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Cancel Culture- Says that when we discover something shameful from the past we erase it, but by doing so we will be prone to repeat our mistakes as we have erased all that can be learned.  The past teaches us what leads to failure and we learn what to appreciate.  Remembrance may be the greatest teacher for knowing how to live going forward.

Remember and if you don’t remember it may be because you have never known.  So, if God tells you to remember it must be important.  Today’s text will tell us twice to remember.  Let’s lean in to make sure we know fully what to remember, for it will give us perspective on how to go forward.

Read Ephesians 2:11-18

There was a great separation between Jew and Gentile.  (11)

• The Gentile camp is vast—Asian, Hispanic, Persian, Arab, Black and White.
  
  
• The labels were “circumcised” and the “uncircumcised.”
  • The Jew was circumcised as part of obedience and commitment to the covenant between Abraham and God. Genesis 17:1-12
  • This was the only nation that would identify itself by this covenantal practice.

• The circumcised ones received promises from God.
  • This practice was a point of remembrance and to walk faithfully before God.
  • Done on the 8^th day for every male child.
  • Abraham was to be the father of many nations.
  • His offspring will be fruitful and be blessed.
  • It will be an eternal covenant—now and into eternity.

• While there was a physical separation under circumcision there was also social and spiritual separation.

The separation between Jew and Gentile had severe consequence to the Gentile.  (12)

• Separates us from Christ—the promises connected with the Messiah.
  
  
• Excludes us from citizenship with Israel.
  • The Covenants and their promises were not accessible for us.
  • We did not have hope without the promises of God to rely upon.
  • We did not have clarity of who God was in the fullness of his glory as the great “I Am.”
  • Ultimately, “we have no meaning, no hope, no purpose, no direction.” BKC

We would be relegated as being just Gentiles!

BUT…The gap was removed by the blood of Christ Jesus. (13)

• We are brought near.
  
  
• It was God waving at us to come over and join in the blessings of his Covenants with his chosen people.
  
  
• We are not left out!
  
  
• We are grafted into the vine of God that Israel was already a part of. Romans 11:11-24

Jesus becomes our peacemaker making two people groups one.  (14-16)

• Peacemaking to this end came at great cost. (16)
  
  
• Peacemaking still has its social challenges but is now possible.
  
  
• It is possible because the barrier is gone, we merely need to walk the bridge found in Christ.
  
  
• The denial of this reality leads to such horrific realities.
  • The Holocaust was grotesque reality that was fanned into existence by the belief that Gentiles have replaced Jews.
  • It grew to a place of thinking that Gentiles are now superior.
  • Giving rise to Nazism the idea that a superior nation can be created, and Jews were of great threat to such an idea.

• Jesus did quite the opposite—he brought us together by making peace and removing the natural hostility between the two.

The message of Christ is to preach peace to both the Jew and Gentile.  (17)

Jesus has become the gate by which all people will come to the Father by ONE Spirit! (18)

• The Trinity at work!

Take Aways

1. Remembering the story of Israel educates us on the heart and mission of God.
   
   
2. The heart and mission of God is that he is building a household of all people, both Jew and Gentile.
   
   
3. As recipients of the grace of Christ let’s build bridges of peace to the Jew and to other Gentiles.