He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.

Ephesians 2 verse 17.

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Jesus, Our Peace, was written and read by Mike Whitmer.

Ephesians chapter 2, verses 11 through 18.

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called uncircumcised by those who call themselves the circumcision,

which is done in the body by human hands,

remember that at that time you were separate from Christ,

excluded from citizenship in Israel,

and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God

in the world. But now, in Christ Jesus, you who once were far away, have been brought near

by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed

the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with

his commands and regulations. 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.

He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near.

For through him, we both have access to the Father by one spirit.

Jesus Our Peace

Joan groaned when she saw Susan's social media post.

The photo showed ten church friends smiling around a restaurant table.

For the second time this month, they were having a grand time without her.

Joan blinked away tears.

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