Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back in its place, because all who take up the sword will fall by the sword.”
These words are Jesus’ clear rebuke to Peter (John 18:10), but at the same time a profound teaching for all humanity. Christ stops the chain of violence by saying, “Put the sword back in its place,” that is, return to the path of peace and obedience. This word reveals that God’s will is never carried out by force. The statement, “All who take the sword will fall by the sword,” has become a moral law, showing that violence brings forth new violence. It sounds not only as a warning to the one who took up the sword there, but as a universal principle for everyone who tries to establish justice by force. Here Christ brings the cycle of violence to a halt and establishes the law of peace. He shows that true victory is not by the power of the sword, but by the power of love and forgiveness.