The Most Misunderstood Things Jesus Said
Part 1
“Jesus Above all Others”
Matthew 10:34-36 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’”
Conversely, the Gospel according to Luke records that when the angel announced the birth of the baby Jesus, the host of heaven appeared with him and praised God in these familiar words: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”—2:14
The prophet Isaiah wrote that the child that would be born would be given the title the “Prince of Peace”:
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”—Isaiah 9:6
So how do the words in our text square with Jesus being called “the Prince of Peace?” What did he mean by the phrase “I came to bring a sword?”
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First, the text in Luke reads a little differently in other modern versions. The New Living Translation puts it this way,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors.”—2:14
The peace promised is not to every person but rather those whom God favors. Jesus did not come to bring peace to everyone. He came to bring peace to believers only.
Jesus has promised peace specifically to believers. He made this clear to His disciples on the night of His betrayal. He said, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful.”—John 14:27
But there will not be peace for everyone. The idea of Jesus coming to earth for the purpose of bringing a lasting peace is contrary to His words. Although one of the designations of Jesus is the “Prince of Peace,” His first coming was not for the purpose of bringing peace.
In fact, He was never called by this title during His earthly ministry. And Jesus made it clear that He did not come to bring peace to the earth.
He said as our text read, “Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.”
Jesus specifically said that He came to divide; not to unite.
The nature of Jesus’ message calls for people to make a choice. Rather than uniting humanity, the salvation He offers divides friends and families.
Those who believe in Jesus Christ are separated from those who do not believe. Thus, His mission was not that of bringing peace but rather one of bringing the message of repentance. This message always divides.
The good news is that one day He will return and establish an everlasting kingdom where peace will be the rule rather than the exception. The prophet Isaiah wrote:
“Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.”—Isaiah 9:7
At some time in the future, Jesus will rule the world literally out of Jerusalem on David’s throne. Until that time the message of Jesus divides those who love Christ from those who do not.
Therefore, we can rightly conclude that Jesus did not come to bring peace to everyone in our world!
Jesus continued His strong words with even stronger, more controversial words:
Matt 10:37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”
In Luke’s gospel it reads like this: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.”—14:26
This is a hard saying. On its face it sounds harsh and unloving. Hate your father and mother? Hate your spouse, children, siblings, and even your own life? What can this mean?
Let’s remember that he has just said that coming to Him had the potential to divide families…to, as it were, bring a sword that cuts between the Christian and non-Christian, the lovers of the gospel and the rejectors of it.
In light of that, what is to be the response of the believer that experiences this kind of division in his household?
Jesus said he will be faced with a choice—we must choose or prefer Him above all familial ties. If we don’t do so we will never be able to fully follow Him!
I can think of no better example than the Apostle Paul who said, “For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ…”—Phil. 3:8
One day Peter said to Jesus, “We have left everything to follow you!”—Matt. 19:27
Bottom line: To follow Jesus the distance He must be held supreme above all others or somewhere along the way you will be lured away by something else.
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The last verses we will look at wrap up this grouping of hard sayings that have caused so much controversy:
Matt 10:38-39 “Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”
Isn’t it interesting that Jesus refers to picking up a Cross halfway through His ministry, full well knowing that this is how He would die. So the Cross and all that it stands for was on His mind!
He says that being a follower of His is something like bearing a cross. Truth be known, this probably horrified and revolted his listeners.
As Jesus spoke these words, everybody knew what He meant. In the Roman world, before a man died on a cross, he had to carry his cross (or at least the horizontal beam of the cross) to the place of execution.
When the Romans crucified a criminal, they didn’t just hang them on a cross. They first hung a cross on them!
The historian Barclay writes, “Everyone knew what the cross meant. When the Roman general, Varus, had broken the revolt of Judas in Galilee [4 BC], he crucified two thousand Jews, and placed the crosses by the wayside along the roads to Galilee.”
This macabre sight was branded onto the minds of the people of Jesus’s day. So to compare following Him with picking up a cross was startling and frightening imagery!
Carrying a cross always led to death on a cross. No one carried a cross for fun. If someone took up a cross he never came back. It was a one-way journey.
And notice that Jesus didn’t say “a cross” or “the cross.” He said “his cross.” He personalized it.
The idea is that there is a cross suited to each individual, and one person’s experience of the cross may not look just like another person’s experience of the cross.
Now, here’s what the cross does NOT mean. It does not refer to passive submission to all kinds of afflictions, disappointments, pain, sickness and grief that can come in life.
When people say, “Oh this sickness is just my cross to bear” they have it wrong.
The cross only refers to a person who for the sake of His devotion and service to Christ surrenders all self-seeking and abandons all striving after his own interests.
It is when our will conflicts with God’s will, that we say “Not my will but thine be done.” THAT is the cross!
Jesus carried a cross, so we as His followers are to carry one figuratively speaking. He walked to His self-death, so must those who follow Him.
Unless the decision to carry our cross is made, we will never survive the journey of discipleship. “He cannot be my disciple.”
If our resolve to carry the cross of self-denial is not preemptively made, something or someone will come along that will compete for our devotion. We will have to either turn from it, or step away from Christ.
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In closing, Jesus gave a parable on counting the cost of following him:
Luke 14:28-33 “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it; lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”
LET’S PRAY