, Lamentation 2:4, 4:11). Fire will burn almost everything. He will burn all the idols and all the impurities and purify his people like a gold smith purifies gold by setting the gold in the fire
For example, we can see one kindled fire's ability to destroy an entire city. The great Chicago fire is a good example.
The summer of 1871 was very dry, leaving the ground parched and the wooden city vulnerable. On Sunday evening, October 8, 1871, just after nine o'clock, a fire broke out in the barn behind the home of Patrick and Catherine O'Leary at 13 DeKoven Street. How the fire started is still unknown today, but an O'Leary cow often gets the credit. The firefighters, exhausted from fighting a large fire the day before, were first sent to the wrong neighborhood. When they finally arrived at the O'Leary's, they found the fire raging out of control. The blaze quickly spread east and north. Wooden houses, commercial and industrial buildings, and private mansions were all consumed in the blaze. After two days, rain began to fall. On the morning of October 10, 1871, the fire died out, leaving complete devastation in the heart of the city. At least 300 people were dead, 100,000 people were homeless, and $200 million worth of property was destroyed. The entire central business district of Chicago was leveled. The fire was one of the most spectacular events of the nineteenth century, and it is recognized as a major milestone in the city's history.
Here we are not just dealing with one city but the whole earth will be blazing hot. God will come and destroy all the ungodly people. God's judgment is coming. This is the truth.
Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem. He is going there to face God's judgment. What was Jesus' mood at this time? Was he so joyful knowing that God would bring his judgment against all idol worshipers? NO.
Let's look at verse 50.
"But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!"
The rain came down and put out the fire in Chicago. Who can put out God's fire? Lake Michigan? No. Nothing.
But there is only thing that can put out God's fire. It is Jesus' baptism. When we are baptized we are submerged into water and come out. This symbolizes our dying with Jesus and rising with Jesus. This is our new birth. Recently Alex received baptism. But Jesus' baptism is not like Alex's. Jesus' baptism symbolizes receiving God's fire on him. His body will be completely burned without a trace.
Jesus is fully God and fully human. When he thought about God's consuming fire coming down on him, he was distressed.
We think that Jesus had no emotions and think that he was a super human. But it is not true. He was a man who understood the agonies of life. The Bible says that Jesus felt everything like a man.
- He shed tears (Luke 19:41)
- He was filled with Joy (Luke 10:21)
- He was sorrowful (Mark 14:34)
- He was angry (Mark 3:5)
- Sadness came over him (Matt 26:17)
- He felt sorrow (Luke 7:13)
- Showed astonishment and wonder (Mark 6:6, Luke 7:9)
- He felt distressed (Mark 3:5, Luke 12:50)
Think about your next exam. Are you distressed? What if you were to die the most horrible death imaginable? How would you feel? At this time, Jesus was distressed but see how he conducted himself before his disciples and before the crowd. He showed his grace. He was going to Jerusalem to receive God's judgment on behalf of the crowd and for his disciples.
God sent his only son so that we could be spared from God's consuming fire. We are saved because Jesus was distressed and stressed out. Can you see God's grace for you in Jesus' private agony?
Did you see how Jesus was readying himself as a faithful and wise manager by teaching the crowd and planting the core of the gospel message to his disciples at this time, in the time of his private agony?
When we are stressed out and distressed with our own issues, we crumble. I have seen many examples even among our missionaries. But praise Jesus is not like us. Even though he was distressed, he did not bail out. He submitted himself to God's judgment in place of us.
We are saved by Jesus' distress for us so that we do not need to distressed. In Jesus we find God's love and God's salvation for us.
As Jesus underwent a baptism of fire for us, we can have hope for God's love for us and God's hope for us. We can be born again not by our own efforts but we can be born again by Jesus' baptism for us. It is by God's pure grace for us. By Jesus' distress we are saved. So we are distressed and stress out, what do we do? We must learn from Jesus. Thank God for Jesus who expressed his distress with unashamed and unembarrassed freedom.
Jesus opened up to his disciples his most private emotions. God did not despise Jesus' agony at this time. God used his son's distress for the salvation of the whole world. So we do not pretend that we are super women and super men. Rather we accept our distress as God given. In this way, we can open up to God and open up to our fellow brothers and sisters. This is Jesus' gospel. In our distress and in our sorrow we can meet Jesus and can live authentic and regular and normal lives expressing our distress and stress. More than that, we have our certainty - putting our hope on Jesus who was going to Jerusalem and who was distressed for us and who was baptized by God's fire. May God help us to articulate the gospel in all our circumstances and put our hope in Jesus' baptism for us.
This is our sure foundation and this is our rock. This is our certainty and our salvation.
Look at verses 51-53.
The judgment work of separation will split families; it will not bring peace. Jesus is saying, "Expect divisions."
51Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
The judgment work of separation will split families; it will not bring peace. Jesus is saying, "Expect divisions."
What is the most intimate relationship for us? It is a family tie. It is like five toes staying so tight. It is like two Sohns becoming inseparable. But the gospel of Jesus divides even the most intimate human bond.We think that our family will stay together forever. Is this a correct assumption? NO. It all depends on how we view Jesus and his gospel.
Just as fire burns everything in its way, the gospel of Jesus divides. Jesus did not come to bring peace but division. He will separate God's people from those who are not God's people. From those who confess Jesus as their Savior and those who do not confess.
Our desire to have peace is great. Can we just get along? How can we get along? How can we have peace? In this life, when you do not get into the U of I, then you can go to Parkland and study there and transfer. But when God separates us, that is final. Its division has eternal consequences.
Do you live in anticipation of Jesus' second coming and his appearing? Or do you live just to get a fix right now ignoring Jesus and his people? The Bible is very clear. There is one sure foundation. It is the rock of Jesus. All other grounds are sinking sand.
No title will help you. No amount of family background will save us. I have grown up in a Christian family. Can my mother save me? NO. I met Jesus personally and confessed that I am a sinner and Jesus is my savior. I cannot save my son Peter. He must come to know God's saving grace and have personal faith in Jesus.
No degree will prepare me to meet God's consuming fire. Our shelter is God's sure foundation. It is believing God's incredible grace shown on his son Jesus who underwent baptism by God's fire. We claim the work of our Lord Jesus who died for us and rose from the dead. He ascended into heaven and will come back with God's fire and call his people among all the nations. This is my gospel.
This saving grace is Jesus' distress for us. Our saving grace is to put our trust in Jesus going to Jerusalem and who died for our sins and rose again from the dead. It is having personal faith in Jesus.
This is our hope and this is our foundation. That's why we celebrate Jesus' death and resurrection each year.
So we live to preach the saving grace of our Lord Jesus. God wants everyone to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. (1 Tim 2:4).
When we become Christians, we pray for our family members to be saved. For example, my wife prayed for his younger brother to know Jesus. Even though he grew up in a Christian family, he had no personal faith. But Grace prayed for him and prayed for him. It took many years, almost one decade but finally he confessed that Jesus is his savior and put his trust in Jesus. His father who was a devout Christian became so happy and said, "I am ready to meet my God and go to the kingdom of God." He knew that he would see his son there.
I want to invite you personally to come to the East Bay Christian Camp at Hudson, IL, home of Doug Browning so that we can celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus together. Let's pray that our friends and our family members may also come to know the saving grace of Our Lord who is going to Jerusalem and who met God's wrath in place of us.
Let's pray. "Dear Lord, thank you for your incredible grace for us. We are the ones who had to receive God's consuming fire and God's judgment. Thank you for sending your son and sharing your son's agony with us. Your son was distressed but he trusted you and loved us. He underwent God's baptism for us. Through his baptism of dying on the cross and rising from dead, you made us your children. Help us to put our hope only on the rock of Jesus. Help us to bring our friends and family members to Jesus so that we can live under your grace. I pray in your son's name. Amen."
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