He Is Our Peace

Study of Ephesians

Week 7

Ephesians 2:14-18

At a time in our history where there seems to be strife and division around the world and quite honestly, around the corner, I believe we all want peace right now.

Paul, in Ephesians 2:14-18, focused on a spiritual truth about Christ, who is our peace.  

Let’s read these verses together.

“For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to those who were far away and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.” Ephesians 2:14-18

Take a minute and note how many times the word “peace” is used in this passage.

Peace in our current vocabulary means tranquil, serene, or in harmony. But when Paul used the word “peace”, he was using the same word Jesus used in John 14:27.

Peace, in the Greek, is “eirene (from eiro, ‘to join, tie together into a whole’), in essence, when all essential parts are joined together, peace, (God’s gift of wholeness).”(1)

Peace, God’s gift of being whole.

It is not a feeling or based on circumstances. It is not a destination or a state of mind. No, peace is the fruit of a spiritual condition. We cannot create true peace.  

Referencing our passage, let’s look at several points.  

First, Christ, Himself is our peace. He alone made us whole spiritually.

He “broke down” the dividing wall that separated the Jews and the Gentiles.

History tells us that there was an actual physical wall in the temple that separated the Gentiles from God’s presence. While that wall physically stood until the destruction of the Holy City in AD70, spiritually that wall was eliminated with the death of Christ.

However, our sin was the greatest wall. It separated us from God, but we see in Romans 6:23 how Christ destroyed that wall for Gentiles and Jews.

Second, Jesus did away with the enmity, the conflict, not just between the Gentiles and the Jews, but between all of mankind and God, something the Law could never do.

The Bible tells us that even in our own striving, in our own rule following, we are still not whole without a saving relationship with Christ. Galatians 3:23-29  

Third, Jesus established peace, wholeness of one body, to God through the cross.  John 16:33 recalls the words of Jesus. He spoke of a wholeness spiritually that had never been experienced before. Only through Him can we know real wholeness, real peace.

Fourth, Jesus preached peace to those near and far. “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you, not as the world gives, do I give you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Jn 14:27

Finally, through Him we have access to God through the Holy Spirit.

“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greek; whether slaves or free, and were all made to drink of one Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:13

If you have time, reread our focus passage for today, Ephesians 2:14-18. Replace the word “peace” with the word, “wholeness.”  

Peace, God’s gift of wholeness.

Jesus Christ alone is our peace.

Footnotes:

(1) Ephesians 2:14, Bible Hub.com. Resourced February 2022, https://biblehub.com/lexicon/ephesians/2-14.htm