The Fire of God!
When Vladimir Putin’s increased Russia’s aggressive behaviour against neighbouring states the world at first just looked on but it has now realised that complacency and compromise is the wrong option. Russian-occupied territories are the lands outside of Russia's internationally recognized borders which have been designated by the United Nations and most of the international community as under a Russian military occupation. They consist of the territories of Transnistria (part of Moldova 1992–present), Abkhazia and South Ossetia (both part of Georgia 2008–present), Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk (2014–present) and now mainland Ukraine (2022–present). Additionally, the four southernmost Kuril Islands are considered by Japan and several other countries to be occupied by Russia. Many are very worried about this state of affairs.
Jesus warns us that this is nothing compared to the great conflagration that is to come:
“I have come to bring fire on the earth. . . Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” Luke 12:49, 51
He explains that this tension will even be within families:
“From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter in law and daughter in-law against mother-in-law.” Luke 12:52-53
This fire will be between members of families and will be focused on Jesus. One of the evidences that Jesus is the Messiah of God, as he claimed, is that what he says about these tensions is precisely what has happened. He knew the consequences of believing in him just because he is God. Fulfilled signs confirm that he is indeed who he claimed to be.
People are able to accept the evidence from nature but unable to see the significance of the evidence about Jesus.
“He said to the crowd: ‘When you see a cloud in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain.’ and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret the present time?” Luke 12:54-56
This fire is the consequence of the division of people over the place Jesus will have in their lives.
Peter also uses the idea of fire to portray God’s judgment.
“By the same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” 2 Peter 3:7
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief . . . That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire . . .” 2 Peter 3:10,12
Jesus looked forward to this final day when sin is judged and punished and when God’s new world of righteousness will be inaugurated.
“I have a fire to bring to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled.” Luke 12:49
The focus of this great division will be the crucifixion of Jesus, for him this was his baptism of fire. He knew this awful death was inevitable, he even marched deliberately to Jerusalem knowing that there he would be executed. He also knew however that his death must precede the great Day of Judgment as it is his death that will give some the assurance of receiving eternal life. He took the fire of God’s judgement of sin on himself.
“But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed.” Luke 12:50
Our Baptism
In a similar way our baptism marks a major turning point where we die to the old life. It is aanother picture of God’s judgment of sin that Christ has born on our behalf. In baptism are associating ourselves with him and his death for us before embarking on a new life lived for him. One difficulty with the picture of infant baptism is that it portrays the washing away of our sin by Christ but omits the picture of rising up out of the water that represents the empowering of the individual to live a new life by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
At Pentecost the gift of the Holy Spirit was demonstrated by ‘tongues of fire’ descending on every Christian.
Fire in the Old Testament
In the Old Testament fire was often a symbol for the presence of God.
