..and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by having put to death the enmity. (Eph.2.16)
The first place in the Bible we can read about enmity is in Genesis 3.15, where God told the serpent: I will put enmity between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise you on the head , and you shall bruise him on the heel.
Because of sin the death came into all mankind because they all were sinning ( Rom.6.23: The wages of sin is death) Then God needed to find a man with whom he could cooperate to carry out His salvation plan. He found Abraham who was getting the great ancestor of the Jews. The Jews as a people grew up for God to show them His love and care and through them give the salvation to all mankind; all the peoplegroups and tribes on the earth.
Among the Jews God gave the ten commandments and established the priesthood and the tabernacle( later on the temple); clearly showing that without blood there is no forgiveness. Forgiveness could not be given without another life being offered through blood being shed: Even in the old testament salvation was given by grace through blood...
In Leviticus 17.11 and Hebrew 9.22 we clearly read about the principle of the blood. The service of the priests in the old testament was built around this principle. God himself stands behind this principle. He said: I have given you the blood on the altar for atonement for your souls (Leviticus 17.11)
God established a way for forgiveness for the Jews: God was the God of the Jews and not for the Gentiles, not because the Jews were so special in theirselves but because Abraham was their ancestor. He established all the ordinances in the temple for the Jews because of the covenant He had made with Abraham. But the progressive salvationplan of God did not stop there; His goal was to establish a way of salvation for all men through letting His own son be born as human being, among the Jews as a Jew. He came Himself to be the sinoffer, because all other offerings could not delete the sin; they were only symbols for what should come later and were pointing profetic forward to the death of the son of God and the son of men( Jesus was both in one).
..Hebrew 9.9:....which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshipper perfect in conscience, ....
The service of the priesthood in the old testament was preliminary. The covenant between God and the Jews was a forrunner of a better covenant that should be for all mankind. Another priest should come to offer the perfect offer. Hebrew 8.13: When He said, A new covenant. he made the first absolete. But whatever is becoming absolete and growing old is ready to disappear.
Jesus said when he lifted the cup in his last meal with the disciples: This is the new covenant in my blood.
The deviding wall and the enmity was about that some were a part of the covenant and some were outside. Some had their ordinances for salvation and some didn't have. God was the God of Abraham, Isac and Jacob (The Jews) because of the covenant. But something more were going to happen...
Through being the sinoffer, Jesus died instead of you and me and because he was a man who was not guilty himself His death was sufficient before God on behalf of us. He was a sinoffer for all human beings; all mankind. Through His work we were reconciled and can have free entrance before God the father. Despite of all different backround we have free access at same level. But we all have to enter through Christ who is the only way.
On the cross he nullified all the old system with belonging ordinances which was necessary to get forgiveness before;it means also the service in the temple. Ephesians 2.15: by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make two into one in a new man, thus establishing peace.
On the cross he was the sinoffer that was needy to get all peoplegroups and all mankind back in relationship with God.
After he had been the sinoffer, he raised from death to enter before God as highpriest for all mankind; all peoplegroups; all tribes. He brought His own blood into the real heaven all the way into the Holy of Holiest in the Heavenly temple, having obtained eternal redemtion (Hebrew 9.12).
The great result of what Jesus did through His death and ressurection, we see the early beginning of in Second chapter of Acts.The church which is the body of Christ was born. Both Jews and gentiles can recieve the gift of salvation and be a part of this body, through recieving Christ as saviour and Lord; means being born again.
The enmity is broken once for all. Ephesians 2.18: for through Him we both( Jews and Gentiles) have our access in one Spirit to the father.
In the church there is place for people from all nations, all tribes, all different etnic groups. Jesus made place for us all.
All over the earth, every day, people get reconciled with God . More and more people give their lives to Christ and are getting incorperated in His body.
The difference; that the Jews had access to God and not the Gentiles, was taken away through Jesus hanging on the cross and died there. -One is dead for all, therefore we all are dead. But are we dead with Him, we shall also live with Him!
In Genesis 3.15 we see reed about the enmity which God put between the serpent and the woman, between his seed and the seed of the woman.
It was important for God to show that he didn't accept the sin. He still loved the man, but to have a relationship with him sin needed to be removed.
The seed of the woman is pointing profetic forward to the birth of Christ through the virgin Maria.
When the seed of the woman is put in the ground of our hearts, when we recieve Christ, the great miracle is happening, the enmity inside of us are broken. From being the enemy of God because of the sin we are getting the children of God because of the grace in Christ Jesus.
From being departed from God, we are getting reconciled with Him. From being slave of the sin we are knitted together with God to be His coworkers..
Where Satan is sawing his seed, we get death, destruction, sickness,deceit but where Jesus is sawing his seed we get life and life abondantly.
Summary:
Sin came into the mankind and therfore God was planning to solve this problem.
The darkness was covering the earth, but God wanted that His light should shine in the hearts of men.-The true light which could lighten up every human beings heart came to earth when Jesus was born.
Then God established an exampel: the jews as a new peoplegroup through their ancestor Abraham. Through knowing about their history we can today get deep insight in the principles of God and His salvationplan for all men.
Among the Jews God gave the ten commandments and established the priesthood and temple to clearly show that without blood being shed there will never be any forgiveness for sin.
Jesus was born under the law and brought his body as a sinoffer according to the regulations and ordinances in the old covenant, therefore today all who want can have free acces to God.
The sollution for all kind of enmity is Christ. Sollution = Christ
Think about all kinds of enmity. Maybe it is within you, or within your family, or between your family and another family, or in your neighbourhood, or between your tribe and another tribe....
Jesus is the sollution for allof kind enmities.
Can be your experience!
This is not only theory and can be experienced: God takes out the hearts of stone in men and gives them new hearts instead of the old ones. These hearts are soft and sensible. Then he pours out His love into these hearts (Romans 5.5) By this love it is even possible to love our enemies. About this we read profetic words in Ezekiel 36.26-27 and is repeeted in Hebrew 8.10
