Jesus is the Prince of peace and He came to earth to bring peace. But what kind of peace did Jesus bring on earth? Baningi abantu, who have created an image of Jesus as a kind, loving, quiet, and peaceful Man, who spoke with a calm voice to the people. Everywhere Jesus came, He brought peace and harmony and everything went well. But if you study the Bible and the life of Jesus than this image of Jesus, which is often created by watching television and movies, by reading books and hearing sermons from the opinions of carnal people, doesn’t correspond with the truth of God’s Word. Because Jesus His life on earth was anything but peaceful. Jesus didn’t keep the peace and didn’t bring peace among the people as the world defines peace
The definition of peace
Because the definition of peace according to Wikipedia is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (i.e. war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or heterogeneous groups.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines peace as a state of tranquility or quiet (such as freedom from civil disturbance or a state of security or order within a community provided for by law or custom), freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions, harmony in personal relationships, a state or period of mutual concord between governments or a pact or agreement to end hostilities between those, who have been at war or in a state of enmity.
If we look at these definitions of peace, we can conclude that Jesus didn’t bring peace on earth as the world defines peace. Because where Jesus came, agitation, conflicts, ingxabano, intukuthelo, and hate arose, that eventually led to His death. Jesus brought everything, except a salutary state of peace; a state of tranquility, ukuzwana, and order.
Jesus cast out demons and caused a commotion
And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, ethi, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. (Luka 4:33-36, Mar 1:21-28)
When Jesus taught the people in the synagogue in Capernaum, the people were amazed at His teaching. Because Jesus taught them as one, who possesses authority and not as the men learned in the sacred scriptures. Although some were amazed, there were also some, who were not so amazed and definitely didn’t appreciate His presence and teaching. Because by teaching the truth of God, He exposed the lies many believed and lived in.
In the synagogue, there was someone with an unclean spirit. Maybe this man went to the synagogue every sabbath and listened to the teachings of the scribes or maybe the man was a scribe. Who knows…
Anyway, Jesus was in the synagogue and this unclean spirit, who dwelled in this man didn’t appreciate Jesus’ presence and the truth He preached.
The unclean spirit revealed himself in the man by crying out with a loud voice to Jesus.
Imagine, that you are in the church and suddenly someone starts yelling at you. Because that’s what happened to Jesus. This man began to cry out with a loud voice to Jesus, saying “What is there in common between us and you, uJesu, Nazarene? You came to destroy us. I know you who you are, the Holy One of God.”
Jesus didn’t say: “Sir, would you be so kind to be quiet and don’t yell otherwise you will be removed from the congregation,” as many people would say today. But Jesus said something else.
Since Jesus walked after the Spirit, Wayazi, who cried out with a loud voice to Him. Ngakho-ke, Jesus rebuked this unclean spirit, who dwelled in the man, by commanding the unclean spirit to shut his mouth and to come out of him. The unclean spirit torn the man with convulsions, he screeched with a loud voice and came out of him.
Jesus didn’t see a man, who yelled at him, but Jesus saw an unclean spirit, who revealed himself in the man and Jesus spoke to the unclean spirit and commanded the unclean spirit what He wanted the spirit to do. The unclean spirit obeyed Jesus and left the man.
Maybe the people considered this action of Jesus as a disruption of the service, but Jesus had brought the peace of God and the Kingdom of God to this man, by delivering this man from this unclean spirit (Lu 4:33-36, Mar 1:21-28)
Jesus disturbed the peace on the sabbath day
According to the religious leaders of Israel, Jesus didn’t bring peace on the sabbath day, but He disturbed the peace on the sabbath day and provoked them to anger. According to them, Jesus didn’t keep God’s commandments. But in reality, this was not the case. It may have seen that way in the natural realm, but in the spiritual realm, Jesus still walked after the will of God.
Despite the fact, that Jesus cast out unclean spirits, healed the sick and when His disciples were hungry, allowed them to pick off the grains, when they walked into a field of grains, Jesus still walked in obedience to God after His will and therefore He fulfilled the law (Mat 5:17, Mar 2:23-28)
Jesus said unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? (Luka 6:9)
If Jesus hadn’t done anything and ignored the situation of the people, who were in need and needed help, which Jesus was able to provide, then Jesus would have done evil in the sight of God. Instead of making a life whole and saving a life, He would have destroyed a life.
But Jesus was a Man of compassion, who did good and saved lives, by preaching the truth of God and His Kingdom, calling the people to repentance and the removal of sins. Jesus gave and provided what the people needed, according to the Kingdom and brought peace in chaos. He restored the bodies of the people and made them whole, by healing them. Jesus delivered the people, who lived in the bondage of the kingdom of darkness.
The house of prayer had turned into a den of thieves
Futhi bafika eJerusalema: uJesu wangena ethempelini, waqala ukuxosha labo ababethengisa nabathengayo ethempelini, wagumbuqela amatafula abashintshelana imali, lezihlalo zabathengisa ngamajuba; Wayengavumeli muntu ukuthi adabule ithempeli ethwele isitsha. Futhi Wafundisa, ethi kubo, Akubhaliwe yini, Indlu yami iyakubizwa ngokuthi yindlu yokukhuleka yezizwe zonke? but you have made it a den of thieves. And the scribes and chief priests heard it, basebedinga ukuthi bangambulala njani: for they feared Him, because all the people was astonished at His doctrine. Kwathi sekuhlwile, Waphuma emzini (Mar 11:15-19, Mat 21:12-13, Luka 19:45-48, Jn 2:)
When the Jew’s Passover was at hand and Jesus entered the temple of God and saw that the people traded goods, Jesus cast them out that sold and bought in the temple and He overthrew the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of them that sold doves. He did not permit anyone to carry household gear through the temple. This action of Jesus came forth from the Scriptures in which God said that His house would be a house of prayer (Isa 56:7)
But when Jesus entered the temple, He didn’t enter a house of prayer but a den of thieves, where the people were out for gain.
They piously sold doves, sheep, and oxen, which the people could sacrifice to God, while in the meantime they made a profit. But that was not God’s will and therefore Jesus cast them out of the temple and overthrew the tables and the seats.
This act of Jesus didn’t seem like an act of peace and also had consequences for Him.
Because the chief priests and the scribes, who heard it went to seek how they could destroy Him. For they were fearing Him, because the entire multitude was struck with astonishment at His teaching (Mar 11:18)
What would happen in this age, when someone would enter the church and go into the bookstore and cast out the people and throw all the merchandise on the ground? Or in case of a restaurant in the congregation, cast the people out and overthrow the tables and the seats? What would happen to the person? Most likely the person would be considered a rebel and a disruptor of the order in the church and therefore would be expelled from the church.
Jesus spoke hard words and confronted the people
Jesus didn’t keep silent about the truth. The only moments, that Jesus kept silent were at the moments He was tempted and challenged to prove Himself. Jesus spoke the truth and therefore He often spoke hard words and was very confrontational. Jesus didn’t keep His mouth in order to keep and maintain mutual relationships in harmony and tranquility.
No, Jesus often spoke hard words and was confrontational, even to the pious (ezenkolo) leaders of Israel. Jesus called them a.o hypocrites, blind leaders of the blind, blind guides, fools, whited sepulchres, graves which appear not, generation of vipers, sons of the devil (Mat 15:7-9, 14; 23:24, 27, 33, Luka 11:37-54; 12:56, Jn 8:44).
Jesus called Peter Satan (adversary of God), when he was an offense to Jesus because he did not have a mind for the things of God, but for the things of men and spoke from his emotions (inyama) (Mat 16:23).
When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus confronted her with her sins.
Who would dare to say all these things today?
There are many more other examples, in which Jesus brought the peace of God, but were not considered as acts of peace by the isizukulwane sekhehla kanye nomhlaba, but rather as a disruption of the peace, ukuzwana, and order.
Jesus didn’t come to bring peace with the world
Then Peter opened his mouth, wathi, Of a truth, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him. The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (He is Lord of all:) (Act 10:34-36)
Although Jesus was and is the Messiah, many didn’t consider Jesus as the Messiah. This was namely because the people of God were carnal and walked after the flesh. Since they were carnal and sense ruled, they expected a Messiah, who would deliver them from the power of the Romans and establish an earthly kingdom on earth.
But Jesus didn’t come to establish an earthly kingdom on earth, but He came to bring and establish the heavenly Kingdom of God and His peace on earth.
Jesus didn’t come to bring peace with the world, because otherwise He wouldn’t be crucified.
The way to establish peace with the world is to compromise with the world and accept and tolerate the opinions, findings and things of the world. Because there is no way that the world would compromise with God and His Word, since the ruler of this world is the devil.
Therefore the world shall never submit to God’s will and tolerate and respect God’s will, but instead shall resist against every commandment of God and destroy every institution and covenant of God.
But Jesus didn’t compromise with the world, as many churches today do and therefore have become worldly.
Nowhere in the Bible do we read, that Jesus approved and accepted sins, as so many believers, including pastors, say and preach. Because peace with the world means enmity with God. Jesus didn’t live in enmity with God. Jesus lived in peace with God, therefore He lived in enmity with the world.
Jesus represented the Kingdom of God and was sent in Egameni lakhe; the authority of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus brought the peace of God to the people by a.o. calling them to repentance and the removal of sins, so that the people of God would walk again in the will of God on His way. Jesus healed all that were oppressed of the devil and eventually Jesus restored the relationship between God and man and the position of man through His redemptive work at the cross.
Peace with God means enmity with the world
These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (Jn 16:33)
Everyone wants peace with God. But peace with God means enmity with the world. We saw this in the lives of the prophets during the Old Covenant and the lives of Jesus and His followers in the New Covenant (Funda futhi: “Kungani izwe liwazonda amaKristu')
Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, nami ngiyakumvuma phambi kukaBaba osezulwini. Kodwa noma ubani ongiphika phambi kwabantu, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: angizanga ukuletha ukuthula, kodwa inkemba. Ngoba ngize ukuphambanisa umuntu loyise, lendodakazi imelane lonina, nomalokazana amelane noninazala. Futhi izitha zomuntu kuyoba ngabendlu yakhe. He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. Nongasithathi isiphambano sakhe, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for My sake shall find it (Mat 10:34, Luka 12:51)
UJesu wathi, that He didn’t come to bring peace on this earth, as the world defines peace, but to bring the sword.
Jesus was and is the Sword; the Living Word of God and He came to the earth with the truth of God and separate asunder soul (ebonakalayo) and spirit (invisible). He brought the works and lies of the darkness into the light and destroyed the works of the kingdom of darkness. Jesus defeated the enmity between God and man at the cross and reconciled man back to God, so that the peace between God and man was restored.
‘Yibani usawoti womhlaba’
