Double Duty
The Jewish nation expected a messiah to free them from their enemies. The Gentile world needed a savior to free them from the promise of death. God saw a world of sin without a savior and sent His Son to eliminate the penalty of sin for both parties. Neither side had a clue as to what God was doing.
The Israelites were lost in a quest of national identity rather than a right relationship with God, and the Gentiles were lost in their unbelief in the one true God. The two peoples were at odds with each other and both were at odds with God.
What God did in Jesus was to solve both divisions. In Jesus, He removed the barrier between Jews and Gentiles, and in Jesus He invited the Gentiles to be a part of His kingdom. The barrier was the law of Moses, called ‘the dividing wall of hostility’ by Paul in the Ephesian letter (2:14). Paul tells the church and us that Jesus abolished the law and then created one new man instead of the two thus making peace for all.
Jew and Gentile in Christ became one new man. Both can become citizens in the household of God. This is through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus’ sacrifice took away the sins of both groups of people and made them one in Him. One death, one cross and Jew and Gentile are reconciled to God. “Praise God for His unspeakable gift.” (2 Corinthians 9:15)
Task for Today: Claim and proclaim the victory in Jesus whether you are Jew or Gentile.
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