Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Luke 12:50

"But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!" — Luke 12:50 (ASV)

The previous section leads into this paragraph about the personal crises Christ precipitates. It is difficult to determine the precise meaning of “fire” (v.49) because the word can signify either judgment or purification. The immediate context suggests judgment; while Jesus came to bring salvation rather than judgment , his coming also meant judgment . But it may also signify purification. John the Baptist promised that Jesus would “baptize... with the Holy Spirit and fire” . Since 3:16 links fire with the Holy Spirit, it is possible that this fire was to be “kindled” by the baptism of the Spirit (Acts 2:1–4), something that could only occur after his own “baptism” of death (v.50), the thought of which distressed him greatly.