Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an
apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to
make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. For if
their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will
their acceptance mean but life from the dead? If the dough offered
as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is
holy, so are the branches. But if some of the branches were broken
off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among
the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree,
do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is
not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then
you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be
grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of
their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become
proud, but stand in awe. For if God did not spare the natural
branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the
severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's
kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise
you too will be cut off. And even they, if they do not continue in
their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft
them in again. For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild
olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated
olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be
grafted back into their own olive tree.

Some might call it a mere coincidence. But I don't believe there
is such a thing as mere coincidence, since I believe in God. So I
say, it is a remarkable providence of God that our appointed
portion of God's word in these days is one that deals so explicitly
with the relationship between Jews and Christians. I'm thinking of
Romans 11, and I am thinking of the swirl of controversy around Mel
Gibson's film, The Passion of the Christ , and I am
thinking of the tragic conflict between Israel and the Palestinians
which has implications around the world far out of proportion to
its size. God has ordained that we be thinking about Romans 11 and
the relationship between Jews and Christians at a very remarkable
time. And I hope all of you seek the Lord as why this might be the
case in your own situation. What does God want you to see and think
and feel and say and do?

Romans 11:16

The last time we looked at this text we focused on verse 16:
“ If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the
whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.” We
argued that this is Paul's way of talking about the salvation of
Israel in the future. When it says, “If the root is holy, so
are the branches,” it means, “If the Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob (the root) are chosen and set apart for God in a special
covenant relationship, so are the branches—that is, all of
Israel at some future time.

Part of our reason for interpreting verse 16 that way was the
parallel to verse 16 in verse 28, “As regards the gospel,
they [the Jewish people] are enemies of God for your sake. But as
regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their
forefathers.” In other words, because the fathers—the
root—is chosen, so are the branches—the nation as a
whole, who will turn to Christ when the temporary hardening
mentioned in verse 25 is taken away.

Romans 11:17-20

So now today we will focus on Romans 11:17-20. Paul has just
said something that seems utterly out of touch with reality. And he
knows he needs to address the problem. He has just said in verse 16
that “the branches” are holy. That is, God will take
all Israel for himself. All Israel belongs to God. They are holy,
set apart for God as his covenant people. But the reality is that
many of them are unbelieving and cut off from Christ. They are
perishing. Paul said that explicitly in Romans 9:3 and 27. So Paul
has to address this and its implications.

So after saying that the branches are holy, he says immediately
in verse 17 that some of the branches were broken off: “But
if some of the branches were broken off . . .” That's the
reality. That's the tragedy—in Paul's day and ours. All
Israel (not every individual, but the nation someday when it turns
to Christ) is going to be saved, he says in verse 26. But for now,
there are broken-off branches. That is, individual Jewish people
are not believing in Christ and not connected to the covenant in a
saving way. As Romans 9:6 said, “Not all who are descended
from Israel are Israel.” Or as Romans 9:8 says, “It is
not the children of the flesh who are children of God.” Being
a natural, cultivated olive branch does not guarantee that you will
be part of the nourishing root of the tree.

So that's the situation: The Messiah Jesus has come. He has
preached the kingdom of God to Israel. He has confirmed and
fulfilled the promises made to the fathers (Romans 15:8). From now
on, to be joined to the tree—the true Israel—and to be
joined to Christ by faith, are the same thing. “ Whoever has
the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not
have life” (1 John 5:12 ). That's what Jesus said to the
Jewish people. If you have me, you have life. And to the same
generation he said, “Everyone who acknowledges me before
men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but
whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who
is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32 -33). In other words, Jesus made
himself the way of salvation for the Jews of his day. He was the
way to be connected to the root—the life-giving, saving root
of Israel. He was the “seed” of Abraham (Galatians
3:16 ) and the saving connection to the covenant made with Abraham.
But the reality is: “He came to his own, and his own people
did not receive him” (John 1:11 ).

And so they were broken off. They are not saved. They have an
outward connection with the covenant but not an inward connection.
They are Jewish ethnically, but not truly Jewish spiritually.
Remember what Paul said in Romans 2:28 -29, “No one is a Jew
who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and
physical. 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a
matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise
is not from man but from God.” So Paul says in Romans 11:17,
“Some of the branches were broken off.” That is the
painful reality then and now.

But that's not all. To get the whole picture we need to remember
that the breaking off of Jewish branches resulted in the grafting
in of Gentile branches. This is the great mystery revealed in
Romans 11. Gentiles become part of the true Israel. The wild olive
branches get grafted into the natural, cultivated olive tree. This
shows up, for example, in verse 11b: “Through their [the
Jews'] trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles.” That is,
Jews were broken off, and Gentiles were grafted in. Again in verse
12: “Their trespass means riches for the world, and . . .
their failure means riches for the Gentiles.” That is, Jews
were broken off so Gentiles might be grafted in. Again in verse 15:
“Their [the Jews'] rejection means the reconciliation of the
world.” That is, the Jews were broken off, and the result is
that Gentiles are grafted in.

That's the wider picture of Paul's day and ours. It's not just
that some in Israel are broken off. The bigger picture is that this
is God's plan in order for Gentiles to be grafted in. So when the
Gentile believers exult in this, and say it in verse 19, Paul does
not correct them: “Then you will say, ‘Branches were
broken off so that I might be grafted in.” They say it
because Paul had just taught it (vv. 11, 12, 15). So Paul responds
in verse 20: “That is true.” Yes, they were broken off
so that you might be grafted in.

Now we have the whole picture before us. And it is filled with
glory and danger for Gentiles.

The Glory for the Gentiles

The glory is obvious. It's at the end of verse 17:
“But if some of the branches were broken off, and you,
although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and
now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree . . .”
There it is: the Gentiles now share in the “nourishing root
of the olive tree.” This means: Gentiles now inherit the
promises made to Israel. The rich, nourishing root of the tree is
the blessings that flow from the covenant made with Abraham.
Gentiles are now the offspring of Abraham. If you are Christian,
you are an heir of Abraham.

How does this happen? Verse 20 explains: They were broken off
because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. We are
united to the tree by faith. Galatians 3:7 puts it most simply:
“Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of
Abraham.” Faith in Christ is the link with the promises made
to Abraham. Faith unites
us to the nourishing root of the olive
tree—the promises of God. Paul is assuming in Romans 11 what
he taught us in Romans 4:16-17. He says that “the promise . .
. rest[s] on grace and . . . [is] guaranteed to all his
offspring--not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one
who shares the faith of Abraham. . . as it is written, ‘I
have made you the father of many nations.'” So Abraham is the
father of all who trust Christ. Both Jew and Gentile are now the
true Israel of God and inherit “the promise to Abraham and
his offspring that he would be heir of the world” (Romans
4:13 ).

All the promises are ours in Christ Jesus. That's the glory of
this passage for the Gentiles. Once they were no people (see Romans
9:26; Ephesians 2:12-13). Now they are the very people of God.
Along with all Christ-trusting Jews, they are the true Israel and
heirs of all the promises of salvation.

The Danger for the Gentiles

Now what about the danger ? I said that this situation
is filled with danger for the Gentiles. That is huge in Paul's
mind. Paul's main concern in these verses seems to nip in the bud
any pride or arrogance or gloating or anti-Semitism which might
come from the truth that Jewish branches are broken off so that
Gentile branches might be grafted in. Paul feels the pride of the
Gentile heart—our hearts—ready to explode.

Two times in these verses and once in verse 25 Paul warns
against Gentile Christian pride—our pride. Verse 17:
“But if some of the branches were broken off, and you,
although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and
now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 18 do not
be arrogant toward the branches .” Then again in verse
20b: “ So do not become proud , but stand in awe
[literally: fear].” He says it again in verse 25: “Lest
you be wise in your own conceits . . .”

This is extremely serious to Paul. The greatest truths are the
most dangerous truths. It was a great truth that “branches
were broken off so that I might be grafted in” (v. 19). But
Oh how easily the unspiritual, proud heart can turn God-exalting
truth into self-exalting “truth.” Paul aims to nip that
in the bud.

Three Reasons Why Christian Gentiles Must Not Boast
Over Israel

He gives three reasons why Christian Gentiles dare not boast
over Israel. Three reasons why pride and boasting and gloating and
anti-Semitism are utterly contrary to the truth.

1. Your eternal life hangs on a Jewish root, not the other way
   around.
2. Faith is the only thing that connects you to the tree of
   salvation, and faith, by its nature and by its origin, cannot boast
   in itself.
3. If you give way to pride and boasting and anti-Semitism, God
   will cut you off forever.

I am only going to deal with one of these in closing, and save
the other two for next week. I am aware that the last one raises
very serious questions about eternal security. If we are grafted
into the tree of salvation and connected to the nourishing root of
the olive tree, how can we be cut off? Has not God promised to keep
us from falling? So we will address that next week.

But we only have time for one of Paul's reasons today. Verse 18:
“Do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are,
remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that
supports you.” Anti-Semitism is real today. Jews around the
world are feeling vulnerable. They feel damned if they do and
damned if they don't. If they are weak they are hated, and if they
are strong they are hated—that's the way history has treated
them.

And with all the authority that I can claim from Scripture and
from the Spirit of Christ, I call you not to be a part of that.
Paul sensed the rising of this thing—or maybe he had heard of
anti-Semitic feeling in Rome —and he attacked. And that is
what we should do, especially if we find it in ourselves.

Why? Because the Jewish root—the Jewish fathers, the
Jewish Scripture, the Jewish promises, the Jewish history, the
Jewish Messiah—supports you, not the other way around. Being
a Christian means becoming a true Jew. Being a Christian means
finding your ancestry in Abraham and his offspring. Being a
Christian means believing and loving the Jewish Torah, and
Writings, and Prophets. Being a Christian means being grafted in to
the Jewish covenant. Proud anti-Semitism proves we do not know who
we are—or we are not who we say we are.

Four Closing Applications

1. Be done once and for all with verbal slurs or
digs or negative innuendos. Don't tell
Jewish jokes, and justify them with, “Oh, it's just for
fun.” Don't use the word “jew” as a verb. Don't
talk about “them” and “they” in a
stereotypical way that cancels out individuality. Bridle your
tongue (James 1:26 ), as we saw two weeks ago. That is the outward
beginning of racial harmony—and the beginning of the end of
anti-Semitism.

2. Don't treat Jewish people on the basis of group
stereotypes . That is the partiality we
addressed two
weeks ago. Deal with a person as a person who may surprise you
with his individuality. You may find a doorway into his heart.

3. Exult over the Jewish heritage you have, and take
great delight in showing how it is all completed in the Jesus
Christ. When Mel Gibson's movie comes out on February
25, and the first screen is the Jewish prophecy from Isaiah 53:5,
“He was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for
our iniquities,” exult in that great Jewish truth and take
joy in sharing with Jewish people the fulfillment of that in the
wounds and the crushing of Jesus Christ. Exult in the root that
supports you.

4. Finally, let the words “supports you”
humble you. “It is not you who support the
root, but the root that supports you.” People who need to be
supported better should be slow to boast. And a Christian is a
person who has made a deep discovery: He is weak, lost, sinful,
helpless, indeed, dead in trespasses and sins. A Christian is a
person who by grace has wakened from a dream of self-sufficiency
into a reality of dependence. Utter dependence on the grace of
God.

Christian, if you boast over the branches, if you are
anti-Semitic and proud, you don't know who you are. Or you are not
who you say you are.

So let us humble ourselves before God and receive Christ. He
alone is the one who connects us with the saving root of God's
grace. Let us rejoice in all our weakness that we are mightily
supported.