Ephesians 2:11-22 Unity
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Paul the Silent Years
Paul the Silent Years
Saul of Tarsus comes back to Jerusalem and begins to teach and proclaim Jesus. They send him back to Tarsus
36 AD to 46 AD
Tarsus is where the family business was. They were tent makers.
Imagine Paul coming back home to a Pharisee home and he has been radically changed by the Gospel.
I thought of a more light hearted example of what this might look like today
Last year, I was doing school pickup for our children. We picked up Lukas and Kylie started in on the best QB of all time. It was around Super Bowl time.
Of course, Kylie said the greatest QB of all time was Patrick Mahomes
Lukas was not having it. He had been influenced by his parents and so he said NO it’s Tom Brady.
Zaden was like it’s Payten Manning
Kylie just keeps going and talking of cheating and all kinds of things.
This did not happen but imagine with me that we get back to the church and Lukas goes to his dad and says to him dad.
I have been thinking and I want you to know that Tom Brady is in fact not the greatest QB of all time. I have spent some time with Kylie and I now know the truth that Pat Mahomes is the greatest QB of all time.
Now dad I can show you how I came to this conclusion and if you listen to me you can see how we can both love football together.
Again super light hearted example and not even close to comparable to Saul going home to Tarsus and sharing how Jesus is King. Jesus is the Messiah. All the Old Testament points to Jesus.
Imagine the shock of his family and his people.
I believe this to some degree is what we ask our students who come on Wednesday nights to go home and tell their parents.
I believe this is what we ask our community to embrace as well as the church transforms different areas of the community. We are asking them to embrace Jesus as King.
Let’s see this in Ephesians 2 today.
11 So then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh—called “the uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised,” which is done in the flesh by human hands.
Writing to Gentiles. Remember you were Gentiles in the flesh
You were the outsiders.
Gentiles = the uncircumcised
Jews = the circumcised
Which is done by human hands
The Gentile god’s were crafted by human hands.
In an effort for unity, perhaps he is eluding to the Jews making something done by human hands their god. The law is not God. The law points us to God. Many Jews elevating the law to God rather than allowing the law to point them to King Jesus.
12 At that time you were without the Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
You were without
The Messiah
The Ephesians worshipped the goddess, Diana and, before the coming of the Gospel, knew nothing about Christ.
Paul says without Christ the Ephesians were in a tragic state.
Citizenship of Israel
God called the Jews and built them into a nation. He gave them his laws and His blessings.
Covenants of the promise
The promise to the Jews, the promise of the Messiah was involved in the covenants with Abraham and the patriarchs. Genesis 17, 26, 28 and Exodus 24.
Hope
Historians tell us that a great cloud of hopelessness covered the ancient world. Philosophies were empty; traditions were disappearing; religions were powerless to help men face either life or death.
Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 22.
God
The spiritual plight of the Gentiles was not caused by God but by their own turning away from God. This is the story of mankind from the beginning. Knowing the goodness of God and yet turning away from Him to follow things that are not God.
13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah.
Here comes good news!
but now
In Christ Jesus in who?
you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah.
Temple language. Blood signified life. Blood was used in the temple to cleanse to purify. Blood meant life.
You who were far away have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah.
This is God’s gracious intervention on behalf of lost sinners.
14 For He is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In His flesh,
He is our peace
watch the reconciliation that happens
This is the moment Lukas comes home and starts to explain how we can all be football fans so to speak
He made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility.
Sign that said no Gentiles beyond this point or else it is punishable by death
In His flesh. Jesus has taken that pain of division.
Reconciliation of Jew and Gentile
15 He made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that He might create in Himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace.
The law was being used to keep the Gentile’s out. That was not the intent of the Law. The law was to bring the Israelites to Holiness and through this all nations would be blessed.
Instead the Jews have taken the law and used it for their own advantage.
The Law points us to King Jesus
So that he might create in Himself one new man from the two resulting in peace.
UNITY
Bringing the Jew and the Gentile together in the Messiah
16 He did this so that He might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross and put the hostility to death by it.
He did this so
He might reconcile both to God in one body
through
the cross
and put the hostility to death by it.
17 When the Messiah came, He proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
good news of peace to you (poverty is rooted in broken relationships)
Gentile = who were far away
Jew = who were near
18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
Temple language again. Through Jesus we both have access by one spirit to the Father. Beautiful
19 So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household,
Now you are no longer without but you are
fellow citizens with the saints, members of God’s household
20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.
Jesus Psalm 118 that he quoted
Jesus is the one who holds the whole story together.
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Five: The Great Peace Mission (Ephesians 2:11–22)
In the Book of Genesis, God “walked” with His people (Gen. 5:22, 24; 6:9); but in Exodus, He decided to “dwell” with His people (Ex. 25:8). God dwelt in the tabernacle (Ex. 40:34–38) until Israel’s sins caused “the glory to depart” (1 Sam. 4). Then God dwelt in the temple (1 Kings 8:1–11); but, alas, again Israel sinned and the glory departed (Ezek. 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, the temple of God. God does not dwell in man-made temples, including church buildings (Acts 7:48–50). He dwells in the hearts of those who have trusted Christ (1 Cor. 6:19–20), and in the church collectively (Eph. 2:20–22).
21 The whole building, being put together by Him, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord.
22 You also are being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.
Conclusion
Thursday bringing together rural pastors
Closing prayers