Slices
Prepare
Use Psalm 27:4 to help you focus in this time with God.
Bible passage
Jew and Gentile reconciled through Christ
11 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) – 12 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. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 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, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Explore
At the Jerusalem Temple, Gentiles were allowed into the outer court, but then they encountered a stone wall called the Soreg. Along it, signs warned Gentiles, on pain of death, not to cross the divide. This physical barrier was a literal ‘dividing wall of hostility’ (v 14) between Jews and Gentiles. It came down when the Temple was destroyed in ad 70, but this passage tells us that its power was broken decades earlier.
Movement through each temple court led progressively closer to God, whose presence was represented by the ark of the covenant in the holiest place. Through Jesus, torn apart on the cross, both Jews and Gentiles now have ‘access to the Father’ (v 18). The Gospels point to this by saying that, when Jesus died, the curtain in the temple was torn in two (see Matthew 27:50,51). Now, following Christ’s ascension, the church is the new temple where God and humanity meet, and God’s glory dwells (v 21).
I wonder whether we lose sight of the cross’s profound impact on our human relationships. The way is now open for everyone, including the people who are most unlike me, whom I find difficult or distasteful. They are no longer ‘them’, but ‘us’, not strangers but members of the same household (v 19). All Christians are part of God’s ‘new humanity’ (v 15).
Respond
Note the earthiness of Jesus’ death (‘blood... flesh… body’, vs 13,15,16). How does today’s reading need to be earthed in my relationships? Is there someone I need to reach out to?
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Ezekiel 24,25; 1 Peter 3
Pray for Scripture Union
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Help children discover the heart of Christmas
Give children more than the excitement of Christmas. Help them discover the hope, joy and good news of Jesus through fun, engaging and easy-to-use resources for children, families, churches and schools.
Whether you’re planning a Christmas event, session, gift or outreach, these resources make it simple to share the true meaning of Christmas in ways children can connect with and remember.
Ready to share the heart of Christmas?
🎄 Find your Christmas resources
📘 Also available from your local Christian bookshop.
