Christ’s death and blood
not only brought reconciliation between Gentiles and God, but also Jews and
Gentiles. Bear in mind that Paul was writing to Gentiles who embraced the
Lordship of Christ. For the longest time, Gentiles were excluded from the
special relationship that God and Israel had. That was never God’s intention.
No race or person was to be more superior then the other. When God chose Israel
and had a covenant relationship with them, the goal was to bless every nation
through them.
The Jews failed in their
mission by making themselves exclusive and brought about the division between them
and the Gentiles. Their mistaken zeal about their moral and racial purity made
them consciously kept outsiders away. They even erected a wall as a barrier to
keep Gentiles out of the inner Jewish courtyards of the temple. Notices were
put up to warn trespassers that they would be executed. Paul here refers to it
as ‘the dividing wall of hostility’
But the work of the Lord Jesus
Christ had destroyed this ‘wall’ and made peace between Gentiles and Jews - those
who were far away refer to the Gentiles and those who were near, the Jews. It
is through the Lord Jesus and His reconciling work on the cross, both Jews and
Gentiles have access to God the Father.
Through Christ’s work, peace
broke through. The hostility between Jews and Gentiles came to an end in Christ.
He had broken down the dividing wall of hostility and made peace with God for
both Jews and Gentiles. This peace Paul spoke about was not brought about by
circumcision or observing diet or keeping clean. It is a peace brought about by
Christ’s death for both the sins of Jews and Gentiles. Instead of two groups,
Jews or Gentiles, there is only one people, one new community that Christ died
for. This is God’s new society.
This peace of Christ also overcomes
other divisions. He brought equality between men and women and different social
groups. In Christ, believers are no longer divided by race or sex, education or
position. All true believers are united by their faith in Christ. So Gentiles are
no longer outsiders. They had also become fellow citizens of God’s kingdom, and
brothers and sisters in the family of God. Furthermore, Gentile believers had also
become the living stones that God would also use to build the true temple of
God, the church.
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