Lucas 12
David Guzik · Citado em PreceptAustin
Lucas 12
Guzik - There are literally millions of examples of people standing strong for Jesus through persecution—of those who honored God more than honoring man. Following is the particular story of an Englishman named Rowland Taylor. i. In a book first printed in 1890, John Ryle describes the death of Rowland Taylor, who was executed in England because he believed that priests could marry and that the bread and wine of communion did not become the actual, literal, body and blood of Jesus. ii. On the last day of January 1555, Taylor appeared with two others before the Bishop of Winchester, and was charged with heresy and dividing the church. When they refused to change their minds, they were condemned to death. When condemned, they replied back to the Bishop, “We know that God, the righteous Judge, will require our blood at your hands, and the proudest of all of you shall repent this receiving again of Antichrist, and of the tyranny you now show against the flock of Christ.” iii. On February 4, Taylor was kicked out of the priesthood, and that night, his wife and son were permitted to eat dinner with him. After dinner they left, with much affection and tears. The next day, he was led out to Hadleigh to be executed, so that he would be burned to death in the city where he served as a pastor and in front of his congregation. iv. When the left the London jail on the morning of February 5, it was still dark. Taylor’s wife suspected he might be taken that morning, so she waited with her two daughters outside the jail. When she called out to him, the sheriff allowed her to come with her daughters for one last meeting with her husband. Rowland Taylor took his little daughter Mary up in his arms, while Elizabeth knelt with him and said the Lord’s Prayer. They prayed together, then kissed and hugged, and Taylor said to his wife: “Farewell, my dear wife: be of good comfort, for I am quiet in my conscience. God shall raise up a father for my children.” He kissed his daughter Mary and said, “God bless you, and make you His servant;” and, kissing Elizabeth, he said, “God bless you. I pray you all stand strong and steadfast to Christ and His Word.” As he was led away, his wife called out, “God be with you, dear Rowland: I will, with God’s grace, meet you at Hadleigh.” v. The journey from London to Hadleigh took several days, and all along on the trip, Rowland Taylor was joyful and merry, as if he were going to a banquet or a party. But on February 9, 1555, they came into Hadleigh. When they were still two miles from town, Taylor leapt off his horse and started on foot—but he was walking fast, almost as if he were dancing. The sheriff asked him how he felt, and he said, “Well, God be praised, good master sheriff, never better; for now I know I am almost at home … even at my Father’s house … O good Lord, I thank You! I shall yet once before I die, see my flock whom You, Lord, know I have most heartily loved and most truly taught. Good Lord, bless them, and keep them steadfast in Thy Word and truth.” vi. When they came into Hadleigh, they put a hood over his head and came over a bridge. At the foot of the bridge was a poor man with five children, who cried out, “O dear father and good shepherd, Dr. Taylor, God help you, as you have many a time helped me and my poor children.” The streets were crowded on both sides with people who wanted to see him; when they saw him being led to death, they cried and wept with all their strength. People cried out, “Ah, good Lord, there goes our good shepherd from us, that so faithfully has taught us, so fatherly has cared for us, and so godly has governed us. O merciful God! What shall we poor scattered lambs do? What shall come of this most wicked world? God Lord, strengthen him and comfort him.” Taylor answered back, “I have preached to you God’s Word and truth, and am come this day to seal it with my blood.” vii. When they came to the town square, he heard a great multitude and asked where they were. When they told him they were at the place he would be executed, he said “Thank God, I am even at home,” and he took the hood from his head. When the people saw his face, there was an outpouring of emotion. They wept and cried out, “God save you, good Dr. Taylor! Jesus Christ strengthen you; the Holy Spirit comfort you,” and many other such things. Taylor wanted to speak to the people one last time, but as soon has he opened his mouth, a guard put a spear right up to his open mouth, and made him stop. viii. He started giving away his clothes—first his boots, then his coat and jacket, till all he had left was his pants and shirt. He then cried out with a loud voice, “Good people, I have taught you nothing but God’s Holy Word, and those lessons that I have taken out of God’s blessed Book, the Holy Bible; and I am come here today to seal it with my blood.” But then one of the guards clubbed him over the head and said, “Is that keeping your promise of silence, you heretic?” So, seeing he could not speak, he knelt down to pray. A poor woman came to kneel beside him and pray, and the guards tried to push her away but she would not go. ix. When he had prayed, he came to the stake he would be tied to and he kissed it, stepped into a barrel, and stood with his hands folded in prayer and his eyes towards heaven as they tied him to the stake. After some agonizing delays, they finally lit the fire and Rowland Taylor prayed out loud: “Merciful Father of heaven, for Jesus Christ my Saviour’s sake, receive my soul into Your hands.” Then he stood perfectly still as the fires arose around him, without crying or moving, until a guard clubbed him on the head and his brains fell out, and his dead corpse fell into the fire. A marker was left that simply said, 1555: Dr. Taylor, in defending that which was good, at this place left his blood. Before he left London to be executed, Rowland Taylor wrote his final thoughts in a book and presented them to his son: “I say to my wife and to my children, the Lord gave you unto me, and the Lord has taken me from you and you from me: blessed be the name of the Lord! I believe that they are blessed which die in the Lord. God cares for sparrows, and for the hairs of our heads. I have ever found Him more faithful and favourable than is any father or husband. Trust, therefore, in Him by means of our dear Savior Christ’s merits. Believe, love, fear, and obey Him: pray to Him, for He has promised to help. Count me not dead, for I shall certainly live and never die. I go before, and you shall follow after to our long home.” MORE ON ROWLAND TAYLOR FROM WIKIPEDIA - Following John Rogers on 4 February and Lawrence Saunders on 8 February, Taylor became Mary's third Protestant to be burned at the stake. His execution took place on 9 February 1555, at Aldham Common just north of Hadleigh. His wife, two daughters, and his son Thomas were present that day. His final words to his son Thomas, as reported by Foxe: Almighty God bless thee, and give you his Holy Spirit, to be a true servant of Christ, to learn his word, and constantly to stand by his truth all the life long. And my son, see that thou fear God always. Fly from all sin and wicked living. Be virtuous, serve God daily with prayer, and apply thy boke. In anywise see thou be obedient to thy mother, love her, and serve her. Be ruled by her now in thy youth, and follow her good counsel in all things. Beware of lewd company of young men, that fear not God, but followeth their lewd lusts and vain appetites. Flee from whoredom, and hate all filthy lying, remembering that I they father do die in the defense of holy marriage. And another day when God shall bless thee, love and cherish the poor people, and count that thy chief riches to be rich in alms. And when thy mother is waxed old, forsake her not, but provide for her to thy power, and see that she lacks nothing. For so will God bless thee, give thee long life upon earth, and prosperity, which I pray God to grant thee. A local butcher was ordered to set a torch to the wood but resisted. A couple of bystanders finally threw a lighted torch onto the wood. A perhaps sympathetic guard, named Warwick, struck Taylor's head with a halberd, which apparently killed him instantly. The fire consumed his body shortly thereafter (PICTURE). That same day, John Hooper was burned at the stake in Gloucester. Numbered (705)(arithmeo from arithmos = a number - English "arithmetic") as determining quantity = to count, to number, to reckon Gilbrant - In classical Greek arithmeō means to “count, number, reckon.” This same sense is carried into both the Septuagint (e.g., 1 Kings 3:8 [LXX 3 Kings 3:8]) and the New Testament. Jesus used arithmeō to express the disciples’ worth saying that even the hairs of their heads were “numbered” (Matthew 10:30; Luke 12:7). In Revelation 7:9 John saw a multitude too large “to count” (cf. Genesis 15:5). (Complete Biblical Library - Incredible Resource) Arithmeo - 3x - count(1), numbered(2). Mt 10:30, Lk 12:7, Rev 7: Arithmeo - 35x in 35v in the Septuagint - Gen. 14:14; Gen. 15:5; Gen. 16:10; Gen. 32:12; Gen. 41:49; Lev. 23:15; Lev. 23:16; 2 Sam. 24:1; 2 Sam. 24:10; 1 Ki. 3:8; 2 Ki. 12:10; 1 Chr. 21:1; 1 Chr. 21:2; 1 Chr. 21:6; 1 Chr. 21:17; 1 Chr. 23:3; 1 Chr. 27:24; 2 Chr. 2:17; 2 Chr. 5:6; 2 Chr. 25:5; Ezr. 1:8; Job 3:6; Job 14:16; Job 28:26; Job 36:27; Job 38:37; Job 39:2; Ps. 147:4; Prov. 8:21; Eccl. 1:15; Isa. 33:18; Jer. 33:13; Dan. 5:1; Dan. 5:17; Dan. 5:26 Ge 15:5+ - And He took him (Abram) outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count (Lxx = arithmeo) the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” You are more valuable (worth more) (1308)(diaphero from dia = separation, through + phéro = carry, bear) means literally to carry or take something through an area or structure. One of the meanings of diaphero is to "differ to one’s advantage from someone or something, be worth more than, be superior to" (BDAG) which is the nuance in this verse. Octavius Winslow - "But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered." Luke 12:7. You know so little of God, my reader, because you live at such a distance from God; you have so little transaction with Him- so little confession of sin, so little searching of your own conscience, so little probing of your own heart, so little dealing with Him in the blood and righteousness of Christ, so little transaction with Him in the little things of life. You deal with God in great matters; you take great trials to God, great perplexities, great needs; but in the minutiae of each day's history, in what are called the little things of life, you have no dealings with God whatever; and consequently you know so little of the love, so little of the wisdom, so little of the glory, of this glorious covenant God and reconciled Father. I tell you, the man who lives with God in little matters, who walks with God in the minutiae of his life, is the man who becomes the best acquainted with God- with His character, His faithfulness, His love. To meet God in my daily trials, to take to Him the trials of my calling, the trials of my church, the trials of my family, the trials of my own heart- to take to Him that which brings the shade upon my brow, that rends the sigh from my heart- to remember it is not too trivial to take to God- above all, to take to Him the least taint upon the conscience, the slightest pressure of sin upon the heart, the softest conviction of departure from God- to take it to Him, and confess it at the foot of the cross, with the hand of faith upon the bleeding sacrifice- oh! these are the paths in which a man becomes intimately and closely acquainted with God! (Morning Thoughts) The Underbird By David C. Egner Read: James 2:1-9 You are of more value than many sparrows. —Luke 12:7 Charlie Brown, the comic strip character, identified with the underdog, probably because he always felt like one. In one scene he was building a birdhouse when the cynical Lucy came by. “I’m building it for sparrows,” Charlie told her. Lucy said, “For sparrows? Nobody builds birdhouses for sparrows.” “I do,” replied Charlie Brown. “I always stick up for the underbird.” At times Christians may overlook the “sparrows,” the little people in their worlds. They may ignore those they view as less valuable. James said it’s wrong for a Christian to practice partiality (James 2:1). It’s a sin to show personal favoritism (v.9). The reasons may be social, economic, educational, or ethnic, but there’s no excuse for disrespecting people with our attitudes and words. Jesus didn’t do this. He crossed all kinds of traditional barriers to talk with tax-collectors, sinners, non-Jews, people of mixed races, the poor, as well as the rich. He came to identify with each of us, and to pay the price on the cross for all our sins. Lord, help me to love the way that You love The humble, the lowly, the meek; And help me to care the way that You care For sinners, the outcasts, the weak. —Fitzhugh Nobody wins when we play favorites. Luke 12:8 "And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; KJV Luke 12:8 Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: everyone who confesses Me before men 1Sa 2:30; Ps 119:46; Mt 10:32-33; Ro 10:9-10; 2Ti 2:12; 1Jn 2:23; Rev 2:10,13; 3:4,5 Son of Man will confess him also Mt 25:31-34; Jude 1:24-25 Luke 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 12:1-12 Confessing or Denying Christ? - Steven Cole Luke 12:8-9 A Certain Cure for Hypocrisy, Part 2 - John MacArthur Related Passages: Matthew 10:32 “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. 33 “But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. Romans 10:9-10 (that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 2 Timothy 2:12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; 1 John 2:23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. Revelation 3:5 ‘He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. THE REWARD FOR CONFESSING JESUS BEFORE MEN ON EARTH And I say to you - Say is present tense - continually. Uses 4x only in Gospels - Mt. 19:9; Lk. 12:8; Lk. 13:35; Lk. 16:9 Everyone - No exceptions. Jesus has been building up to this passage, because He knew that our natural fear of men would have an impact our our confession of Him as the Son of God. And so He has just encouraged them to fear God and not to fear men. Everyone is a very important qualifier in this passage because some writers (even evangelical) falsely teach Jesus is addressing this only to disciples. Everyone means everyone. They falsely teach that everyone does not include "routine" believers but only disciples and if a disciple denies Jesus, he will lose his rewards and that this passage has nothing to do with genuine salvation. This is absolutely false teaching, because every believer is a disciple. Paul's description clearly supports this interpretation for he says "that if you confess (same verb used by Jesus - homologeo) with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses (present tense - as his lifestyle - not perfection but direction), resulting in salvation." (Ro 10:9-10+) Notice that Paul does not say "if you disciples confess" but "everyone who confesses". To repeat Scripture clearly teaches that every genuine believer is a disciple! Disciple is not a "superclass" or special class of believers as is sometimes falsely taught.
Lucas 12
Guzik - Even as there was an honorable reward for the faithful, there is a terrible penalty for the faithless. They would be denied and disgraced before the throne of God. Jesus did not say, denies Me in their heart or denies me in their mind; He said, denies Me before men. There is a real and important place for a public declaration of allegiance to Jesus. For many, this is the most difficult thing of all – and is usually difficult because of a fear of man (ED: Pr 29:25), the exact thing Jesus warned against in His previous words (Luke 12:4-7). ii. The test to either confess or deny Jesus before men may come in many ways; but it will always come. It is helpful to be determined in heart and mind before the test comes. iii. Jesus clearly called His listeners to a choice. As before in Luke 11:23+ the choice is to either be with Jesus or against Him. Here the choice is to confess Jesus or deny Him. (Luke 12 Commentary) ESV Study Bible - The eternal consequences for those who deny Christ, in fact, will be far worse than the persecution that they sought to avoid. (Borrow ESV Study Bible) Matthew
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Guzik - The eternal consequences of this sin force us to regard it seriously. How can one know if they have in fact blasphemed the Holy Spirit? The fact that one desires Jesus at all shows that they are not guilty of this sin. Yet continued rejection of Jesus makes us more hardened against Him and puts us on the path of a full and final rejection of Him. Some people—as a joke or a dare—intentionally say words they suppose commit the sin of blasphemy against the Spirit. They think it a light thing to joke with eternity. Yet true blasphemy against the Spirit is more than a formula of words; it is a settled disposition of life that rejects the testimony of the Holy Spirit regarding Jesus. Even if someone has intentionally said such things, they can still repent and prevent a settled rejection of Jesus.. The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven—not because it is a sin too big for God to forgive, but because it is an attitude of heart that cares nothing for God’s forgiveness. It never has forgiveness because it never wants forgiveness God’s way. It may want forgiveness on its own terms, but never God’s way.. The way to not blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to receive Jesus Christ, and to put one’s loving trust upon Him today. It means to stop rejecting the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing us to Jesus. Mattoon -The Lord mentions that those folks who blaspheme, revile, or rail against the Spirit of God will not be forgiven. They will be empty of the pardon of Christ. What does this mean? Some have labeled this the unpardonable sin. What is the sin that is not forgiven? This is not so much a sin of the moment, as of one's entire life. It is an obstinate rejection of God's message and testimony. Beloved, when a person is in defiance or resistance toward the Holy Spirit's prompting in his life about his need for Christ, he is going to be unrepentant. Let me say that the problem is not with the Lord, it is with the resistant person. God has not shut him out. He wants all men to come to repentance and be saved. The resistant sinner continues to shut himself out of the blessing of eternal life and a home in Heaven by his refusal to put his faith in Christ. The more he resists, the harder he tends to get as time passes. If a person is not careful, he can become so hardhearted that he can quench the Spirit of God in his life. He can get to a point where he will not be under conviction for his sins any more or the Lord stops speaking to him. You don't want to be in that boat for sure! If a person continues to resist the Spirit of God and reject the Lord Jesus Christ, he will never be forgiven of his sins if he dies without Christ. He will not receive eternal life. He will spend eternity in Hell and never get out. Once a person has died without Christ, it is the Lord that shuts him out of Heaven because that person rejected God's son and Christ's atonement for his sins. If you do not know the Lord as your Savior, then you have something to truly fear. Give your heart to Christ today. (Rod Mattoon - Treasures from Luke) A T
Lucas 12
Guzik writes "Some people – as a joke or a dare – intentionally say words they suppose commit the sin of blasphemy against the Spirit. They think it a light thing to joke with eternity. Yet true blasphemy against the Spirit is more than a formula of words; it is a settled disposition of life that rejects the testimony of the Holy Spirit regarding Jesus. Even if someone has intentionally said such things, they can still repent and prevent a settled rejection of Jesus. The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven – not because it is a sin too big for God to forgive, but because it is an attitude of heart that cares nothing for God’s forgiveness. It never has forgiveness because it never wants forgiveness God’s way. It may want forgiveness on its own terms, but never God’s way.. The way to not blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to receive Jesus Christ, and to put one’s loving trust upon Him today. It means to stop rejecting the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing us to Jesus. (Luke 12 Commentary) R Kent
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Guzik - There is a difference between a godly sense of responsibility and an ungodly, untrusting worry. However, an ungodly, untrusting sense of worry usually masquerades as responsibility.
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Guzik - The worry Jesus spoke of brings man down to the level of an animal who is merely concerned with physical needs. Your life is more, and you have eternal matters to pursue.
Lucas 12
Guzik - One might regard this fire in a few possible ways. It may be that the fire Jesus spoke of was judgment to come upon the Jewish people in the following decades. “In Jewish thought fire is almost always the symbol of judgment. So, then, Jesus regarded the coming of his kingdom as a time of judgment.” (Barclay) It may be that the fire Jesus spoke of is the power of the Holy Spirit that could only come after He had accomplished His work on the cross (I have a baptism to be baptized with). It may be that the fire Jesus spoke of is the spread of the good news and the coming expansion of the work of His kingdom across the globe, which could not happen until He had accomplished His work on the cross. Kindled (381)(anapto from ana = up or intensifier + hapto = to fasten) means to "light up" and comes from the fact that it was through fastening and rubbing things together that fire was produced. and is used with the literal sense in Acts 28:2 (because of the cold, they kindled a fire) and James 3:5 (how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire) and figuratively here in Lk 12:49. Kindle means to cause something to begin to burn or catch fire, to set on fire; to ignite. It is interesting that one lexicon (Gilbrant) says anapto in Lk 12:49 refers to the metaphorical kindling of the "fire of division" and another (W E Vine) to the "the kindling of the fire of hostility" but both these interpretations are less satisfactory than the one discussed above. Anapto is aorist passive, and thus in the context of God's righteous judgment on sin signifies a "divine passive," (be kindled, the kindling being ignited [so to speak] by the Father on His only begotten Son!). Anapto - 2v - kindled(1), set aflame(1). Lk. 12:49; Jas. 3:5 Septuagint - 2 Chr. 13:11; Ps. 18:8; Ps. 78:21; Jer. 9:12; Jer. 11:16; Jer. 17:27; Jer. 21:12; Jer. 21:14; Jer. 48:9; Jer. 50:32; Lam. 2:3; Lam. 4:11; Lam. 4:15; Ezek. 20:47; Joel 1:19; Joel 2:3; Amos 1:14; Mal. 1:10; Mal. 4:1 Walter Kaiser - Bringing Fire to Earth - go to page 436 in Hard Sayings This saying is hard in the sense of being difficult to understand, mainly because it is not obviously related to the context in which it appears. It may be thought probable that it is somehow connected with the saying immediately following about the baptism that Jesus had to undergo before current restraints were removed, but this cannot be taken for granted. Each of the two sayings must first be examined by itself. It is natural to link the “fire” in this saying with the “fire” mentioned in John the Baptist’s description of the work to be accomplished by the one whose way he was preparing: “But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Lk 3:16). The fire is closely associated here with the Holy Spirit. A shorter form of John’s words is found in Mark 1:8; there, however, there is no mention of fire: “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Matthew, like Luke, adds the words “and with fire” (Mt 3:11), and both Matthew and Luke go on to report further words of John about the Coming One: “His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Mt 3:12; Lk 3:17). It is worth bearing in mind that the same word is used in Greek, the language of the Gospels, for “Spirit,” “breath” and “wind”; similarly in the language normally spoken by John and Jesus, Aramaic, one and the same word did duty for all three concepts. The picture John draws is of the grain and the chaff lying piled up on the threshing floor after the harvest. The mixture of grain and chaff is tossed up into the air with the winnowing fork or shovel; the light chaff is blown away by the wind and the heavier grain falls back on the floor, from which it is collected to be stored in the granary. The chaff is then swept up and burned. Both the wind and the fire are symbols of the Holy Spirit; they depict the work that the Coming One is to do by the power of the Spirit, separating the true children of the kingdom from those who were only nominally so. (The figure of chaff is an ancient one in this kind of context; according to Ps 1:4, “the wicked … are like chaff that the wind blows away.”) Jesus’ ministry was not exactly the ministry of judgment that John envisaged, but a ministry of sifting and separating it certainly was. Yet Jesus plainly looked for something further when he said, “I came to set the earth on fire, and how I wish the fire had already broken out!” One suggestion links these words with the hard saying that comes shortly afterward in Luke 12:51–53, where Jesus says that he did not come to give peace on earth but rather division. We shall have to consider this hard saying also, but the difficulty about understanding the fire in Luke 12:49 in the sense of the division and strife that Jesus foresaw as the effect of his ministry lies in his earnest wish that the fire “were already kindled.” He foresaw the division and strife indeed as the effect of his ministry, but he did not desire it. It is more satisfactory to take these words as the expression of a longing for an outpouring of the Spirit in power the like of which had not yet been seen. Jesus himself experienced a personal outpouring of the Spirit at his baptism in the Jordan. A pictorial account of this outpouring in terms of fire is preserved in the second-century Christian writer Justin Martyr: “When Jesus went down into the water a fire was kindled in the Jordan.” The same figure appears in a saying ascribed to Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas and elsewhere: “He who is near me is near the fire, and he who is far from me is far from the kingdom.” The fire was there in Jesus’ ministry, but the earth had not yet caught fire. One day it would catch fire in earnest, with the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost; but Jesus himself had to die before this consummation could be realized, and while his death is not explicitly mentioned in these words about the fire, it is probably implied as a prospect beneath their surface. Hence the note of poignancy which can be discerned. Luke 12:50 "But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! KJV Luke 12:50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished! But I have a baptism to undergo Mt 20:17-22; Mark 10:32-38 how distressed I am until it is accomplished Ps 40:8; Jn 4:34; 7:6-8,10; 10:39-41; 12:27,28; 18:11; 19:30; Acts 20:22 Walter Kaiser - Distressed Until Baptism Completed? - go to page 437 in Hard Sayings Luke 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 12:49-59 The Divisive Jesus - Steven Cole Luke 12:49-53 Jesus, the Great Divider - John MacArthur Related Passage: Mark 10:38-39+ But Jesus said to them (James and John, the two sons of Zebedee Mk 10:35), “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?” They said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. JESUS DESCRIBES HIS COMING CRUCIFIXION AS A BAPTISM But I have a baptism undergo - He has already been baptized by John in the Jordan (Mt 3:13-17), but His crucifixion is the baptism He is describing. Baptism (baptisma) is the result of the act of plunging or immersing and with suffix -ma indicates the result of the immersion. In the present use baptism gives the picture of Jesus being "immersed in" and overwhelmed by the agony of the Cross. It was a metaphorical description of being overwhelmed by a catastrophe. "He will be plunged into the flood of horrible distress." (Hendriksen) See His praying in the Garden Lk 22:44 "And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground." (see Luke 22:39-46) And so here Jesus referred to His crucifixion metaphorically as a baptism and in Matthew 20 as drinking a of the cup (cf Mk 10:38-39+)... As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the way He said to them, 18 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, 19 and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.” 20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. 21 And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She *said to Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.” 22 But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They *said to Him, “We are able.” (Mt 20:17-22) Remember how Jesus opens this section with the words "I have come to" and in this baptism we see the consummation of the reason for His coming! He came to die! But not to die in vain, but to die that men might live again! It is interesting to see Jesus' messianic ministry bookended by two baptisms: His baptism in the Jordan to his death on the cross. Robert Stein - The term “baptism” is used in Greek literature to describe being overwhelmed with catastrophe. Yet the key for understanding this metaphor is found in the parallel in Mark 10:38–39. Here “baptism” forms a parallelism with the “cup” Jesus was to drink and refers to Jesus’ passion and death. That this image is found in two different Gospels indicates that it was well-known and that the early church would have understood both Jesus’ baptism and drinking the cup as references to his death. (Ibid) MacArthur on a baptism to undergo - Baptism refers to His immersion under divine judgment (cf. Mark 10:38); before He judged unbelievers for their sin, Christ Himself was judged by God for the sins of believers. That took place at the cross when He “redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13; cf. Isa. 53:5–6, 11–12; Rom. 4:25; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24). In that verse Paul expressed the essential, non-negotiable doctrine of penal substitution, which “states that God gave Himself in the person of his Son to suffer instead of us the death, punishment and curse due to fallen humanity as the penalty for sin. This understanding of the cross of Christ stands at the very heart of the gospel” (Jeffrey, Steve, Michael Ovey, and Andrew Sach, Pierced for Our Transgressions [Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway, 2007], 21). (See MacArthur Commentary) Guzik - The fact that Jesus spoke of His suffering as a baptism is meaningful. He wasn’t sprinkled with suffering; He was immersed in agony. In the same way, we are to baptized into Jesus Christ and baptized with the Holy Spirit, immersed and overflowing. NET Note on baptism - The figure of the baptism is variously interpreted, as some see a reference (1) to martyrdom or (2) to inundation with God's judgment. The OT background, however, suggests the latter sense: Jesus is about to be uniquely inundated with God's judgment as He is rejected, persecuted, and killed (Ps 18:4, 16; 42:7; 69:1–2; Isa 8:7–8; 30:27–28; Jonah 2:3–6). (Luke 12) The psalms use the metaphor of water overwhelming one's soul - Ps. 42:7, "All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me" and Ps. 124:4, "Then the waters would have engulfed us, The stream would have swept over our soul." How distressed (sunecho/synecho) I am until it is accomplished (teleo) - Jesus uses the present tense for distressed, indicating that the thought of Calvary was continuously on His mind! The distress was like an incessant squeezing, a relentless pressure, and would continue until it was finally accomplished with His victorious cry "Tetelestai" (teleo in perfect tense)! The agonizing thought of bearing the sins of the world pressed hard on this sinless Man. Note His insertion of the time phrase "until" indicating there would be an end to His distress. Indeed, as noted, in some of His last words He used the same verb (teleo) translated accomplished to cry "It is finished" (Paid in Full)! (John 19:30+). John MacArthur paraphrases Jesus' words - "I have an immersion into divine wrath and how distressed I am until it's accomplished." (Jesus, the Great Divider") He adds in his commentary note "Although Gethsemane was the most agonizing time of anticipation, Jesus lived His life in a perpetual Gethsemane. There was never a time when He was not aware of the suffering that lay before Him."
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Guzik has an interesting application - In our present times there are many reasons to believe that Jesus is coming soon, adding to our sense of urgency as we hope to discern this time. The stage is set for a rebuilt temple, necessary to fulfill the prophecies of the abomination of desolation (Matthew 24:15, Mark 13:14, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). Since 1948 Israel is a nation again, and hopes of a rebuilt temple continue to rise among a minority of Jews. The stage is set for the sort of world-dominating confederation of nations, heir to the Roman Empire to arise (Daniel 2:36-45, Revelation 13:1-8, Revelation 17:10-14). It will likely be connected to the modern European Community, arising out of the goals of their leaders and the chaos of the times. The stage is set for a political and economic world leader to arise, the sort of single political leader who will lead this world-dominating confederation of nations (2 Thessalonians 2:3-12, Revelation 13:4-7). The stage is set for the kind of false religion the Bible says will characterize the very last days (2 Thessalonians 2:4, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12, Revelation 13:11-15, Revelation 17:1-6). The stage is set for the kind of economic system predicted for the very last days (Revelation 13:15-17). The technology is available, and the need is present. None of these guarantees that the return of Jesus is soon. It is possible that in the wisdom of God, the time is not soon – yet, if that were the case, God would have to allow the same kind of circumstances that mark our present age to assemble again at a later time. Hypocrite (5273)(hupokrites from from hupó = under, indicating secrecy + krino = to judge) describes one who acts pretentiously, a counterfeit, a man who assumes and speaks or acts under a feigned character. A hypocrite is someone who pretends to be something he or she is not. He lies about what he really is. The religious leaders' (and peoples') spirituality and loyalty to God were fake, a sham, a counterfeit. It was all external superficial show without any supernatural, life transforming change of their heart. In the context they were hypocrites because they with minimal evidence (cloud, hot wind), they could make a correct assessment. But Jesus had given them "maximum evidence," yea, even miraculous evidence, and they still pretended (hypocritically) to not have enough evidence that He was the Messiah (cf Lk 11:16-note, Lk 11:29-30-note)! Will Durant on hypokrites - The actor – who is always a male – is not disdained as in Rome, but is much honored; he is exempt from military service, and is allowed safe passage through the lines in time of war. He is called hypocrites, but this word means answerer – i.e., to the chorus; only later will the actor’s role as an impersonator lead to the use of the word as meaning hypocrite. (The Story of Civilization II, The Life of Greece, by Will Durant, page 380) Jesus used this description 4 times in Luke (Most uses are in Matthew - Mt. 6:2,5,16; 7:5; 15:7; 22:18; 23:13-15,23,25,27,29; 24:51; Mk. 7:6) Luke 6:42 “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye. Luke 12:1 Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of people had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Luke 13:15 But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him? Related Resources: See study on the related word Hypocrisy (5272) = Hupokrisis Who Is a Hypocrite? by I. Howard Marshall - BSAC 159:634 (Apr 2002) What does the Bible say about hypocrisy? Why are all Christians hypocrites? Are all Christians hypocrites? Analyze (1381)(dokimazo from dokimos = tested, proved or approved, tried as metals by fire and thus purified from dechomai = to accept, receive) means to assay, to test, to prove, to put to the test, to make a trial of, to verify, to discern to approve. Dokimazo involves not only testing but determining the genuineness or value of an event or object. That which has been tested is demonstrated to be genuine and trustworthy. Dokimazo means to make a critical examination of something to determine its genuineness. Dokimazo was used in a manuscript of 140AD which contains a plea for the exemption of physicians, and especially of those who have passed the examination (dokimazo). Dokimazo was thus used as a technical expression referring to the action of an examining board putting its approval upon those who had successfully passed the examinations for the degree of Doctor of Medicine. Dokimazo was also used to describe the passing of a candidate as fit for election to public office. Present Time (2540) (kairos) means a point of time or period of time, time, period, frequently with the implication of being especially fit for something and without emphasis on precise chronology. It means a moment or period as especially appropriate the right, proper, favorable time (at the right time). A season. A point of time. A moment. An opportunity. Something that lasts for a season and so is transient, temporary or enduring only for a specific period of time. Kairos is not so much a succession of minutes (Greek chronos 5550), but a period of opportunity. Chronos refers to chronological time, to clock time or calendar time, to a general space or succession of time. Kairos, on the other hand, refers to a specific and often predetermined period or moment of time and so views time in terms of events, eras, or seasons, such as the times of the Gentiles (see below) In other words, kairos defines the best time to do something, the moment when circumstances are most suitable, the psychologically "ripe" moment. Kairos is occasionally translated opportunity in the NAS. (See also related word eukaira translated "good opportunity" in Mt 26:16, Lk 22:6) The English word opportunity has a fascinating origin. Hundreds of years ago when living by the sea was critically important to everyday business and industry, the word opportunity was first coined. Time-tables for everything from commerce to transportation depended on the rise and fall of tides. The specific time when the water was deep enough to sail out to sea was known as ob portu-when time and tide converged. As believers, our lives are filled with God given opportunities, those moments for example when an urgent need converges with your ability to help meet that need. If you have the eyes to recognize that opportunity, you can seize the moment and redeem the time for the glory of God, joining in with Him where He is at work. As we learn to recognize and choose to join God when He presents us with an ob portu moment, we begin to enter into the fullness of joy He desires for our Christian life. Shakespeare alluded to the idea of ob portu when he wrote these classic lines… There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. (Julius Caesar, 4.3.217) Another source notes that our English word opportunity comes from the Latin and means “toward the port.” It suggests a ship taking advantage of the wind and tide to arrive safely in the harbor. The brevity of life is a strong argument for making the best use of every opportunity God gives us. An old Chinese adage says - Opportunity has a forelock so you can seize it when you meet it. Once it is past, you cannot seize it again. Some other common sayings that convey a similar thought include… "Strike while the iron is hot" "There is no time like the present" "He who hesitates is lost." R C
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Guzik - Jesus asked His listeners to think through it for themselves. Anyone who can judge what is right can see the importance and good of getting right with God before we come before Him as Judge. If one waits until they will stand before His throne of judgment, the time will then be too late As
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Guzik has an interesting note - Jesus here alluded to the idea that there is a price to be paid in hell (till you have paid the very last mite). This helps to explain the fearful yet Biblical truth that hell is eternal; because payment for sins is required, and imperfect humanity can’t make a perfect payment, required by a perfect God. The punishment of hell is eternal, just as life is eternal in heaven (Matthew 25:46, 2 Thessalonians 1:9). The torment of hell is forever (Revelation 14:11), and the fires of hell are not quenched, burning forever (Mark 9:48). The unjust have their own resurrection, presumably with bodies suited to endure the punishment of hell (John 5:29, Acts 24:15) Warren