“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility…”
Ephesians 2:13-14
Can you remember a time when you were or felt like you were far off from God, a season in which maybe you ignored Him or just didn’t really care about following His ways? I certainly can, and let me tell you that it wasn’t pretty.
Can I indulge a little bit of my story with you? Growing up, my family was one of those families that attended mass a few times a year; always on Christmas and Easter, and a few other random Sundays throughout the year. But when my parents split when I was eleven, church ceased to exist. It was a distant, not-so-fond memory.
See, my experience in church as a child had been about the rules, the to-do’s, and the forced attendance. Please notice that I said nothing about a relationship. No, my experience was almost completely void of the relational aspect of who God is, and in being able to look back now, I believe that is what turned me off from church. So when my parents split up, I had no desire to go again because I didn’t know the love, grace, or kindness of God.
If we were to flash forward, you would see that from that point, I ignored, disregarded, and flat-out denied that God was out there, let alone that He even existed.
Over the next seven years, I did whatever I wanted, which I’m sure you can imagine led to a lot of stupid decisions; a lot of mistakes. Yet through that season, I believe that He still loved, protected, and pursued me. When I was seventeen, a senior in high school, God got my attention big time as He showed Himself to me in a way I never could have imagined possible, and the last ten years of walking with Him have been the greatest adventure. It hasn’t necessarily been easy, but I can say that it has been worth it. He has helped get me out of my comfort zone and take big risks, and as a result I have watched Him provide time and time again. And He has given me gifts that I never had when I was doing my own thing: joy, hope, and incredible peace.
I was once (very) far off, but Jesus brought me near by meeting me in my mess — which is absolutely something He continues to do in my life — and by making me His.
He did this in living His life here on earth and sacrificing Himself on our behalf, so that we could live in connection with the Father. In His sacrifice, the covenant of old was abolished and a new one was established; one that declared grace, grace, grace. When Jesus breathed His last upon the cross, the veil in the temple was torn in two, right down the middle, signifying that all believers could now have a direct line to God. We don’t need a mediator or an interpreter. Jesus is our intercessor, and we can dwell in the presence of God because of that. We are brought near by Jesus, and that gives me all of the peace I could ever need.
In this sweet season of Advent, may we remember the gravity of what Jesus’ birth really means. Just as you and I did, He came as a baby, yet His story meant being born in what one might consider the least peaceful of places: a dirty, open manger, surrounded by all sorts of farm animals, in the middle of the night. And yet He is our peace. How beautiful is that?
When things are hard, chaotic, or out of our control, He continues to remain our peace.
I pray that you are able to soak that in today. Let Him wash over you with peace was you sit in His presence, as He is our ultimate source of peace.
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