Luke 12:49-53 - Worth Losing Everything

Intro

The year Jesus was born, Caesar Augustus declared that everyone was to be registered in the census.

Mary and Joseph were going to Bethlehem because Joseph was from the line of King David.

While they were there, it was time for Mary to give birth to Jesus!

“I wonder what’s going on out in that barn?”

In the same region in Judea, there were some shepherds pulling the night shift out in the fields with their sheep.

When an angel appears to them in the glory of the Lord to tell them about what’s going on in a barn in Bethlehem!

Fear not?!

They didn’t have lights in fields in first century Galilee.

Luke 2:11–14 ESV

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

What a hype man!

This is the announcement of the Prince of Peace coming into the world!

That’s some good news!

We are in the series, the Difficult and Unexpected sayings of Jesus.

There were several things that Jesus said that would get him excommunicated and removed from membership in a lot of churches today.

There were some things Jesus said that did not sound like the angel.

Let’s stand for the reading of God’s Word.

Luke 12:49–53 ESV

49 “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! 50 I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! 51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. 53 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.”

This is God’s Word, written down for you and for me.

Who knew that in-law issues were biblical?

This is a complex text.

“Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth?”

“…Yes…? That’s what the angel said. In fact, a whole bunch of angels showed up and said, ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace’

What’s going on here?

Context: In Luke 9:51, Luke gives us a small spoiler. “When the days drew near for Him to be taken up, He set His face to go to Jerusalem.”

We know that the cross is looming in the shadows as He and His followers make their way toward Jerusalem

“I came to cast fire on the earth” (v. 49)

Fire is rightly associated with the judgment and wrath of God.

In the Old Testament, fire and water are used as symbols of judgement.

Water—Noah’s ark

Fire—Destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah

Jesus is making it clear that a time of divine judgement was coming

He says that the wrath is already kindled.

The wrath of God has been kindled toward sin.

God is holy

In His essence, He is completely pure and incorruptible.

God is perfect in character and nature.

All that He says, does, and thinks with perfectly righteous.

He is totally contrast to anything wrong or broken.

Now obviously, there’s an issue, because the world is broken and sinful.

God’s holiness requires Him to have wrath.

God’s wrath is not a popular concept in the west.

Biblically, God’s wrath toward sin cannot go unsatisfied.

God is just. Justice demands death for sin.

God’s Law demanded a pure life to pay for sin.

Jesus’ proclamation of God’s judgement likely left some nervous of impending wrath.

This is a hard saying.

But then, Jesus makes an unexpected turn (v. 50)

Jesus mentioned that there is a baptism with which he is to be baptized

To be baptized means to be momentarily immersed into water as a cleansing, ceremonial, and initiatory rite.

When we baptize people, they were fully immersed into water.

Obviously, Jesus is not referring to water baptism, because He had already been baptized in Luke 3.

Jesus is pointing toward his sufferings to come.

Jesus had told His disciples repeatedly that He was going to suffer at the hands of wicked men, be killed, and raise three days from the dead.

Jesus called His shot several times.

Jesus was going to be baptized in His own blood.

Jesus was going to be fully immersed into the wrath of God.

He challenged His disciples with this phrase: Mark 10:38 “38 Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?””

He prayed in the garden: Luke 22:42 “ saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.””

What was in the cup?

The full weight of the wrath of God toward sin was in the cup!

Jesus was committed to His mission.

Jesus would drink the cup of God’s wrath to the last drop!

if any remains, we will not be forgiven. He will leave nothing.

Jesus knew what was said about Him before His birth!

Isaiah 53:10–12 ESV

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

He was fully immersed into the willful wrath of God!

That the Son of God would be given up to the hands of sinners for sinners!

That we could be saved from the wrath of God coming for your sin and my sin!

The crucifixion was no surprise to Jesus!

“How great is my distress until it is accomplished!” (v. 50)

One thing was on Jesus mind day in and day out

The salvation of His people!

Jesus kept one eye focused on the cross!

Because it meant redemption for all who would believe in Him!

Greek phrase: “teleo”: Complete; finish; accomplish

“To become thoroughly or entirely accomplished; becoming perfect or complete”

Where else is the phrase used?

The next time we see the phrase “teleo” is in John 19:30 “30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

Jesus’ death satisfied the wrath of God completely for all who would trust in Him!

God’s wrath poured out on Jesus so that God’s lovre would be poured out on you!

Somebody died in your place!

Jesus made people with God for anyone who would trust in Jesus and follow Him as a disciple.

Following Jesus is being baptized into His death!

I identify with Jesus!

In Christ’s death, my sin died!

The old self died!

Jesus died to divide you from sin!

To leave it behind!

This is another difficult thing for us to hear.

We tend to want to negotiate with Jesus.

“You can have this, but not this”

You can have my Sundays, but you can’t have my work.

You can have my public image, but you can’t have my private life.

You can have my finances if you bless them, but you can’t have my sex life.

Our problem is that we believe that Jesus will negotiate.

Jesus doesn’t negotiate.

Jesus died to satisfy God’s conditions to forgive your sin.

He will not compromise so you can keep the very things He died to save you from.

“Well what about grace?!”

Well what about grace?

Romans 6:1–6 ESV

1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

When we baptize a new believer, this is the symbol we are pointing to!

Jesus laid down His life to rescue me out of the life I was living contrary to God!

I was kindling up wrath toward myself!

Now, I want to put off my old self and be fully submersed in Jesus’ love, forgiveness, and joy!

My life cannot look the same!

But, following Jesus comes with a price.

Jesus tells his disciples that they too will face distress.

Jesus’ life and ministry was controversial.

Jesus said that there would be division over Him.

His coming to the world would result in division, not peace.

Jesus creates problems all throughout the gospels.

Jesus gives us peace with God, but there would be disturbance.

The division Jesus had specifically in His mind is within families.

When I became a Christian, I was at odds greatly with my family.

The fact that I was a Christian created a separation with my family.

To the point that I was told to leave for the weekend if I wouldn’t say I wasn’t a Christian

Those who are far from God will be divided from those who follow Him.

God’s family is eternally bound

Pastor David Gantenbein preached this same topic a few months ago.

“Blood is thicker than water”

That phrase was taken from “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.”

Our spiritual family is more foundational than bloodlines.

To be Jesus’ disciple might mean being misunderstood.

Even by your own family.

But the life that we now live in Christ is so worth it.

Eternal joy, unending grace, everlasting life.

More than that, we get Jesus.

Paul told the Philippians that he suffered the loss of all things and count it as rubbish that he may gain Christ!

Nothing is greater!

Paul prayed for the Ephesians:

Ephesians 3:14–19 ESV

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Being united to Christ is worth losing everything

Conclusion

So what do we do with all of this?

First, be baptized into Christ.

I’m not talking water baptism.

Surrender every aspect of your life to the Kingdom of God.

Your family, your work, your finances, your hobbies, your friends

The Kingdom of God is Jesus’ sovereign reign over all things.

To follow Jesus is to walk in absolute self-abandonment and dependence on Jesus.

The path to life, joy, and the love of God is not found in you, but in Christ alone!

Repent of your sin and turn to Jesus, who was baptized in the wrath of God that was due you!

Trust in Jesus, who was resurrected so you can have eternal life!

In Jesus, who gave us His Spirit so that we would be sons and daughters of God!

Let’s together divide ourselves from anything that doesn’t unite us to Christ.

Slides Needed:

Luke 12:49-53.

Isaiah 53:10-12.

Jesus died to divide you from your sin!

Romans 6:1-6.

Ephesians 3:15-19.

Being united with Christ is worth losing everything