Our world is torn by conflict and strife. Wherever one looks countries are at war with one another. People of different religions are at one another’s throats. Uncounted lives are lost because of racial and tribal hatreds. There is conflict between the poor and rich. The cycle of hatred and violence has been going on for thousands of years. The prophet Jeremiah referring to the situation of his day wrote, “We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of healing, and behold, dismay!” (Jeremiah 8:15)
Is there no hope? Can peace ever be achieved? In his inspired letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul assures us that it can. Peace is possible through Jesus Christ. In verses 14 through 18 of chapter 2 Paul writes, “For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition, having abolished in the flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace; and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility thereby. He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near. For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.”
This short passage describes how Jesus has made it possible not only to be at peace with one another, but also with God. In order to understand how Christ brings peace, it is first necessary to recall the causes of division. In verses 11 and 12 Paul pointed out that the reason for hostility between the Jewish people and non-Jews was racial and religious pride. The Mosaic Law, and particularly the rite of circumcision, became a cause of division and disharmony. But Jesus destroyed the barrier caused by the physical act of circumcision by another physical act. His death fulfilled the Law thus removing it, and the circumcision it commanded, as a barrier between people. Because of what Christ has done, the Mosaic Law no longer applies. In God’s eyes everyone is now equal. Where there is equality, mutual hostility is replaced by oneness. Division gives way to harmony.
Hostility between people is really only a reflection of the more serious disharmony between man and God. The cause of disharmony with God is the “transgressions and sins” which Paul mentioned in verse 1. By choosing to sin, people have deliberately turned away from God who is holy. As the prophet Isaiah wrote, “Behold, Yahweh’s [that is, the Lord’s] hand is not shortened, that it can’t save; neither his ear heavy, that it can’t hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:1-2) By His death on the cross, Jesus paid the penalty for man’s sin and so through the cross is able to reconcile those who accept His sacrifice on their behalf to God. As Paul writes in another place, “For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him; and through him to reconcile all things to himself, by him, whether things on the earth, or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:19-20)
Reconciliation with God through Christ is not limited to any particular group of people or race. Paul writes that Christ “preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near.” (verse 17) By comparing this statement with what Paul had already said in verses 11 through 13 it is clear that those who were ‘far away’ refers to non-Jewish people, while those who were ‘near’ refers to the Jews. Paul’s statement looks back to what Isaiah had prophesied hundreds of years before, ““…Peace, peace, to him who is far off and to him who is near,” says Yahweh [that is, the Lord]; “and I will heal them.”” (Isaiah 57:19) God’s words written by Isaiah specifically applied to the people of Israel, but Paul is not misusing them when he applies them to non-Jewish people as well, for in referring to Christ the prophet Zechariah also wrote, “…he will speak peace to the nations: and his dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.” (Zechariah 9:10)
But how can this be true? How can Paul write that Jesus preached peace when Jesus himself said, “Don’t think that I came to send peace on the earth. I didn’t come to send peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34) On another occasion he said, “Do you think that I have come to give peace in the earth? I tell you, no, but rather division.” (Luke 12:51)
The answer to this apparent contradiction is Paul’s statement that peace and reconciliation are achieved through Christ’s cross. It is only when people accept the sacrifice that Christ has made on their behalf that peace results. It is in this context which Jesus’ words about bringing a sword and division can be understood. Jesus also said, “…I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) But if people reject the sacrifice which Jesus made for them on the cross, the alternative is division and the sword. For example, “When he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you, even you, had known today the things which belong to your peace!… For the days will come on you, when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you… They will not leave in you one stone on another, because you didn’t know the time of your visitation.”” (Luke 19:41-44) But to his followers Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, give I to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.” (John 14:27) He also said, “I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have oppression; but cheer up! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) The question is: Have we accepted Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf? Or do we reject the cross?
In verse 18 Paul writes that both the Jewish and non-Jewish followers of Christ have access to the Father, that is God, by one Spirit. From this we learn that God not only grants the followers of Christ the privilege of being in God’s household but that He treats each one, regardless of their ethnic background, equally. All have access to God. This access is granted through Christ by means of the Holy Spirit. One result is that the followers of Christ may approach God anywhere. They do not have to be in a particular place, or bow toward a particular geographic location in order to bring their requests to God. As Jesus explained to a lady who had asked about this, “…the hour comes, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will you worship the Father… the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:21-24) Is that how we approach God?