10-20-2024         Why Jesus waited to go home

      

I started seeing posts from a man, who lives in Australia, on ‘Quora’ a few years ago.  It seems that his goal in life is to be to discredit the bible.  He uses ‘scientific’ concepts and human rationale to prove his points.  But, as I said, all to discredit the bible.

Occasionally, his posts pop on the ‘Quora’, posts that come into my email, but anymore I don’t read them unless I ‘get a feeling’ to see how he is debunking the bible now. Occasionally he starts off sounding well but then tapers off into his usual spiel.  This happened a couple of times over the past six months.  On Aug. 16^th he posted something that I felt I needed to see what he was up to and see exactly how he explained it.

He focused on Luke 12:47-54.  The first two verses correlate how a servant’s punishment is administered according to his knowledge of his lord’s will.  Then in verses 51-53 Luke talks about how Jesus will divide a house, two against three, etc., even parents, siblings, children, etc..  A comment on the last verse:  One must also look at Matt. 10:31-40.  Here Jesus says what Luke says in chapter 12 but expands it out for understanding.  Matthew explains that a man’s foes shall be in his own household.  Then Matthew Goes on to explain that our love for Jesus should be total and absolute.  That is, as we live for God, nothing should come before God and, whosoever receives Jesus also receives the Father (Matt. 10:40).  You shall have no other gods before Me (Exod. 20:3).

Often, when we accept Jesus into our heart, those who oppose us the most are members of our own family – mother, father, siblings, spouse, children and we are not to consider any of them ahead of Jesus for then we are not worthy of Him.  In fact, when we don’t take up our own cross and follow Him, we are not worthy of Him (Matt. 10:36-38).  Our own cross?  That is to live our lives according the will and love of God.  However, we discover, that as we grow in Christ, we haven’t actually rejected family.  Instead, we discover Father provides ways to bring even family into God’s eternal kingdom mending their lives and in so doing, we discover those broken relationships will also mend.

The man also says that Jesus contradicts himself by being declared the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6, 2 Thess. 3:16) yet He declares to bring division to families.  Now, I have a personal experience that a God-led divisions can and does bring unity.  After about ten years of marriage, my wife and I were separated for almost a year.  My bullheadedness, not hers.  After much individual prayer and some counselling, we came back together for about another twenty-three years, that is until she went home to be with the Lord.  What our issues were is not the point.  The point is that after assuring Jesus Christ was truly first in our lives (and keeping Him there), our marriage became stronger and survived twice as long as before the situation.

Now, because of the post, I checked some commentaries on the Luke passage, especially verses 49 - 50.  I found it interesting that both the man and the commentaries, that I had available to me, just sort of passed over these two  verses focusing more on Jesus’s suffering and how He would bring division, even into households.  In those verses, Jesus says in Luke “I am come to send a fire upon the earth and what will I (do), if it be already kindled?  But I have a baptism to be baptized with (us) and how am I straitened (determined) until it is accomplished!

Look at what Jesus is saying here.  There are divisions because the world is at odds with God, therefore it is at odds with Jesus and therefore with us as Christians because we follow Jesus. 

The Word was in the beginning and was with God and was God (John 1:1).  That’s why Jesus said “He who receives Me, receives Him who sent Me (Matt. 10:40).  Father and Son and with the Holy Ghost in the Godhead (Col. 2:8-9) are ONE.  Father IS, Father spoke words (Jesus) and the breath of God carried those Words into action (Gen. 1:1-2).  Think, how many of us have ‘friends’ who no longer wanted to hang with us because we have accepted Jesus?  world at odds with us? 

But look further into this passage (49-50).  Jesus says that He has come to set a fire (in us).  Jesus asks His disciples to receive the Holy Ghost (John 20:22).  Yet, He tells them later, just before He ascends into heaven, “Wait for the promise of the Father which you have heard from Me.  John truly baptized with water, but not many days from now, you shall be baptized in the Holy Ghost” (Acts 1:4-5).  Then He told them “But you shall receive power, after the Holy Ghost is come upon you. And you shall be witnesses …” (Acts 1:8). This is dunamis power, explosive power, the power to get the job done!  The same power Jesus abided in!  And just how did the disciples receive the Holy Ghost?  A sound, like a mighty, rushing wind filled the house in which they sat and what looked like cloven tongues of fire sat upon each one of them and they were all filled with the Holy ghost …(Acts 2:1-4).  What did John say about his baptism and Jesus’ baptism?  I baptize with water for the remission of sin, He (Jesus) shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire (Matt. 3:11)!  The fire IS the Holy Ghost.      

Is it mere coincidence that Jesus said He would send a fire upon the earth and that’s exactly what appeared as cloven tongues of fire baptized each of the apostles and disciples (all 120 souls)? 

Go back to verse 49, if the fire is already kindled (Luke 12).  At that moment or later, as in John when Jesus tells the disciples to receive the Holy Ghost and breathed upon them (John 20:22), His full task then would already be filled and nothing would’ve restrained Him from going home at that moment.  He had already endured the cross.  But He had not yet baptized us with fire (the Holy Ghost) as He still spent some time with His disciples before ‘going home’.  His ministry included not just the Word He brought, but the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension) as well.  Returning to the Father His mission on earth would then be fully completed.  After His ascension, He was free to give ‘us’ the Holy Ghost. 

When Jesus breathed on the disciples and told them to receive the Holy Ghost (John 2:22), it was a command which wouldn’t be realized until the upper room (Acts 2:1-4). 

Again, why did Jesus wait to give ‘us’ the Holy Ghost?  To give us the Holy Ghost, Jesus needed the fullness of the Holy Ghost in His life to finalize His final hours on planet earth – the arrest in the garden, humiliation before the priests & romans, the scourging, physical death, shedding His blood on the cross, cleansing us from our sin, His resurrection from the grave and finally His ascension back unto the Father.

So, why did Jesus wait to go home?  He had to complete His mission, here on earth, so we could learn to totally put our trust in Him.  To realize that through His life, ministry and death, He is our gateway into eternity.  Then through His resurrection and ascension, we have the power to walk through that gateway.  Glory to God!

Amen

Luke 12:47-54 (paraphrased)

The servant who knew his Lord’s will but did not study and do it, shall be beaten with  many stripes.  But the man who didn’t know his Lord’s will and did contrary shall receive only a few (in comparison).  To whom much is given, much shall be required (expected) and because he has accepted greater responsibility, more shall be required of him.  I’m sent to set a fire upon the earth and what can I do if it is already kindled?  I have a baptism (for you) which I am bound to accomplish.  Do you suppose I’ve come to bring peace upon the earth?  No!  Rather division!  From now on, every household shall be divided, two against three and three against two.  The family will no longer be in unity but split.  You can see a cloud rise up out of the west and say “It will rain”, and so sit will.  Hypocrites!  You can discern the face of skies but you cannot understand the times you are in.   

Last comment for clarity:  Once we’ve been exposed to God’s will and don’t continue with Him than to turn back to our old ways we’re like the dog that returns to his vomit (2Peter 2:21-22).  Satan is the prince and power of the air (Eph. 2:2).  God is above he air and everything else (Heb. 1:1-14). We follow whom we love (Matt. 6:24).  The world and God are always against each other (2 Corinth. 6:14-18).  Who do we follow?

Jesus fully completed His mission here on earth so that we might live in His love for ever!