#DailyDevotion Jesus Killed & Abrogated The Whole Law Which Separated Jew & Gentile, Man & God
Eph. 2:13-22 130nce you were far away, but now in Christ Jesus the blood of Christ has brought you near. 14He is our Peace: In His flesh He has made the Jew and the non-Jew one by breaking down the wall of hostility that kept them apart 15and by putting away the Law with its rules and regulations, in order to make the Jew and the non-Jew in Himself one new man (so making peace) 16and to make both in one body friends with God by His cross, on which He killed the hostility.
Ephesus was like the New York or Los Angeles of the Roman Empire. It was a great big melting pot of civilizations, People brought with them the worship of many gods but the main one of the city was Dianna. There were Jews who were there as well. When Paul preached Jesus Christ there many of the Jews came to faith in Jesus. Many of the pagans there who practiced magical arts, worshiped pagan idols, and the like also believe in Jesus Christ through the word he preached. You could not have two more vastly different people.
The Jews of course had the Torah in which the LORD made them a distinct people if they listened to him and did everything he commanded them to do. On top of that, the Jews had all their customs handed down to them through their fathers. The pagans also had their festivals and practices. The Jews, because they had the Torah and knowledge of the one true God were near. The pagans who were ignorant of God were far away. Now in Christ these two groups were brought together.
It was in Christ Jesus, through his blood, the pagans were brought near to God. To tell you the truth, in Christ Jesus the Jews were brought near too because the traditions of their fathers had put a wall between them and their God. Both now, through the blood of Jesus are able, like the high priest, enter the Holy of Holies in heaven above and approach the mercy seat, the throne of God with boldness and confidence.
Jesus is our Peace. He made peace between Jew and non-Jew and man and God by breaking down the wall of hostility that kept them apart. That wall was the Torah with all its rules and regulations. Jesus had by shedding his blood and establishing a new covenant, since the Israelites broke the first covenant, which abrogated the first covenant. Jesus’ life, death and resurrection fulfilled, completed, the first covenant which the Israelites and the Jews never did and never would do.
In putting away the Torah (Law) by his blood, Jesus killed the hostility between the two and made one new man and made peace between the two. Now in Christ there is just the people of God. There are not Jewish Christians and Goy Christians. There are just Christians. There should be nothing that separates us in Christ Jesus. On top of that, through the cross of Jesus, the hostility, the enmity between God and man has been put away. Jesus killed the hostility that existed between God and man which was in Law because the Law made us all lawbreakers (both Jews and Goy[non-Jews]). We are one with each other and one with God through faith in Jesus Christ.
Heavenly Father, you sent Jesus to unite all humanity as one in him and one with you through faith in his blood on the cross. Grant us such faith so we may be at peace with one another and with you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.