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Ephesians 2:11-22 Peace In Our Time (Really)
Ephesians chapter 2, be reading from verses 11 to 22, hear the word of the Lord. Therefore, remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called the uncircumcision, what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands, remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus, you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him, we both have access in one spirit to the father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone in whom the whole structure joined together grows into a holy temple in the Lord.
In him, you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the spirit. May the Lord add his blessings to the reading of his holy word. Well, ever had anyone promised to bury the hatchet with you?
Let bygones be bygones. Be your friend again. Perhaps a boyfriend or girlfriend or even spouse. Support you. Promise they'll help you from now on. Promise peace. And you think, ah, this is finally it.
Happy days are here again. But looking back on it, you realize they only promise peace as a ruse, as a delaying tactic, a distraction to lull you into a false sense of security. You've been so eager, you've been so relieved that the fight you thought was over, that there would be harmony and love and joy, you thought.
But you realize that you believe that false promise of peace only because you wanted it so much. You see, the promise of peace makes a great lure because we crave it so desperately. After the trauma of World War One, first called the Great War, people long for peace.
So in 1928, the U .S. and many other nations, not really much of the world, signed the Kellogg-Brand Pact, which outlawed war. Almost comical now, looking back on it. They guaranteed that never again would there be war.
Eleven years later, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed a treaty with Adolf Hitler and so came home to London proclaiming that he had achieved, quote, peace in our time. In just a few months, World War Two started.
Battered wives or girlfriends are often desperate to get back to what they think their relationship used to be like, when it was good, they thought, when there was love and peace at home, or what they thought in their imagination was love and peace.
And so after every beating, they'll believe the promise that that was the last one, it'll never happen again, that he'll start loving her again. And so she stays to be beaten again. The promise of peace is so alluring because peace and security, a sense that everything is and will remain good from here on out, is so much what we want.
We'll believe Adolf Hitler or a selfish battering husband because we want peace so much. Peace is valuable. False prophets promise it because they know so many people long for it. So they tell people peace, peace when there is no peace common among the religion around here.
Tell people they have peace with God because that's what people want to hear. We want peace in our time, on our terms. Here in Ephesians chapter two, we see how valuable peace is and how we get it in three parts.
First, remembrance. Second, reconciliation. Third, resurrection. Well, first, remembrance. To help us see how valuable peace is, Paul twice in verses 11 and 12 tells us to remember. Remember the high value of peace by remembering first when we didn't have it and what it cost to get it.
Remember that we were separated, that we were alienated, we were strangers. It's natural to try to cope with the unpleasant past by just trying to forget it, by wanting to forget it and to look to what we hope will be a much better future.
But sometimes we need to remember where we've come from so that we'll be inspired to keep going ahead, away from where we came from. Remember the dark age of our past. Remember what things were really like.
Remember when we were separated, we were alienated, not only from God, but also from the people of God, from the true church. We were strangers. The promises of God for a future and a hope for peace were not for us, at least not naturally.
We had no claim on them. There was nothing about us, nothing about our heritage, our ancestry, our actions or our character. Nothing that could prevail upon God to give us a way to him, to give us peace with him.
We were without hope and without God. That's what we need to remember. For until we remember that, we can't appreciate grace or understand what grand miracle happened on that first resurrection day. Remember the high value of peace.
Peace was something we had no supply of, but we had a desperate demand for. You know, in business, when there's a high demand, but little supply, the price goes sky high. Peace is so valuable. It cost Jesus his life.
That was the price. To appreciate peace, we need to remember where we came from, from far off, far off from God, far off from each other. So remember, peace is valuable because in a world of hostility, it is second reconciliation.
We were separated. We were far off. Now we have been brought near. Paul writes in verse 13, we've been brought near by the blood of Christ. He broke down the dividing wall of hostility, Paul says in verse 14, and so made himself our peace.
Notice the emphasis on him, on Jesus there. Verse 14, he himself. He didn't need to put the himself in there, did he? But he did it on purpose to emphasize he himself is our peace. He himself, no one else, nothing other than Jesus.
That peace wasn't attained any other way, wasn't attainable any other way. Not through our good choices, not through our morality, not through our money, not our choosing to get along with other people, to being easygoing.
Not through our religion, our law keeping. If we think our churchy entity can help us to God, we're still alienated. Wealth won't bring peace, or it may bring a lot of people who like us because they want some of that money.
But it won't bring real peace. The relationship isn't the key. He himself. Addicts think their drug of choice is what they need for peace. But again, it's he himself. Our reconciliation required, here we see, the law, they bore witness against us.
The law said we're not at peace. Let that be fulfilled, and then abolished. At least abolished is a way to getting peace with God for salvation. And Jesus did that for us in verse 15. He has abolished the law of commandments and ordinances.
Christ, by keeping every commandment and regulation, and by bearing the punishment for our breaking the commandments, fulfilled that law. And then he was raised from the dead, triumphant over that last enemy, death.
And all that he did was required so that we could have reconciliation, so that we could be brought near. That's how valuable peace is. Peace is so valuable, Christ came to us, he says, to preach peace to we who were far off, we non-Jews who were far off from God.
Verse 17, it tells us what to many may seem as curious expression. He preached, Jesus preached to you, people in Ephesus. He preached. Now, the word there, preached, doesn't mean a specific style of communicating, like preaching a sermon.
But it just means any giving of the good news. Jesus communicated the good news. And here to the Ephesians. That seems strange. We might think, well, for myself, I've never heard Jesus preach. Or when did Jesus go to Ephesus to preach?
I don't remember reading that in the Gospels. Of course, never. Paul does not mean that Jesus came physically during his three years of earthly ministry and then preached to those Gentiles in that city that is now in modern day Turkey.
But he came through the spirit. In the church. When the church preached that there is peace with God for believers. Jesus was preaching through that. Jesus comes to his people, his people all over the world.
And he proclaims. Peace. On the day he was raised from the dead, he appeared to his disciples, minus Thomas. And the first words he said to them in John chapter 20, verse 19 is peace. Be with you. And he showed them his hands and his side, proving to them that it was him.
And again, he said. Peace be with you. A week later, after Thomas said that he wasn't going to believe unless he saw him himself. Jesus appeared again. And the first thing he said. Do you know? Peace.
Be with you. And even doubting Thomas believed he finally had peace. Peace is so valuable. That it was the first thing the Lord Jesus said to the disciples after he was raised. And he is now going through all the world.
To people like us who were separated, were far off, had no claim of access to God. Jesus is going to them. And preaching peace. To the Ephesians, Jesus himself used the preaching of Paul to speak to them.
That Jesus is raised on that first resurrection day. It is our hope that we too can bring peace to others. To family or friends who don't have it yet. You know, whenever preaching or teaching or witnessing or just sharing, whatever you want to call it.
Whenever it is effective. Whenever it is used by God to bring people who were far off to bring them close to him. Wherever the hearts of people are finally enlightened. And they finally see in their ears unstopped.
So that they are no longer just hearing you or me. But they are hearing Jesus speaking. It is not because the speaker is particularly eloquent. Or skilled in the art of persuasion. But it is because Christ in his sovereignty.
Has chosen to use that speaking to say. Peace. Be to you. He was raised from the dead so that he could continue to carry out that very ministry. Right now. Among us. And he is doing it right now. That he might continue to preach peace.
No longer confined to a mortal body that is constrained by the laws of physics. He can now go anywhere through any preacher. Over the radio or internet or through a book or a tract or a song. Or a text message or a conversation.
And he can still and still does. Preach peace. He comes to us. Perhaps through a preacher. Perhaps through a parent or friend. Or even a stranger sharing the gospel. Through a song. Or a book. Or however.
If you have been saved it is because Jesus came to you. And spoke to you. Showing you first your sins. That you were separated. Remember? But then. Just as to the apostles on that first resurrection day.
He says. Peace. To you. Peace is so valuable. Christ himself. Still takes it. To those like us. Who are far off. And when he finally speaks peace to us. Then through him. In our hearts. In the Holy Spirit.
We are no longer separated. No longer separated from God. Or from God's people. We finally have access to the Father. We are. Reconciled. We are not only reconciled to God. Which is the most important thing.
But we are also reconciled to each other. To other people who are reconciled with God. We are at peace with all others. Who are also at peace with God. That's reconciliation. When the world is at war.
The world is full of people. Fighting or angry. Looking to destroy. Divided over nationality or race. Or politics. We have peace in our time. Real peace with all those. Whom Christ comes preaching peace.
In verse 19. We are no longer. Strangers. To God or to each other. We are through the preaching of Christ. To us now citizens. Of God's holy nation. Together whether Jews or Gentiles. Black or white. Asian or Indian.
We are members of the household of God. Connected. Joined. At peace. Finally. So we remember. We remember that we were separated. And at war with God himself. And often with each other. And then we can value our reconciliation.
There were no longer strangers and aliens. Not because of something we did. That we had a change of mind. Because we turned over a new leaf. But because he. Himself. Is our peace. And that is all possible.
Because of the resurrection. Third. Resurrection. If Jesus had not been raised. If he were just another teacher. Who died because of the. He offended the powers that be. A good moral teacher. Maybe a teacher of wisdom.
But eventually just a martyr. Then there would be no life giving power to bring us peace. We would still be in that condition. We talked about last week. Beginning of this chapter. Dead in sin. As dead spiritually as a corpse in a casket is dead physically.
And so without hope. Still. If there is no resurrection. Jesus lay dead. Executioners. Executioners were experts on death. It was their job. They were professional killers. And they knew when they had killed somebody.
And they determined he was dead. But just to make sure. They jabbed him through the ribs with a spear. He was definitely dead. And from all appearances. Just like us. Without hope. And he lay in the tomb.
Dead. But then early Sunday morning. God. God did what only he can do. And so he and we. Are no longer. Without hope. This is how valuable peace is. There is only one supplier. And he only supplies through a miracle.
The resurrection. If Jesus had just been another teacher. Killed for upsetting religious hypocrites. There would be no peace. There would be only another martyr. Another victim. Another grudge to make us even angrier.
At the other side. Whoever we think they are. Another score to settle. If Jesus had only been another murder victim. It would only be more fuel on the fire. Of the hostility that already burns. In this world.
But he was not just a victim. He was the victor. The resurrection. Is proof of that. Because he was not just a victim. But the victor. He is now the. He says here. The cornerstone to the new temple. That God is right now.
Building. Jesus is going around preaching peace to his people. God is building a new temple. And the old temple kept out some people. Because they were the wrong race. The wrong heritage. This new temple.
Is open to all kinds of people. Who believe. Because of the victory of the resurrection. There is life. When before there was only death. Even this new temple. Unlike the old dead building. The temple itself.
Is alive. Notice that at the end of verse 20. Christ Jesus himself. Again notice the himself. Emphasizing. That is he and he only. Who has done it. He himself is the cornerstone. He was dead. As dead as the stones.
In Herod's old temple. But now he himself. Is alive. And now he is the cornerstone. A living cornerstone. Of this new temple. What kind of building has. Living stones. In it. A living building. When made miraculously alive.
Notice that in verse 21. The building grows. Into a holy temple. In the Lord. The building grows. Because it's alive. It's the church. The true church. Built on the living Christ himself. Here's the idea of the church.
Of an organization that would be audacious enough. To call itself a church. The assembly of God's people. It is to be a holy temple. In the Lord. A living organism. Made alive. By resurrection life. It has nothing to do with a literal building.
Here Paul contrasts that literal. Earthly dead building in Jerusalem. That excluded foreigners. To the real temple. Built by the spirit. For the father. Built on Christ. The church is not ours. To do with as we please.
Our little club. For people like us. It is built by God. He says in verse 20. On the foundation. Of the apostles and the prophets. That's the teaching of the apostles. Found in the New Testament. On the prophets of the Old Testament.
God's word must not be just something we quote. When it suits us. It has to be the very rock. On which the church is built. Jesus was dead. But was resurrected. We too were dead in our sins. And trespasses.
But we have been saved. Then we were spiritually. Resurrected already. We came out of death to life. But that is not natural. That requires life. Above. Beyond. Nature. To this day. Even though scientists have tried.
They've tried and tried everything they can. They've never yet been able to figure out. How to make inanimate objects. You know whatever combination of chemicals. Or elements they throw together. In whatever conditions they can find.
They've never yet been able to figure out. How to make inanimate objects. Into living things. Animate creatures. How to make them come alive. Going from death to life. Is not natural. It is supernatural.
It's something only God can do. Salvation. Is supernatural. It is something. Only God can do. And once he does that for us. He saves us. To be together. Notice in verse 21. We were all saved to be. Joined together.
And so building a church. That is joining people. From all races and backgrounds. Who may have nothing in common. Except that they were once separated. They were separated from God. And from each other.
And now they've been brought near. Building a church. Is also supernatural. Only God can do that. Remember. Remember peace is so valuable. Because there's only one supplier. God himself. And without him we are indeed.
Hopeless. Hostile. Far off. Sure. We can believe the modern lie. That everyone has access to God. You know everyone is one of his children. It's kind of thing people love to say these days. Everyone has peace with him.
We can believe that lie. Because we so desperately want to believe it. We can desperately try to find peace with him. From any other source. Believing you know whatever scam. Is sold to us. In the hopes that it will give us peace.
Believing even Hitler. When he tells us that we can have peace. In our time. But only Christ. Is our peace. He himself. So if you will but hear him now. Hear him preaching. Telling the good news. To you.
Who were far off. You were. At one time. Far off. Then. There was a resurrection. And Jesus came. Preaching. So now. Listen. To him. He's raised up. Hear him. He himself. He's preaching. Peace. To you.