In this series we examine the emotions Jesus Christ felt when He was on earth, limited to a time in history, a geographical place, and a human body that needed water, food and sleep. We will examine how He managed His emotions; and why His emotional experiences enable Him to understand everything you and I feel. He is our help in time of trouble.

Remember:

Your emotions are God-given, you are entitled to them.

Your emotions are personal. No one can tell you how you should feel.

Your emotions must be managed or they will control you.

You are not responsible for someone else’s emotions.

Do you feel constrained? Do you desire other circumstances? Are you eager to finish a task or duty? Longing to achieve a goal? Is there some wrong you are waiting to have righted? Some circumstance waiting for justice? Some situation waiting for God to resolve it? Some desire waiting for fulfillment? Jesus understands. He felt constrained.

Definition

Constrained – forced, compelled or obliged, bound

Situation

Luke 12: ⁴⁹I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?

⁵⁰But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!

The context is judgment

In the context of these verses, Jesus is talking about the coming judgment of the fallen creation. The flood destroyed all flesh except for the 8 folks saved in the ark and the creatures gathered in the ark. The coming judgment will not be by water because of the Noahic covenant.

Genesis 9:¹¹ And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.

¹²And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:

¹³I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.

¹⁴And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:

¹⁵And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

The judgment is coming and will be by fire. What does Jesus mean when He says the fire of judgment is already kindled? When you and I receive the gift of salvation, purchased for us by the death and resurrection of Jesus, He begins to refine us and make us more like Himself. The refiner’s fire melts off the dross so that only what is valuable remains.  The refiner must watch the precious gem in the fire until the gem reflects the refiner’s face. So Jesus intimately involves Himself in the lives and circumstances of those He redeemed; fashioning us to be more like Him. In this process Jesus prepares us to live eternally with Him but also provides evidence to the unsaved around us that judgment is coming.

What baptism is Jesus talking about?

Baptism is an act of transition with spiritual meaning. Jesus is not longing for water baptism. John already baptized Him. Jesus is not longing for baptism of the Holy Spirit. He was filled with the Spirit. Jesus is longing for the completion of God’s plan of salvation (made at least 4,000 years previously), the serpent’s head to be crushed, the sin debt of the rebellious creation to be fully paid, the righteous Father to be satisfied, death to be conquered and life given to saved ones, reconciliation to their Creator offered to the people and the return of Jesus to glory. The accomplishment requires His crucifixion and resurrection.

Let’s look more at the context. In this situation Jesus is talking about judgment, His second coming and the necessity to be ready for Him.

Luke 12: ³⁵Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

³⁶And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

³⁷Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

³⁸And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

³⁹And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.

⁴⁰Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

What is the significance of ‘loins girded and lights burning’?

Are you waiting for Jesus to come for you?

Blessed = happy, content, joyful

Peter asks a pertinent question

⁴¹Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?

⁴²And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

⁴³Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

⁴⁴Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.

⁴⁵But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

⁴⁶The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

⁴⁷And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

⁴⁸But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

This instruction is for everyone. Those who have heard the offer of free salvation and received it and those who have heard the offer and refused it and those who never heard. Everyone is responsible to Jesus, our Creator and Lord.

Jesus assigns each of His redeemed to specific tasks. You have assigned life roles such as parent, spouse, child, sibling, neighbor, coworker, colleague, citizen, church member. What are your life roles? How are you fulfilling each role?

Jesus talks about division of those who believe and those who do not believe in Him

⁵¹Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

⁵²For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.

⁵³The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

Do you find it difficult when close friends or family members do not choose to receive the gift of salvation?

Questions for Reflection

1) What about your circumstances seems like the Refiner’s fire?

2) Is there something you are waiting to be made right?

3) Can you see how this situation enables Jesus to understand your feelings?

Jesus is our great High Priest

Hebrews 4:¹⁴ Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

¹⁵For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

¹⁶Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Where is our great High Priest?  in Heaven, He passed to there

Who is our great High Priest? Jesus, the Son of God

What is special about our great High Priest?

He can be moved with the feeling of our infirmities

He was tempted like we are but did not sin!

Our High Priest sits on a throne of grace not judgement!

Our High Priest invites us to come boldly for grace and mercy

Grace is God giving us what we do not deserve

Mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve

Isn’t Jesus a great High Priest?

Does it matter to you that Jesus understands what it feels like to be constrained?

When you consider the emotion of Jesus, can you relate how He must have felt to what you feel in your situation?  Can you see how this experience of Jesus enables Him to fully understand how you feel?

Do you know this song?

In His time – written by Burt Bacharach & Hal David

In His time, In His Time. He makes all things beautiful in His time.
Lord please show me every day As You’re teaching me Your way
That You do just what You say In Your time.

In Your time, In Your Time. You make all things beautiful in Your time.
Lord my life to You I bring. May each song I have to sing
Be to you a lovely thing In Your time.

When you consider the emotion of Jesus, can you relate how He must have felt to what you feel in your situation?  Can you see how this experience of Jesus enables Him to fully understand how you feel?

Focus – Hebrews 12:¹ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God

Challenge -Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you with an everlasting, unconditional love; has uniquely designed and created only one you; has a good plan for your life; runs with you; and will         accomplish His purposes for you and through you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run being yoked to Emmanuel!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with your focus on His mission: to conform you to the image of Jesus Christ!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when together you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti