Did Jesus Complain?

Real People meeting a Real God

The Real Teenage John Picking Forbidden Grain

What was Jesus' Complaint?

Was Jesus Upset?
What do you think?
Luke 12:49-50 (Pardon the overly literal translation):

"FIRE came I to cast upon the earth!
Oh, that it were already set alight!
But there is a baptism I must be baptized with,
And what vexation I must endure until it is accomplished!"
(I owe the translation of the last line to the "BDAG," the grand-daddy of all the Greek-English lexicons.)

What? I thought that Jesus came to bring peace on earth! But his very next words were, "Do you think that I've come to bring peace on earth? No, I say, but rather division."

Let's take a look at what's been going on in Jesus' life before this point. Sometime in the summer of AD 29, Jesus had privately told his disciples--twice--that he was going to be abused and killed, to arise on the third day. The disciples understood none of that. Between these two teachings, Jesus was transfigured on Elijah's mountain, witnessed by his three closest disciples. One or more of these three heard Moses and Elijah talking about Jesus' "exodus" which he would soon accomplish at Jerusalem.

So Jesus was well aware of his impending death, and where it would take place. He was at the time safe in Galilee, but if he were to enter Judea he would be in danger: apparently the chief priests had issued an arrest warrant for him. Because of this, Jesus declined to go in public to Autumn's Feast of Tabernacles, instead going in private.

John's Gospel tells the story: Jesus arrived in the middle of the 7-day festival, appearing on October 15, AD 29 in the temple courtyards to preach and teach. The high priests sent the temple police out to arrest him, but they returned empty-handed, saying, "No one has ever spoken the way this man speaks!" The high priests were furious. Rather than being captured, imprisoned, and executed, "this man" who threatened their authority over the temple was teaching openly.

The narrative continues in Luke's Gospel, in a segment we call "Luke's Special Section," because the other three gospels do not show this part of the story. This segment includes Jesus' visit to the home of his friends Martha and Mary in Judea, and concludes with Jesus and his disciples in nearby Perea, safe from the High Priests. Between these two book-ends, probably in November, Luke records several teachings of Jesus, given to his disciples while the public looks on.

"FIRE came I to cast upon the earth!"  These words of Jesus burst into the middle of his teachings, as he describes the powerful feelings within himself. If these words were found in the middle of the book of Job, no one would hesitate to call them a "complaint." Jesus knows what his end will be--on the cross. He even urges his followers to pick up their crosses and follow him. But only the Father knows the day and the hour when Jesus will undergo his "baptism."

Jesus returns to Jerusalem on April 2, AD 30, and within a few days the prophecies are fulfilled: Jesus is arrested, tried, convicted, abused, and nailed to the cross. And on the third day he rises from the dead, just as he said he would.

"BUT," you say, "WHAT ABOUT PEACE ON EARTH?"

That comes also, and you can find out just how it comes by picking up Episode 3 of my book series, JOHN! Episode Three - AD 29.  It can be found soon at rolinbruno.com, and even sooner on Amazon: just go to Amazon and search for Rolin Bruno.