His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.

Ephesians 2:15 – 16

I am amazed when I begin to see the radical nature of the work of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  This is not some hidden personal piety.  It is as public as the noonday sun, if not brighter.  In Christ God is creating a new humanity of Jews and Gentiles, marked by peace between them, a miracle indeed.  That unity is possible only because the Cross of Christ.  Jews and Gentiles can not just shake hands and there is unity.  No, the unity spoken of here is an amazing phenomenon.

How about us, here and now, in the midst of pulling and tugging, trying to survive in a struggling, splintered world?  It is no different from there in Ephesus two thousand or so years ago.  The conflict is the same and the answer is the same, Jesus!  He came for many reasons, the one we are now considering is making a new humanity of competing humanities, making peace.  How is that possible?  The revelation is clear, it is possible because Jesus hung and died on that Cross where Jesus shed his blood to bring the war to an end.  How?  We are reconciled by the same blood, that of Jesus Christ.

I am a new creation!  You also.  It is in this that we rejoice and live our lives here on earth, new people in a new body, the Body of Christ.  Is that not the best possible news?  Yes, and it is true.  We have seen it happen and in Christ it continues throughout our world, today.