On The 3rd Day of Christmas, the Lord Revealed To Me ......

..... that Jesus did not come to bring peace.


Matthew 10:34-39
"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, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me, is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for me will find it”

Our Lord sets down the more general principle in the Gospel of John:

“If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own. But because you do not belong to the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you. Remember what I told you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they obeyed my word, they will obey yours” (John 15:18-20).

Let those who would follow our Lord take note that when we follow Christ, men will respond to us as they have to Him. Jesus was rejected by His family; we should expect that this may be our experience as well. If we would be disciples of Jesus Christ, we must love Him above family and, if need be, we must choose Him and renounce family.

I am amazed at how casual people are today about Jesus. They politely speak of Him and think fondly of Him at special times like Christmas and Easter. They casually brush aside His claims, as though they are not worth getting excited or upset about. But the simple fact is this: either Jesus is correct in what He says, or He is a deceiver, worthy of death. If Jesus is the Son of God, as He clearly claims, then He speaks for God, as He also speaks as God. According to Him we are sinners, deserving of God’s eternal wrath, and our only hope is by faith in His sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. If He is the Son of God, we must fall before Him as our Savior and Lord. If we do not do so now, we will fall before Him as the Savior we rejected when He comes again, but not as our Savior:

And if Jesus is not who He claims to be, then we should just as passionately reject Him as a fraud and a deceiver. In this sense, the Jews of Jesus’ day—as wrong as they are—are right in taking His claims seriously. We should do the same. Let me ask you, then, “Who is Jesus?” Is He the Son of God, who came to give His life as a ransom for many by dying on the cross of Calvary for your sins? Or is He a fraud and a deceiver, who deserved to die for His own sins? These are the only two options. Which have you chosen? You decide. Who is Jesus Christ? Is He a deceiver, or the promised Messiah, God’s only provision for your salvation? Your decision, by our Lord’s words, determines your eternal destiny.

Now, having said all that, Jesus does bring peace to those who trust in Him as savior, a peace of mind, not peace in your everyday life. Jesus never promised to keep us out of trials, but to protect us. Reference the verses below.

John 17:15:"My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one."

John 14:26-27: "But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

Phillipians 4:6-8 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

If you know someone struggling, share with them the peace that comes with having a relationship with Jesus Christ. If you know a fellow believer who is going through a difficult time, remind them of the peace they have in Christ if they will only seek Him.