Romans Series 2
6 - All One in Christ Jesus
Chapters 9 to 11 of Paul’s Letter to the Romans have focused on the Jews, God’s chosen people. God is still the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. However a day is coming when Zechariah chapter 8 verse 23 will be fulfilled: “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’”
One commentator has expressed it this way. The great Husbandman has planted not a forest, but a tree; the innumerable trees of the forest can get the sap of Eden only as their branches are grafted by His hand into His one tree, the good olive tree. Christ is the Root below the root: He is ‘the root of David’ and of Abraham. The Jew today still has the veil upon his heart (2 Corinthians 3:14). Calvary’s cross is still an offence to him (Galatians chapter 5 verse 11) and a stumbling block (1Corinthians chapter 1 verse 23) Israel is still fighting her long battle against God. God’s pursuing love is ever after her. One day she’ll partake again of the root and the fatness of the olive tree.
Warren Wiersbe has succinctly summed up chapters 9 to 11 this way: The emphasis in chapter 9 is on Israel’s past election. The emphasis in chapter 10 is on Israel’s present rejection and the emphasis in chapter 11 is on Israel’s future restoration. God is not through with Israel.
Tom Wright, Bishop of Durham, wrote, “The gospel burst on the Gentiles unawares, like someone announcing the end of a long and bitter war to people who hadn’t even heard it was gong on. Like the extra guests in one of Jesus’ parables, they found themselves enjoying a banquet they hadn’t even known was being prepared.”
In chapters 9 to 11 Paul has battled with a heart-breaking problem with every resource which his great mind possessed. William Barclay acknowledges that Paul ‘does not say that he has solved it, as one might neatly solve a geometrical problem; but he does say that, having done his best, he is content to leave it to the love and power of God.’
When a man asked Spurgeon how he reconciled divine sovereignty and human responsibility, he replied, “I never try to reconcile friends.” We must let God be God and learn to live with mystery and unanswered questions.
If the great missionary apostle felt out of his depth dealing with such noble themes, no wonder we sense that in Romans we are treading on holy ground. Handley Moule prefaces his commentary on Romans with these words: - “He who attempts to expound the Epistle to the Romans, when his sacred task is over, is little disposed to speak about his Commentary; he is occupied rather with an ever deeper reverence and wonder over the text which he has been permitted to handle, a text so full of a marvellous man, above all so full of God.”
Here’s the breaking news Paul first reported in the first century AD God has unveiled His salvation plan in a single way for all people – for the Jews (ethnic Israel) and for the Gentiles (a non-people in terms of the covenant). It’s the ‘Righteousness by faith alone’ plan. The Jews missed it because they worshipped their law, which was meant to be a signpost to the Lord. The problem of Jewish unbelief was not the problem of God failing to keep His word, but the problem of Israel not hearing what that word had been saying.
Living late in time, nearly 2,000 years after Paul wrote these chapters 9 to 11 about the Jews, we can marvel at the modern miracle of Israel. The rise and fall and rising again of the nation Israel is an amazing prophetic sign. Surely Israel’s existence as a nation today is a testimony of God’s faithfulness and His covenant keeping character.
The founding of the state of Israel in 1948 against all odds is a modern day miracle. 3 million immigrants from over 120 countries have come to live in Israel, including over one million from the former Soviet Union, especially from the Ukraine. Some have queried what was God doing during the holocaust. He was weeping in pain for His covenant people, weeping like David wept for his son, Absalom. The curses delineated so painstakingly in Leviticus and Deuteronomy came true during the holocaust. God keeps His word even to His own hurt. In fact God’s refusal to abolish the covenant and reject the Jewish people is a sign to all nations of His faithfulness.
Like Jesus, Israel was chosen to suffer, to die as a nation and to be resurrected in modern times. Peter Tsukahira argues that the resurrection of modern Israel is to be accompanied by an outpouring of biblical revelation. Israel’s acceptance is a ‘trigger’ event for revelation and revival on an unprecedented scale throughout the world. Messianic Jews are the natural branches that were broken off now regrafted into the fathers’ inheritance.
Yahweh’s ultimate purpose is to bring His original covenant people, the Jews, and His new covenant New Testament people together as ‘one new man’ in Himself in His body the church, worshipping in unity. Imagine that! – a ‘one new man’ body of Jews and Gentiles worshipping in unity (Ephesians chapter 2 verse 15). Paul sees the people of God as a single family (Jews and Gentiles).
Let me ask you, are you in that family? Are you part of the family of God? Born again from above and living for His glory?
The godly Presbyterian minister, Robert Murray McCheyne, was passing out tracts. He handed one to a well-dressed lady who gave him a haughty look. “Sir”, she said, “you must not know who I am.” In his kind way McCheyne replied, “Madam, there is coming a day of judgement, and on that day it will not make any difference who you are.” What a sobering truth for us all!
Are you His child? Do you belong to Jesus? If you do, rejoice, because it’s not for the years of time alone but for all eternity!