Truth, Peace and Division

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me." John 14:6

     Jesus claimed to be the truth, and truth divides because some believe it and some do not, so does Jesus, by His very nature, cause division? Did Jesus, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) come to bring peace on the earth? Division certainly does not bring peace, and in His own words Jesus denies that He came to bring peace, and admits He will cause division. "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword, for I came to set a man against his father, and 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." Matthew 10:34-36 How can these things be?

     In John, chapter 10 Jesus speaks what we call the "Parable of the Good Shepherd." He is contrasting Himself with Satan, the thief who comes only to steal, kill and destroy. When He finishes speaking, verse 19 says, "There arose a division again among the Jews because of these words. And many of them were saying, 'He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to  Him?' Others were saying, 'These are not the sayings of one demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?'" Jesus' words caused division on many occasions, as they still do today. "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Hebrews 4:12

     Did Jesus, the Prince of Peace, come to bring peace on the earth? Ultimately, the answer is yes, and for those of us who have chosen to follow Jesus, we have peace with God already, and that is the most important kind of peace to have. "And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:7 But at the present time, Satan is still the god of this world; therefore, we do not have peace on earth. There is a battle raging. The truth exposes the lie. The light repels the darkness. One day, the Light will overcome, and Jesus, our King, will rule. Then, there will truly be peace on earth, but for now, the truth divides, and we must make a choice. Which side will we choose? Light or darkness? The truth or the lie? Can you hear the voice of the Good Shepherd calling?

     Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." John 10:27