Text: Heb.11:17-31; 12:1-3 Luke 12:49-53
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac,
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents,
29 By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land,
12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
3 Consider him [Jesus] who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
In our gospel reading Jesus says:
51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.
A world of nice people, content in their own niceness, looking no further, turned away from God, would be just as desperately in need of salvation as a miserable, [broken and retched] world -- and might even be more difficult to save.
C.S. Lewis, quoted in Against the Night, Charles Colson, p. 139.
It’s like the story of the school teacher who lost her life savings in a business scheme … by a swindler. When her investment disappeared and her [dreams were] shattered, she went to the Better Business Bureau. "Why on earth didn't you come to us first?" the official asked. [“Well], she said … I didn't come because I was afraid you'd tell me not to do it."
Jerry Lambert. (modified)
You see … the truth is … we want to believe the lies.
In a way it explains the cross. Not as peace and comfort but as agony and death.
Not as accomplishing anything good … but only something bad that shouldn’t have happened, we think.
What truly lies beyond the cross … the resurrection of Jesus and salvation that he gives is unable to be seen through the eyes of self and can only be received as a gift through the eyes of faith.
By faith Abraham believed that God was able, even to raise Issac from the dead, from which figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. Heb. 11:19
Jesus says:
49 “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! 50 I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!
What fire is Jesus talking about? Why is he anxious and distressed? And what does baptism have to do with it?
Well, the fire is the wrath of God cast down from heaven on the earth as punishment for sin; and yes Jesus wants it done with and finished. He also has a baptism to be baptized with – not of washing away sin - but of receiving the sins of the whole world upon him so that God’s wrath might be focused in one place, on Jesus, once and for all. That brings Jesus great distress because his baptism is a bloody baptism.
As Christ was baptized by John he was marked for you and me and all as our substitute. As the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the word, Jesus saw the Spirit descend like a dove 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
The father was pleased because Jesus was an acceptable sacrifice. Without spot or blemish, he could stand and receive God full wrath and make payment for sin with his sinless life and death in your place. And with that – his death on the cross - God’s wrath would be appeased and paid for.
51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth?
Well yes, we want to believe that.
Jesus said to bring the little children to him and not prohibit them.
He hoped to gather Jerusalem to himself like a hen gathers her chick under her wings.
He told the woman found in adultery to go and sin no more after her accusers left and Jesus said neither do I accuse you.
So yes, we want Jesus to bring peace. But he says:
No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three.
51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.
A world of nice people, content in their own niceness, looking no further, turned away from God, would be just as desperately in need of salvation as a miserable, [broken and retched] world -- and might even be more difficult to save.
C.S. Lewis, quoted in Against the Night, Charles Colson, p. 139.
It’s like the story of the school teacher who lost her life savings in a business scheme … by a swindler. When her investment disappeared and her [dreams were] shattered, she went to the Better Business Bureau. "Why on earth didn't you come to us first?" the official asked. [“Well], she said … I didn't come because I was afraid you'd tell me not to do it."
Jerry Lambert. (modified)
You see … the truth is … we want to believe the lies.
In a way it explains the cross. Not as peace and comfort but as agony and death.
Not as accomplishing anything good … but only something bad that shouldn’t have happened, we think.
What truly lies beyond the cross … the resurrection of Jesus and salvation that he gives is unable to be seen through the eyes of self and can only be received as a gift through the eyes of faith.
By faith Abraham believed that God was able, even to raise Issac from the dead, from which figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. Heb. 11:19
Jesus says:
49 “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! 50 I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!
What fire is Jesus talking about? Why is he anxious and distressed? And what does baptism have to do with it?
Well, the fire is the wrath of God cast down from heaven on the earth as punishment for sin; and yes Jesus wants it done with and finished. He also has a baptism to be baptized with – not of washing away sin - but of receiving the sins of the whole world upon him so that God’s wrath might be focused in one place, on Jesus, once and for all. That brings Jesus great distress because his baptism is a bloody baptism.
As Christ was baptized by John he was marked for you and me and all as our substitute. As the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the word, Jesus saw the Spirit descend like a dove 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
The father was pleased because Jesus was an acceptable sacrifice. Without spot or blemish, he could stand and receive God full wrath and make payment for sin with his sinless life and death in your place. And with that – his death on the cross - God’s wrath would be appeased and paid for.
51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth?
Well yes, we want to believe that.
Jesus said to bring the little children to him and not prohibit them.
He hoped to gather Jerusalem to himself like a hen gathers her chick under her wings.
He told the woman found in adultery to go and sin no more after her accusers left and Jesus said neither do I accuse you.
So yes, we want Jesus to bring peace. But he says:
No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three.
The devil delights in division. He delights in apathy. He delights is discord. He delights in death. He delights in whispering in your ear. He delights in us having faith in ourselves.
“You’re a pretty good person. You’ve helped many people in need and done good things. You know right from wrong and there are certainly many others who do much less than you. God will be pleased with you!”
Families are divided. The church is too. The world is broken in sin.
51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth?
Jesus says: No, I tell you, but rather division.
Dear friends, the brokenness of this world will not get better.
I saw this quote online this week:
“This society in which we live is radically changing. What previous generations saw as evil is now embraced as being good. It is a dangerous and slippery slope upon which we stand when we reject what Solomon called the beginning of wisdom – the fear of God.”
— Ray Comfort
But Christ has secured your rescue- by faith – not in a world that will be destroyed but in Jesus who died for you and rose again from the dead.
“Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” Heb 11:18
In the first chapter of Matthew we receive this genealogy: 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Matt 1:2
Our Epistle continues:
22 By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones. Heb 11:22
29 By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. Heb:11:29
22 By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones. Heb 11:22
29 By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. Heb:11:29
The Gospel in Matthew reveals:
5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king. Matt 1:5
31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. Heb 11:31
King David’s great grandmother was Rahab whom God had used so that:
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.
The genealogy concludes: 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. Matt 1:16
By faith we too have rescue. In Christ who is our hope and our deliverer!
The genealogy continues for you and me as well as we think of our grandparents and our parents on down to ourselves and our children.
5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king. Matt 1:5
31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. Heb 11:31
King David’s great grandmother was Rahab whom God had used so that:
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.
The genealogy concludes: 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. Matt 1:16
By faith we too have rescue. In Christ who is our hope and our deliverer!
The genealogy continues for you and me as well as we think of our grandparents and our parents on down to ourselves and our children.
As my own would read and you can write your own as well.
And Michael was the father of Albert, and Albert the father of Russell, and Russell the father of Amy and Jonathan, and by faith in this same Christ and his baptism into death a death on a cross we too have the promise that just as he was raised from the dead we too will rise.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
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