LUKE 12:49-59 CONVERSION CAUSES CONFLICT

CONVERSION CAUSES CONFLICT

LUKE 12:49-59

Luke 12:49 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?

Susie: Fire is often a symbol for God’s judgment.

Examples of scripture where fire equals judgment:  Is. 66:15; Joel 2:30; Amos 1:7, 10–14; 2:2, 5; Mal. 3:2, 5; 1 Cor. 3:13; 2 Thess. 1:7, 8.

Susie: Even though Jesus came to die to save us from judgment, with that free gift of salvation comes strong judgment against all who refuse to believe and accept God’s gift.

Susan: Fire is also symbolic of the Holy Spirit’s power as on the day of Pentecost when tongues of flame alit on the disciples gathered together for prayer (Acts 2:3).

Susie: Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection enabled us to be infused with the power of His Holy Spirit.

Susan: God expressed Himself in the flames of the bush that burned without being consumed as He spoke with Moses (Exodus 3:2)—another demonstration of His power.

Susie: We can avail ourselves of God’s mighty power through our relationship with His Son, Jesus.

Luke 12:50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!

Susie: The baptism Jesus referred to was the judgment of God for our sin which was poured out on His Son as the perfect, Passover Lamb crucified in our place.

Susan: Our water baptism is symbolic of Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection—His full payment of the penalty of sin for all who would believe and receive the message of the Gospel of redemption.

Susie: It is also a representation of our death to sin and self to be raised to a new life of being fully surrendered to the will of God by the power of the Holy Spirit working within us.

Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Susan: The Greek word translated “straitened” in the King James can have the connotation of being “compelled.” Jesus was completely focused on His mission and compelled to continue to Jerusalem, to march “cross-ward.”

Susie: His goal was not just to “get it over with,” as we might think. He was determined to fulfill the purpose for which He was born on this earth, the mission of redeeming us. His love for His chosen ones drove Him forward.

Susan: Jesus relentlessly journeyed to Jerusalem in order to become the final sacrificial Lamb, to pay for our sin once and for all.

Hebrews 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Luke 12:51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

Matthew 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

Susie: Wait a minute here! What happened to “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14)?

Susan: Hold up! Isn’t Jesus the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6)?

Susie: Let’s turn to John MacArthur for a little help in understanding Jesus’s words.

MacArthur Study Bible notes:

10:34 not…peace but a sword. Though the ultimate end of the gospel is peace with God (John 14:27; Rom. 8:6), the immediate result of the gospel is frequently conflict. Conversion to Christ can result in strained family relationships (vv. 35, 36), persecution, and even martyrdom. Following Christ presupposes a willingness to endure such hardships (vv. 32, 33, 37–39). Though He is called “Prince of Peace” (Is. 9:6), Christ will have no one deluded into thinking that He calls believers to a life devoid of all conflict.

Susan: The word for “witnesses” in Acts 1:8 is actually the Greek word “martus” from which we get our word martyr. This is not to say that we will all come to a martyr’s end, but it is to say that we should all be willing to sacrifice our lives in the name of Jesus.

Susie: Becoming a follower of Jesus, surrendering our will to His, will always involve some type of self-sacrifice—maybe not death but the sacrifice of friendships or family relationships.

Luke 12:52-53 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, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

Susie: When I first joined North Pointe Baptist Church, a member named Al Freedman shared his testimony of being declared dead by his Jewish family when he converted to Christianity. Despite the loss of relationship with his biological family, Al declared that he was now truly living up to his name—he was a “Freed Man.”

Susan: When a follower of Islam trusts Jesus as Savior, his or her own family labels them an infidel and often marks them for execution, an “honor killing.” You can go to www.persecution.com for many examples of modern day persecution of the faithful.

Luke 12:54-55 And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.

Susie: The people had become quite adept at rudimentary weather prediction. Jesus contrasts their ability to read these physical signs with their total lack of spiritual discernment.

Luke 12:56 Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?

Susie: They completely missed the fact that Old Testament prophecy pointed to Jesus as Messiah.

Susan: Their total lack of intimacy with the Lord rendered them unable to discern the signs, the fulfillment of prophecy. Thus, they were unprepared to understand spiritual truths.

Susie: By not recognizing Jesus as their Messiah, they were not ready to face the judgment of God. Jesus urged them to make peace with the Lord by trusting Him while there is still time. He used an example to make this point.

Luke 12:57-59 Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right? When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.  I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.

Susan: Don’t wait for court and place your fate in the hands of the judge. With all that depends on you, makes peace (Romans 12:18).

Matthew 5:25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

Susie: We have the opportunity, because of Christ, to make peace with God before the judgement. Instead of trying to be as good as we can (which could never be good enough to please a Holy, perfect God), we need to submit to Jesus and trust Him to bridge the gap between us and a God.

Susan: When we commit and submit to Jesus, His righteousness replaces the filthy rags of our sin, and we are then enabled to become His precious jewels (Malachi 3:17), His bride without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:26-27).

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Philippians 3:8-9 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. . .

Ponder this and Apply it: We need to live each day as if Jesus’s return is eminent, as if He may come tomorrow or even today. For those who have placed their trust in Him, that will be a glorious day of celebration for we have been declared clean and righteous. However, for those who have not settled with Him “along the way,” for those who have never surrendered their lives to His control, it will be the dreaded “Day of the Lord,” a day of final judgment. If you have never surrendered your life to Jesus, believing He is the only solution to the separation from God caused by your sin, do so this minute! If you need more information, please email us at Susan_slade@preciousjewelsminitries.org.