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This week we are concluding our studies in Luke Chapter 12. Please read verses 49-59 every day this week and, if possible, use a different translation each day, asking God to open your eyes to fresh revelation from His Word.
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Luke 12:49-50 (NIV)
‘”I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!”
Over the years I have seen many, many people get baptised. In previous devotions, I’ve mentioned that not all of them appeared to be ‘genuine’ and I’ve even seen the minister make jokes during the baptism.
Being baptised is one of the most joyous occasions that I can think of. It’s not only hugely symbolic but is a real testimony of God’s grace, forgiveness and love in the lives of the candidates.
I remember one particular baptism held in the sea on a typical Welsh summer’s day. It was freezing cold, windy and raining. Despite the external conditions, we still had an amazing time watching each candidate as they professed their faith in Jesus Christ. The waves were getting stronger as the tide came in and it was a real battle to stand up under the onslaught of the sea. There is no doubt that as we held each candidate under the water, they were completely immersed and ‘overwhelmed’ by the sea.
One interpretation of the word ‘baptism’ is ‘to be overwhelmed’. In the same way that each candidate was immersed by the sea, they were also ‘in’ the sea and completely overwhelmed by it.
Jesus says in these verses that He has ‘a baptism to undergo’. We know from earlier accounts that Jesus had already been baptised by John in the Jordan River and therefore He can’t possibly be referring to water baptism. So what is it that He’s referring to? The answer is found in the understanding of the word ‘baptism’ as explained earlier. I guess that it would be very difficult to fully appreciate His words at the time, but now that we know what happened later, we can see clearly what Jesus is explaining.
He is going to make His way to Jerusalem and will die a most horrific death. I will be talking more about that when we study the crucifixion as detailed in Luke chapter 23, but for now, it’s sufficient to say that He would indeed be ‘overwhelmed’ by agony. The physical aspects of crucifixion would have been unbearable, but our Saviour was also carrying the spiritual burden of the world’s in on His shoulders. All our sin was placed on Him and He died in unimaginable pain in our place. When we understand the depth of that love and grace, we can do no better than to echo the words of the hymnist: “Hallelujah, what a Saviour”.
As Christians we are set free from the power of sin, however sometimes we too are overwhelmed by the consequences of sin. It seems that the burden we have to bear is too great and that we can take no more. Take courage my friend. Jesus is there with us to comfort and to help. He has been through everything so that He knows what it is like to suffer pain. He is not a God who stands at a distance, He is one who has come to where we are and has experienced everything that we could go through. The book of Hebrews exhorts us to ‘approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. May we endure our own particular baptism at the foot of the throne of grace and fully trust in the wonderful Saviour who loves us.
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