Luke 12:49-53
The sayings of the Lord Jesus in these five verses are particularly weighty and suggestive. They unfold truths which every true Christian would do well to mark and digest. They explain things in the Church, and in the world, which at first sight are hard to be understood.
We learn for one thing from these verses how thoroughly the heart of Christ was set on finishing the work which He came into the world to do. He says, “I have a baptism to be baptized with,”–a baptism of suffering, of wounds, of agony, of blood, and of death. Yet none of these things moved Him. He adds, “How am I straitened till this baptism is accomplished!” The prospect of coming trouble did not deter Him for a moment. He was ready and willing to endure all things in order to provide eternal redemption for His people. Zeal for the cause He had taken in hand was like a burning fire within Him. To advance His Father’s glory, to open the door of life to a lost world, to provide a fountain for all sin and uncleanness by the sacrifice of Himself, were continually the uppermost thoughts of His mind. He was pressed in spirit until this mighty work was finished.