We all know that Jesus came to this world to deliver man from transgressions. Sin, after all, is man’s enemy. It enslaves him (Romans 6:16-18; 7:14). It separates him from God (Isaiah 59:1,2). It destines its captives to a devil’s hell of fire and brimstone and eternal torment (Romans 6:23; Revelation 20: 14,15). Jesus has given those who want it an escape. He condemned sin in the flesh by living without sin and eventually dying for it on behalf of others (Romans 8:3). This is why He came — to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10).

There is a kind of paradox involved in the coming of Jesus to this world. He came to bring peace and a sword. Sadly, there are some who are ashamed of the peace He brought because He did so by way of the cross. Ironically, others are ashamed of the sword He brought. As Christians, however, we should not be ashamed of any aspect of Christ’s ministry. Paul once affirmed what we should all feel when he said, “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed…” (Philippians 1:20).

The peace that Jesus brought is surely a source of joy. We have peace with God (Romans 5:1). We have peace within our own hearts that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). We have peace with our fellowman in Christ (Ephesians 2:14-18). All this was made possible by and through the death of Christ on the cross. To some, though, the cross is shameful. The common Jew rejected Jesus as the Messiah on the basis of His lowly death. In effect they asked, “How can a man who was crucified between two thieves be the Messiah for whom we look?” “How can a man with a cross on his back be our Savior?” They expected a king who would set up a great physical kingdom. Jesus did not satisfy their expectation and, thus, was rejected. Isaiah summed it up like this: “…he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him: he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:2,3).

Because of their ignorance of their own scriptures, the Jews stumbled at that stumbling-stone (Romans 9:32). Those of us who have believed on Jesus, however, have not stumbled, for as Paul said, “whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed” (Romans 9:33). So, while the cross is despised by some, Christians view it with appreciation, for because of the cross, we now can have peace with God.

Jesus also came to bring a sword. In His own words, Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). Herein is the paradox in the coming of Jesus. That Jesus came to bring a sword is a fact. That it contradicts what we have previously said is not. Jesus came to bring peace, and peace He brought. But there is a militant side of Christ and his cause. His disciples are encouraged, even commanded, to fight the good fight of faith, be armed with the sword of the spirit, and to earnestly contend for the faith. The warring that we do on behalf of our King is not physical but spiritual. Paul said, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal…” (2 Corinthians 10:3,4). Indeed, our primary weapon is the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Just like some are ashamed of the cross, there are some who are ashamed of the sword. Brethren, we must be willing to strike out with the sword if the situation calls for it. We must be willing to use the sword against denominationalism, atheism, humanism and even wolves dressed like sheep within our own ranks.  Let us not be ashamed of the cross of Christ and the peace that came from it when we obeyed the gospel. But neither let us be ashamed of the sword that Jesus brought as well.