Eph. 2:14-18 The Gospel of Peace

Transcription

1 1 Eph. 2:14-18 The Gospel of Peace Out of all the things in which the world would disagree on, peace is not one of them. In other words, no matter which culture or nation you live in, peace is important. The Romans and the Greeks used an olive branch as a symbol of peace. At the first part of the 20th century the symbol of peace in Europe was a picture of a broken rifle. In Great Britain after the first world war, white poppies were distributed as a symbol for peace. The most common peace symbol in the west today is the peace sign, designed in 1958 as a sign for nuclear disarmament. It is a round picture with what looks to be an upside down V with a vertical line going through it. Every week we see signs and symbols of "World Peace." There is even one guy who plays for the Lakers whose name is "World Peace," although I'm not so sure how well he is doing in this regard considering a headline from two weeks ago which read: "Metta World Peace Suspended." The article goes on to read: "Metta World Peace of the Los Angeles Lakers has been suspended one game without pay for grabbing Brandon Knight of the Detroit Pistons around the neck and striking him in the jaw." This is kind of Ironic: the world wants peace, but the world doesn't know how to get it. So today's sermon is very relevant for us. In all of Paul's writings, this is the key to understanding peace. Four times in our passage we see the word "peace." In v. 14 Paul says, "Christ is our peace." So my question is: "How is Christ our peace?" To put it another way, "What is it about the Gospel of Christ that accomplishes peace?" I have three truths to answer this question. 1. The Gospel of Christ brings unity to Jew and Gentile. The context of this point is the unity of Jewish and Gentile Believers through the breaking down of barriers. We saw this last week. In v. 12 Paul reminded the Gentiles of where they were: 1) Christless: No concept of a Messiah; 2) Stateless: Alienated from God's people; 3) Friendless: Strangers to the promises of God; 4) Hopeless: Having no hope; and 5) Godless: Without God in the world. But, in v. 13 Paul says, "You who were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." Now, look at v. 14. He says, "He himself is our peace, who has made us both one." In other words, the Gospel of Christ has united Jew and Gentile. Look at v. 18: "For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father." Now, let's move to a couple specifics. How did Christ make the two one? Look at v. 14. Peace has come to Jew and Gentile because he has "broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility." The picture here is a wall or a fence. I picture the Berlin wall. After WW II, Russia erected a wall down the middle of Berlin. This wall was a barrier of hostility, not peace. That wall divided the nations between east and west. That wall divided a country with half of Germany on one side and half on the other. That wall divided a city. One morning a woman could go to her favorite grocery store down the street, but after the wall, she could not do so. That wall divided a culture. Though both sides were filled with Germans, each side would take on the characteristics of two entirely different political cultures. That wall divided friends and families. One day families could visit one another across town. The next, they could not. In 1989 east Germans were allowed to cross the wall and a new law was the cause of much celebration. In 1990 the physical wall itself came down and Germany was reunited. The world celebrated this great display of reconciliation and peace. In the same way, Jesus has broken down a wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile.

2 2 Now, I must ask, "What exactly was this barrier of hostility that divided Jew and Gentile?" I think the answer to this question is found in v. 15. Paul says, this hostility is broken down by: "abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances..." I think the real barrier was the Mosaic law itself. Think about it. I am reading through Leviticus right now in my quiet times, and every page is filled with a detailed holiness code written in ordinances. This law of Moses was given to Israel, not to the Gentiles. And this law put a fence, or a barrier, around Israel. It separated Jews from Gentiles both religiously and sociologically, and caused deepseated hostility. Often times the Jews had an attitude of superiority and this was the cause of great enmity, or hostility with the Gentiles. In the temple there was a wall that separated the court of the Gentiles from the rest of the temple. On this wall was an inscription which read: No foreigner may enter within the barricade which surrounds the sanctuary and enclosure. Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuing death. The word "abolished" can also be translated as "make ineffective or powerless" or "nullify." Look back again at v. 14 again. Paul says that this wall has been broken down "in his flesh." He is speaking of the death of Christ. In some way the death of Christ has made this law of no effect. He nullified it, so that it is no longer binding. He abolished this wall, or enmity, by nullifying the law. So what does this mean? (How many hours do we have this morning?) Let me just say a couple things here for now. There is much disagreement as to what it means that Christ nullified the law. Growing up, I always heard, "Christ abolished the ceremonial and the civil law, but the moral still stands?" There is truth in this statement. We don't follow the laws of cleansing, and the laws of eating, and the laws of sacrificing, etc. We also don't follow the rules God set up for civil government under the law of Moses. However, we still follow the moral laws of God. We know it is wrong to murder, steal, commit adultery, etc. Because of this, many theologians say the moral laws are still "binding" on us today. However, I don't like to use the word "binding" when it comes to the law of Moses. I also don't like the separating of the ceremonial, civil, moral laws into separate parts. Jesus himself said, "I did not come to abolish the law. I came to fulfill it" (Matt. 5:17). So I believe that what is abolished is the "law covenant," that is, the law as a whole conceived as a covenant. In his life and death Christ fulfilled the law. In his life he actively obeyed every law in both his motive and deed. In his death, he laid down his life as a wrath appeasing sacrifice, acceptable to God. And because of his death he established a new covenant. When we take the Lord's Supper we remember his words: "This cup is the new covenant in my blood." So, Jesus has broken down the wall, which was the law of Moses given to Israel and established a new covenant for the world, both Jews and Gentiles. And in this way, He has brought peace. In Christ, there are no barriers to the Gentiles, which is the world. "For God so loved the world..." In this way, "He himself is our peace." (So much more here, but I must move on.) 2. The Gospel of Christ creates a new humanity. Look at the second part of v. 15: "that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace." Do you remember Eph. 2:10 which says, "We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works?" Here in v. 15 the same creation language is used. But, now the focus is on Christ's mighty work: He is the creator of a new humanity through his death. From a theological standpoint, I absolutely love this truth. If you've spoken with me often enough you will learn that I love to find the big themes of the OT and see how they are developed in the NT. This is one of

3 3 those themes. What was lost in the fall was gained in Christ. What happened at the Tower of Babel where separation and chaos ruled, in Christ, once again, unity and peace reign. The division and hostility was so deep that ONLY a new creation would bring order and peace. Look at v. 17 for a moment. Paul says that Christ "came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near." In this verse Paul unites two verses from Isaiah (52:7 and 57:19). The original context was the Jewish nation in exile. Those who were far off (in exile) would be restored and return to the land with those who were "near." Let me read them. Is. 52:7: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." Now, Is. 57:18-19: "I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, 19 creating the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace, to the far and to the near," says the LORD, "and I will heal him." In our passage today, Paul is giving the fulfillment of these verses by showing that both Gentile (those who were far off) and Jew (those who were near) are now included in the creation of a new humanity. And the messenger of this peace is Christ! Again, v. 14: "He himself is our peace." In Hab. 1:5 God said, "Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told." Can you fathom a more beautiful plan to bring peace and reconciliation than this?! I read a story this week from Kent Hughes about an Anglican bus driver in Australia who transported both white boys and Aborigine boys. Tired of all the fighting and squabbling, one day the driver stopped the bus on the side of the road. He stood up and said to the white boys, "What color are you?" They said, "White." He told them, "No, you are green. Anyone who rides my bus is green." "Now what color are you?" The white boys said, "Green." Then, to the Aborigines he said, "What color are you?" "Black," they said. "No, you are green." "Anyone who rides on my bus is green." All the Aborigines answered that they were green. He then started to drive again. Everything was peaceful for a few miles until he heard a boy in the back announce, "All right, light green on this side, dark green on that side." The bus driver had a great idea. What was needed was a new race, "the greens." But, he couldn't pull it off. But, Jesus did! He created a new man, a new humanity, a new race. In the 2nd century, Clement of Alexandria wrote: "We who worship God in a new way, as the third race, are Christians." In this respect Jesus did not "Christianize" the Jews or "Judaize" the Gentiles. He made an entirely new man. 2 Cor. 5:17: "If ANY man be in Christ he is a new creation." Col. 3:11 In Christ, "there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. Gal. 3:28: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Gal. 6:15: "For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation." Today, it could not be more clear in the Bible that all racial, religious, cultural, and social barriers are abolished in Christ who is all and in all. The Gospel of Christ creates a new humanity. And only in this new humanity is peace established. Looking back, I didn't know all of this when I became a believer. I simply knew that my sins were forgiven. But, today as I learn more of the person and work of Christ, I am amazed at the manifold riches of God's grace and the beautiful plan of God to bring peace to my life and the life of the world.

4 4 3. The Gospel of Christ reconciles this new humanity to God. Look at vv : "and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father." The Gospel of Christ, particularly the death of Christ, is the most beautiful reality of peace there has ever been. The law is fulfilled. The hostility between Jew and Gentile is broken down. Through the Spirit of God a new humanity, or a third race is formed. And, this new humanity is reconciled to God. There is no greater message of peace than what we've heard today. And our text says that Christ is the One who came and preached peace to us all. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. He has broken down the enmity (hostility) between Jew and Gentile. And, he has broken down the enmity between God and man. Let me make a few comments with some applications. 1. Notice it is in the church that this peace is realized and played out. (This is next week's message.) I simply want to mention it this morning. Eph. 2:19 says, "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God." 2. The Church does not replace Israel. I think the better word is "fulfillment." The establishment of the church as the people of God in Christ is the fulfillment of all God's promises to Israel. This is why there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile. 3. Concerning prophecy, remember that prophecies are often fulfilled more than once with the ultimate fulfillment in the Gospel of Christ. This is what we see with the two Isaiah passages that speak of peace. Peace first came as Israel was brought back from Babylon captivity. But, Paul says that the ultimate fulfillment of peace is found in Christ as a new humanity is formed. 4. There is no peace outside the Gospel of Christ. True reconciliation is only found in Christ. True peace is only found in Christ. V. 14 says, "He himself is our peace." In Matt. 11:29, Jesus said: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." 5. Peace comes through preaching the gospel of peace. This means that as a church we must preach the Gospel of Christ. We are now God's messengers of peace. (challenge to our evangelism.) 6. We must understand this gospel of peace in order for peace to reign in our relationships. In other words, this gospel of peace is key to living rightly together. Look over at Eph. 4:17-24: " Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!-- 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self,

5 5 which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.: So if for the first time you have understood these truths, you should be a more peaceful person practically. And, the more deeply you understand these things, the more you should grown. These truths form the foundation of how peace and reconciliation work out in the Church. All these truths about Christ (like him as our peace) must be understood if we will be good fathers, mothers, children, etc. This is how we grow: Beholding Christ, seeing his beauty. He is our peace! 5. Both in the church and in our homes and in our work places, we should not erect barriers to the Gospel of Christ. Our lives should reflect transparency with one another and with others. 6. The church MUST be a place of peace! (No excuses.) Today as we dismiss and go our separate ways remember that Christ has broken down all the walls that separate Jew and Gentile and has established a new humanity of peace within the church. "May the God of Peace be with us all today."