Sermon Tone Analysis

We are living in a world of differences that leads to a world of division and destruction.

We live in a world with political differences that keep America and the rest of the world on edge of war and continual strife.

We live in an ever deepening societal difference with homosexuality, abortion, co-habitation.

We live in a world where the family and even the church now is being destroyed and divided because of these differences.

The church is becoming ever divided over worship styles, types of music, dress codes, doctrinal beliefs and Bible translations.

Paul is trying to teach us this morning that when we are “in Christ” and come together as a church and leave as church, these differences should be put to death.

We should be living testimonies that unity and peace can exist in this evil world.

The resurrection, that we are celebrating today is the seal and God’s approval on the accomplishment of Christ to accomplish this tremendous feat.

In Jesus Christ, there is a oneness that brings all believers together on common ground of faith in Jesus Christ.

For those who might be joining us for the first time this morning, I would like to bring you to where we are in a study of the book of Ephesians entitled “From Rags to Riches” and in chapter 2 we have studied the richness of our past and lost condition.

Last week we saw that chapter 2 is dealing with the body of Christ and how that it is composed of both redeemed Jews and Gentiles.

These two groups were avowed enemies as we saw last week.

Then, verse 13 gives us the glorious news that Jesus, through shedding of his blood, has reached out to those who were lost in sin, and has brought them near to God.

In the passage before us today, Paul teaches us that in Jesus, there is no more Jew or Gentile; there is only Christ and those who are in Him.

Many years ago one of the early church fathers named

Clement of Alexandria said, “We who worship God in a new way, as the third race, are Christians.”

Paul wants us to know that in Jesus, those who were formally at war made to be at peace.

We have peace with both men and with God in Jesus Christ.

Christ is our Peace.

As we work through this passage this morning, I want you to remember that the resurrection was the guarantee of God that what Jesus Christ accomplished was accepted.

What Easter Destroys

Ephesians 2:14–15 (KJV 1900)

14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

When Paul says, “He is our peace,” he is telling us that Jesus is the ground of peace for both the Jew and the Gentile.

In other words, the Jews could never earn peace with God through their rituals, their sacrifices, or their attempts at keeping the Law.

Regardless of what they did, they would still be sinners in His sight.

By the same token, the Gentiles had no way to even approach God, so they had no hope of securing peace with Him through any means.

What the Law could not do; what the sacrifices could not accomplish, what works of the flesh could not make a reality; Jesus did accomplished when He died on the cross.

We are told that Jesus “hath broken down the middle wall of partition”.

The phrase “broken down” means “to dissolve something coherent into parts; to destroy.”

In dying, Jesus brought some things to an abrupt end.

Notice what He destroyed when He died.

Social Wall

Paul mentions “the middle wall of partition.”

This refers to the wall that stood between the Court of the Gentiles and the Court of Israel in the ancient temple.

This wall was about 4 feet tall, with several openings.

Archeologists have recovered a sign that once hung on that wall.

In fact, history teaches us that the same sign hung beside every entrance into the Jewish area of the Temple.

Those signs were written in Hebrew, Greek and Latin.

The signs said: “No foreigner may enter within the barricade which surrounds the sanctuary and enclosure.

Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuing death.”

That sign was symbolic of the division that existed between the Jew and the Gentile.

They were on opposite sides of a great social wall, and there was no common ground between them.

When Jesus died, He dismantled that wall and brought the Jew and the Gentile together in Himself.

In Jesus, there is no Jew and there is no Gentile.

There is only the Christian, the redeemed believer in Christ.

Notice a couple of powerful verses that teach this truth.

Colossians 3:11 (KJV 1900)

11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

Galatians 3:28 (KJV 1900)

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

This does not mean that we lose our national, religious, social or sexual identity in Christ.

It simply means that no person has any advantage over any other person.

In Christ, there is only believer and unbeliever!

That should cause us to examine our prejudices a little more carefully.

We are better than no one else in the eyes of Jesus.

Jesus Christ destroys social walls!

Spiritual Wall

Ephesians 2:15 (KJV 1900)

15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

Verse 15 says, “Having abolished in His flesh the enmity.”

the word “enmity” means “hostility.”

The source of the “enmity” between the Jew and the Gentile rested in “the law of commandments, contained in the ordinances.”

The Jews despised the Gentiles because they dishonored and disregarded the Law of God.

The Gentiles despised the Jews because they sought to keep the Law.

The Jews with their strict dietary laws, their laws of dress, and their laws governing every aspect of their social and religious lives hated the Gentiles who lived outside the Law and did as they pleased.

The Law stood as a great wall of division between the two groups.

While there was great hostility between the Jew and the Gentile, and between all kinds of people for all kinds of reasons for that matter, the greatest hostility existed between God and man.

All men, regardless of whether they were Jews or Gentiles, were sinners and stood guilty before a Holy God, Rom.

3:10–23.

They were all guilty of violating His Law, thus they were all destined to face His wrath, Rom.

6:23.

Here is what the Jews never considered, and what the Gentiles never knew,

When Jesus Christ came and died on the cross, He tore down the social walls between the Jews and the Gentiles, and He tore down the spiritual walls between lost sinners and holy God.

Jesus Christ takes both Jews and Gentiles “to make in Himself one new man.”

The Lord took these two people groups who were so opposite, and so opposed to one another, and created a brand new person.

He takes sinners and makes from them the “Body of Christ.”

In Christ, our differences disappear.

We are made right with God, apart from the deeds of the Law, and we are made right with one another.

In Jesus, everything that stands between people is destroyed.

In Jesus, everything that stands between sinners and God is destroyed.

Paul says that Jesus Christ “abolished in His flesh the enmity.”

The word “abolished” means “to render inoperative; to deprive of force or power.”

In other words, by fully keeping the Law of God, Jesus fulfilled the Law of God.

Now,

Through His death, Jesus has rendered the Law inoperative.

It holds no claim over us any longer.

We are free from its power to condemn.

It serves the purpose of exposing our sins.

The Law serves as a necessary teacher to bring us to Jesus,

And, in Jesus,

In Him, we are freed from the Law!

Romans 6:14 (KJV 1900)

14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Praise God this morning for Easter and His Resurrection!

What Easter Does

Having told us what Jesus destroyed, Paul now tells us how He did it, and what He did when He for us in what He did.

Ephesians 2:16 (KJV 1900)

16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

Reconciles

The word “reconcile” means, “to bring to a state of harmony.”