According to Jesus’ own words (Luke 12:49), he came in order to send fire upon the earth, but what does he mean? During the days of John the Baptist, John claimed that the Messiah was about to arrive on the scene, and he would baptize folks, not with water, but with the Holy Spirit and fire (Luke 3:16). God is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24), which, if used in the context of Jesus’ baptizing with the Holy Spirit and fire, must have something to do with judgment (cf. Mark 9:43-48) and refining or purifying (cf. Malachi 3:2-3). The sense seems to be that some believers are unable to endure persecution that inevitably comes with obeying Jesus (cf. Luke 12:4-5, 8-12).
Having our lamps lit (Luke 12:35) in the context of preaching the Gospel (cf. 2Corinthians 4:4; 2Timothy 1:10) will bring persecution (fire) upon those who are obedient to the Lord’s command. Only the faithful servant who embraces the truth with all his heart will be able to endure the refiner’s fire, and his works are purified into something precious, like gold, silver and precious stones (1Corinthians 3:13-15).
On the other hand the unquenchable fire (Luke 3:17; cf. Mark 9:43-48) also points to the judgment of God. It is like two sides of the same coin: life and death, war and peace, love and hate, judgment and refinement. One simply cannot fully appreciate the meaning of the one without seeing the other. Therefore, it is by the spirit of judgment or the spirit of burning that the Lord purifies his people, i.e. “washes away their filth” (Isaiah 4:4). Just as the great Cloud in the wilderness was light to Israel but darkness to the Egyptians (Exodus 14:20), so too the unquenchable fire is judgment to the unfaithful (Luke 12:46-48; cf. Mark 9:43-48) but a refiner’s fire to the faithful servant (Malachi 3:2-3; cf. 1Corinthains 3:13-15).
What I find most interesting in Luke 12:49 is what Jesus says concerning this fire: “what will I, if it be already kindled?” It seems he was pointing to what he said already in Luke 11:23 (cf. 11:53-54). The refiners fire (Luke 3:17) not only purges the believer of his sins, but it purges the Body of Christ of those who refuse to do his will. The refiner’s fire is a fire of separation—it purifies the body (i.e. the Body of Christ) of all that offends. It separates those who are for Jesus and those who are against him.
Jesus also speaks of a baptism he must yet undergo (Luke 12:50). This was the baptism of his own imminent crucifixion. We are told that until this baptism (i.e. crucifixion) would be fulfilled, Jesus was in a strait (G4912). The same Greek word is used in Luke 8:37 for the fear that gripped the people. It is used in Acts 18:5 for Paul, who was pressed to share the Gospel at Corinth. The word seems to indicate the passion Jesus had to speak and do those things that would lead him to that end, and Jesus was doing that here in the face of the persecution of the Jewish authorities (cf. Luke 11:53-54; 12:1, 13), compelling folks to choose between Jesus or those who stood against him (Luke 11:23).
So many folks seem to believe that the Messiah would come to send peace upon the earth (Luke 12:51a). That is, they expected the Messiah would come to give peace or freedom from want (Luke 4:3). Others looked for him to bring peace or freedom from oppression (Luke 4:5-6), while still others believed the Messiah would bring peace or freedom from responsibility (Luke 4:9-11), proving God’s will with a miracle upon command. Nevertheless, Jesus said he had not come to bring peace, but, rather, division (Luke 12:51b).
The division that Jesus brings is not that of social classes, like poor and rich (Luke 4:3), nor is it the kind of division found between one nation and another (Luke 4:5-6), and neither is it the kind of division one sees between those in authority and the masses (Luke 4:9-11). Rather the division Jesus bring is at the core of society; it is the family (Luke 12:52-53). It is father against son and son against father. It is mother against daughter and daughter against mother. No one is able to escape, and all must decide for or against Jesus (cf. Luke 11:23).
In the context of Scripture, fire is understood as a metaphor of judgment (Luke 3:17) and for purification (Malachi 3:2-3). Fire not only separates what is undesirable in one’s character, but it also separates the true disciples from the false. A false disciple will not endure the persecution it takes to stand with Jesus. Nevertheless, Jesus made it very plain that whosoever doesn’t stand with him is against him (Luke 11:23). At the very time Jesus was teaching his disciples, the Jewish authorities were ridiculing him and taunting him in an effort to cause him to act or speak unwisely, so they could arrest him (cf. Luke 11:15-16, 53-54; 12:1, 13). The fire of division was already kindled. Folks were already choosing sides for or against Jesus, and so it goes on to this day!
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