Luke 12:50 kjv
But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!
Luke 12:50 nkjv
But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!
Luke 12:50 niv
But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed!
Luke 12:50 esv
I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!
Luke 12:50 nlt
I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished.
Luke 12 50 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mk 10:38-39 | "...Are ye able to drink the cup... and to be baptized with the baptism...?" | Jesus' metaphorical baptism of suffering. |
| Matt 20:22-23 | "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup...?" | Parallel account of suffering. |
| Lk 9:22 | "The Son of Man must suffer many things... and be killed..." | Prophecy of suffering's necessity. |
| Lk 17:25 | "But first must he suffer many things..." | Emphasis on suffering preceding glory. |
| Lk 24:26 | "Ought not Christ to have suffered these things..." | Post-resurrection confirmation of necessity. |
| Lk 24:44-46 | "...so it is written, and so it behooved Christ to suffer..." | Fulfillment of prophecies regarding suffering. |
| Isa 53:3 | "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows..." | Old Testament prophecy of Suffering Servant. |
| Isa 53:7-8 | "...as a lamb that is led to the slaughter..." | Passive suffering for atonement. |
| Ps 69:2 | "I sink in deep mire... I have come into deep waters..." | OT imagery of overwhelming affliction. |
| Ps 69:15 | "...let not the deep swallow me up..." | Prayer in overwhelming distress. |
| Jn 19:30 | "It is finished." | Accomplishment of His work on the cross. |
| Heb 12:2 | "the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy..." | Enduring suffering for redemptive joy. |
| Heb 5:8-9 | "though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;" | Perfection through suffering and obedience. |
| Jn 4:34 | "My food is to do the will of him who sent me..." | Jesus' commitment to His Father's will. |
| Jn 9:4 | "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day..." | Urgency to complete divine work. |
| Mt 26:38 | "My soul is very sorrowful, even unto death..." | Agony in Gethsemane, profound distress. |
| Phil 2:8 | "He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death..." | Obedience through suffering and death. |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin..." | Vicarious nature of His suffering. |
| 1 Pet 2:24 | "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree..." | Bearing sins on the cross. |
| Gal 3:13 | "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us..." | Redemptive purpose of His suffering. |
| Rom 5:8 | "...while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." | God's love manifested in His sacrificial death. |
| Heb 2:9-10 | "...crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death..." | Suffering leading to glory and salvation. |
| 1 Pet 1:11 | "...the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow." | Prophecies of Christ's suffering and glory. |
| Ps 42:7 | "...all your breakers and your waves have gone over me." | Poetic expression of overwhelming troubles. |
Luke 12 verses
Luke 12 50 Meaning
This verse profoundly reveals Jesus' deep spiritual and emotional state concerning His impending suffering and death, which He metaphorically describes as a "baptism." It communicates His intense inner pressure and urgent longing to accomplish this vital phase of His redemptive mission. He perceives His atoning death as a necessary, overwhelming immersion into affliction, and His spirit is profoundly constrained by the powerful divine imperative to complete it, knowing that only through this ultimate sacrifice can the transformative and divisive power of God's Kingdom (mentioned previously as "fire" in Luke 12:49) be fully unleashed and His mission brought to its necessary fulfillment.
Luke 12 50 Context
Luke 12:50 is embedded within a broader discourse by Jesus that challenges common expectations about His coming and the nature of God's Kingdom. Preceding this verse, in Luke 12:49, Jesus declares, "I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled!" This "fire" represents both refining judgment and spiritual zeal. Immediately following verse 50, Jesus explains the resulting "division" His coming will cause, even within families, as allegiance to Him becomes the ultimate separating factor (Luke 12:51-53).
Thus, Luke 12:50 serves as the pivotal link in this progression: His profound personal suffering (the "baptism") is the necessary catalyst and pre-requisite for the "fire" to be unleashed and for the "division" concerning Him to manifest fully. The "baptism" metaphor explains how the transformative work will truly begin. The historical context reveals a prevailing Jewish expectation of a Messiah who would triumph politically and militarily, not one who would suffer and die. Jesus' consistent teaching on His necessary suffering (e.g., Luke 9:22, 17:25) stood in stark contrast to these popular hopes, continually redirecting His followers to the true spiritual nature and cost of His redemptive mission.
Luke 12 50 Word analysis
But I: Greek: Ego de (ἐγὼ δέ). This is a strong, emphatic pronoun, signaling a significant personal shift or contrast. It moves the focus to Jesus Himself and His unique, personal destiny and role in the events previously described (the coming "fire" in Luke 12:49) and those to follow (the resulting "division" in Luke 12:51-53). It emphasizes the unique, individual nature of His mission.
have a baptism: Greek: ἔχω βάπτισμα (echō baptisma).
- ἔχω (echō): Meaning "I have" or "I possess." This indicates an intrinsic reality for Jesus, a destiny or purpose that is uniquely His and unavoidable. It suggests a future event He is fated to undergo as part of His divine mission.
- βάπτισμα (baptisma): Literally "immersion." Here, it's used metaphorically to denote an overwhelming experience of suffering and death, not water baptism for repentance. In the Old Testament, "deep waters" often symbolized overwhelming troubles and calamities (e.g., Ps 69). This refers directly to His passion, crucifixion, and burial – His total engulfment in humanity's sin and God's judgment.
to be baptized with: Greek: βαπτισθῆναι (baptisthēnai). This is a passive infinitive. It means "to be immersed" or "to be overwhelmed" by something external, underscoring that His suffering is something divinely appointed and enacted upon Him, rather than an action He performs on His own initiative. It signifies that His passion is a necessary part of the Father's redemptive plan for Him.
and how am I straitened: Greek: καὶ πῶς συνέχομαι (kai pōs synechomai).
- καὶ πῶς (kai pōs): An exclamation of profound intensity and strong feeling, translatable as "And oh, how!" or "How I am!" It reveals Jesus' deep inner turmoil and anticipation.
- συνέχομαι (synechomai): Meaning "I am distressed, pressed hard, constrained, troubled, confined, held in suspense, or seized by an urgent compulsion." This word expresses not a dread or unwillingness, but an intense emotional anguish combined with an urgent longing and compulsion to see the divine plan accomplished. Jesus is profoundly distressed by the wait and the spiritual pressure to fulfill His atoning work.
till it be accomplished!: Greek: ἕως ὅτου τελεσθῇ (heōs hotou telesthē).
- ἕως ὅτου (heōs hotou): "Until such time as," indicating a period of waiting leading up to a specific, climactic event.
- τελεσθῇ (telesthē): From teleō, meaning "to complete, to finish, to bring to an end, to fulfill." This points to the culmination of His sacrificial work – His death and resurrection, and the subsequent outpouring of the Spirit. It refers to the completion of His entire redemptive mission that sets the stage for the full unfolding of the Kingdom.
Words-group Analysis:
- "But I have a baptism to be baptized with": This phrase highlights Jesus' singular, personal, and inescapable destiny of profound suffering and sacrificial death. It dramatically redefines "baptism" from ritual washing to a spiritual and physical immersion in God's judgment on sin. This "baptism" is presented as the essential precursor to the powerful divine effects He speaks of (like the "fire" of judgment and purification), emphasizing its centrality in His mission.
- "how am I straitened till it be accomplished!": This powerful exclamation unveils the depth of Jesus' commitment and inner agony. "Straitened" captures not reluctance, but His profound longing, pressure, and divine compulsion to fulfill the Father's redemptive will. It reveals His ardent desire to complete His suffering, not for personal relief, but to release its saving and transforming power into the world. It underscores the intense urgency Jesus felt for the entire redemptive process to culminate, fulfilling all prophecy and opening the way for salvation and judgment.
Luke 12 50 Bonus section
The metaphorical "baptism" imagery here holds deep Old Testament roots, where "deep waters," "floods," and being "engulfed" often symbolize overwhelming trials, suffering, and the imminence of death (e.g., Ps 42:7, Ps 69:1-2). Jesus' application of this term to His own passion signifies a comprehensive identification with humanity's fallen state, taking upon Himself the full weight of sin and its consequence. This unique baptism stands in stark contrast to John the Baptist's water baptism for repentance; rather, it is the redemptive act that enables all subsequent baptisms into Christ's death and new life for believers. The sequential progression in Luke 12—from the "fire" of God's transformative judgment (v. 49), through Jesus' sacrificial "baptism" (v. 50), to the resulting "division" among humanity (v. 51)—highlights a unified theological program where the suffering of Christ is the pivotal moment that brings both salvation and discernment into the world. This moment of suffering and completion also opens the way for the Spirit's full outpouring (Acts 2), bringing about the promised divine "fire" in the church.
Luke 12 50 Commentary
Luke 12:50 provides a profound and intensely personal revelation from Jesus about His ultimate mission. After speaking of casting "fire" upon the earth (Luke 12:49), He explains the vital means by which this transforming and purifying force would be ignited: His own suffering. The "baptism" here is a metaphor for His crucifixion – an overwhelming immersion into the depth of human sin and the divine judgment against it. It expresses His agonizing anticipation and spiritual compulsion to complete this essential act. His "straitened" condition is not fear, but a deep longing and spiritual urgency to accomplish the Father's will and unleash the full redemptive power necessary for the salvation of humanity. This verse emphasizes the divine necessity of the cross, presenting it not as an unfortunate event, but as the anticipated, central act by which salvation is secured and the Kingdom's reality fully realized.