“Why does Jesus arm his disciples with two swords? Actually Jesus tells us. … Jesus gives the reason for arming Peter and one other discipke when he says,
”For the time has come for this prophecy about me to be fulfilled: ‘He was counted among the rebels.’ - Luke 22:37
Jesus did not arm his disciples so they could fight; Jesus armed his disciples so that prophecy would be fulfilled and so he could
disarm them! Jesus allowed those arresting him to falsely assume he was a violent revolutionary (as the prophesy in Isaiah says); but when his disciples actually attempted to employ violence, Jesus stopped them.
Disciples: “Lord, should we fight? We brought the swords!”
(Peter, not waiting for a reply, attacked a slave of the high priest with a sword, severing his ear.)
Jesus: “No more of this! Put away your sword!”
(Jesus then healed the one whom Peter had harmed.)
What did the early church believe was the lesson to be derived from this passage of Scripture? A second century Church Father put it this way:
”In disarming Peter, Christ disarms all Christians.” - Tertullian (160-220)
The next morning when Jesus was brought before Pilate, Jesus made it clear that his kingdom came from a different world than the one where people fight and kill their enemies. Jesus said to Pilate,
”My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would be fighting.” - John 18:36
Because the kingdom of Christ doesn’t come from the bloody world of war, Jesus disarmed his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. A garden is no place for swords and spears anyway. Gardens are where we employ plows and pruning hooks. Followers of Jesus are called to be gardeners and healers, not combatants and killers. At least that’s what the church originally believed. …”
It’s soon after midnight. We’re in an ancient olive grove with a full moon shining through the boughs. Jesus is in anguished prayer. Disciples are nearby…sleeping. We hear angry voices. A mob is approaching bearing torches. Now they’re upon us and the torchlight reveals the mob is bearing...
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P.S.
The Crusaders did not act like the followers of Jesus did under the persecution of the Roman Empire in the first three centuries of Church history.