Grace Mercy and Peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen. Our text today is the Gospel lesson which was just read, especially verses (Luke 12) 49-50, "I came to cast fire on the earth and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with." Thus far our text.
Dear friends in Christ, fire, wrath, division, suffering and distress. These are not often pictures we think of when we think of Jesus. Instead we might associate these things with war and famine, punishment and evil. We might even use these things to describe the work of the devil. These things cannot describe Jesus, the Prince of Peace, can they? But our text today is clear, it tells us that these are the things that Jesus has come to cast upon the earth.
"Fire I have come to cast upon the Earth, and how I wish it were already kindled," Jesus says in our text. Throughout the pages of Old Testament scripture, we see fire as God's judgment and wrath upon sin. We see this in the flaming sword brandished by the angel to keep Adam and Eve out of Eden following the fall. We see it in the account of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah where fire and brimstone destroy and kill. Fire is what separated the people of Israel from God on Mt. Sinai as handed down the law. We even see it in our Old Testament lesson as God says, "Is not my word like fire, like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?" (Jeremiah 23:29) and "Behold the storm of the Lord! Wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest." (Jeremiah 23:19)
Dear friends in Christ, Jesus' coming brings this flaming wrath upon sin. We already have hear this in the message of John the Baptist which tells us clearly "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." (Luke 3:9) The coming of Jesus brings this punishment for sin, and the punishment is fire and wrath for all who are in sin, for all who are not completely and totally perfect in every way. Those who do not bear good fruit will be cast into the fire.
What fruit do you bear? The fruit of sin, or the fruit of righteousness? If we are honest, we know that we bear the fruit of sin all too often in our lives. All too often we show that we really are poor miserable sinners in our thought word and deed by the fruit we bear. Our relationships with both God and man are broken. Our sin divides us.
This division exists, Christ speaks in our text about it in human terms, but first we must look at it in heavenly terms. When God created the world He created it faultless and holy. He created man in a perfect relationship with God. When Adam fell into sin, that relationship was ruined. Adam turned away from God and instead trusted in himself. Division came into the world. No longer was there a faultless relationship between God and man, for man said to God, "No thank you, I'll do fine on my own. I don't need your help. I will be my own God."
Dear friends, we are no different from our fore-father Adam. Even today, we say the same thing to our Heavenly Father. "I'll do fine on my own, I will be my own God." Money is tight this month, I will take care of it. I am sick, I will take this medicine to cure myself. After all, I control what happens to me. I am my own master. We too are divided from God. We break that first commandment, to fear, love and trust in God above all things, and instead trust in the great and powerful me, myself and I.
This division between God and us spreads also to relationships in our everyday lives. How often are we divided from our neighbor, from our family, from our friends by petty bickering and arguing, or maybe something someone did or said? There are families that have not spoken to one another for years. This is what Jesus says will take place. The text says, "They will be divided, father against son, and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against her mother."
Friends, Sin divides. Sin cannot bring together, but only separate. In this sinful world we on our own will never be able to overcome these divisions. Within each one of us is a heart of stone, cold and dead. Jesus tells us in this text that he has come to cast the fire of God's wrath upon us for our sin. He has come to show forth the divisions our sin brings. This message is the Word of the Lord, and our Old Testament again says, "is not my word like fire, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?"
Christ comes to cast fire, Christ comes to divide, but that is not all Christ comes to do. Christ comes to heal and to sooth. Christ comes to break our hearts of stone, and to give us living beating hearts that have life in them. How? Christ does this on the cross. On the cross, sin is forgiven and life is bestowed to you.
"I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished." Jesus says in our text. Jesus' baptism is a baptism of blood, it is a baptism of suffering and death, and he is anxious to accomplish this for you. Jesus has cast the fire of God's wrath upon the Earth, yes, but Jesus does not leave us alone to deal with this wrath. Instead, He takes your place under the wrath of God. He takes it upon himself.
The wrath of God is poured on Jesus as He suffers on the cross. There Jesus was beaten and mocked, and his blood poured out, for you. There Jesus hangs naked suffering and eventually even dying, for you. There God's wrath for sin, the fire cast in our text, was taken by Jesus and destroyed for you. And to prove that you now have life and life to the full, Jesus did not stay dead, but was raised again to life everlasting. In Jesus this the promise is now for you.
Friends, Christ's death on the cross was for you and your sin. It was to heal the divisions in your life. God's wrath for sin was taken into Jesus, so that you might be able to have a relationship with God again, faultless and pure. In Jesus, God's gifts again flow down to you through the death and resurrection of Jesus. This very morning, two souls were baptized, one here and one at ________________. Two helpless little babies were snatched out of the fire of God's wrath, and were divided from their sin by God's holy and precious Word. Two babies were washed in the blood poured out for them and for you on the cross, and put back into a relationship with God. This very gift is given to each of you who also were baptized, daily drowning you to sin, and raising you to new life.
In addition to the gift of Baptism, we also have the gift of the Lord's Supper. Here today, we as the undivided body of Christ, will partake in the very body and blood that suffered and rose for you. In that gift is forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. Instead of God's wrath, you received God's life for you.
Dear friends, Christ did bring wrath, but he took that wrath upon Himself in your place. Christ did bring division, but that division divides you from your sin, and gives you peace. Peace, not as the world gives, but as Christ gives it to you in the promise of everlasting life with Him in heaven. On earth we still have to deal with wrath and divisions, but we have the eternal promise of heavenly peace, and here on earth, we have the gifts of Christ to sustain us until we realize God's peace in full. Friends,
JESUS BRINGS US HEALING THROUGH THE FIRE AND DIVISION OF HIS OWN BAPTISM ON THE CROSS.
But where the situation is most dire, there and only there does the mercy of Christ shine most clearly. There do we see God's glorious rescue of you from your sin. There do we see Jesus crucified and risen to take away all division and wrath and suffering and distress. Behind the cross of Jesus we are safe. Amen.
Now may the peace of God which far surpasses all human understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
