THE POWER BEHIND OUR PEACE
Ephesians 2:14-18
A former president of the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and historians came up with some startling information: Since 3600 B.C. the world has known only 292 years of peace! During this period there have been 14,351 wars, large and small, in which 3.64 billion people have been killed. The value of the property destroyed would pay for a golden belt around the world 97.2 miles wide and 33 feet thick.
As we are amazed at the statistics of these findings, the hard pill to swallow is that many of these 14,351 wars were fought for the sake of peace as we the world knows it. It reminds me of an old William S. Hart black and white shoot-em-up that I remember seeing. The hero (William S. Hart) was in a saloon, and this fella who was somewhat overtaken by his drinking started breaking the peace. Now our hero was drinking a sarsparilla, and the unruly drunk bumped into him and took a swing. He was swinging widely and no one could control him so William S. Hart, picked up a chair, hit the man over the head and said “You know, I am a peaceful man.”
Many of us are just like our hero in the story, we can be peaceful until someone breaks the peace, then just like all the wars the world has been in and the scuffle that William S. Hart was in, we take action to regain our version of peace. But I am glad to announce that Jesus did not have to use a war or a chair to gain the peace needed to make us one.
Last week we talked about That Was Then, This Is Now. In that lesson we learned how the Jews felt about the Gentiles before Christ made us one. In fact there are still some Jews (orthodox) that are of the same opinion this very day. They considered the Gentiles as the un circumcised because of their lack of circumcision. Paul is reminding them, not in a way to belittled them, but to remind them of what Jesus can do with your troubled past, that presented them being without Christ, and strangers to the covenant promises of God. They were seen being without hope, and without God in the world. Then Paul reminded them in verse 13 of the difference maker. He said, “But now in Christ Jesus ye who once were far off are made near by the Blood of Christ.”
In this lesson, both Jews and Gentiles are reminded of the One who made them one through the preaching of peace that is able to tear down the middle wall of partition between us. He wants us to know that Jesus Christ only, can bring us peace that we are looking for. In fact Jesus Christ alone is our peace. He brings us peace when we realized that He died for us and offers us deliverance from the bondage of sin. You see we must understand that there are two types of peace out there. There is simulated peace, this is peace that a person that has not allowed Jesus Christ in their life, so they will go about with a peace that looks like peace but on the inside there is inner turmoil the other is the peace of God, that is peace that only God can give, even in a war zone or in the midst of people who are losing control. That is the type of peace Jesus Christ brings, He brings a deeper sense of peace when we realize that we have been set free from the quilt of sin. And when we have the peace of God, instead of the peace of the world, then, we too can truly follow peace with all men.
So, let us take a look at The Power Behind Our Peace.
First of all verse 14 lets us know . . .
1. THAT JESUS IS OUR PEACE
“For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us,”
As I told you about William S. Hart and his statement of being a peaceful man, he had to break the peace he had, to get the peace he wanted. If the truth is told, we too break the peace to get our version of peace. We must understand that when the heart is full the mouth will flap. So although we say that we are at peace and you might not have reacted to what is going on around you, but still on the inside there is a time bomb ready to explode and explode it will. Either through the words we speak or through other extremes. Just this week, I was told by someone that I had a disgruntled member from Salem to call her to talk negatively about me. But I thank God for the quiet time He gives me, where He can minister to me the peace I need to minister to Salem including the one that was disgruntled.
Paul in the text reminds us that Christ is man’s peace because He does a number of things for us but I will mention just two.
1. Christ brings peace by bringing us together as "one" according to the text “For He is our peace, who hath made both one,” Note that He has made "both one," that is, Jews and Gentiles. There are two ways that Christ makes them one. (a) by all men approaching God on the same equal footing: through the blood of Jesus Christ and (b) by knowing that all men that come to Christ for salvation receives a common love and purpose.
2. Christ brings peace by breaking down all barriers according to our text “and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.” This is a picture taken from the temple. The temple was surrounded by a series of courts. Each court had a high wall separating it from the preceding court. As one approached the temple, he entered first of all the outer Court of the Gentiles. This is where the buying and selling and the exchanging of money for foreign worshipers took place. Then there was the Court of the Women. A Jewish woman was limited to this court unless she had come to make a sacrifice. The next court was the Court of the Israelites. This is where the whole congregation gathered on the great feast days and where sacrifices were handed over to the priests. The Court of the Priests was next. This area was considered sacred and was accessible only to the services of the priests. Finally, within the very heart of the temple stood the Holy of Holies or the Most Holy Place where the very presence of God was to dwell. Only the High Priest could enter the Holy Place and he could enter only once a year—at the great Passover Feast. In fact each partition separated the people from the presence of God. There were signs that hung around the walls of the Gentile Court announcing that if any Gentile walked into any other court, he was to be put to death. The point that I am trying to make is that Jesus Christ broke down each barriers and walls that separate man from God. So, He could make us one.
Secondly, verses 15 and 16 let us know that . . .
2. HE ABOLISHED THE THINGS THAT SEPARATED US (Vv. 15-16)
“He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in Himself one new people from the two groups. 16. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of His death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.”
The thing that we should pause to thank God for is how He can take away the things that separate us from being one with Him. In this case it was the system of the law and commandments. Now let me share that nothing was wrong with the law as long as they kept the law in perspective, but when the law started to over ride the things of God and Israel started to revere the law more than God’s basic commandments, something had to be done about it.
Before Christ, man had to approach God through the law. However, man discovered something: the law did not make him acceptable to God, it condemned him and showed him how far away from God he really was. But glory be to God, He sent His Only Begotten Son to us and made peace between the Jews and the Gentiles. He took two groups and made them one. Corporately in Jesus Christ all men who believed, both Jews and Gentiles, made up one new body, verse 16 said “Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of His death on the cross,.” He took away on the cross their hostilities toward each other and He put it to death. He took away the laws that ignited these hostilities and gave them peace that passes all understanding.
CONCLUSION:
If I had to put a third point in the message, I would tell you that (3) His Preaching of Peace is Our Key to the Father. Verse 17 and 18 said “And came and preached peace to you who were afar off, and to them that were near. 18. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”
No longer can one class of people can say that they only have the rights to the Kingdom. No longer can no group of people feel because of a ceremonial act that they are found clean. No longer could any one group of people say that they are the only ones that have the ear of God. They cannot say it because of the shedding of the blood, they can’t say it because Jesus died on the cross, not only for the Jews but He died for you and me. He died for past sinners, He died for today’s sinners and He died for future sinners. He came and preached peace to those of us who were lost and those who were found, with the same results. That we, through Him have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
