Jesus never endorsed or promoted violence. The gospel can never advance by violence or conquest. So, what did Jesus mean when He said that He came to bring a sword? The meaning of any passage of Scripture will often become clearer when we look at the context.

What went before
Jesus said to His disciples, “Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake” (Mat. 10:17-18). The sword is in the hands of those who oppose Jesus, and it is raised against His disciples.

What comes after
Then Jesus told His disciples that those who oppose us will include some in our own families. “I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother… And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household” (Mat. 10:35-36).

Perhaps you have a son or a daughter who has walked away from faith in Jesus. And now there is a tension between you. The effect of the coming of Jesus has been a distancing between you and someone you love!

Think about this in the life of Mary. At the temple, Simeon said to her, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also)” (Lk. 2:34-35).

How Mary must have grieved over the hatred of the world toward Jesus. The coming of Jesus brought a sword that pierced the soul of Mary. His coming will bring a sword for us too.

How have you experienced a “sword” against you because of Jesus?