Ephesians 2:16a (NKJV)
and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross
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Bible Commentary
Ephesians 2:16a is a Bible verse in the New Testament that uncovers the importance of what Jesus accomplished through His body on the cross.
Jesus had the perfect body, inside and out. He was both man and Deity—God in the flesh. He was always healthy in His body because He was always healthy in His soul (righteous thoughts and emotions). He was filled with the Spirit of God, and as such the devil had no authority over Him. Jesus went to the cross of His Own free will, submitting Himself to His Father’s plan (John 18:11).
Ephesians 2:16a says, “and that He might reconcile them both to God…” What does He mean by “reconcile them both”? Who is He talking about?
Let’s look at the word “reconcile.” In the Greek, it means: completion, reversal. Webster’s dictionary shows this definition: cause to submit to or accept something unpleasant.
That’s exactly what Jesus did, first with His will, then with His body. He accepted something very unpleasant, the submission of His body and soul to be tortured, condemned and crucified. He suffered with His body, yes but His soul also endured great pain and shame because of the betrayal of friends (Hebrews 12:2).
The Greek meaning of “reversal” is very important. We have been numb and blind to the power of its truth for centuries.
No more.
We Have Access to Christ
Jesus gave us His body and soul—perfect in every way and accepted by God—when He went to the cross as our substitute. Since we have accepted Christ, we have access to all of Him—His body, perfect in health, and His soul, also perfect. Hallelujah!
But here is the rub. When we see or feel sickness in our bodies, we make the mistake of aligning ourselves with the wrong entity. We see and feel sick, so we accept it. We accept something unpleasant, the very definition of “reconcile” above.
That was Jesus’ job, not ours.
But wait a minute. You may remember 2 Corinthians 5:18, which says, “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation;”
Isn’t it our job as Christians and followers of Christ to accept unpleasant things too? After all, we have been given the ministry of reconciliation.
Unlocking the Truth – The Unpleasant for the Pleasant
The Greek word “reconciliation” here is different than the Greek word used in Ephesians 2:16a. In 2 Corinthians 5:18 it means: exchange, restoration to (the divine) favor.
Our job in the ministry of reconciliation is to restore the Divine favor to those who don’t know about it. We are to help people exchange their human beliefs and ways for the Divine beliefs and ways.
However, we can only give what we have. Let’s accept the truth ourselves so we can give that truth to others.
· Let’s exchange our human soul (thoughts, feelings and will) for Christ’s.
· Let’s exchange our human body for Jesus Christ’s.
· Let’s exchange our human marriage for the Divine marriage of Christ and His bride.
· Let’s exchange our house for the House of God.
· Let’s exchange our human prosperity for the abundance of the Kingdom.
· Let’s exchange the air we breathe for the breath of God—the Holy Spirit.
· Let’s exchange our humanness for the Divine.
· Let’s exchange our earthly success for Kingdom prosperity.
This is the power of what Jesus Christ accomplished with his body and soul upon the cross in Ephesians 2:16, reconciling us to God–a complete reversal of His place for ours. He accepted our humanness so we could accept His Divinity, in every way. He made available to us everything He was and everything He still is, and everything He has in the Kingdom of God.
This is what He meant when He taught us to pray, Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven (Matthew 6:10).
So don’t accept the evidence you see or feel from the world and from the enemy. Let’s stand fast in the liberty that Christ gave us (Galatians 5:1). Jesus’ triumphant victory over death and the enemy is our victory.
Accept it. Believe it. He accepted the unpleasant, so we could accept the pleasant. Study the Bible verse of Ephesians 2:16a to know the power and protection you have in Jesus Christ.
