Thursday, October 3, 2024
For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh, he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace. He did this so that he might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross by which he put the hostility to death. He came and proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. Ephesians 2:14-18
Jesus Is Our Peace
When Jesus died on the cross, He died for all people equally. The Jews and Gentiles were separated by religion, culture, and station. Jews were God’s chosen people, and they looked down on the Gentiles. Even though the Jews were God’s chosen people, when Jesus died on the cross, He chose all of us. We all became His chosen people. Salvation is for all humanity, no matter our title, race, or financial status. He came to be peace for all of us and to give all of us abundant life.
We are justified in Jesus, not through anything we have done, but through our faith in Jesus and His death for us on the cross. He tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In the temple at that time, there was an actual dividing wall between Jew and Gentile. Paul wanted them to understand clearly that in Jesus, that dividing wall was gone. There is one Lord and one Savior overall. The Lordship of Jesus is greater than any division we have with anyone. He is greater than the division caused by politics, race, financial status, geography, or anything else. We are all on common ground at the foot of the cross. In Him, we are all one body, the Church. The unity we have in Him is greater than any dividing wall that has ever separated us.
He brought the good news of peace to us – the same peace for everyone. Only through Him can we have salvation. It is nothing that we can do for ourselves. We could never be good enough to earn it but because He pays our debt we can have peace in Him. We can have peace in Him with all people – even those people we may not always agree with. He brings the gospel of peace for all. By grace through faith in Jesus Christ, God made it possible for all people to live at peace with one another. We also can be reconciled to God and experience peace with Him: He is the ultimate provision of peace for humanity.
Philippians 4:7 says And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Jesus is our peace. Through Him we have the peace of God which surpasses all understanding. We can show others the way to have this peace when we share the gospel and live out the gospel with our lives as we live in peace with others.
