#DailyDevotion Through The Blood Of Jesus Both Jew And Gentile Are Israel

Eph. 2:11 Remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Probably because culturally we are still Christians here in the west, that we do not realize our precarious state as unbelievers in the west. But in Paul’s time the division and the difference between Jews and Gentiles and the God of Israel could not be more stark. Paul reminds the Gentile believers that at one time they were separated from Christ. Indeed anyone who does not believe in Christ is separated from Christ including unbelieving Jews who are religious but do not have faith in Jesus.

Not only were they and us, at one time separated from Christ, we were also alienated from the commonwealth of Israel. That is to say because the lack of the sign of the covenant with Abraham we and they had no rights as citizens of Israel. We had no claim on the Living God nor the people of Israel. If Israel were a power all we could claim was equal treatment under the law of Moses. But now, even unbelieving Jews, i.e non-Christian Jews have cut themselves off from the commonwealth of Israel which is why both John and Jesus called them and us to be baptized into a baptism of repentance.

We were strangers to the covenants of promise and had no hope and were without God in the world. As non-Israelites, we were not included in the covenants the Lord made with Abraham and with Israel on the mountain. We did not know of the promises the Lord had attached himself to binding himself to Israel. We did not worship the Living God of creation but rather worshiped creation and followed the vain philosophies of our minds.

But now! In Christ Jesus we who were far off are brought near by the blood of Christ. How did we get in Christ Jesus? Through faith in Christ and baptism. Indeed, now both Jew and Gentile are made one in Christ Jesus through baptism where we both are covered with the blood of Christ. His blood sprinkled on us gives both Jew and Gentile a clean conscience. Now through the blood of Christ given us in the Lord’s Supper, the sign of the New Testament, the Lord calls himself our God and we his people. Our sins are forgiven us and remembered no more. Now in the New Testament instituted by and through Jesus’ blood, he gives us his Holy Spirit who writes God’s laws upon our hearts and we begin to know the Lord and carry out his will in our lives. This is the great mystery Paul often talks about but has been revealed to us, God makes all Israel, both Jew and Gentile, those who have faith in Jesus Christ, the Lord and are baptized into his name. This is a very big thing.

Gracious God and Father, through the blood of Jesus you make both Jew and Gentile one holy people Israel. Grant us faith in Jesus Christ and through the tokens of the New Testament, baptism and the Lord’s Supper that we may be citizens of Israel now and in the world to come. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.