Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

THE CLIMAX OF JESUS' MISSION §17.5
For many this line of reflection will have become much too speculative.
But it interweaves with and is strengthened by the strand which emerged from
the other metaphors used by Jesus (§17.4d).
c. Other Metaphors
One point which I did not follow up in the analysis of the metaphors of baptism
and fire above (§17.4d) was that Jesus applied these metaphors to his own expected
suffering. This in fact is the most striking feature of Jesus' usage: he evidently
took up the Baptist's metaphor (baptism and fire) and applied it to himself.
The Baptist had predicted one to come who would baptize others in fire (or
fiery spirit) (§ 11.4c). Jesus affirmed the Baptist's expectation — where else
could just this metaphor have come from? — but indicated that he himself, rather
than dispensing the judgment, would himself have to endure it. 214
Here we can see the likelihood that Jesus did not disown the Baptist's expectation
of judgment entirely. It was not the primary emphasis of his own kingdom
preaching (§ 12.5c), but he did not reject it altogether. What we hear, rather,
is Jesus taking up the Baptist's distinctive metaphor and transforming it by treating
it as a prescription of his own destiny. 215 The parallelism of the Lukan version
probably allows the expansion of each member of the twin saying to embrace
the thought of the other:
I have a baptism (with which to baptize but have first) to be baptized with (it).
I came to cast fire on the earth and how I wish it was already kindled (on myself).
In other words, we are not actually so very far from Schweitzer's infamous
scenario: that Jesus not only expected the final tribulation to happen imminently,
but by the time he reached (set off for?) Jerusalem had also concluded that he
himself would have to endure the same tribulation. 216 On his own behalf only?
Or in solidarity with others? Or somehow on their behalf? Here unfortunately the
previous clarity of the line of reflection fades, and we are left with the possible
214. Cf. Meyer, Aims 213; Allison, End of the Ages 128; Beasley-Murray, Jesus and the
Kingdom 250-52; Leivestad, Jesus 103 ('the death of Jesus would, as it were, become the flame
that ignites the world conflagration'); Witherington, Christology 123-24.
215. I take up here my earlier suggestion argued in 'The Birth of a Metaphor — Baptized
in Spirit', ExpT 89 (1977-78) 134-38, 173-75, reprinted in my The Christ and the Spirit.
Vol. 2: Pneumatology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998) 103-17 (here 107-12). Cf. particularly
A. Vögtle, 'Todesankündigungen und Todesverständnis Jesu', in K. Kertelge, ed., Der Tod
Jesu. Deutungen im Neuen Testament (QD 74; Freiburg: Herder, 1976) 80-88.
216. Quest 1 347-49. Wright argues similarly (Jesus 577-84, 609-10).
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