“…For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility…His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.” -Ephesians 2:11-22

Jesus’ purpose in coming and dying on the cross was to bring us together in unity. At the cross he created ‘one new man out of the two.’ He came to bring peace.

The context of course is the Jew-Gentile division of that time. It’s true that God chose the Jews to reveal himself and made a covenant with them. But they were to be a blessing to the world, and lost that vision. They came to see themselves as exclusively God’s people, and Gentiles as ‘dogs.’ The wall in the Temple of that time exemplified the division. Gentiles could only look from far away and did not have access to the Temple. Their experience was one of alienation and exclusion. But Jesus came to knock that wall down.

It’s a terrible thing to experience alienation; to be put on a reservation, to have to ride on the back of the bus, to be a second class citizen. Perhaps we can all identify at some level what it is like to be excluded, to be an outsider. It’s not a good feeling.

It really goes back to Genesis 3 and the fall of mankind. There we read of Adam and Eve becoming alienated from God and from each other; Mankind hiding from God and feeling shame with each other. And history evidenced this as murder and violence entered the creation.

What a beautiful thing to be reconciled to God and to each other. It was at the cross that Jesus made it possible for us to be reconciled to God and then to each other. Once we were alienated, but now have peace with God. (Eph. 4:18, Col. 1:21) We have access to God through Jesus our High Priest. (Hebrews 10:19-22)

We are also reconciled to each other. We are able to have peace and experience unity in Christ. We are able to forgive and have mutual respect for each other. There are no longer any divisions in Christ. (Gal. 3:26-29) At North Shore the leadership is absolutely committed to unity – because Jesus is. To not live out the unity that Jesus desires is to disrespect the cross. This does not mean uniformity, but unity. Unity respects the beauty of diversity.

The result of being reconciled to God and each other is that we are now citizens – not outsiders. We are part of God’s temple. We are part of the family of God. We belong. Reality often doesn’t seem to fit this grand ideal. But that is the beauty of God’s grace – it’s because of Christ alone. And God is not finished with us yet but continues to shape us and develop us. (Phil. 1:3-6) May we live out the unity that Christ came to create: one new man – no divisions.

Pastor Tim, August 19, 2007