At first glance, the claim that Jesus is the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6) seems to contradict His own words in Matthew 10:34, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on Earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.” How can Jesus be both the bringer of peace and the wielder of a sword? This tension dissolves when we interpret Scripture with Scripture and consider both the immediate and broader biblical context. The answer lies in distinguishing the kinds of peace Jesus brings, and the kinds of divisions His Gospel inevitably causes in a sinful world.
Jesus Is the Prince of Peace
The prophet Isaiah foretells that the coming of the Messiah would be called Prince of Peace. Indeed, at His birth, the angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:14). Peace is central to Christ’s mission. St. Paul affirms this, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).
The key distinction is that Jesus brings peace between God and man. This is the foundation of the Gospel. In our sinful state, we were enemies of God (Romans 5:10), alienated and deserving judgement. Through Jesus’ atoning death and resurrection, reconciliation is accomplished (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). The peace He gives is not worldly tranquility but the deep, eternal peace of a restored relationship with God.
Yet His Peace Divides
When Jesus says in Matthew 10:34, “I did not come to bring peace but a sword,” He is not contradicting Isaiah. Rather, He is warning that His Gospel will cause division in this fallen world. This becomes clear in the immediate verses that follow: “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 those of his own household'” (vv. 35-36).
Jesus is quoting Micah 7:6, which describes the breakdown of social relationships due to rebellion and unfaithfulness in Israel. He applies this to the reality that faith in Him will often divide even the closest human relationships. Why? Because not all will believe.
Law, Gospel, and the “Sword”
In Lutheran theology, the distinction between Law and Gospel is key to our hermeneutics. The law convicts us of sin; the Gospel delivers grace and forgiveness. But even the sweet message of the Gospel is offensive to the unrepentant heart. St. Paul calls the Gospel a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to Gentiles (1 Corinthians 1:23). This offense divides. The “sword” Christ speaks of is not a call to physical violence (cf. Matthew 26:52), but rather the inevitable conflict caused by the truth of His Word.
Hebrews 4:12 gives us the clearest explanation of this: “For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit…” Christ brings a sword in the sense that His Word cuts to the heart, exposing sin, demanding repentance, and offering salvation. Some will perceive Him in faith. Others will perceive Him as a threat and thus reject Him in unbelief. The division is not His goal but a consequence of fallen humanity’s response to Him.
Peace In Christ vs. Peace In the World
Jesus Himself distinguishes between His peace and worldly peace: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you” (John 14:27). Worldly peace is the absence of conflict. Christ’s peace is reconciliation with God—a peace that often comes in the midst of conflict. In John 16:33, Jesus says, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
This is crucial. Jesus does not promise an easy life; He promises eternal life. He does not promise peace with the world but peace in Himself—that is, peace with God.
Division is Not the Goal, But the Result
Jesus did not come to sow discord, but He knew proclaiming the truth would bring conflict and division. In Luke 12:51—a parallel to Matthew 10—He says, “Do you suppose that I came to give peace on Earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.” This is descriptive, not prescriptive. Jesus is not urging division; He is stating the consequence of following Him in a world opposed to God.
The Cross is the Ultimate Sword and Peace
The cross is both a scandal and a gift. It divides the world into those who believe and those who reject. And yet, it is the very instrument through which God establishes peace. “For it pleased the Father that in [Christ] all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on Earth or things in Heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:19-20).
The sword of the Gospel wounds before it heals. It slays the Old Adam and raises up the new man in Christ (Romans 6:3-6). The division Jesus speaks of is a byproduct of the battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. But this battle has already been won through the cross and empty tomb.
The Prince of Peace Wields the Sword of Truth
In summary:
- Jesus is the Prince of Peace, bringing reconciliation with God through His death and resurrection.
- The peace He brings is not worldly comfort but eternal reconciliation with God the Father.
- The sword He brings is the Word that divides belief from unbelief, truth from falsehood.
- The division He speaks of is not His purpose, but the result of sinful humanity’s rejection of Him.
- The Christian life is lived under the cross: peace with God amidst conflict with the world.
Luther sums it up well in his explanation of the third petition of the Lord’s Prayer: “The good and gracious will of God is done even without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may be done among us also. How is God’s will done? Answer: God’s will is done when He breaks and hinders every evil plan and purpose of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature, which do not want us to hallow God’s name or let His kingdom come; and when He strengthens and keeps us firm in His Word and faith until we die. This is His good and gracious will.”
The Lutheran Column 