Jesus Is Our Peace

Hello there, welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. The devotional for today is titled Jesus is Our Peace, and it was written by Con Campbell. A monk named Telemachus lived a quiet life, but his death at the end of the fourth century changed the world. Visiting Rome from the east, Telemachus intervened in the bloodsport of the gladiatorial arena. He jumped over the stadium wall and tried to stop the gladiators from killing each other, but the outraged crowd stoned the monk to death.

The emperor, Honorius, however, was moved by Telemachus' act and decreed the end of the 500-year practice of gladiator games. When Paul calls Jesus our peace, in Ephesians chapter 2, he refers to the end of hostility between Jews and Gentiles. God's chosen people, Israel, were distinct from the nations and enjoyed certain privileges. For instance, while Gentiles were allowed to worship at the Jerusalem temple, a dividing wall restricted them to the outer court on punishment of death. Jews regarded Gentiles unclean, and they experienced mutual hostility. But now, because of Jesus' death and resurrection for all, both Jew and Gentile can worship God freely through faith in Him. There's no dividing wall.

There's no privilege of one group over the other. Both are equal in their standing before God. Just as Telemachus brought peace to warriors through his death, so Jesus makes peace and reconciliation possible for all who believe in Him through His death and resurrection. So if Jesus is our peace, let's not let our differences divide us. He's made us one by His blood.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from the Epistle of Ephesians chapter 2 verses 11 through 22. Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called uncircumcised by those who call themselves the circumcision which is done in the body by human hands, remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now, in Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in His flesh the law with its commands and regulations.

His purpose was to create in Himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross by which He put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near, for through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of His household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit. Now let's pray. Dear God, thank you for breaking down the wall of hostility between us through Jesus' death on the cross and for bringing peace to all who will put their faith and trust in Him. Help us today to live fully in the freedom that you've given us and tell others about what Jesus has done so that they can live in that same freedom with you as well. And it's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.