Why Did Jesus Come? / Part 7

Series – February 2019 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Why Did Jesus Come?
Part Seven: He Came To Cause Divisions

“Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” —Luke 12:51 ESV
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” —Matthew 10:34-35
“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!” —Luke 12:49

How could Jesus, the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6), utter the words in these verses? Didn’t He tell His followers “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you” (Jn. 14:27)? Why then would Jesus come to cause divisions? Do these verses stand in contrast with other teachings in Scripture?

Do You Like Grey?
On the first day of creation God created light (Gen. 1:3). The Bible does not say that God created darkness, but the mere fact of God’s creating light exposed the nature of darkness. When there is no light, there is darkness. We then read that God clearly “separated the light from the darkness” (v.4). He did not want to have any confusion between them. The existence of light makes the comparison with darkness very clear; there is no grey area in between. The same principle is repeated in different forms across the pages of the Bible.

When the law was given to Israel through Moses, it was the light that exposed the sin of mankind. Paul argued, “If it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet’” (Rom. 7:7). Before the law, man would depend on his conscience to know what is right and what is wrong, and because of sin the human conscience was seared (1 Tim. 4:2) and moved into the grey areas of compromise. When the law was given it was much easier to spot sin because the law made it clear. The law provided clarity and differentiation, or contrast, between light and darkness.

The Lord Jesus is the only perfect human who fulfilled the law (see Mt. 5:17-18). His life was the light that exposed the darkness of the world. If you are imprisoned for many years in a room with darkened windows yet has the dim light of a small candle, it is hard to recognize you are in darkness. In that room you might struggle to read a book or see something, but you would still think the small candle was good enough. However, once you opened a window and let the sunlight come into the room you would realize you had been staying in darkness all this time. The Lord Jesus shined in darkness when He lived on our earth. He has put us all to shame by the simple acts of obeying His parents, praying all night, showing mercy and love to people around Him, and living a sacrificial life. By His life He proved that we are all dead. His life made it clear that we are all sinners. This is a clear division.

Jesus Is The Door
Christianity is different from religions in many aspects, but the greatest differentiating factor is the fact Christianity is based on the person Jesus Christ. As we get through the postmodern era, we see more attempts to compromise and accept almost any idea or practice, regardless of its origin, meaning or moral merit. As an example, the New Age movement is taking different shapes and forms in North America, and its practices are being accepted by many without understanding its roots in eastern religions, especially Hinduism. One interesting claim of the New Age movement is the attempt to be pluralistic and inclusive of science, other ideologies and religions.1 This looks very appealing to the current, worldly way of thinking that promotes toleration and acceptance of anything. However, an important question comes to mind: How can we consolidate religions that are very different into one? The answer would be simple if the merger were based on practices and shared moral values, which is the case of all religions. Yet, true Christianity is different because it is centered on the person of Christ, not on formalities or codes.

Jesus Christ stands alone claiming to be the only way to God. On one occasion He said, “I am the door” (Jn. 10:9). Notice that He did not say He is a door, but “the door.” He eliminated any option of the pluralistic view that would include options other than or in addition to Him. This applies to other times, such as when He said:

• “I am the bread of life” (6:35),
• “I am the light of the world” (8:12),
• “I am the good shepherd” (10:11),
• “I am the resurrection and the life” (11:25), and
• “I am the true vine” (15:1).

Note the use of “the” in all these claims. He is not leaving an opportunity for others to share with Him the position of being a door, a life, a light, a good shepherd, a resurrection or a vine. Ultimately, He made it very clear when He said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (14:6). Hence, Jesus came not to be another prophet, another good man, or even another savior. He came to be the one and only way to the Father. This definitely caused a division.

How About World Peace?
In His last discourse with His disciples, Jesus told them, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you” (v.27). We can find many promises about peace in Scripture.2 What kind of peace did Jesus promise? To whom was it promised?

If we look at world problems over history until now, what would be the biggest issue for which we need divine intervention? Would it be war, famine, disease or natural disaster? All these are symptoms of a more serious and deeper problem: sin. Jesus can easily provide peace on earth, but that would not solve the problem of the human heart. Such peace would be enjoyed externally by individuals, but they would still suffer from an internal guilt feeling for the rest of their lives, in addition to perpetual suffering for eternity.

Jesus promised a more important kind of peace: “peace with God” (Rom. 5:1). This peace would allow man to be justified and reconciled with God. Jesus did not only promise this peace, but He paid the price by His own blood to guarantee it. This became clear when He appeared to His disciples after His resurrection: “Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side” (Jn. 20:19-20)

He had appeared and said “Peace be with you.” Then He showed His own where the nails were driven through His hands and where the spear pierced His side to prove to them that there was a big price paid to gain this peace. This confirms that His promise is guaranteed. Do you enjoy the peace that Jesus bought for you by His blood? It is the peace with God takes care of your eternity and ensures your debt is settled in the divine court of justice.

During this same occasion Jesus told His disciples about another type of peace when He said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you” (Jn. 20:21). This peace was very much needed as He sent His apostles to the corners of the earth. This time He was talking about the peace that would take care of their journey on earth. It is a peace that allows man to go through trouble without being troubled. Oh, how we need this peace in the world in which we live!

Notice that the two types of peace that Jesus promised in these verses were targeting individuals. He was not talking about world peace or even the peace of His nation, Israel; this will come in the future, but not now. His promise is for His disciples to have two types of internal peace:

• Peace with God, and
• Peace as we pass through the world’s troubles.

Jesus Causes Division And Sword
Why would Jesus indicate that He came to cause divisions and even a sword? The answer is related to His nature as light. He exposes darkness. This applies also to His followers, as they were admonished by Paul: “For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light ... Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them” (Eph. 5:8-11).

When Christians walk as children of light, their differentiated, or separated, life exposes the darkness of the world. This means division. The world’s reaction to this light may vary from merely ignoring the Christian behavior to various kinds of persecution. This is what the Lord meant when He talked about a sword.

In summary, Jesus promised internal peace for His disciples. He also said they will go through suffering in this world because they are to be different from it, and that may cause divisions among friends and families.

Are you suffering from a sword? Are your friends making fun of your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ? Christians have suffered through the ages because of their faith. Christ Himself was rejected by His own family, town and nation – even the whole world. He was rejected to the extent that He was put to death! The sword that He brought (Mt. 10:34) started with Himself.

ENDNOTES
1. Drury, Nevill (2004), The New Age: Searching for the Spiritual Self, London, England, UK: Thames and Hudson, ISBN 0-500-28516-0
2. A quick search in the English Standard Version displays 356 verses that include the word “peace.”

By Shereen Ghobrial

Look for part 8 next month.