Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace
August 17, 2025. Luke 12:49-53.Pastor Leslie Nolin
2 Peter 3:7 tells us that “the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” Peter continues to inform us in 2 Peter 3:9 that “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Jesus said He has come to bring fire on the earth, but because of His patience, the time is not yet.
Jesus says He has a baptism to undergo before this happens, He must suffer ridicule, pain and the shame of the cross. He prays at the Garden of Gethsemane that if possible this cup would be taken from Him but prays, “yet not my will, but yours be done. (Luke 22:42)” This judgment (v.49) is under constraint until all this is completed.
The prophecy of Jesus by Isaiah (9:6) gives Him one of the names as Prince of Peace. In the sermon on mount, Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers...(Matt. 5:9)” Yet, in this passage in Luke 12:51-53, Jesus asks, “Do you think I came to bring peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but division.” He continues to say that the family will be divided.
Is this a contradiction? No, it is not. Paul wrote in Romans 12:8, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Sometimes, this is just not possible.
First, why is Jesus the Prince of Peace? Because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23), death entered the world through one man, and spread to all man (Rom. 5:12).
Man needed to be reconciled to God, through Jesus, we have access to the Father by one Spirit (Eph. 2:18; John 14:6). We are justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:1). This peace comes in knowing we have the promise of eternal life with Him (1 John 5:20). He gives peace that no-one else can offer, “Peace I leave with you, I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)”
The mistake the Jews made, and what we make, is that Jesus will always make everything better; all will go smooth, nothing bad will happen; because our focus is only this life.
Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace, in this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). We can endure more with a heart focused on the promise of eternity and that Jesus does walk with us during any infirmity. He, Himself, endured what the world threw at Him.
The next question is, why will Jesus bring division, since (rather than if) He is the Prince of Peace? Job records in the first 2 chapters that Satan is allowed to come into the very presence of God, Satan is given permission to destroy Job's possessions and then his health.
Satan also accuses Joshua, the High Priest, during the time of rebuilding the temple and walls in Jerusalem during the days of Ezra and Nehemiah (Zech. 3:1).
Matthew records the temptation of Jesus (4:1-11), twice Satan tries to put doubt into the mind of Jesus, “If you really are the Son of God...(4:3,6),” then promises Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if He will worship him (4:8-9).
The reason there will be conflict and division, though Jesus is truly the Prince of Peace, there is opposition to God in this world.
Ephesians 6:10-17 records the need to be aware of the devil's schemes and the need to put on the armour of God.
One time Jesus entered the temple in Jerusalem and saw that those who travelled to worship were being taken advantage of, charged exorbitant rates in exchange to purchase sacrifices and specific coin to pay the temple tax. He became angry, tipped over the table and drove out the money changers because they had made it a den of robbers (Matt. 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-18).
Wherever the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan meets, there will be conflict, even within us. (Gal. 5:17-25) “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peach, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Many times peace or unity is associated with a lack of or avoidance of conflict, True peace or unity can only come when differences are worked out, otherwise, the peace is shallow and vulnerable.
The conflict that Jesus brought was the exposure and revelation of darkness. Paul wrote, “For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? (2 Cor. 6:14)” After Jesus cleared the temple of the money changers, the chief priests and teachers of the law began looking for a way to kill Jesus (Matt. 11:18).
When Jesus was tempted by the devil, each response was from scripture, “It is written,...(Luke 4:1-13; Deut. 8:3; 6:13). The devil even quotes and twists scripture in the third temptation (Psa. 91: 11-12) but Jesus was able to apply scripture appropriately (Deut. 6:16).
When the Sadducees asked Jesus whose wife a widow of seven brothers would be in heaven (Matt. 22:23-30), Jesus answered them, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God (22:29).”
Where there is conflict, the final authority to resolve an issue, is God's Word. Jesus appropriately submitted to the Father, “your will be done (Lk. 22:42), resisted the devil (Matt. 4:1-11; Lk. 4:1-13) and the devil left Him. James 4:7; “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Jesus is the Prince of Peace but true peace does not always come without some conflict. As our flesh and desires are in conflict with our desire to submit to the will of the Spirit, we have an inner conflict as Paul describes in Romans 7:15-20 and we will not always be victorious in that struggle. When that happens, we are thankful that there is no condemnation through Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:1), as we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive our sins (1 Jn. 1:9).
There are times, our desire to honour God with our lives will bring us into conflict with others, it is at this time we must be faithful to trust God, by our faithfulness, we may be a living letter to those who do not believe (2 Cor. 3:2-3) and by our example, lead them to Christ.
Daniel 3:8-30 records the event of Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) who refused to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar's idol, they were threatened to be thrown into the fiery furnace. Their response was, “...we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and He will deliver us from Your Majesty's hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. (Dan. 3:16-18)”
Regardless of how our family may respond, we must remain faithful.
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Watch this sermon presented live here: https://youtu.be/JdeRAnPl3-0
