Of course, attending a church like that, you were never exposed to expository preaching. Your minister never started in chapter one, verse one and preached through to the last verse. So you never ran across any of Jesus’ statements like this: “Think NOT that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” You were never confronted with a picture of Christ with a sword in His hand. Perhaps if you had somehow stumbled this verse, you might have explained it the way so many liberals explain the difficult scriptures – “this is some sort of mistranslation and shouldn’t be in the Bible.”
But today you are not in one of those churches. This is an old-fashioned, Bible-believing Baptist church, where we don’t throw away any scriptures. We try, although not always successfully…. We try to understand each verse of the Bible. Maybe you were raised in this church or one just like it, so that Matthew 10:34 doesn’t bother you. But for the sake of your neighbor, let’s try to answer the questions which this verse might raise in the minds of liberally educated.
Let me begin by saying that even for the practical, pragmatic, literal-thinking person, this verse would make no sense at all, if it was not for the words “on earth.” If all that we read right here was – “Think NOT that I am come to send peace – – – I came NOT to send PEACE, but a SWORD” – then I might not have anything more to say to you this morning. Without those two words, Bible Christianity would be nothing more than a thin replica of fundamentalist Islam or some jungle religion of the Hottentots. “I came not to send peace, but a sword” is the religion of the Nazis or some sort of white supremists. But I point out once again, Jesus said, “Think not I am come to send peace on EARTH.”
How might someone think that what Christ said here is NOT TRUE?
Well, consider the incarnation – the manner in which the Son of God came into this world. Compare that with earlier occasions when the Lord revealed Himself. How did the Lord come to Israel at Sinai? It was with earthquakes and ferocious thunder. Israel was terrified at the sight of what was taking place up on the mountain. When Elijah returned to Sinai centuries later the Lord revealed Himself in the same sort of way, before finally speaking in a quiet, soft voice. When Nadab and Abihu rebelled against the Lord, He sent down fire and devoured them. And when Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben provoked the Lord, remember “how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and all the substance that was in their possession, in the midst of all Israel.”
God the Son came into the world when the sins of man had reached an historic pinnacle – it had peaked. Jehovah could have been a hundred times more furious with humanity than he had been with Nadab and Abihu or Dathan and Abiram, but His appearing at the time was entirely different. Yes, there was a special purpose and point which required an incarnation in human flesh. But God had every right, and could just as easily as He had with Nadab, poured His all-consuming wrath upon humanity, destroying every vestige of creation. And yet He didn’t. Instead there was a quiet, humble birth – the eternal Son of God was enrobed in the soft flesh of a baby. And an angel of the Lord spoke to all of us and said, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Isn’t there a clear and distinct contradiction between what the angel of the Lord said to the shepherds, and what the Lord Himself said here in Matthew 10:34? “Think NOT that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” Someone might think that this was a mistranslation or a mistake, but this verse is not the whole story.
I am one of those foolish people who believes that the Bible should be understood literally and believed. For example, there are dozens of major scriptures which declare that there will be a day when the Son of God shall return to this earth to rule as King over His creation. There are many, many scriptures, in both Testaments which declare that there will be a literal thousand years of peace on earth. And such a peace as the world has not seen since the Garden of Eden. Not just an harmony between people – brethren. But an inexplicable peace between warring parts of creation – predators and prey, vicious creatures and defenseless creatures. There will be a thousand years when tornados and hurricanes hush their winds. There will be a millennium when volcanos and earthquakes will be completely forgotten. I know that it requires faith, but there will be a day when shingles will be history, cancer will be beaten, when strokes and heart attacks will not be mentioned. All of the blessings of the millennium will be realities, not because of the United Nations, or the League of Nations. They will not be forced upon us by aliens from another galaxy, or by the Anti-Christ, or by the Man of Steel. That thousand year reign of peace, the precursor of the future eternity will be a gift of the grace of Jehovah through the Son of God. It will come to pass through the very person who here says, “Think NOT that I am come to send peace: I came not to send peace, but a sword”
There is a third way in which Jesus’ words don’t exactly ring true. I remember, years ago, being invited to one of those Baptist churches, into which Episcopalians, like me, didn’t usually dare to go. There was a man who boldly declared that David Oldfield was a wretched sinner, while pointing this finger to the Bible. I remember feeling terrible, and without really knowing why, I knew that what he was saying was true. In my fourteen years of life, I had experienced some days of guilt for various things that I had done. But I had never felt so far removed from “peace” as I experienced that Saturday night. I was in the middle of a large crowd, but I felt absolutely alone. I was with a girl whom I really liked, but I wouldn’t dare tell her what was going on in my heart. I had never been so miserable before.
But then later that night, in the privacy of my bedroom, the Lord broke my heart and my spirit. In some mysterious, gracious way, I came to realize that Christ died an horrible death while hanging on some nails, and I realized that He died there for me. I melted in total helpless surrender to someone and something I could barely understand. But I did understand my lack of peace and that I deserved eternal damnation. I turned to and trusted Christ Jesus, who I believed had given His life to deliver me from that eternal death. As I yielded in that way, as I repented in that way and trusted in Christ, there came over me a peace and joy that my few years in this world had never given me before.
There is a peace in knowing Christ and in experiencing salvation – beyond anything this world can provide. “Glory to God! Glory to God, in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Christ said to me that evening, ”Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Being justified by faith, I knew that had peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Although I didn’t know the scripture yet, but I knew the principles of Ephesians 2 – “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace… Having abolished in his flesh the enmity… that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.”
How could Christ say, “Think not that I am come to send peace: I came not to send peace, but a sword” when every true child of God possess and knows “the peace of God which passeth all understanding?”
How is it true that Christ brought a sword upon earth?
Something which is not taught in the average, liberal church involves the war between Satan and Christ. We don’t have time to get into the details of this war, but for those who read the Bible literally, there are dozens of scriptures which clearly define and describe it. We saw a glimpse of it in Matthew 4 when Satan took Christ and severely tempted Him. Isaiah summarizes Satan’s hatred and warfare against God. “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” Ezekiel 12 describes more of the cause and motive of Satan’s willingness to rebel against God. In addition to other scriptures Paul tells us that the battle continues today. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Christ often called Satan/Lucifer/Devil – the “prince of this world.” Paul said that his ministry and ours is a constant battle against Satan “the god of this world (who) hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
In His incarnation Christ brought a sword with Him, because He came to do battle with the god of this world. It is impossible to be closely associated with Christ, and not experience the wrath of the wicked one. The god of this world is, in rebellion against Christ, in control of so much of the world – this “earth.” Politics and governments are in his pocket. Entertainment and so much of modern technology is used to glorify his wicked name. The vast majority of religion, whether so-called Christianity or the billions of people in other major world religions – are all under the control of Satan. And the war is going to intensify – it IS intensifying. Soon Satan’s “man of sin” is going to be revealed, aided and abetted by a major false prophet. I know that I’m not giving you scriptures to prove these points, but I’d be happy to forward them to you later. Very likely, the anti-Christ is already in the world and preparing to declare himself to be some sort of secular god.
The sword to which Jesus refers is being prepared and will be used against the Devil. The first disciples, the apostles, picked it up used it, and God’s servants have been using it ever since. Perhaps not with the strength, faith, and faithfulness that I should have, but I have been trying to use this sword. Obviously, “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal.” I don’t own a physical sword, saber, machete or even a dagger. I don’t own a rifle or a handgun. But I do own and use the scriptures. And the Lord Himself has described the Word of God as “quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Closely related to the battle with Satan, is the battle against sin. I know that “sin” is no longer a politically correct word. I know that for all the problems of society and the individual, we are supposed to speak of “vices,” “diseases,” “weaknesses” and “idiosyncracies.” But the God of the Bible calls them “sins,” “transgressions” and “iniquity” – and so should we. And the fact that society has renamed and redefined them is an illustration of the problem. Sin is so well rooted and ingrained in the human soul, that nothing but spiritual surgery can dig it out. In this sense, Christ’s sword is a spiritual scalpel. Why do so many well-known Hollywood addicts go back and forth to rehab, over and over again? Because no amount of psychology can deliver a sinner from his sin? Why do so many criminals go to jail only to be released and to return to prison again later? Because prison cannot reform the criminal. Why do so many Protestant churches, appear so much like the Roman Catholic churches? Because the reformation was a movement of man, not of God. Sinners don’t need to be reformed, they need to be regenerated.
“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.” Should a Christian father take a knife to his prodigal son? Obviously, in this sense, Christ’s use of the word “sword” is somewhat allegorical. But it does accurately describe the acerbic animosity and warfare between the wicked and the righteous.
As that preacher said to me nearly fifty years ago, I say it to you – “You are a wretched sinner in the sight of God.” There is a sword hanging over your head. The razor sharp sword of Damocles dangled over that man’s head held aloft by a hair, a thread. But the wrath of God hangs over yours, supported by even less. And one day, long before most people are ready for it, it will come slicing straight down. But there is, in a sense, another sword of Christ, quite nearby, and quite helpful. If, as directed by the Holy Spirit, who is convicting you of sin, you will take that sword and cut out your heart as an offering to God – there is hope for your soul. If you will repent of your wickedness and sin before God, surrendering your life and soul to Him, then He will give you the peace of which I spoke earlier. As my text for this afternoon says, “He that loseth his life for my shake shall find it.” If you will repent before God, surrendering and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ for your life and for your eternity, you will find life and you will find peace.Matthew 10:34 is absolutely true, but if you repent and trust Christ, it does not have to apply to you.