The Fire of God Luke 12:49-59
When Vladimir Putin’s increased Russia’s aggressive behaviour against neighbouring states the world at first just looked on but it has now realised that complacency and compromise is the wrong option. Russian-occupied territories are the lands outside of Russia's internationally recognized borders which have been designated by the United Nations and most of the international community as under a Russian military occupation. They consist of the territories of Transnistria (part of Moldova 1992–present), Abkhazia and South Ossetia (both part of Georgia 2008–present), Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk (2014–present) and now mainland Ukraine (2022–present). Additionally, the four southernmost Kuril Islands are considered by Japan and several other countries to be occupied by Russia. Many are very worried about this state of affairs.
Jesus warns us that this is nothin compared to the great conflagration that is to come:
“I have come to bring fire on the earth. . . Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” Luke 12:49, 51
He explains that this tension will even be within families:
“From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, 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 daughter in law and daughter in-law against mother-in-law.” Luke 12:52-53
This fire will be between members of families and will be focused on Jesus. One of the evidences that Jesus is the Messiah of God, as he claimed, is that what he says about these tensions is precisely what has happened. He knew the consequences of believing in him just because he is God. Fulfilled signs confirm that he is indeed who he claimed to be.
People are able to accept the evidence from nature but unable to see the significance of the evidence about Jesus.
“He said to the crowd: ‘When you see a cloud in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain.’ and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret the present time?” Luke 12:54-56
This fire is the consequence of the division of people over the place Jesus will have in their lives.
Peter also uses the idea of fire to portray God’s judgment.
“By the same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” 2 Peter 3:7
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief . . . That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire . . .” 2 Peter 3:10,12
Jesus looked forward to this final day when sin is judged and punished and when God’s new world of righteousness will be inaugurated.
“I have a fire to bring to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled.” Luke 12:49
The focus of this great division will be the crucifixion of Jesus, for him this was his baptism of fire. He knew this awful death was inevitable, he even marched to Jerusalem knowing that there he would be executed. He also knew however that his death must precede the great day of Judgment as it is his death that will give some the assurance of receiving eternal life.
“But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed.” Luke 12:50
Our Baptism
In a similar way our baptism marks a major turning point where we die to the old life. It is another picture of God’s judgment of sin that Christ has born on our behalf. In baptism we are associating ourselves with him and his death for us before embarking on a new life lived for him. Water puts out fire, the fire of God’s wrath. One issue with the picture of infant baptism is that it portrays the washing away of our sin by Christ but omits the picture of rising up out of the water that represents the empowering of the individual to live a new life by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Both forgiveness and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit are essential elementary doctrines for those becoming Christians
At Pentecost the gift of the Holy Spirit was demonstrated by ‘tongues of fire’ descending on every Christian. The effect of the presence of the Holy Spirit was that they all explained the gospel to foreigners in Jerusalem because of the supernatural gift of real languages to do this. How we need this gift of tongues, the sharing of the good news about Jesus to be much more widespread today. When we are baptised we are baptised with God’s Spirit to be on fire for Christ.
Fire in the Old Testament
1. The fire represents the presence of God
In the Old Testament fire was often a symbol for the presence of God. God appeared to Moses from burning bush:
“The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. So Moses said, ‘I must turn aside now and see this marvellous sight, why the bush is not burned up.’” Exodus 3:2-3
Similar to this is the Lord’s descent on Mount Sinai in fire.
“Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord descended on it in fire.” Exodus 10:18
“You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain while it blazed with fire to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness.” Deuteronomy 4:15
2. The fire leads his people
The Lord guided the Israelites by a pillar of fire at night as they travelled through the wilderness after leaving Egypt.
3. The fire represents God’s hatred of sin
Fire also represented God's holiness, his power and his glory. To the Israelites at Sinai ,
“The glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire” Exodus 24:17
Fire communicates, first of all, the very presence of God. This is especially evident in the burning bush from which God spoke to Moses (Exodus 3:2-6). Here fire is a manifestation of God himself, for Moses turned away from the sight “because he was afraid to look at God” (v. 6). Similar to this is Yahweh's descent upon Mount Sinai “in fire” (Exodus 19:18 ; see also Deuteronomy 4:11-12, Deuteronomy 4:15, Deuteronomy 4:33, Deuteronomy 4:36). In the New Testament Paul describes the second coming of Christ as “in blazing fire” (2 Thessalonians 1:7), an appearance that carries overtones of judgment as well as mere presence. John's vision of Jesus with eyes “like blazing fire” (Rev 1:14 ; 2:18 ; 19:12) is also similar to Old Testament ideas of judgment.
A number of Bible passages use fire as synonymous with or in association with God's glory. For example, to the Israelites at Sinai “the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire” (Exodus 24:17; see also Leviticus 9:23-24 and Deuteronomy 5:24 ). In visions of God in his glory in both Old and New Testaments, fire is a regular feature.
A special use of fire imagery in the New Testament is that connected with baptism with fire. John the Baptist predicted that Jesus would baptize “with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Matthew 3:11 and Luke 3:16), a promise that was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. At that time “tongues of fire” rested upon those gathered in the upper room with the result that they “were filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:3-4). The fire here is a manifestation of God.
Fire was used to reveal God at work in a number of ways. One of the earliest and clearest of these ways is his appearance in a pillar of fire that led the people of Israel out of Egypt and through the Sinai deserts. Another instance of God's use of fire as an active manifestation of his presence is his sending fire from heaven to consume sacrifices offered up to him on special and unusual occasions. The first of these inaugurated Aaron's ministry as priest. Having blessed the people, Moses and Aaron witnessed the appearance of the glory of the Lord, a striking manifestation of which was fire that "came out from the presence of the Lord" to consume the sacrifices already placed on the altar ( Lev 9:23-24 ). Other examples of fire as the expression of God's acceptance of offerings are those of Gideon ( Judges 6:19-24 ) and of the father and mother of Samson ( Judges 13:15-20 ). In both cases Yahweh is present in the person of the angel who touches the altar, causing the sacrifices to erupt in flame.
Because of fire's heat and destructive capacity, it frequently appears in the Bible as a symbol of God's anger and of the judgment and destruction that sometimes are extensions of that anger. The psalmist employs fire as a simile for divine displeasure when he asks the Lord, "How long will your wrath burn like fire?" ( Psalm 89:46 ) Isaiah, referring to God's coming in judgment, sees him "coming with fire" and bringing down his rebuke "with flames of fire" (66:15). Jeremiah says in reference to the destruction of Jerusalem that Yahweh "poured out his wrath like fire" ( Lam 2:4 ). Ezekiel uses the term "fiery anger" to speak of God's outpoured judgment, especially when speaking of the impending Babylonian conquest ( 21:31 ; 22:31 ). This is also the language by which he describes the overthrow of Gog in the end times. In his "zeal and fiery wrath" he will bring about massive calamity ( 38:19 ).
In other passages, the anger of God is not only metaphorically represented by fire, but fire becomes a literal vehicle of his wrath. At Taberah in the Sinai desert Yahweh's "anger was aroused" and "fire from the Lord burned among" the people ( Num 11:1 ). And the rebellion of Korah and his followers also resulted in many of them perishing by fire, a manifestation of God's hot anger ( Num 16:35 ; 26:10 ; Lev 10:2 ). A most impressive display of fire as an instrument of judgment is the destruction of the messengers of Ahaziah of Israel who attempted to seize Elijah the prophet only to be struck with fire "from heaven" ( 2 Kings 1:10, 2 Kings 1:12, 2 Kings 1:14 ). This is probably an example of lightning, which otherwise is clearly a means of inflicting divine judgment and destruction (cf. Exodus 9:23-24 ; Job 1:16 ; Psalm 18:13-14 ).
The same imagery of fire as a sign of God's anger and judgment continues in the New Testament. James and John asked Jesus whether or not they should invoke fire from heaven in order to destroy the Samaritans ( Luke 9:54 ). Paul speaks of fire as a purifying agent capable of testing the quality of one's life and works ( 1 Cor 3:13 ). Most commonly, fire is associated with the judgment of hell ( Matt 3:12 ; 5:22 ; 18:8-9 ; Mark 9:43 Mark 9:48 ; Luke 3:17 ; 16:24 ; James 3:6 ; Jude 7 ; Rev 20:14-15 ), or with the destruction of the old heavens and earth in preparation for the new ( 2 Peter 3:10 2 Peter 3:12 ).
It is this same fire that drives Christians on to save those who at present are under God’s wrath because they have rejected him and his Son.
BVP
