Would you turn with me please to the passage that we read in Luke's Gospel, Luke's Gospel in chapter 12, Luke chapter 12, and reading verses 49 and 50, where Jesus says, I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled. I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished. I came to cast fire on the earth. Well, we're continuing our studies in Luke's Gospel in chapters 12 and 13. And for a few moments, I want to look at verses 49 to 59 with you from this chapter and the way that it speaks to us, the way that it focuses on Jesus' mission to the world, and not only His mission to the world, but His message to the world. We're looking at the passage really under two headings. First we're looking at a declaration and a division, that's in verses 49 to 53, and then we're looking at an admonition and an appeal in verses 54 to the end. So a declaration and a division, then an admonition and an appeal. First the declaration and the division, verses 49 to 53, and in these verses Jesus speaks about his messianic mission. Jesus speaks about his messianic mission. Throughout Luke chapter 12, Jesus has been speaking about discipleship. He's been speaking about what it means to follow him, what it means to be committed to him. In verses 1 to 3, he warned his followers about embracing the hypocritical teaching of the Pharisees who only cared about external appearances and not internal godliness. Then in verses 4 to 7, he encouraged his followers not to be fearful in the face of opposition because they had a God who valued them. And not only did he value them, he wouldn't forget them. Then in verses 8 to 12, Jesus challenged his followers to be willing to confess him even in the seasons when the pressure might be on. Verses 13 to 21, Jesus emphasized that the weight of eternity must shape his followers lives in the present. Verses 22-34 Jesus called on his followers not to be worried about the present. Instead, they should prioritize the kingdom of God, and not only prioritize the kingdom of God, but also remember the providence of God, the rule of God, the sovereign reign of God. And now in verses 35 to 48, Jesus exhorts his followers to be prepared for his coming. He exhorts them to be ready for his coming. Jesus now brings the whole section of teaching to a proper conclusion in verses 49 and following by speaking about who he is and what he has come to do. And he doesn't simply speak about who he is and what he has come to do, he also gives his hearers an invitation to respond to his teaching. So Jesus begins with an emphatic declaration. You see that in verses 49 and 50. We read, I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled. I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished. Jesus begins by claiming that he has come to cast fire on the earth, literally throw fire on the earth. Now today if we were to ask a group of people why Jesus came into the world, we'd receive a number of answers, a variety of responses. Some would say that he came to teach a system of morals, a system of ethics. Others would say that he came to be an example of a holy and righteous religious life. Still others would say that he came to secure a place in heaven for all those who trust in him. But here's Jesus and he says that he has come to cast fire on the earth. More literally, fire I have come to throw on the earth. It is emphatic. This refers to the fire of God's judgment. the fire that would consume the wicked, and not only consume the wicked, but would cleanse the whole world. The Old Testament prophets spoke of this event as the great day of the Lord. In Malachi 4, the Lord says, Behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all the evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch, But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall, and you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on that day when I act Then we go into Luke's Gospel. And we come to Luke chapter 3 and we meet John the Baptist, that second Elijah whom Malachi spoke about. And John says that Jesus is going to appear and Jesus is going to burn the chaff. He's going to burn the wicked with unquenchable fire. And now we come to Luke chapter 12, and Jesus himself speaks, and he says that he has come to throw the fire of God's judgment on the earth. He has come to bring about that final day of reckoning. That's what he's saying. And he expresses in verse 49 his longing for that fire to be kindled. The judgment hasn't fallen yet, but Jesus says, I wish that it had. You know, friends, Jesus was a man of profound compassion. In the next few weeks, we'll see him weeping, lamenting over unbelieving, unrepentant Jerusalem. But he's also the one who longed for the serpent's head to be crushed. He longed for the groaning of the creation to end. He longed for the name of the Lord to be glorified. He is the one who longed for the restoration and the renewal of all things after the final and ultimate defeat of all his enemies. And so he says here, I am longing. I am longing for that day of fire, that day of judgment to come and to cleanse the earth. But he goes further. and he claims that he's going to be baptized. Now, we've already read about Jesus' baptism in the River Jordan back in Luke chapter three. However, this word baptized means to be immersed, to be swallowed up, to be completely overwhelmed. Jesus is speaking here about being immersed, submerged, swallowed up, overwhelmed by the fire of the judgment of God. He's looking ahead to the cross. He's looking ahead to that moment when he will hang in the darkness under God's holy condemnation. He's looking to that moment when the waves of hell, as it were, would smash over him. He's looking to that moment when the flood of pain and suffering, physical as well as spiritual, would break upon him. And he's anxious, he says, for it all to be over, for it all to be accomplished, for it all to be ended. This distress, this anguish is only going to increase over the coming chapters. If you skip ahead to Luke chapter 22, you find Jesus, and He's in the Garden of Gethsemane, and He's praying, and He's pleading, Father, let this cup, let this cross, let this death pass through me. If there be any other way, I don't want to go down this route. And he's under so much pressure that we're told that he's sweated those great drops of blood. And yet, friends, he isn't finished praying because he goes on to say, yet not my will, but thy will, your will be done. And here's Jesus in Luke 12 with his face set like flint toward Jerusalem and the cross, and he's saying, I'm eager for the day of judgment to come. I am also eager to be baptized with the fire of God's own judgment at the cross, but I am anxious about this. I am distressed about this. I am overwhelmed by this. This moves on from the declaration to the division, as you see in verses 51 to 53. We read, do you think that I've come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. Jesus speaks about a division that he's come to bring. As we go through the prophets of Isaiah and Zechariah, we see that there was this great expectation that the Messiah would bring in peace. You remember when Jesus is born in Luke chapter two and the angels say that there's going to be peace on earth. But he's also come to bring division. Because there is no neutral ground when it comes to Jesus. There is no sitting on the fence. There is no having a foot in two camps. There are those who are for Him and those who are against Him. Those who acknowledge Him and those who are ashamed of Him. those who are rich toward him and those who reject him, those who are seeking his kingdom and those who are outside of his kingdom. Jesus says that he has come to divide people and he speaks about how deep this division will be. He says it'll impact upon the most intimate and close-knit of relationships. Houses will be divided, three against two, two against three. He says he will be divided, a 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. That's really a quotation from Micah chapter seven. In Jesus' day, that particular passage was used to speak about the chaos, the confusion that would characterize the age before the Messiah finally established his kingdom. And here's Jesus and he takes this passage and he applies it to himself and he says, that day has come. The day when people will be divided over the Messiah has come. Well friends, as we hear Jesus speaking about his messianic mission in these verses, we're being given a glimpse of the Savior that he is. He's the Savior who takes upon Himself all the distress, all the shame, all the suffering, all the pain, all the sorrow that is necessary to accomplish our salvation. He's the Savior who is willing to endure anything and everything, be baptized into death and hell itself. in order to secure fellowship and friendship with God for all his people. He is the Savior who is devoted and determined to save his people, no matter what it might cost him. In his commentary, J.C. Ryle writes, that the heart of Christ in heaven is the same as it was when he was upon the earth. He feels as deep interest now about the salvation of sinners as he did formerly about dying in their stead. Jesus never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. There is in Jesus an infinite willingness to receive, pardon, justify and deliver souls from hell. He is far more willing to save us. than we are to be saved. Perhaps some of you really need to hear about his loving heart today. Perhaps you need to be reminded, friend, that you are never out of his mind, even in the seasons when you may have almost completely forgotten him. He's still concerned about you, still concerned about your salvation. still making intercession for you at the Father's right hand. You might not have given him a second thought this week, and he was praying for you. Or perhaps you've been holding back from him. You're worried that he'll want nothing to do with you if he finds out the very worst about you, and what you really need to hear, friend, is that he wants to save. He delights to save. He is committed to saving anyone and everyone who comes to Him. That is the kind of Savior that He is. Don't hold back from Him. But as we hear Jesus speaking about His messianic mission, we're also being given a glimpse of the division that He brings. Following Jesus can disrupt the closest of relationships as we find ourselves living with a new priority, living with a new focus. Sometimes that division comes when we start trying to share the gospel with friends or family. Sometimes that division comes when we turn away from certain lifestyle choices. Sometimes that division comes when we make a commitment to be more engaged in the Lord's work. And this division, without exception, always brings heartache and heartbreak. the heartache of knowing, knowing that although there's a closeness with your loved ones, there's also a sense of separation because you know that there's spiritual things that you're not sharing together. Or there's the heartbreak of seeing loved ones, friends, family members die, passing from time into eternity and never making a personal faith commitment to Christ. That kind of heartbreak. And what Jesus wants us to understand, friends, is that while that division may sadden us and almost crush us, it shouldn't surprise us. Because he is the one who divides the whole world into two camps. Those who are for him, those who are against him. Jesus is the dividing line. This brings us though to an admonition and an appeal verses 54 to 58. And here Jesus calls on his hearers to respond to his messianic mission. So far we've heard Jesus speak about his messianic mission. He's said that he is the one who has come to cast fire on the earth. He said that he's the one who's going to be baptized with a baptism that causes him anguish and distress. And he says he's the one who's come to bring division between those who know him and those who don't know him, those who are for him and those who are against him. And now in verses 54 to 56, Jesus brings an admonition, a warning to his listeners. We read, He also said to the crowds, when you see a cloud rising in the west, you see at once a shower is coming, and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say there will be scorching heat, and it happens. You hypocrites, you know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time? Jesus speaks about his listeners' ability to interpret and discern the weather. If they saw a cloud coming from the Mediterranean Sea in the west, they knew it was bringing much-needed rain. And if they saw a wind coming from the southeastern Saharan desert, they knew that it was bringing a scorching heat. And Jesus speaks here about His listeners' inability to discern the times and seasons that they are living in. They have seen so much. They've seen Him baptized in the Jordan and the Spirit come upon Him as a dove. They've seen Him casting out demons and cleansing the lepers. They've seen Him restoring a paralytic and raising the dead. They've seen Him calming the storm and feeding the 5,000. They have seen so much. And they have heard so much. They've heard him claiming to be the spirit-anointed servant of the Lord who has come to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour. They have heard him pronouncing forgiveness of sins on the sinful and the guilty. They have heard him claiming to be the Lord of the Midsabbath. They have heard his declaration to be the one who is going to cast fire on the earth, bringing in that final day of reckoning. They have been confronted with the reality that the Christ the Messiah, the promise agent of salvation is here. And not only is the Christ here, but the day of the Lord, that final day, is near. And they haven't responded well. They fail to see the cloud of grace that's in their midst. They fail to see that the winds of judgment are picking up. And they're not ready for this most cataclysmic event that is going to shake and stir and strike the whole cosmos. And Jesus now calls them hypocrites. The word hypocrite means to play a part, to wear a mask. See, these people were claiming to be religious. They were claiming, yes, we're looking for the Messiah. They were claiming, yes, we're longing for the day of the Lord, but they're ignoring the significance of everything that Jesus is presenting them with. They've been confronted with Jesus' messianic credentials. They have been confronted with his messianic mission, and they're willfully and stubbornly closing their eyes to him. They could see a cloud, and they would say, it's going to rain. They could feel a wind and they would say, well, it's going to be a hot day. And they could see the works of Jesus. They could hear the words of Jesus. They could be confronted with everything that pointed to Jesus being the Messiah. And they turn around and they say, there's not enough evidence. We want a little more proof that He really is the Messiah, that He really is bringing in the day of the Lord. They say, give us a sign. And it brings us to Jesus' last appeal, as you see in verses 57 to 59. We read, and why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny. Here's an illustration anyone could resonate with. Jesus is saying, imagine you have a financial dispute with someone, family member, colleague, a neighbor, an ex-husband, an ex-wife, and you're in the wrong. Now imagine that the case is going to court and you're walking together, walking with your adversary to the court. And Jesus says, wouldn't it be better to reach an out-of-court settlement with your adversary rather than go into the courtroom where everything, all the skeletons in your closet will be dragged up and the judge will decide against you and he will put you in prison until you have paid the very last penny. And Jesus' listeners would have thought, well that makes sense, of course we would do that. And Jesus wants his hearers to understand the spiritual principle behind this. He's making it very clear that God has a case against each and every one of them. Like the person in his story, God's law condemns them as spiritual debtors, they're in the wrong. And like the person in his story, it's so important that they settle their case before the final day of reckoning, when they will have to come before the bar of divine justice. And like the person in his story, if they don't reach a settlement with God, the judgment will go against them. Not it might go against them, not it could possibly go against them, it will go against them, and they will be cast into God's eternal hell. It's a very solemn end to Jesus' sermon. Jesus doesn't allow his hearers to simply nod and murmur and shake his hand at the door saying, well, that was very nice, that was very interesting, I never thought of that before. Jesus is looking every one of them in the eye and he is saying to them, unless you respond appropriately to what I am saying and settle your affairs with God, you will be swept away at the final day of reckoning. Solemn. Friends, as we consider these verses, let's listen to Jesus' admonition, his warning. Jesus wanted his hearers to consider the days they were living in. The Messiah had come. He was in their midst. Standing before their eyes, they could hear him. They could see him. They could touch him. They could smell him. The day of the Lord and his coming judgment was near, and yet there were many present who were refusing to take any of this seriously. Ligon Duncan writes, Have you ever wondered how it is that people who knew so much about the Bible, they knew their Old Testament, their Hebrew Bible far better than we know it, and Jesus is standing in front of them, teaching them from it, and they don't get it. How come? because they don't see their sin and they don't see their need. And so when they look and they open their Bibles, they have no idea how it's speaking to them. We can know a lot about the Bible and still not get it if we don't see our own sin, our own need, our own problem, and Jesus as the only solution. Friend, I want to encourage you today to discern the times. There's a time when the Spirit of God strives with a man There's a time when the opportunity to repent and believe is available. There's an opportunity, a time when the Lord is near and can be found and called upon. There's a day of salvation in which we can be reconciled to God. And friends, that time, that day is now. Today, friends, is the day of salvation. As the gospel is brought to us, friends, we are hearing today the very voice of Jesus. You are not hearing the voice of Hugh Ferrier. As this passage is read to us, we are hearing the voice of Jesus, and he is offering a full forgiveness. He is offering a free forgiveness to whoever, whoever, whoever will receive Him. And He is threatening terrible consequences, catastrophe on those who reject Him. But listen to Jesus' warning. He is saying that time and the opportunity for taking hold of Him by faith is limited. Time is short. And the day of reckoning, the day of the Lord, the day of judgment is advancing, it's drawing near. So as we close, I want us to really listen, friends, to Jesus' final appeal. He's saying, my friends, you are all facing a serious lawsuit. The indictment has been issued. The heavy sentence is impending. And the only thing you don't know is the court date. But he's also saying we can be saved. He's saying the case can be settled. Not because we are innocent. And not because we can mount any kind of watertight defence. but only because the judge is willing to be our saviour. This is the primary blessing and benefit that the gospel offers. There is one who can deliver us from the curse of the law by becoming the curse for us. There is one who can blot out the record of debt that stood against his people by having that record of debt nailed to Calvary's cross. there is one in whom there is absolutely no condemnation, not a trace of condemnation, not a sniff of condemnation, not an atom or molecule of condemnation, and that man's name is Jesus. And he invites us, he appeals to us to accept the settlement that he offers, rather than face the prospect of total and eternal ruin. Friend, have you received the settlement? Only you know that. I don't know that. The elders don't know that. You know if you've received the settlement. You've accepted the settlement. Because sadly there are those who will never try to bother trying to settle the case. They drift through life And they drift toward the final judgment, the final day of reckoning, under the comforting but completely false illusion that although they're not perfect, they're not bad enough to be eternally condemned. They're not that guilty. And others don't settle the case because they think that they've got more time. Forgetting the fact that Jesus said, we looked at it two weeks ago, Jesus said that he is going to return at an unexpected hour, like a thief in the night. And still others don't settle their case because they don't believe that salvation can be as simple as simply receiving Jesus and his three gospel offer. They say, I need to do more. I need to feel more. I need to know more. I need to experience more. My friend, it's not you today. Are you saying I need to do something more? It's on offer to you. If I was to say to one of the guys there, Graham, take this sheet of paper and he received this sheet of paper. That's all he needs to do. Receive the sheet of paper today. I offer Christ to you. I offer his salvation to you. I say, take it, receive it. You don't need to do anything more, but just say, this is mine and I'm satisfied with this. Friends, there is so much to lose by rejecting Christ. And there is so much to gain by receiving him, by taking him, by holding on to him. So as we close, I want to ask, how are you responding to his appeal? How are you responding to his offer of a settlement? Amen.