Movatterモバイル変換

Not Peace, But Division
48But the one who unknowingly does things worthy of punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from him who has been entrusted with much, even more will be demanded.49I have cometo ignitea fireontheearth,andhowI wishit were already kindled!50But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!…

Treasury of Scripture

I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?

come.

Luke 12:51,52
Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: …

Isaiah 11:4
But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

Joel 2:30,31
And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke…

and.

Luke 11:53,54
And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urgehim vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things: …

Luke 13:31-33
The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee…

Luke 19:39,40
And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples…

AlreadyCastDesireEarthFireKindledLightedThrowWishAlreadyCastDesireEarthFireKindledLightedThrowWish1.Jesus preaches to his apostles to avoid hypocrisy
13.and warns against covetousness, by the parable of the man who set up greater barns.
22.We must not worry about earthly things,
31.but seek the kingdom of God;
33.give alms;
35.be ready at a knock to open to our Lord whensoever he comes.
41.Jesus' disciples are to see to their charges,
49.and look for persecution.
54.The people must take this time of grace;
57.because it is a fearful thing to die without reconciliation.

I have come to ignite a fire on the earth
This phrase indicates Jesus' mission to bring transformation and judgment. Fire in biblical terms often symbolizes purification, judgment, or the presence of God (e.g.,Exodus 3:2,Malachi 3:2-3). Jesus' coming initiates a new covenant, challenging existing religious structures and calling for repentance. The imagery of fire suggests both the refining of believers and the judgment of those who reject Him. This aligns with John the Baptist's prophecy inMatthew 3:11-12, where he speaks of Jesus baptizing with the Holy Spirit and fire.

and how I wish it were already kindled!
This expression reveals Jesus' eagerness for His mission to be fulfilled. The "kindling" of the fire can be seen as the beginning of the transformative work of the Holy Spirit, which would be fully realized after His death and resurrection. It reflects Jesus' anticipation of the coming kingdom and the urgency of His message. This longing is echoed in other scriptures where Jesus expresses a desire for the fulfillment of God's plan, such as inJohn 12:27-28. The phrase also underscores the tension between the present age and the coming kingdom, highlighting the immediate need for repentance and faith.

1.Jesus Christ
The speaker of this verse, Jesus is expressing His mission and the transformative impact He intends to have on the world.

2.The Earth
Represents the world and humanity, the sphere where Jesus' mission and message are to take effect.

3.Fire
Symbolic of purification, judgment, and the Holy Spirit, indicating the profound change Jesus aims to bring.The Purpose of Jesus' Mission
Jesus came to bring transformation and purification to the world. His mission was not just to comfort but to challenge and change the status quo.

The Symbolism of Fire
Fire in the Bible often symbolizes purification and judgment. Jesus' desire to kindle this fire indicates His role in refining and purifying humanity.

Urgency in Jesus' Mission
Jesus expresses a sense of urgency and longing for His mission to be fulfilled. This urgency should inspire believers to actively participate in spreading the Gospel.

The Role of the Holy Spirit
The fire Jesus speaks of can also be seen as the work of the Holy Spirit, who empowers, purifies, and guides believers in their spiritual journey.

Division as a Consequence
The fire Jesus brings can cause division, as it challenges individuals to choose between following Him or adhering to worldly values. This division is a natural outcome of the transformative power of the Gospel.1.What is the meaning of Luke 12:49?

2.How does Luke 12:49 illustrate Jesus' mission and purpose on earth?

3.What does "I have come to ignite a fire" symbolize in Luke 12:49?

4.How can believers prepare for the "fire" mentioned in Luke 12:49?

5.Connect Luke 12:49 with Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah's role.

6.How should Luke 12:49 influence our daily walk with Christ?

7.What does Jesus mean by "I have come to ignite a fire on the earth" in Luke 12:49?

8.How does Luke 12:49 align with the message of peace in the Gospels?

9.Why does Jesus express a desire for division in Luke 12:49?

10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Luke 12?

11.What does 'Holy Spirit fire' symbolize?

12.What does the Bible say about Death and Hades?

13.Luke 12:51 suggests Jesus brings division rather than peace. How does this claim fit with other verses that present Him as the Prince of Peace who unites people?

14.In Hebrews 12:1, how can a 'great cloud of witnesses' literally observe our lives, and does this conflict with a scientific worldview?I have come

Jesus begins with purpose. His arrival is not accidental; it fulfills the Father’s plan announced from Genesis onward.

• “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).

• “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news” (Luke 4:18-19).

• “For this reason I was born and have come into the world—to testify to the truth” (John 18:37).

Taken together, these verses show that Christ’s coming includes proclamation, rescue, and confrontation with darkness. Every step He takes presses forward the literal, unfolding storyline Scripture records.

---

to ignite a fire on the earth

Fire in Scripture is never vague imagery; it carries real heat.

• Purification: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver” (Malachi 3:3). The gospel burns away dross—sins, idols, false securities.

• Judgment: “He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12). Those who reject Him face genuine, eternal consequence.

• Empowerment: At Pentecost “tongues like flames of fire appeared…and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:3-4). The same Christ who judges also sets believers ablaze for witness.

• Testing: “The fire will test the quality of each man’s work” (1 Corinthians 3:13-15). Nothing is exempt from this cleansing flame.

Thus the “fire” Christ lights is both present and future: a spiritual upheaval that purifies His people now and divides light from darkness until the final day (Hebrews 12:29).

---

and how I wish it were already kindled!

This sigh reveals His heart.

• Urgency: He longs for redemption’s work to advance; delay means continued pain, sin, and deception in the world (Romans 8:22-23).

• Anticipation of the Cross: “But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!” (Luke 12:50). The Cross will strike the match that lights Pentecost’s fire.

• Desire for the Spirit’s outpouring: “When the Advocate comes…He will testify about Me” (John 15:26). Jesus yearns for the day His followers move in Spirit-filled boldness (Acts 1:8).

• Eagerness for final justice: He looks ahead to the moment when evil is fully and forever judged (Revelation 20:11-15).

This longing is not impatience but holy zeal. He desires the completed plan of God—salvation finished, holiness spreading, evil ended.

---

summary

Luke 12:49 lays bare Christ’s mission, method, and mindset. He has deliberately come; He will light a real, purifying, judging, empowering fire across the earth; and He passionately wants that blaze to begin. His words call believers to welcome the flame of holiness and proclaim the gospel while warning that neutrality is impossible when His fire falls.

(49)I am come to send fire on the earth.--There is a strange unique abruptness in the utterance. We are compelled to assume a pause, a moment's thought, as in one whose gaze looks out into the future, and who at once feels its terrors and yet accepts them. The fire which He came to send is the fire of judgment which shall burn up the chaff (see Note onMatthew 3:12), the baptism of fire which shall purify and cleanse as well as destroy. The Son of Man knew that this, with all its terrors, was what He came to work. If the fire was already kindled, if judgment was already passed upon the unfaithful stewards and the servants who knew their Lord's will and did it not, why should He wish to check it? What other wish or will was right for Him than that it should complete what it had begun, even though it brought not peace, but a sword--not union, but division?

Verse 49.- I am come to send fire on the earth. It is still the same train of thought that the Master pursues - a train which had been only slightly diverted by Peter's question. The text, so to speak, of the whole discourse was "the strange attraction which riches possess for men, and the palsying effect which this attraction, when yielded to, exercises over the whole life." The Master's argument was as follows: "Beware of covetousness; let your attachment to earthly possessions sit very lightly on you all; and as foryou, my disciples, do you havenothing to do with these perishable goods." And here, with an abrupt solemnity, probably the voice changing here, and ringing with an awful emotion, he enforces his charge to the disciples with the words, "I am come to send fire on the earth." "My stern, sad work is to inaugurate a mighty struggle, to cast a firebrand on the earth. Lo, my presence will stir up men - you will see this in a way none now dream of; a vast convulsion will rend this people asunder. In the coming days of war and tumult, what have you, my disciples, who will be in the forefront of this movement, - what have you to do with earthly goods? Toss them away from you as useless baggage. The pioneers of the army of the future, surelythey must be unencumbered in the war, which is about to break out; for remember, 'I am come to send fire on the earth.'" And what will I, if it be already kindled? better rendered,how I would that it had been already kindled! That is to say, "How I wish that this fire were already burning!" (so Olshausen, De Wette, Bleek, and Farrar). Through all the woe, however, the Redeemer could see, shining as it were through a dark cloud, the unspeakable glory and blessedness of his work. But this fire could not be kindled into a flame until something had happened. The cross must be endured by him; till then his work was not finished; and in his pure human nature - it is with stammering tongue and trembling pen we speak or write here - he felt, we believe, the bitter stinging pain of dread expectation of what was coming. With this onlook he was weighed down, we know, at times; witness especially the Gethsemane agony. He goes on to say -

Parallel Commentaries ...


I have come
ἦλθον(ēlthon)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2064:To come, go.

to ignite
βαλεῖν(balein)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 906:(a) I cast, throw, rush, (b) often, in the weaker sense: I place, put, drop. A primary verb; to throw.

a fire
Πῦρ(Pyr)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4442:Fire; the heat of the sun, lightning; fig: strife, trials; the eternal fire. A primary word; 'fire'.

on
ἐπὶ(epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909:On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

the
τὴν(tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

earth,
γῆν(gēn)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1093:Contracted from a primary word; soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe.

and
καὶ(kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.

how
τί(ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5101:Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

I wish
θέλω(thelō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2309:To will, wish, desire, be willing, intend, design.

it were already kindled!
ἀνήφθη(anēphthē)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 381:To kindle, set on fire, light. From ana and hapto; to enkindle.


Luke 12:49 NIV
Luke 12:49 NLT
Luke 12:49 ESV
Luke 12:49 NASB
Luke 12:49 KJV

Luke 12:49 BibleApps.com
Luke 12:49 Biblia Paralela
Luke 12:49 Chinese Bible
Luke 12:49 French Bible
Luke 12:49 Catholic Bible

NT Gospels: Luke 12:49 I came to throw fire (Luke Lu Lk)