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Takeaways

We have come to celebrate the critical event in our Christian faith—the resurrection of Jesus! 

We have historically learned many things about the resurrection and why it was important – without it, Christianity would not exist.

Yet we often come to the cross and stop there. Yes, Jesus’ death is foundational to theology.  But in this passage in Ephesians, we see something even beyond the cross that His resurrection helped to seal: 

The creation in Himself one new man in place of two, making peace, reconciling us BOTH to GOD, and in one body with each other, killing the hostility.

When Paul was writing this, there was a strong division between the Jews and the Gentiles.  An imperfect analogy is an intense rivalry between two teams, such as Clemson and South Carolina. The Jews felt there were certain rules to follow to have a life with God.  But because of Jesus rising from the dead, He abolished the commandments and ordinances of religion as the way to God.  Instead, He “broke down the dividing wall of hostility.”

If you believe in Christ as Savior, not only are you saved individually, but you are part of a greater family – WE have been saved by grace.

This is accomplished only by the Holy Spirit, not our good works.  Ephesians can be confusing because the first three chapters establish a robust theology, but the final three chapters seem to be a list of rules.  That seems contradictory, doesn’t it?

However, the theology leads to a natural response. The list of rules doesn’t save us; instead, honoring these life and relationship principles demonstrates an outpouring of the life-giving Spirit of God and the natural behavior that comes from having that life.  (Not unlike the sweet things you do when falling in love with someone – it comes naturally because of what is in your heart for them.)

We’ll discover more about all this later in the book, but for today …

Let’s rejoice that because Jesus is alive, providing salvation by grace alone, God has already torn down walls of hostility – we just need to SEE it that way and let the love of God build us all, across denominational lines, into one holy temple of God, where this life-giving Spirit defines our DNA.

Reflection Prompters / Suggested Homework

Read through the book of Ephesians this week and mark it on your bookmark.* We are encouraging you to read through the book 10 times during the 13-week series.  You may also wish to review the additional texts used this week.  We also suggest you read Act 19 for more context about what was happening in Ephesus then.

How does the resurrection of Jesus go beyond the forgiveness of individual sins to impact our relationships with others?

Reflect on how the resurrection contributes to unity and reconciliation between people, as mentioned in the passage.

What “dividing walls of hostility” exist in your life or community, and how might the truth of the resurrection help tear them down?

Consider personal or societal divisions that the Spirit of God wants to heal.

How does understanding salvation by grace challenge the tendency to rely on good works or religious rules?

Think about your own beliefs or behaviors—do you ever fall into legalism rather than living by grace?

What does it mean to you to be part of a “greater family” in Christ?

How does this shape your identity and your connection to others in the Church?

In what ways can your daily actions reflect the “natural outpouring” of a life transformed by the Spirit of God?

Reflect on how love, like the kind you give when you’re “falling in love,” can naturally express your faith.