The Truth About Death

I encourage you to open your Bible to the passage I read earlier in Luke 12. As I pray to the Lord and seek His will for my sermons, I don’t always know what the future holds. However, God knows, and He knew that today’s message about death from Jesus was meant for this moment. In my lifetime, I don’t think I’ve ever heard the word “deadly” as often as I have in the past five months. Every day, we hear about death—not sports scores, but the daily death toll. We must all acknowledge that life is a terminal condition for everyone. Every year, 60 million people die worldwide, with 3 million dying in our own country. They will live forever—either in heaven or in hell. The determining factor is their relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ: Is He their Savior or their Judge?

The common perception of Jesus is that He is a figure defined by love and peace, and indeed, that’s true for those who believe in Him. For those who repent of their sins and accept Him as Lord and Savior, there will be eternal love, peace, and joy. But that’s not the whole story. What happens to those who reject Him? This is the most important message the world will ever hear, and the Church is the center for proclaiming this message of salvation.

In Luke 12:51, Jesus asks a question to the large crowd listening to Him—many thousands, as it says in verse 1. He asks, “Do you suppose that I came to bring peace on earth?” This question challenges a popular belief that the Messiah would usher in peace. Yes, Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and He came to bring a spiritual kingdom of peace, as we read in Romans 14, with the promise of an eventual earthly kingdom of peace. God is a God of love, and Christ is the embodiment of that love. God loved the world so much that He sent His Son to offer salvation, and Jesus loved His disciples to the fullest. He is the source of love and peace.

But Jesus also said, “I did not come to bring peace, but division.” The Greek word for division here means a hostile separation, not just a simple division, but a serious one. In Matthew 10:34, He even describes it as a sword. This division is not just between nations or strangers but extends even into families. Jesus says that five people in one household will be divided, with father against son, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, and in-laws turning against each other. This division will be intense, where love and intimacy once existed.

Jesus is a divider, and He divides the world. His message calls us to reject false teachings that lead to destruction, to fear God, to confess Him as Lord and Messiah, and to entrust our lives to the Holy Spirit. He urges us to reject materialism and the temptations of the world, and He calls us to come to Him for salvation. His message is urgent—He warns in verse 40 to be ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour we do not expect.

Judgment is imminent, and in verse 49, He declares, “I have come to cast fire upon the earth.” John the Baptist also spoke of this, describing the Messiah as one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. He will separate the wheat from the chaff, gathering the wheat into His barn and burning the chaff with unquenchable fire.