Jesus- Not the Peacemaker You Thought
April 13, 2009
So many people, including Christians, have a false idea, a wrong image of who Jesus is. So many picture the gently wounded, pitiful Man on the cross with His head tilted slightly, a cloth draped over Him, a few drops of blood flowing from His brow, and His heart glowing in some mysterious way.
Others see the wise teacher who had no worries or fears or troubles ever encounter Him. They see no conflict, no drama. It is as if, in their minds, He just calmly stated the perfect line in response to every inquiry or challenge, oh-so gracefully.
Most see Jesus as a Man that walked in the room and everyone just shut their mouths and listened intently to whatever this divinely inspired Prophet taught, and that all of a sudden all wrongs were forgiven, all fences mended.
While this may have been the effect to some people Jesus encountered, it is most certainly not the Jesus of the Bible in His entirety. Jesus isn’t some inexplicable peace bringer to everyone who acknowledges His existence. In fact, Jesus states quite the opposite:
“Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”- Matthew 10:34
Jesus’ intentions are not to bring harm and death, as some would mislead here. Instead, Jesus was simply recognizing the reality of the human reaction to His Truth. Because of Jesus, there have been countless martyrs, immeasurable acts of hatred, and incalculable divisions between families, friends, communities, and entire cultures.
Yes, friends, Jesus is the way to peace, and those who accept Him find a certain peace, despite their afflictions. After all, the Bible also says,
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” –Romans 5:1
In Christ, we have the peace that surpasses all understanding. Yet the world around us will either accept Christ, receiving peace, or they will fight against Him, His teaching, and all that He and we, as Christians, stand for, and in doing so they will continue to fulfill the very passage about which Jesus spoke in Matthew 10:34.
