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Texts -- Luke 12:49-59 (NET)

Context
Not Peace, but Division
12:49 “I have come to bring fire on the earth – and how I wish it were already kindled ! 12:50 I have a baptism to undergo , and how distressed I am until it is finished ! 12:51 Do you think I have come to bring peace on earth ? No , I tell you , but rather division ! 12:52 For from now on there will be five in one household divided , three against two and two against three . 12:53 They will be divided , father against son and son against father , mother against daughter and daughter against mother , mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law .”
Reading the Signs
12:54 Jesus also said to the crowds , “When you see a cloud rising in the west , you say at once , ‘A rainstorm is coming ,’ and it does . 12:55 And when you see the south wind blowing , you say , ‘There will be scorching heat ,’ and there is . 12:56 You hypocrites ! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky , but how can you not know how to interpret the present time ?
Clear the Debts
12:57 “And why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right ? 12:58 As you are going with your accuser before the magistrate , make an effort to settle with him on the way , so that he will not drag you before the judge , and the judge hand you over to the officer , and the officer throw you into prison . 12:59 I tell you , you will never get out of there until you have paid the very last cent !”

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • This section is an individual lament similar to many of the psalms (cf. 1:8-16).7:1 Micah bewailed his own disappointment with Israel's situation. He compared himself to Israel's fruit pickers and grape gatherers who felt gre...
  • The final three verses of the book, which are also the final message in the Old Testament, are sufficiently different from what immediately precedes to indicate another message from Malachi. Essentially Malachi said, Be prepa...
  • Mark next recorded two events that immediately preceded the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, His baptism and His temptation. The first of these events signaled His appearing as Messiah and His induction into that office. ...
  • Though Mark did not record it, Jesus gave His disciples much additional instruction as they travelled from Capernaum in Galilee toward Jerusalem (cf. Matt. 8:19-22; 18:15-35; Luke 9:51-18:14; John 7:2-11:54). Evidently Jesus ...
  • These warnings also occur in other contexts of Jesus' ministry (cf. Matt. 10:17-22; Luke 12:11-12). Jesus evidently voiced them more than once.Mark stressed the idea of persecution by recording the Greek word paradidomithree ...
  • The main doctrines of systematic theology that Luke stressed were Christology, soteriology, pneumatology, and eschatology. There is much emphasis on the glory of God, prayer, miracles, the divine plan that Jesus fulfilled, Is...
  • I. Introduction 1:1-4II. The birth and childhood of Jesus 1:5-2:52A. The announcement of John the Baptist's birth 1:5-251. The introduction of John's parents 1:5-72. The angel's announcement to Zechariah 1:8-233. The pregnanc...
  • Luke's account stresses that concern for the multitudes motivated Jesus' mission. Mark, on the other hand, presented opposition from the Jewish religious leaders as a reason for His activities. Matthew stressed Jesus' desire ...
  • In this last major section describing Jesus' ministry in and around Galilee (4:14-9:50), Luke stressed Jesus' preparation of His disciples for the opposition that lay before them. This was the climax of Jesus' ministry in Gal...
  • Teaching of the disciples continues as primary in this part of the third Gospel (9:51-19:10). Jesus' words to them at the beginning of the present section (12:1-13:17) broadened to include the crowds toward the end....
  • Jesus' teaching on the same occasion continued. He clarified next that His disciples could anticipate a period of intense persecution. This is the reason He charged them to be faithful (vv. 41-48)."In Luke 12:49-14:24, Jesus ...
  • Jesus addressed these words to His disciples primarily (cf. vv. 41-42).12:49-50 In view of the context Jesus' reference to fire must be as a symbol of judgment primarily rather than purification, its other common significatio...
  • Jesus again focused His teaching on the multitudes (cf. v. 13). He urged the people to discern the significance of the present times. This was important in view of the coming judgment and the present division of opinion conce...
  • There are several thematic connections that tie this pericope with what has preceded and show its role in the development of Luke's argument. Jesus had just called the nation to repentance (vv. 3, 5). Now He showed that chang...
  • 17:7-9 Jesus told this parable to teach His disciples that warning sinning disciples and forgiving those who sinned and repented was only their duty. It was not something for which they should expect a reward from God. The Ph...
  • 17:22-23 Jesus next gave His disciples more instruction about the coming of the kingdom. One of the days of the Son of Man refers to one of the future days when the Son of Man will be reigning on the earth (cf. vv. 24-25, 30)...
  • Luke next developed the idea of faith on the earth that Jesus introduced in verse 8. This whole section clarifies how people become believers. This subject is a fitting conclusion to the part of Luke's Gospel that deals with ...
  • Jesus' passion announcements to His disciples constitute important structural markers in Mark's Gospel. Luke and Matthew did not use them this way. The incident before us was the third passion announcement that Jesus gave bes...
  • This section in Luke's long narrative of Jesus' ministry as He travelled to Jerusalem (9:51-19:27) is climactic. It is a choice example of Jesus offering salvation to a needy person. Zaccheus accepted Jesus' offer and respond...
  • This parable serves in Luke's narrative as a conclusion to the section on salvation's recipients (18:9-19:27). It provides something of a denouement(i.e., a final unravelling of the plot) following the excellent example of Za...
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