Baptism to be Baptized With

Luke 12:49-53 begins with Jesus impatient to cast fire to the earth. He wants to kindle the fire that he came to kindle. John the Baptist came to burn the fruitless trees, and said that Jesus is the one with the Spirit and fire. Enough already; let it burn, Jesus says.

But then immediately He speaks of His own baptism by fire. That is the fire that He is impatient to see (v. 50).

And then immediately He speaks of division of houses and families (vv. 51-53). The fire that Jesus brings consumes families. But Jesus Himself is the first to be baptized in that fire. His family is unsure about His sanity; Judas turns against Him; His disciples forsake Him; Israel divides three against two and two against three. And Jesus is the Son of Man in the midst of that fire; He is baptized with that baptism, the decreating and recreating baptism of family breakdown.