Reading this passage of Scripture, it's very obvious, and you can't miss it. If you missed it, then you didn't hear it at all or read it at all, that Jesus Christ says here in verse number 51, down through verse number 53, He talks about how that He has come not to bring peace on earth, but rather division on earth. And in a sense, this message, and we'll get into this a little bit later, but this message is one that's very foreign. We often think of Jesus as one who unites, and that is very true to a great degree. We are all united from different backgrounds, from different ethnicities, from different languages, not only with fellow believers here at our church, but also believers around the world. And although we may have different upbringings or different backgrounds or different social status, we are all united together in Christ. That is a benefit that we have, and that is something that the Lord Jesus Christ does. He gathers from every nation and tribe and kindred and tongue one people. So there's a great deal of dismay at some people when they read this passage of Scripture. And they say, no, Jesus has not come to bring division. He has come to bring peace. And so when we look at this passage of Scripture, it's not easy right on its face to say, oh, of course, this is what Jesus is talking about. But we'll look into this and we're going to start there in verse number 49 and go right through. So here in verse 49 through verse 50, we have a missional statement from Jesus. Notice what he says in verse 49. He says, I came to cast fire on the earth. I came to cast fire on the earth. We see this very, this I statement as a purpose statement, a statement why Jesus came. Other portions of scripture we see in Luke chapter five in verse 32. He says, I have not come to call the righteous. On the flip side, he says, I am come to call sinners to repentance. That is one of the purposes that Jesus came to this earth. And we could look at other statements like that all throughout the gospel records where Jesus uses this I statement, I came, to do something as kind of a summary statement of what his ministry was all about here on this earth. So here he says, I came to cast fire on the earth. And this is something that when I was looking into the background and reading up on this, it's not a very obvious thing to us. Some pastors of Scripture are very clear on their face, and it seems like you don't have to look very far to find what is meant by certain statements, but this is a little different. Fire can have a lot of different meanings throughout Scripture. It can be used in a lot of different ways. You can have a literal use of the word fire, where you're actually talking about a flame. And Scripture uses fire in a metaphorical way to symbolize many different things in Scripture. So when looking at this passage of Scripture, there's various interpretations, and we'll go through a couple of them, and then we'll go through what I think would be the best way to interpret this. in the context that we have. Some people look at this and it says, I came to cast fire on the earth, and they would say, when Jesus says I came to cast fire on the earth, he's talking about the purifying fire of the word of God and the Holy Spirit. He's talking about sanctification and how that believers are purified through the events that take place in our life so that we might be holy, so that we might be blameless in the sight of God. And certainly it can be said that that statement is true. God does work in the lives of believers to sanctify us, to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ, so that we might be His bride, holy, without blemish, without spot. I don't necessarily think that this fits, and we'll look at why here in just a bit. Many people would say fire is used metaphorically to denote the message that is brought by prophets. It was used very often in that way in the Old Testament. And so here he's talking about, I came to cast fire on the earth, and by this, Jesus is saying that I will not only bear witness to the prophets and their message, but I also am a prophet, and I am delivering to you God's word. They may even point to John chapter one, where it says the unique God, or the only begotten son, he has declared the father. No man has seen God, but through Jesus Christ, He explains the Father to us, or He exegetes the Father to us. He shows us the Father. So they would say, maybe it's used in this way. Jeremiah chapter five and verse 14 says this. Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, because you have spoken this word, behold, I am making my words in your mouth a fire, and this people would, and the fire shall consume them. So here we see an instance where the fire is used in a way to denote the message that is given to the prophet from God. Also Jeremiah chapter 23 and verse 29. Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? So again, another instance of where we see in scripture fire used in a metaphorical way to describe the word of God as it came from his prophets. So that's a second way that it's viewed here. The third way it's viewed is, I think, probably a little more fitting to the passage, especially seeing that we see the author Luke use fire in this way several times, and that is as a sign of judgment or as a metaphor for judgment. Luke chapter 3 and verse 9, even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree, therefore, that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Again, this is a metaphorical way to denote destruction. Luke chapter 3 and verse 17, his winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. Again, a term used to denote judgment. Also in Luke chapter 17, in verse 29, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all. Of course, a historical account of God destroying the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and sulfur from heaven. So this would be, I guess, a more natural way to read Luke, seeing that he does use this in a way to denote judgment several times. And we'll get to the contextual aspect of that here in just a second. The last way that people use it is they say, well, the book of Luke often pairs or does pair in one specific instance, Luke chapter 3 and verse 16, the Holy Spirit and fire together. So they would say by, I came to cast fire on the earth, part of the purpose of that Jesus coming was to bring in the Holy Spirit. We know that the Spirit is sent from the Father. and the Son. So we see that the Holy Spirit, here some people would say that's what he means when he says fire. He talks about the Holy Spirit. So how do we determine which one is correct? Any takers? How do we look at a passage of Scripture, see many different interpretations, many good theologians that would disagree on a subject like this? How do we determine what is the best way to look at this? It's through the context, right? We don't look at a passage of Scripture apart from what precedes it and what follows it. We always have to examine Scripture in its context to see how the author is piecing together the argument and how that argument progresses. So let's look back for just a few minutes at the previous verses. We covered this a couple months ago, so it may not be fresh in your minds as it wasn't very fresh in my mind, but In the previous verses, Jesus gives an illustration where he poses a question about the faithful and wise manager. Who then is the faithful and wise manager, in verse 42, whom his master will set over his household to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possession. So we see the obedient servant, the one that obeys his master and does what his master has set for him to do. But if that servant is disobedient, if that servant says to himself, my master is delayed in coming and begins to beat the male and female servants and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and in an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know and did what deserved a beating will receive a light beating." And then here we have the summary statement at the end of this story that Jesus Christ gives. He says, everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required. And from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. So here we can see the preceding verses specifically address the subject of judgment, a judgment that comes upon a people for their obedience to the master's will, what he has revealed to them, or their disobedience. And notice the judgment that the servants, the unfaithful and disobedient servants, receive is proportional to their knowledge of what their master had instructed them to do. For the ones who do not know the master's will, and don't do, because they don't know what He wants them to do, they will still receive a punishment, but it will be a lighter punishment than those who specifically knew the Master's will and said, you know, my Master's not here, this is my job, I can do whatever I want and disobey the Master. So this is given in a context of punishment based upon our knowledge or the light that we are given by God. And so he says here, I came to cast fire on the earth. And what he means by that, in my opinion, is that Jesus has come to bring judgment. Judgment for those who hear His words, judgment for those who hear the gospel message and knowing the will of God and knowing the good news about Christ still choose to reject it and follow after their own gods or follow after their own selves instead of following after Him. He says, I came to cast fire on the earth. Now, I don't believe that, obviously, and here I just said the gospel message, the full gospel message as we would understand it, Christ's death, burial, and resurrection had not transpired yet. So you could say, well, how could they be judged on something that actually hadn't happened yet? And many times Jesus looks at them and he condemns them for their knowledge of the Old Testament scriptures, but yet their failure to believe in him. Because all of Scripture is about the Messiah, is about our Lord Jesus Christ. So many times he even cites them and derides them for not reading or not knowing what God had spoken to them in the Old Testament Scriptures by the prophets. So here he has come to bring judgment. There is a sense in which though, Each of these, or maybe small aspects of this, could be true in this context as well. We see the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is instrumental in evaluating the hearts and minds of men. We know that God's word is the message that is delivered upon which our judgment is to be based, whether we receive the word of God or whether we reject the word of God. So there is an aspect in which each of these things could be true to a certain extent, but I believe for the most part that Jesus here is speaking of judgment that is to come on that generation. And this actually, this passage actually begins a, I believe it's about a chapter and a half or two chapters where Jesus is at odds with the Jewish people, the Jewish religious leaders for healing on the Sabbath. Many times he condemns them. We'll look at that in Luke chapter 13. And he said, unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. And so there are many warnings given to the Jewish people in this passage of scripture and in this section or subsection of the book of Luke. So I believe that judgment would fit best with that. So, that being said, here we see a challenge given in the previous verses and the following verses to be hearers of the Word, to know the Master's will, and to obey the Master's will as obedient servants. The second thing that we see under this is not only the mission of Christ. and coming to this earth. He says, I came to cast fire on the earth and would that it were already kindled. I believe that there was a desire within Christ, an obedience in Christ to do the Father's will and to go to Calvary to suffer and to die on the cross. But also there was a distress that went along with it. And verse 50 talks about that as well. He says, I have a baptism to be baptized with. And how great is my distress until it is accomplished. In verse 50, we see this baptism that Jesus Christ mentions. And whereas in the previous section, in verse number 49, there's many people that disagree as to what that fire on the earth actually means, when it comes to verse number 50, almost everyone's in agreement that it's talking about the sufferings and the passion of the Lord Jesus Christ, the death of Christ. Mark chapter 10, we have a a very relevant passage to the subject of baptism, and specifically the baptism that Jesus was to be baptized with. Mark chapter 10 and verse 38 and 39, Jesus said to them, you do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink? Or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized? And they said to him, we are able. And Jesus said to them, the cup that I drink, you will drink. And with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized. So we have that correlating passage in Mark chapter 10, verse 38 and 39. The same passage is cited almost verbatim in Matthew chapter 20, verses 20 through 23. Although the exception in Matthew chapter 20 is the word baptized and baptism is not mentioned in Matthew chapter 20, whereas in In Mark chapter 10, it is mentioned, and I guess it is of note to note in Matthew chapter 22, or Matthew chapter 20, there are, I know I've mentioned the term textual variants to talk about the variations in the text of Scripture from different manuscripts. And the tendency of scribes was to harmonize one with the other. They are, after all, the gospel records, many parallel portions together. So even when quoting scriptures or singing a song, we hear a couple words of the scripture and then we automatically finish it in our mind. And so sometimes scribes would have that tendency when penning or copying scriptures to read the text and to automatically continue with a portion that they had memorized from a different book. So in some Bible versions, I know the King James actually does have the term baptism and baptized, but many manuscripts do not have that. So that's just for your information. So he says, I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished. So what is this baptism that Jesus is speaking of? It's very interesting, when you study Scripture and when you try to dig into what a text is actually saying and how we are to interpret it and how we're to apply it, you'll often come across many different interpretations. Whereas one scholar will say this, another theologian will say this. And it's always very interesting to see that. I was talking to my dad when I was young. He said, if the Bible doesn't specifically denote something, if it is not concrete, 100% evidence of something, or if there is some variation or some nuance there, don't be rock-solid where Scripture is not rock-solid. these guidelines where Scripture does not set up a guideline. And I think it's very important to make sure that we understand that when we hear of varying interpretations of Scripture, not to make judgments based upon what our personal preference is, but to allow Scripture to be Scripture and the people that we read to show them that grace in reading them. So here, when it comes to the baptism, He says, I have a baptism to be baptized with. There's actually several views as to what is meant by the baptism, as it relates to other things as well. Everyone would agree that it has to do, most people would agree that it has to do with the suffering of Jesus Christ. But the first view that I saw that was very interesting, it says, it viewed the baptism of Jesus Christ as Christian baptism. It's like the baptism of John, that Jesus Christ received from John there in the Jordan River. where the Holy Spirit descended on him like a dove and the voice from heaven spoke saying, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. So many people would say, well, this baptism that he's talking about is Christian baptism. It's the baptism that all disciples of Christ and all believers will follow in the Lord Jesus Christ in obeying and doing. But there's a couple problems with that. One, it completely removes the idea of suffering, or the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, as it relates to his baptism. Also, I don't think it fits in the passage at all, as you read Luke. In Luke chapter 3, we see the baptism of Jesus Christ. So, unless you would advocate for a backwards chronological order in the book of Luke, Jesus Christ, after having been baptized by John, comes and he says, I have a baptism to be baptized with. And they're like, well, yeah, that was the one that John baptized you, but that had already happened. So if you want to say that this is a Christian baptism or a believer's baptism, you'd have to do some textual acrobatics, I guess, to really consistently hold that position. Here, that would put Jesus referring to something that had already been completed as something that was still future, and I don't think that's a good habit to make when it comes to scripture. Secondly, the ordinance of baptism is something that believers actively participate in, in following Christ. However, the baptism that is mentioned here is not an active thing that he is doing or that he is performing or participating in. It is something that is passive, that is something that is thrust upon him. And so we see, I think, the interpretation of the baptism of Jesus Christ as here in verse number 50 to be the suffering and death of Jesus Christ would fit much better. So that's the first view, and I probably would not lend a whole lot of credence to that view. The second view is this. Based upon Mark 10, the passage that we read where Jesus tells his disciples that the cup that I drink, you will drink, and the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized. says that Jesus here is referring to his suffering and death, yes, but it's referring to, more generally, martyrdom as a whole. They would say that Jesus said, they're going to kill me and they're also going to kill you. I'm going to be murdered and so will you for your faith in me and for following after me. All but one of the disciples suffered a violent death at the hands of their enemies, and were killed for their faith in Jesus Christ and for publicly preaching Jesus Christ as Lord. So how should we take this? I think it can be said that this is true in a general way, that yes, Jesus was killed at the hands of sinners, And if you and I had been there, we probably would have been right there with the crowds calling for his death. Yes, he was martyred. Yes, his disciples were martyred. But I don't think it fully encapsulates what Jesus is saying here in verse number 50. I did come across something by a man named John Martin Creed, an English theologian and professor at Cambridge that really I think said it perfectly when you, I'll just read you the reference here. He pictured the baptism of Jesus Christ as, quote, an inundation of the waters of divine judgment. An inundation of the waters of divine judgment. When we think back on the Old Testament. and look at judgment in the Old Testament, it's often referred to as floods of water, streams of waters just pouring over and drowning you with that judgment or that persecution. The psalmist is very frequently mentioning these types of waters and flooding. Psalm 69, verses one and two, the psalmist says, save me, O God. For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire where there is no foothold. I have come into deep waters and the flood sweeps over me." Here, the psalmist is calling out to the Lord for help, for salvation. He says, I need to be saved because these waters, they're up to my neck and I've come into deep waters and the floods are sweeping over me. Isaiah chapter 30, verse 27 and 28, the Bible says, His lips are full of fury and his tongue is like a devouring fire. His breath is like an overflowing stream that reaches up to the neck to sift the nations with the sieve of destruction and to place on the jaws of the people a bridle that leads astray." Very, very graphic, picturex terms to describe the judgment of God that he will bring upon his enemies. Notice the stream, he mentions the overflowing stream, and with his lips of fury, his tongue of fire, his breath like an overflowing stream, those are all intended to sift the nations and to destroy them. So unquestionably, we can see the judgment of God denoted here by the language of water. Isaiah 8 verses 7 and 8, therefore behold the Lord is bringing up against them, talking about His own people, the waters of the river, mighty and many. the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks and will sweep into Judah. It will overflow and pass on reaching even to the neck and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land. So here, the river that he speaks of is the king of Assyria in all his glory. And this river, he says, will rise over all his channels and go over all its banks and will come to judge the people of God. So we can see the language used in a very similar way. And so when it comes to John Martin Creed, I would agree with him and I think this is a very appropriate way to understand what Jesus Christ is saying here. I have a baptism to be baptized with. Jesus Christ knew that the wrath of God that was intended for sinners, that was to come upon sin, would come upon him as the atoning sacrifice for all the sins of his people. And therein lies a lot of the anguish that we see of Jesus Christ in the garden as he prays to the Father. But we see the physical aspect of the water coming upon him. So he says, I have a baptism to be baptized with. I think it would be best to understand the baptism that Jesus Christ was to be baptized with in this way. Enduring the wrath of God on behalf of sinners like you and I. Notice he continues, not only is there a physical suffering and physical death, but we also notice an emotional anguish and pain that Jesus Christ endured as a result of this. He says, I have a baptism to be baptized with and how great is my distress until it is accomplished. Many times we think of the suffering of Jesus Christ and we only think about the physical suffering, which was devastating to say the least. Reading through the physical sufferings of Jesus Christ will bring tears to your eyes. Seeing, reading, understanding what Jesus Christ endured willingly. for sinners. It ought to bring about that feeling in us when we read of the sacrifice of Jesus. But many times we either downplay or don't really consider the mental inward anguish and suffering that Jesus Christ endured. He says, how great is my distress until it is accomplished. I have a baptism to be baptized with and my distress is great until it is finished. We read of some of the anguish of Jesus Christ in Matthew chapter 26. And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, this is on the night Jesus Christ was to be betrayed by Judas, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. And then he said to them, listen to how Jesus describes the sorrow that his soul was enduring. My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. The sorrow that Jesus Christ endured on his emotions and the anguish that he had was an anguish that felt like it was going to end his life, like it was going to kill him, even to death. Remain here and watch with me. Here Jesus relaying to his disciples the anguish that he was in, the sorrow that his soul was enduring. In Luke chapter 22, verse 39 through 44, we see Jesus going with his disciples. And he came out and went, in verse 39, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, the place was not the Mount of Olives, it was a garden, as John chapter 18 in verse two shows us. He came to the place and he said to them, pray that you may not enter into temptation. And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done. And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. So great was the sorrow and anguish that Jesus Christ endured prior to the cross. that he suffered physical symptoms of that inner anguish. We hear the word psychosomatic. Anybody know what psychosomatic means? Your mind is so keyed up on something that even though you don't have an illness, your mind just gets you worked up and you start having symptoms like that. You may not have the exact illness, but Your mind is in such anguish and turmoil over it that your body starts to show symptoms of it. It's what we call psychosomatic. I'm not saying that Jesus was undergoing some type of psychosomatic thing here. I believe that the anguish that his soul was experiencing was so great that he displayed physical symptoms because of it. I'm going to throw in a quick rabbit trail here, and this really isn't important to the entirety of the lesson, but it's something that I found interesting. I think everyone here knows I'm a nurse, and when it comes to physical stuff in Scripture, it piques an interest in me that I could just spend reading about forever. Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of time on my hands, so I had to cut it short today. There are two different views of Jesus Christ's agony in the garden. And when it comes to the passage that we just read in Luke chapter 22, some people would look at that passage and say, in a very, very literal way, to interpret this, where it says, Scripture said, in being in agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And some people would say, well, if we're to interpret that very literally, The Bible doesn't say that it was great drops of blood. It says it became like great drops of blood. And some people would dismiss this and say, well, the terminology of great drops of blood doesn't really matter. He just sweat a lot like they were big drops of blood. That's one way to understand it. But I think the majority of people would hold a different view in saying that that Jesus actually did sweat blood. Maybe not whole blood that you would have if you cut your arm or something and start bleeding, but that he did sweat so excessively and so fervently and he agonized in prayer so earnestly that the capillaries in his skin actually burst and some of that would actually get absorbed into the sweat glands and he would sweat out blood. When I was a kid, I thought that this was like some type of miracle, like, wow, this is something that no one's ever heard of, no one's ever experienced, but this is an actual physical disease. And it's called hematohidrosis or hematidrosis. Hemato, talking about the blood. When we think of blood, we think hemoglobin. That's the part of the blood that carries oxygen. And then, hydrosis is simply the act of sweating. It's what your body does to control your temperature or to get rid of toxins. But this is an actual rare, very rare physical condition in which the capillaries burst, blood mixes with the sweat glands, and the sweat that is sweat out has blood mixed in with it. You say, well, how does this happen? Well, there can be unknown causes, right? I always joke with people at work, and I'm about to give a medicine to somebody, and they're awake, and they're with it, and they're asking me a question like, well, what are the side effects of this medicine? And if you look in any medical journal and look at the side effects of medication, you can almost mark it down. Almost 95% of the time, nausea and vomiting are an adverse effect of every medication you could possibly take. I don't know why I told you that, but anyway. They're for free, for free and for fun, right? But when it comes to this condition, hematohidrosis, this can be precipitated by two specific things. What I was going with that was when they say unknown cause, right? Anything can happen for an unknown cause. That's just what they were saying. We don't know exactly why this happened. Anyway, two specific things that can contribute to this physical condition is times of extreme physical exertion. where your body is laboring so hard, your heart is pumping fast, your blood pressure is up, so much so that the capillaries that carry blood to your tissues can't handle the pressure and they burst. That could be one cause of it. The other thing is extreme emotional or mental anguish or agony. They refer to that as a psychogenic cause, coming from the mind, coming from the emotions, or coming from the mental anguish or trouble that someone is going through. So we can see that, and I believe that Jesus did sweat drops of blood, that blood was mixed in with it. It doesn't really have a huge effect on the passage itself or the meaning of the passage. We know that Jesus was in great agony and anguish in the garden. But here, when we see the physical ailments that Luke describes, and Luke was a physician, by the way, as his profession, he was a physician. So we see a lot of these little tidbits in the book of Luke that the other writers of Scripture and the other gospels do not include, most likely because of his background. So we see the physical pain and suffering, but we also see the emotional and the mental anguish and strain that Jesus Christ endured. So we go from that, and then we go into verse number 51 through 53, and we see Jesus, not his suffering, but Jesus being the cause of division. Jesus, the cause of division. And this is the thing that we said earlier that a lot of people tend to balk at. And they say, no, Jesus is one that unites people. He brings peace, he brings harmony. Certainly, Jesus can't be the one that brings division. But we'll see what Jesus says here. Notice verse 51. Jesus poses a question, and as he does it many times, he gives a rhetorical question many times, but here he answers his own question. Many times he doesn't give a response, but he says, do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? And many of them probably would say, yeah, we do. The Messiah was one who was going to come, deliver Israel from Israel's oppressors, and then peace would be established in the land, and that was exactly what the Messiah was supposed to do. is to bring peace and to deliver Israel from her adversaries. But Jesus says, no. And here we see this purpose clause again, this missional statement. Do you think that I have come to give peace? He says, no, I have come to bring division, but rather division. One of the results of Christ's coming in the gospel message of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection in New Testament times and continuing to this day is division. When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, right, in chapter 17, what happened when the Greeks heard that? Well, some laughed and like, wow, this guy is off his rocker. Like, make sure this guy doesn't come back again. Others mocked him, but others believed him. The folly of the preaching of the gospel we see mentioned in the New Testament as well. The Lord uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. He uses the weak things to confound the mighty. And a message of someone suffering and dying and coming back to life is a message that people would laugh at and would mock. And to this day, still there are those who do laugh at and mock the message of the gospel. So one of the results of the proclamation of the gospel is mocking. It is laughing. It is ridicule. It is reproach. It is division. On the flip side, many people think, well, if you trust Jesus as your Savior and you come to the Lord and you're a believer, you follow God, Jesus will solve every problem that you have. any relationship problem, any conflict that you're having, he'll fix your financial problems, you won't have illnesses anymore, you won't have pain, you won't have conflict, everything is going to be perfect and beautiful. But that is a message that comes not from scripture but from our own imagination. The true message of the gospel is a message that will divide. It is a message that will bring reproach, that will bring mocking, that will bring pain sometimes. And so here Jesus says, no, this is rather division that I am coming to give. Notice verse number 52, he says, from now on. This phrase from now on is used several times in the book of Luke, often to show a dichotomy between what happened before Jesus came and what happened after. In calling his disciples, he said, before, you fished for fish, you caught fish, but from now on, you will be fishers of men." Seeing, though, the change, the drastic change there is before Jesus Christ came into this world and came into their lives, and the difference after. He uses that same dichotomy or that same comparison here. From now on, in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. So here Jesus Christ not only explicitly says that he is going to bring division, But also he says before there wasn't this division, but now as a result of the gospel, the proclamation of the gospel, there will be this type of division in your family, in your relationships. So we see the source of division is Jesus Christ, the proclamation of his gospel. Secondly, we see the extent of the division. Where does this division extend? What areas of our lives does it permeate? And the answer to that is the most personal relationships that we have. The relationships that a father has with his son or a mother has with her daughter is a relationship that cannot be replicated and it cannot be had outside of that relationship. There is a special bond that a father has with his son. teaching his son and bringing up his son and training his son. There needs to be those times as parents that we spend and invest ourselves in our children and train them up in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord. So there's a very personal aspect, and he mentioned several relationships here, father and son, mother and daughter, and then maybe we're not as surprised by the division in this last one, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Some people say, well, that's just natural, right? People don't get along with their in-laws. But no, those are personal relationships as well. When we are married, we not only marry that person, but in a real sense, we are united together with their family and become part of their family. So these are gonna be relationships that are very personal, very intimate in a way. So it's a personal division, but also there is a general and a holistic division caused and brought on by the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice what he says when proceeding the specific relationships. He says, from now on in one house, there will be five divided. How is this division gonna happen? Four against one? One against four? No, he mentions two against three and three against two. We all have that person in our family that no one really wants to claim, right? When it comes to that individual, people are like, hey, are you related to so-and-so? And you're like, yeah. Yeah, distantly maybe, I mean, we don't like to claim one another, but yeah, he's my relative. We all have that crazy person in our family that we don't like to unite with, right? But no, this is a more holistic, generalized division that he's talking about. Three against two, two against three, there's a little more balance there than there would be in crazy Uncle Earl that nobody likes to talk about. The gospel does bring division to families. destroy relationships in certain situations. I think we've all heard anecdotal stories about these personal relationships, that when someone trusted Christ and became a follower of Christ, their family, who maybe followed a different religion, followed a different God, would not only separate from that family member who professes Christ, but disown them. In some cultures, they would have a funeral for that person because they have forsaken the family religion. And many personal relationships are not only hindered or harmed, but they are destroyed when one person trusts Christ as Savior. This is a very real thing, but Jesus Christ said, I'm not come to bring peace on earth, I'm come to bring division. So we can see here, Jesus Christ is the cause of this division. He brings this division, and this division happens as a result of the preaching of the gospel. So two points of application, and then we'll close. The first thing, when we read verse number 49 and 50, and see the judgment that is coming upon this earth, and we see the baptism that Jesus was to be baptized with, the first thing that should come to our minds is a rejoicing, is a happiness. Not because we look at the cross and we say, and we're thrilled about it in a sadistic way. But when Jesus Christ hung on the cross, he took the brunt of the wrath of God, the harshest punishment that could ever come upon any of us because of our sin. And he endured the judgment that I rightly deserve. He took upon himself my sin. He took upon himself the sin of everyone who is a true believer and follows after Jesus Christ. And when we think about that, we ought to rejoice at the goodness and the grace of God, taking upon ourselves our sin, atoning for all of us. and giving us in the place of our sin his perfect righteousness. What a blessing. We should look at that and rejoice and thank God for the gift of salvation that he has given to us so freely. The second thing that we can think about when we look at this passage of scripture is we can recognize that following Christ does have real implications for our lives and for our relationships. Real implications. Following Christ will impact the way that you interact with your spouse or with your children or with your in-laws, with your parents, your brothers or sisters. Following Christ will impact how you approach your employer and how you work for your employer. Following Christ has implications for every aspect of life, but it also has a dividing effect in the relationships that we have. This is why we can look at other portions of scripture, like Matthew chapter 10 and verse 37, where Jesus says, he that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. Because he knows that following Christ means, to a certain extent, forsaking others to follow him. Wasn't that the call when Jesus called his disciples? Forsake your nets, forsake your family. He says, well, let me just go bury my parents first. He says, let the dead bury their dead. Come and follow me. Our ultimate allegiance ought to be to Jesus Christ and to Him alone. And we ought to be ready and at a moment's notice stand up and profess our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, even if it means a detrimental effect in other walks of life and other relationships, even if it means being ostracized from our friends or family or coworkers or employers, even if it means loss of employment, we must always remain true to Jesus Christ and never deny Him. Jesus said, if you deny me before men, I will deny you before my Father who is in heaven. If you confess me before men, I will also confess you before my Father who is in heaven. And we need to have that allegiance above all else, above everything and everyone to our Lord Jesus Christ. That's what it means to be a follower of Christ. to confess him faithfully and readily, and to follow after him. Well, let's pray and ask God to be with us in this next hour. Our Father, we thank you for your word. Lord, each of us fails. In our walk with you, Lord, in our allegiance to you, many times we place other things or other people before our relationship with you, and Father, we confess that before you today. Father, we thank you so much for your sacrifice, for the willing giving of yourself on Calvary. And Lord, we can forever rejoice that our names are written in heaven because of the sacrifice that you gave on our behalf. for the grace that you showed us, not because we loved you first, but because you first loved us. And Lord, may we never get over the wonder of being a believer and having our sins forgiven and atoned for. We ask you to help us to live in accordance with your word, that we would strive to have a right relationship with you as we live our lives on this earth. We ask all these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.