“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34)
Jesus will be the source of division on earth. People will fight about the Truth of His words. They will draw swords against each other in heated conflict over His claims. The fact of His cross and resurrection would become history’s greatest scandal.
When persecution comes, friends and family members will turn each other in. And when judgment comes, Jesus Christ will be the dividing line by which families and nations are split.
Was Jesus’ prophecy true? History will bear it out. There is no more controversial figure in the entire human race than Christ. He has been blessed as God’s incarnate and cursed as a man-made delusion. He has changed countless lives even while “scholars” continue to dispute whether He ever existed.
No, the kind of peace the world seeks is harmony on this planet. Jesus made it clear that His peace is of a different order. It reconciles God with His traitorous creatures and humanity with its holy God. It puts a new Spirit in a once-conflicted heart. It is a peace within and a peace from above, but it is not a universal peace among our race. Many hate him. It will always be so. Such is the rebellion of man.
Who would have thought that the infant in Bethlehem would Be So Scandalous? But the enemy knew it in the garden, Herod saw it in the star, and Pilate heard it from the mobs. No one could make such kingly claims without controversy, even when demonstrating their truth.
The pride of the human heart bows willingly to no Lord, especially the One who reveals its sin. The Prince of Peace? Absolutely. But not the kind the world expects. Our peace is deeper and better – and it last forever.
Have a promising weekend. Make it better by worshiping The LORD with those who know His peace, walk in it, and make it their mission to share it with others.
All For Jesus – Nothing More, Nothing Less, Nothing Else.
Vic Alvarado 