Show Notes
What really happened when Jesus died on the cross?
Most of us immediately think about what the cross accomplished for us personally: our sins were forgiven, our relationship with God was restored, and we were brought near to Him. And all of that is true. But Ephesians 2 shows us that Jesus accomplished something else on the cross that we can easily overlook.
He didn’t only reconcile us to God. He reconciled us to one another.
In “What Really Happened On The Cross? | How Jesus Destroyed Hostility and Built A United Family,” we continue through Ephesians 2 and discover how the Gospel transforms outsiders into family. Once separated from God and without hope, we have now been brought near through the blood of Jesus. And through that same cross, Jesus broke down the walls that separated us, put hostility to death, and created one new family in Himself.
In this sermon, you'll discover: Why remembering how far we were from God changes the way we treat others What the cross accomplished beyond our individual salvation Why unity within the family of God is sacred What it means that Jesus put our hostility toward one another to death How God can unite people who would otherwise have very little in common Why the unity of the Church is part of how the world sees the reality of Jesus
Paul describes believers as citizens of the same Kingdom, members of the same family, part of the same house, and together becoming a holy temple where God dwells by His Spirit. We can be beautifully different without being divided because Jesus Himself is our peace.
That means unity is not a secondary issue for the Church. Our unity cost Jesus His life.
When we allow bitterness, offense, division, or hostility to define the way we relate to our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are giving life to something Jesus died to put to death. But when the family of God chooses forgiveness, reconciliation, and love across our differences, we put the power of the Gospel on display.
Jesus prayed in John 17 that His followers would be one so that the world would know the Father sent Him. Our unity has always been connected to our witness.
The Gospel is not only that we were brought near to God. We were given a seat at the family table.
And now, as one family with one Father, we get to show the world what the reconciling power of Jesus actually looks like.
More from Pillar Church Podcast
In Ephesians 4:1–6, Paul called us to walk worthy of our calling by maintaining the unity of the Spirit — through humility, gentleness, and bearing with one another in love. That’s how we protect unity as individuals. But in verse 7, Paul turns to how we maintain it together as a church.
In Ephesians 4:1–6, Paul called us to walk worthy of our calling by maintaining the unity of the Spirit — through humility, gentleness, and bearing with one another in love. That’s how we protect unity as individuals. But in verse 7, Paul turns to how we maintain it together as a church.
For the first three chapters of Ephesians, Paul has been showing us who we are in Christ, what we have received through Him, and what His grace has accomplished on our behalf. But when chapter 4 begins, the focus shifts. Paul moves from what we believe to how those beliefs should actually shape the way we live.
For the first three chapters of Ephesians, Paul has been showing us who we are in Christ, what we have received through Him, and what His grace has accomplished on our behalf. But when chapter 4 begins, the focus shifts. Paul moves from what we believe to how those beliefs should actually shape the way we live.
What do you pray when life gets hard?