Continuing the Jump!

Israel. God's chosen people. (The second time to just jump right in!)

Grafted In...

Like I said yesterday in the second 'bottom line':

If it wasn't for the Jewish people and the nation of Israel, you wouldn't be able to be a Christ-follower. 


The picture to the side is the best way I can try and explain what all is in my heart.

The Jews are God's chosen people. The menorrah and the star of David are Jewish symbols.  
But because of the rejection of Jesus by the Jews as a whole, the apostles were commissioned to share the Gospel with the Gentiles (that's us!).  Gentiles believed and were saved.  The fish symbol is a Christian symbol.   
God didn't cast aside His chosen people, He just granted others access to Him as well.  The saved Gentiles didn't take the place of His chosen people, we are adopted into His family.

Paul tells us in Romans 11:1 - "Has God cast away His people? Certainly not!" He goes on to explain that he himself is a Jew but given the ministry to the Gentiles.  Paul goes on to say in Romans 11:11-15 that the Jews didn't stumble to fall but that through falling (rejecting Jesus) the Gentiles were given the chance for salvation and that if that made the Jews jealous and they come to follow Christ then that was a good thing!  On in Romans 11 Paul gives an illustration of the Jews as God's chosen people as a cultivated olive tree.  He said if the root is holy then all the branches are holy.  In this illustration some of the branches were broken off (some of the Jews rejected Jesus).  Then there is the wild olive tree (which represents the Gentiles).  This wild olive tree was grafted into the cultivated olive tree.  By being grafted in, that wild olive tree takes on the nourishment from the root system of the cultivated olive tree.  That wild olive tree becomes one with the cultivated olive tree!

And that is where I am (and you are as a Christ-follower)! We are God's chosen people, not because we took the place of the Jews but because we have been grafted in with the original chosen people!
Paul tells us in Romans 11:18 that if we boast about our position in Christ we have to remember that we are but a branch, we don't support the root, the root supports us! Because of unbelief branches were broken off and because of our faith we were grafted in! And when Jews begin to believe they will also be grafted back in.

     Romans 11:25  For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.  26 And so all Israel will be saved, [ as it is written:    28  Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.  29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.  30 For as you were  once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience,31 even so these  also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain  mercy.  32 For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all. 

Through these Scriptures in Romans 11 we see that 

If it wasn't for the Jewish people and the nation of Israel, we wouldn't be able to be a Christ-follower. 

We are all one together in Christ! Praise to our Daddy for His love and mercy and grace and for sending His Son Jesus, the Messiah, so we could be adopted into His family. Praise Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God and Son of Man for paying the price for our ransom, redeeming us. 

Praying for Israel, for their salvation in so many ways. Praising God for protecting His own.

Until He comes...