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Jesus divides families!
The angels announcing Jesus’ birth said He would bring "peace to men on whom His favour rests."
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Some might think that Jesus is saying the very opposite in this story!
Over and over again throughout the Holy Bible we find "peace with God" is offered freely to sinful mankind through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.2*.
One day as Jesus was teaching He said, "I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled….. Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division!"
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How could Jesus, the peacemaker, now say He was bringing "fire", and "division" to families?
Earlier when John the Baptist had announced the coming of Jesus he had said Jesus would use fire. "His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into His barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
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John pictured Jesus as a Farmer. A farmer looks forward to see the reward of all his hard work when he will have gathered up and stored away all the good grain. One unpleasant but necessary job that marks the end of all the toil and sweat is the burning up of all the useless chaff and waste.
Maybe that is something like what Jesus had in mind when He was wishing His fire was already kindled. Jesus was looking forward to the time when His harvest work would be complete - when all those who were going to be saved by Him would be safely gathered into Heaven.
But He was giving a clear warning that not everyone would be saved! His fire of judgement would fall upon those who would prove to be of no value to God in the end.
Before the glorious day of harvest could come Jesus knew He had to face into a terrible time of more than toil and sweat! - "and how distressed I am until it is completed," He said.
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In order for people’s lives to be made pleasing and useful to God, Jesus would first of all have to do a very, very, difficult job. But He was ready and willing to go ahead, although He knew exactly what it would mean for him. Jesus, "for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame"
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A Christian song says it this way: "..when we were condemned God’s Son took our place. For our sins He went to the cross and the grave. From there He arose, so He’s able to save." Jesus was willing to pay the full price God demanded for our sin - "the wages of sin is death."
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So Jesus is our only hope and Saviour!
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But, sadly, many people will not believe that Jesus is the only Priest and Saviour. This results in families being divided in their beliefs.
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What will happen to the family members who will go on putting their trust in the help other priests and sacraments and saints are supposed to offer? They will be the ones who will experience the fire of God’s judgement because of their unbelief.
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Make sure YOU are trusting in Jesus!
Read that Jesus divides families in Luke chapter 12, verses 49-53.
To read more of Luke's account of the life of Jesus turn to the Gospel of Luke in the Holy Bible.
Bye for now,
John Nixon, Ballincollig, Co.Cork, Ireland.
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In order to browse another message from Luke's Gospel check out the review index.
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Bible quotations from N.I.V.
1 Luke 2:14. 2 Romans 5:1-11. Ephesians 2:14-17. Colossians 1:20. 3 Luke 12: 49 & 51. 4 Luke 3:17. 5 Luke 12:50. 6 Hebrews 12:2. 2:14-18. Romans 3:21-28. 7 Romans 6:23. 8 1st Peter 3:18. 2nd Corinthians 5:21. 9 Luke 12:52-53. 10 John 3:16-19, 36. Matthew 25:41.
