Luke 12:49-53

Luke chapter 12 verses 49 through 53. I am come to send fire on the earth, and what will I if it be already kindled? Well, I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straight until it be accomplished? Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you nay, but rather division. For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father, the mother against the daughter, the daughter against the mother, the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And God blessed to us, his sacred and holy word this morning. There were some oyster fishermen who found out to their dismay that there were a bunch of starfish they were eating up the oyster beds, and they weren’t very happy about that. So whenever they caught any of the starfish in their nets, when they were hauling up the oysters, they would cut them in pieces and throw them back in the water. What they didn’t know was if any of the central disk of the starfish is on any of the legs or the arms of the starfish, it will grow into a new starfish. So actually they were multiplying the starfish when they thought they were destroying them. and so they unwittingly caused them to multiply. For centuries, Christians have been persecuted, hated, viciously opposed in many nations. We see this down through all the errors of history. But persecution did not destroy Christianity. In fact, it’s sort of like the starfish. The more they seem to persecute and kill and harm the people of God, the more the people of God multiply. It’s sort of like the Israelites down in Egypt. The more they oppressed them, the more they grew. And they didn’t know what to do. Even under the most dire circumstances, Christianity has not only survived, but thrived. But thrived, When you think about it, you wouldn’t think that China would be a place where you would see Christianity thriving, and yet, it is. And look at the oppressive government they have against them. Christ in our text not only speaks of the suffering that he is going to endure, but he extends this and says, if you’re one of his disciples, you’re going to be like me, you’re going to have to endure. also. The gospel of Jesus Christ, when it is proclaimed, stirs up hostility wherever it is found. People hate and they oppose believers because they promote the gospel of Jesus Christ. I want to talk about Christ as the divider of men from this past. of scripture this morning. And let me begin by saying this. You find Christ’s heart was steadfastly set on accomplishing his earthly work. Look at verses 49 and 50. He says, I am come to send fire on the earth, and what will I, if it be already kindled? But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straightened to it be a accomplished. Start with verse 50 here, where he says that he has to suffer many things. He has a baptism to be baptized with. We read in scripture Jesus saying, I am come to send fire on the earth. Fire in this context seems to reveal some type of fire of persecution, some kind of response against the gospel and Christ himself. that Christians endure and he will endure. The Lord is referring to the effect which the discriminate and searching message of the gospel has and produces in wicked man. It has on them and produces in them. Interestingly enough, Malachi prophesies of the coming of the Messiah and he says it in this manner, Malachi 3-2. But who is it? may abide the day of his coming, and who shall stand when he appearth, for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fuller’s soap, and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. And he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering of righteousness. Now, we know. that Christ has come to save his people from their sins. But many can’t abide the day of his coming, is what we find. It stirs up their ire, it stirs up hostility within men. And it is through these fires of persecution. Some of them are long and some of them are heavy and hard. Christ purifies those who are dedicated to his service. He calls him the Levites. Well, if we’re dedicated to his service, we are the Levites in this passage. We’re those people that are being purified. Christ is refining us as you would refine silver or gold and get the impurities out of it by heating it up. And so Christ counts as a brings the fire with them of persecution and refines the believers from pollution of sin. Beloved, it’s not a strange thing concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as 1 Peter 412 says. It’s not odd. It is the common thing that we should recognize. You remember the three Hebrew children in the book of the book of Daniel. They were cast into the fiery furnace because they wouldn’t worship Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image. But Christ was with him. Christ walked in the fire was with them. And carried him through it. And that’s what he does for his people. Now the fire of persecution, he says, it’s already kindled. It’s not like it’s going to get kindled. It’s already in full swing. it would get a lot hotter. Jesus Christ expects to have to endure the world’s burning hostility toward him and he knows also toward his disciples in the future. The Lord calls it a baptism for he’s going to be plunged into this suffering and engulfed in it if you would. Baptism here doesn’t about water baptism. It’s speaking about a baptism of suffering that is going to take place. Do you remember the time when James and John’s mother came to Jesus and asked him if James and John could sit on his right hand and on his left hand in his kingdom? Jesus said, you know not what he asked. Are you able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of and be baptized with the baptism? I am baptized? Do you don’t understand what you’re asking? And they said unto him, we are able. And he said unto them, You shall drink indeed of my cup and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with. Matthew 2022. This is the same baptism we’re talking about. You’re going to go through the five. it’s going to be hatred, hostility, stirred up against you. So Christ is going to suffer many things. Now Christ’s foresight of his sufferings did not deterring him. How am I straightened till it be accomplished, she says, in verse 50 here. You know, whenever there is a great work to do, I don’t know about you, would, whenever I had a big project, I’m sort of keyed up to, you know, you want to get at it, you want to get it done, you want to get it taken care of. And that seems like what Christ is saying here. I am straightened until I can get this taking care. I’m pressed to do this. So this expression teaches you that Christ’s suffering, though they were very dreadful. And he was quite aware of all that they would entail. He’s eager to do it. He’s willing to do it. He has a gracious purpose to accomplish it. He’s excited about doing it. In fact, the Bible tells us, for the joy that was set before him, he endured the suffer. So when the IRA came for him to be bathed in blood, he didn’t shrink back. He was willing to do it. Yes, his human nature would prefer to have set it aside, but he came. to do the Father’s will, and he was not going to let anything deter him from that. The advancement of his Father’s glory. The opening of the door of life for his elect people. The fact that he would be reigning as the God man in heaven. All those things he looked forward to. The kingdom that was going to be his. So zeal for this great cause, that he was undertaking was like a burning fire within him. He had to accomplish it. And he actually longed for the time that he could suffer and die and do this work. The foresight of his sufferings did not deter him. Let me make a couple observations. Let us see how willingly here that Christ endured all his sufferings to save your soul and mind. Think about that that God, God, man. Christ very willingly, voluntarily, freely, sacrificed himself. The good shepherd laid down his life. No one takes it from him. He lays it down voluntarily. Jesus did not submit to suffering because he had no choice. He never murmurs. He never fights against the sacrifice of himself. He readily endures the agony. of it all. Both in his life and his death, he was carrying out the eternal counsel of God by which God would be glorified and the elect would be gathered into his kingdom. Jesus, delights to do his father’s will and the purchase redemption for his people. It was dear to his heart. Now, there are times when you and I have to have surgery. You don’t want to do it, but you have no choice. You know, I recently had to have hernia surgery reluctantly. I put it off as long as I could, and it was too painful, and I couldn’t put it off any longer. I had to have it done. Christ is the opposite of that. He’s looking at this in longing to undergo the task, even though it’s painful. He doesn’t want to postpone it. He would like to have it done and overwork and accomplished. So you see how willing. He endured the suffering for our sake. Let us be thankful that we have such a Savior. Notice something else. You should realize the heart of Christ is still deeply interested in the salvation of his people. Just because Jesus has suffered and died and now is up in heaven, reigning as king, doesn’t mean he’s lost any interest in you and I as his people. He’s interceding for us at this time that our salvation. would be fully accomplished. His heart remains the same. He has a deep interest and satisfaction today, just as much, as he did in the day that he died on the cross. There is a dedicated delight in making sure that not a single one of his chosen people perishes he eagerly intercedes for you that your faith fail not he is constantly watching over it he knows what you need of before you ask he’s praying for you that you’d have spiritual strength and patience and wisdom and faith and so forth he’s praying that on your behalf he’s concerned about you there is no reluctance on Christ a part in saving you. And so we should learn to believe this without any doubt. In fact, I think we can say this morning that Christ is more willing to save your soul than you actually are to be saved. I know that’s true from the beginning before we were converted. That’s certainly true. But I would say that even now he has a greater interest than sometimes. we seem to have. The third thing is this. Let the zeal of your Lord and Savior be an example for you. Christ’s willingness to lay down his life for you should constrain you. Paul says the love of Christ constrains me. That he would love us and lay down his life for us. ought to constrain us to live for him. Right? I mean every time we think about what he did, it ought to remind us of what we should be doing. doing. Surely the thought of Christ’s great sacrifice should warm any coldness, any awake and any sleepy spirituality we have, make us anxious to advance his kingdom on his earth. A zealous savior should produce zealous disciples. Paul is a wonderful example of this. Boy, he diligently served Christ no matter what he had to suffer. We have a whole list of his sufferings in Corinthians. I mean, he tells us how many times he was beaten and shipwrecked and all times he was jailed and everything that he would happen to him. The love of Christ constrained him to him. Let the zeal the Lord be an example then for you. So Christ’s heart was steadfastly said on accomplishing his earthly work, as we see here in these two verses. And secondly, you should not expect peace to be the result of the breaching of the gospel. Notice here in verses 51 to 53 what he said. Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth, I tell you nay, but rather division. For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two and two against three. The father shall be divided divided against the son, and the son against the father, and the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother, and the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. You’re told here that the effect of preaching the gospel is going to be division. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth. I came not to send peace on earth, but a sword, he says in Matthew 10, 34. Now there are many who believe that through the universal preaching of the gospel, the whole world is going to be Christianized. that a time of great blessing is going to occur. When all the nations will know the Lord, the disciples thought that when Messiah came, that his kingdom would immediately appear and that there would be universal peace as he would put down all the enemies, the enemy nations, against Israel, and exalt Israel. But they were mistaken. When we think of it, about Christ’s day or we think about our own day, any expectations that somehow or other the world is going to get Christianized by preaching, we should check them. World peace is not caused by the preaching of the gospel. When God grants grace to an individual, he does find peace with the Lord, and he becomes a peacemaker himself. And that’s a wonderful thing. There is peace that comes through the gospel. However, the majority of people are not granted grace, and therefore they respond differently. They don’t have peace with God. They are pasta, and therefore great division is created in our world. If you are resolved to live for the world, you’re going to hate and oppose anyone who’s Christ’s disciple. If you are resolved to live for the world, of the world, the world love is own, but because you are not of the world, the world hates you. Now, in scripture, the Bible tells us about the hostility between Ishmael and Isaac, the two sons of Abraham. The great division between those who were born of the flesh, like Ishmael, and those who were born of the spirit. like Isaac. Those naturally born and those spiritually reborn. Ishmael portrays the world link, Paul says, in Galatians chapter 4. And Isaac, the believer or the Christian, and Paul says their lives are, and behavior are an allegory. Ishmael made fun of and mocked and was hostile to little Isaac. The time of it was hostile to little Isaac. true heir the promised son of Abraham but then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit even so it is now Paul says in Galatians 4.29 this teaches a lesson of the gospel creating division and not peace the Bible says even when Christ was there there was much murmuring among the people some say that he was a good man and others said nay but he deceiveth the people and so there was a division on them so you’re told of the effect of the preaching the gospel you can expect this division will create discord even in private families as we see in the last two verses 52 and 53 in further describing divisions which the gospel produces our Lord declares that these divisions arise even between people dwelling in the same household. This is similar to the teaching in Matthew 1021. Brother shall deliver up brother to death. The father, the child, the children shall rise up against their parents. God, them to be put to death. It’s also from Micah 7, 5, and 6. Trust you not in a friend. Put you not confidence in a guide. Keep the door of thy mouth from her that lieth in my bosom. For son dishonor. father and daughter her mother-in-law and the man’s enemies are the men of his own house. Same idea as what Jesus is saying here. Now, you don’t have to look very far after the fall of man. Look at the first family. Adam and Eve. Look at the two brothers, Kane and Abel. And what happened? Kane was ungodly. Abel was believer. King committed the atrocious crime of murder because his own works were evil and his brothers were good. What division existed in the first family from the hearing of the gospel in Genesis 315? And create peace. Create a division. I could mention again Ishmael and Isaac. I can mention Jacob and Esau. A spirit of hostility and persecution will break the closest bonds of human relations. Few of us can look through the circle of our relatives and family and not find a striking illustration of this. I remember when my parents talked about when they were first converted and they were all excited to tell the relatives about Christ and salvation in Christ. Well, they didn’t get a keen reception. and they held it against my father and mother. They were hostile toward them in many ways. And so you can expect this division. And the gospel is going to create discord even in private families. Let me make a couple of observations. You shouldn’t have unscriptural expectations. Post-millennialism expects the church to the preaching of the gospel to convert the world. They teach the gospel preaching will permit Christ to return to a world that’s already converted. Well, I’m sorry, but this is not what the scripture teaches. It teaches a great falling away even before the Lord’s return, as we’ve already studied in 2nd Thessalonians 2. And in the book of Revelation, chapter 20, Christ clearly states the gospel preaching is going to create a division. And when the scripture speaks of the nations trusting in Christ, it doesn’t mean everybody in the nation. But it means people from every kindred, tribe, and nation will believe on Jesus Christ. This is what these passages are referring to. The gospel, the great community. mission going out and people being converted from all parts of this globe. So don’t have unscriptural expectations here. Secondly, you will find this gospel division is really the result of the corrupt heart of man. Peace is always the result of the gospel wherever it is believed and received. When the angel said peace on earth, and goodwill toward men, they weren’t saying that to include every man, but they were including what Christ was going to bring in for his people. The gospel is undoubtedly an introducer of peace, wherever it is expounded. There is peace brought to people’s hearts. But where the heroes of the gospel are impenit, and they have hardened hearts, and they have hardened hearts, and are determined to cling to their sins, it creates great division. The fault doesn’t lie with the gospel. There’s nothing wrong with the gospel. But the privity of man’s heart is the problem. Thirdly, you should be thankful that one day all earthly division is going to be removed like Christ. One day, all the division will end because Christ will return. He will destroy all the wicked. He will bring in everlasting. righteousness and will have a world in which righteousness dwells. And therefore we inherit a world wherein dwells perfect righteousness because every taint of sin has been removed. Then there’ll be no division. Then there’ll all be oneness, love and unity, and peace. You know, he’s the prince of peace, but he has to do it his way. either through the preaching of the gospel, now, or later, in the destruction of all his enemies. One way or the other. So earthly divisions are just for a little season. We look forward to Christ’s return, because then we’ll have perfect peace. And we can expect that in the very end. Well, cutting up the starfish didn’t get rid of them. It only multiplied them. attacking the Christian, being hostile to the Christians, is not going to get rid of them. It will cause them to multiply by God’s goodness. And so Christ here steadfastly pursues his earthly woke, work even though it means he’s going to suffer because he wants to glorify his father. He wants people, his elect to be saved. Remember, ultimate peace on earth does not come through the preaching of the gospel alone, but Christ’s glorious return must be included. That’s the blessed hope. The blessed hope is not the post-millennial dream. The blessed hope is Christ’s return, and we end all this. We don’t want a world that still tainted with sin. We want a world that’s filled with righteousness. Let’s close with a prayer.