CHRIST’S PEACE MISSION! Reading: Ephesians 2:11-22

Neville Chamberlain when returning from a conference in Germany in September 1938 said “Peace in our time! Peace with honour!”

He was sure that he had stopped Adolf Hitler. Yet one year later Hitler invaded Poland and on September 3 rd 1939, Great Britain declared war on Germany.

One of many “Peace Missions” that failed. But here in this section of the Book of Ephesians we see “Christ’s Peace Mission” explained by Paul.

We see three important words in Christ’s peace initiative: 1. SEPARATION. 2. RECONCILIATION. 3. UNIFICATION.

1.SEPARATION: WHAT THE GENTILES WERE (Ephesians 2:11-12)

Here Paul is speaking about Salvation for the Gentiles. The Gentiles were scorned by the Jews.

God did not set the Jews apart so that they might boast but that they might be a blessing!

God wanted to use them as a channel of Revelation and blessing to the heathen nations. But instead they regarded the Gentiles as ‘outsiders’.

The Gentiles were:  WITHOUT CHRIST: They worshipped the goddess Diana.

WITHOUT CITIZENSHIP: God called the Jews and built them into a nation.

WITHOUT COVENANTS: The Gentiles were ‘aliens’ and ‘strangers’ and the Jews would not let them forget it.

WITHOUT HOPE: Historians tell us that a great cloud of hopelessness covered the ancient world.

WITHOUT GOD: The heathen had plenty of Gods (Athens-Acts 17) but not THE God!

2. RECONCILIATION: WHAT GOD DID FOR THE GENTILES (Ephesians 2:13-18)

We see God’s Gracious Intervention.

Paul describes here the greatest peace mission in history: Jesus Christ not only reconciled Jews and Gentiles, but he reconciled both to Himself in one body, the Church.

Reconcile means ‘To bring together again’

Vs 13-15: The enmity between Jews and Gentiles What a job Peter had in explaining himself when the Jews heard that he had been eating with the gentiles!

…and then accepting them into the church and baptising them (Cornelius’ house).

The question was must a Gentile become a Jew to become a Christian? NO! Jews and Gentiles are saved the same way – by faith in Jesus Christ!

What a reconciliation! OLD POSITION “Without Christ” “Aliens” “Strangers” “No hope” “Without God” NEW POSITION “In Christ” (Eph 2:13) “a holy nation” (1 Pet 2:9) “No more strangers” (Eph 2:19) “Called in one hope” (Eph 4:4) “The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 1:3)

Vs 16-18: The enmity between sinners and God. Not only Manward but Godward! Jesus Christ “is our peace” (2:14). He “made peace” (2:15) and He “preached peace” (2:17)

3. UNIFICATION: WHAT JEWS AND GENTILES ARE IN CHRIST (Ephesians 2:19-22)

In the closing verses of this chapter, Paul gives three pictures that illustrate the unity of believing Jews and Gentiles in the Church.

ONE NATION (Vs 19): The new nation is the “Church”. The Kingdom was taken away from the Jews and given to “a nation bringing forth the fruit thereof (Matthew 21:43, compare: Exodus 19:6 with 1 Peter 2:9)

ONE FAMILY (Vs 19): We have one Father. We are all brothers and sisters in the one family, no matter what racial, national, financial or physical distinction we may possess!

ONE TEMPLE (Vs 20-22): In Genesis God “WALKED” with His people (Genesis 5:22,24; 6:9).

In Exodus God “DWELLED” with His people (Exodus 25:8) (God “dwelt’ in the Tabernacle (Ex 40:34-38). Until Israel’s sin caused “the glory to depart” (I Samuel 4)

Then God “dwelt” in the Temple (1 Kings 8:1-11) (again Israel sinned and the glory departed (Ezekiel 10:18-19))

God’s next dwelling place was the body of Christ (John 1:14) (Which men took and nailed to a cross).

Today, through His Spirit, God dwells in the Church (not the building), but the people (Christians). He dwells in the hearts of those who have given their lives to Christ (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

God wants to fill you with His life and peace this morning!