Sermon Tone Analysis

Why did Jesus come to this world?

This is a question that theologians have wrestled with for centuries… (and we are ALL theologians)

Why did Jesus step out of Heaven and onto this earth?

What was the purpose of the Incarnation?

(Go ahead, give me your answers)

Jesus answers the question directly:

We quickly remember these scriptures, don’t we?

We quickly answer that question (as you have done) with “to bring salvation”… “to die for our sins”… “to restore our relationship with God”… “to bring holiness to people”…

But… Did you know that He came to do one more thing… one more thing that if we can grasp it… if we have it… it will guarantee us assurance of our salvation?

Look at that phrase: “to bring fire”…

Πῦρ ἦλθον βαλεῖν — “pyr erchoma ballo”

Pyr — “fire”

erchoma — “come to a state or condition”

ballo — “to throw, hurl”

It says: “to cause a condition of fire on the earth”

Jesus says: “I came to cause a fire on the earth.”

That’s crazy… right?!

Why would Jesus bring fire?

What does He mean?

What is this fire?

A lot of commentators, theologians, and even pastors say “Jesus is ready to set the fire of judgement and let unbelievers face their punishment.”

That, Jesus — for some reason — is desiring to bring judgment and condemnation on the earth…

But that doesn’t make any sense… If Jesus’s desire was to see a fire of judgement consume the “unbelievers,” then why did He come in the first place?!

Why did He choose to step out of heaven?

Why didn’t He just sit in heaven and watch the people “get what they deserve”?

And… How does that fit with Peter’s words in:

Jesus says that He “has a baptism to undergo”.

What is that baptism?

Is it not a baptism that brings forgiveness to the sinner — to the unbeliever as it were?

So… How do these two ideas fit together?

Look back at Luke 12:41

Jesus’s response to Peter’s question — the parable He tells — is focused on Faith and Faithful living.

His focus here — and in the prior passage and following passage — are about Faith and Faithful living....

Christ’s desire is for the Fires of Faith to be set ablaze in our hearts!

The Wesleyan Bible Commentary, Volume 4: Matthew–Acts (c.

Divided Loyalties (12:49–53))

A. B. Bruce says: “the fire of a new faith, or religion, a burning enthusiasm in believers, creating fierce antagonism in unbelievers: deplorable but inevitable.”

The Wesleyan Bible Commentary, Volume 4: Matthew–Acts (c.

Divided Loyalties (12:49–53))

Creed says: “Christ wishes that the fire were already kindled, because it must needs be so before the kingdom of God can come.”

The Wesleyan Bible Commentary, Volume 4: Matthew–Acts (c.

Divided Loyalties (12:49–53))

Plummer prefers the meaning, “What more have I to desire, if it be already kindled!”

He writes: “Christ came to set the world on fire, and the conflagration had already begun.”

Farrar says this:

The Wesleyan Bible Commentary, Volume 4: Matthew–Acts (c.

Divided Loyalties (12:49–53))

“The metaphor is probably to be taken in all its meanings: fire as a spiritual baptism; the refining fire to purge gold from dross, and burn up the chaff of all evil in every imperfect character; and the fire of retributive justice.”

What Christ longed for… the fire He brought to the earth… the thing He yearned to see “kindled”… was the beginning of the purifying work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of God’s Children.

But… it couldn’t be kindled yet… He had a baptism to go through…

Baptism means — “to be immersed” (we talked about this last week)

Jesus knew that He had to be totally immersed in agonizing pain and torture… that He had to be immersed in the sin of the world… that He had to be totally immersed in complete separation from the presence of the Holiness of God…

And that caused Him distress…

Can you imagine?

But… Jesus suffered all that… He willingly went to the Cross… for your sake and for mine… Not simply to free us from sin… not simply to bring Grace into our lives… but to ignite a fire in our souls!

Jesus yearned to see that fire set… to see it blazing “white-hot” in our hearts… Why?!?

Because that Fire is what changes the world!!!

I. Fire Reveals God’s Presence in Our Lives.

There are several statements about God in the Bible: God is Holy; God is Light; God is Love; God is Spirit;…

We call these “Theophany”… theophany is how God reveals Himself Physically in scripture.

Fire is the most common.

When God appeared to Moses, He spoke as a burning bush...

At Mt. Sinai, God appeared to the Israelites as a fire on the mountain.

When Moses built the Tabernacle… and the first sacrifice was made in the Holy of Holies… God revealed Himself in Fire…

We just talked about the prophet Elijah… When Elijah stood on Mt.

Carmel and called on God to send down fire… God showed up and burned up the sacrifice, altar, water, everything!!!

Look at how John describes Jesus in Revelation:

Throughout the Bible, God’s presence is represented by Fire.

That’s what Jesus is excited about… that is what He yearns to see fulfilled… bringing the supernatural, burning, exciting presence of God into our lives!

John the Baptist said:

Luke 3:16 (NRSV)

16 John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

Jesus came to totally immerse people in the burning, purifying, awesome presence of God!

An experience with God… a personal encounter of God… is an experience with Holy Fire!

After the resurrection… two disciples walked along the road to Emmaus… Jesus began walking with them, but they didn’t recognize Him… look at what they said after He revealed Himself:

Oh, that we would all experience that Emmaus experience!!!

Let me tell you: When your heart is on fire for someone… you are passionate about that person.

You yearn to be with them… You go out of your way for them… Your world begins to revolve around them… They become everything for you… You find Joy in your relationship with them…

(Do you realize that that is how God views you?

God is passionate about you!)

Jesus came to give us that kind of burning, passionate, love-filled relationship with the God of the Universe!

That’s the fire He desired to see kindled!

Because… That is the Fire that reveals God to the World!

II.

Christ’s Fire Generates Power in the Life of Believers.

So… Why don’t we see more POWER in our personal lives… in our prayers?

(I’m gonna get scientific on you…)

Thermodynamics — the relationship between heat and mechanical energy and the process of changing one into the other.

Your Cars engine is a great example… burns fuel and changes it into power to create motion… gets you from point A to point B…

Electricity is produced in plants that use gas, coal, water, or nuclear fusion to transfer heat into power…

If just one component… a transformer… a spark plug… a wire… fails… the whole system fails.

The same is true for us…

We operate off Spiritual Thermodynamics.

The Holy Spirit living inside you is like God’s Fire… generating the power we need to live the Christian Life.

He gives us the power to share our faith… to forgive people… to love the unlovable people!

John 15:5 (NRSV)

5 I am the vine, you are the branches.

Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.

The Fire Christ brings to us is the spark that ignites the energy we need to live the Christian Life!