The Gospel of Luke: The Mission that Changed Everything | Division | Peace | Jesus - Video

Sermon Notes Jan 11 'I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.' He also said to the crowds,'When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time? And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.'” Luke 12:49-59 In this text, what does Jesus mean when he says he came to cast fire on the earth and what does he mean when he says “He has a baptism that He must be baptized with?” Jesus is heading to the cross, and the whole world is heading toward the dividing line of the cross: The gospel message is a fire that will purify some and consume others. The cross must be embraced and the one who hung on the cross must be embraced to avoid being consumed by that fire. Jesus will be fully immersed in the act of absorbing all the sins of the world. This is the baptism he speaks of. He carried an amazing weight for me and for you and for the world. This act on the cross will always lead to division: father against son, mother against daughter, families against family. . Now, typically, we hear of Jesus bringing peace! The best way for us to understand this challenging passage is to see Matthew chapter 10, verse 34-37, where Jesus says He has not come to bring peace, but a sword, and that whoever loves father and mother more than Him, is not worthy of Him. That’s the kind of division Christ is bringing - a shift in our allegiance. By declaring that nothing in life comes before Him, He creates division.. Christ has called us to total allegiance. He has called us to accept the lowly and the poor, to reject sexual immorality and lies. And these divisions occur when we reject the gods of cruelty and hypocrisy who are posing as Jesus Himself. . We don’t come to know God by knowing people who seem smart and socially acceptable. We come to know Jesus by looking past those playing roles the world ranks highly. The only way to come to know God is by fixing our eyes upon Him. Don’t wait until you are before the judge to accept the reality of Jesus’ work. It is urgent that you respond to the cross.