When we read that Jesus tells his disciples to buy a sword in Luke 22:36-37, it can seem that he is encouraging violence. Yet when Peter does use a sword in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus rebukes Peter and heals the man’s ear. So, whatever Jesus was up to in telling his followers to buy swords, he clearly didn’t intend for them to use them!
A close look at the passage reveals Jesus’ purpose. Immediately after he tells the disciples to buy swords Jesus says, “It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the lawless ones’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment” (vs. 37). To fulfill prophecy, Jesus had to be viewed as a “lawless” one. In other words, he had to at least appear to be a political revolutionary who was going to try and overthrow the Roman government in Jerusalem. In order for the Jewish authorities to feel justified in arresting him and bringing him to Pilate for crucifixion, he had to have enough weapons to be viewed as a law-breaking rebel.
In the next verse, when the disciples say they have two swords, Jesus says, “That is enough” (vs. 38). Obviously, if Jesus intended for the 12 disciples to actually use swords, two wouldn’t be nearly enough. But it was enough to fulfill the prophecy by making Jesus look like a “lawless” one.
When Jesus healed the guard’s ear, he demonstrated the true kind of power the Kingdom of God uses to advance its cause – the power of other-oriented, self-sacrificial agape-love (Matthew 26:51-52; Luke 22:50-51; John 18:10-11 ). In the building of his Kingdom, Jesus did not use violent “power over” people. Rather, he used loving “power under” people.
Later, when Pilate asked Jesus if he was the King of the Jews, Jesus responded that his Kingdom is “not of this world,” and as proof, he points to the fact that his followers are not fighting and using violence (John 18:36 ). So, according to Jesus, a distinguishing characteristic of Kingdom people is that they refuse to physically fight their enemies. Rather, Kingdom people love and pray for their enemies, and seek to serve them any way they can—including dying for them if necessary, as Jesus did.
