13 I am saying all of this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I lay great stress on this, 14 for I want to find a way to make the Jews want what you Gentiles have, and in that way I might save some of them. 15 For since the Jews rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, how much more wonderful their acceptance will be. It will be life for those who are dead! 16 And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their children will also be holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be holy, too.
17 But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree, some of the Jews, have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, were grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in God’s rich nourishment of His special olive tree. 18 But you must be careful not to brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. Remember, you are just a branch, not the root.
19”Well,” you may say, “those branches were broken off to make room for me.” 20 Yes, but remember – those branches, the Jews, were broken off because they didn’t believe God, and you are there because you do believe. Don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. 21 For if God did not spare the branches He put there in the first place, He won’t spare you either.
22 Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe to those who disobeyed, but is kind to you as you continue to trust in His kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. 23 And if the Jews turn from their unbelief, God will graft them back into the tree again. He has the power to do it.
24 For if God is willing to take you who were, by nature, branches from a wild olive tree and graft you into His own good tree – a very unusual thing to do – He will be far more eager to graft the Jews back into the tree where they belong.
Trees and vines, throughout scripture, were often used to symbolize the family of God. Countless literal references can be made to their strength, their stability, and their longevity. They both start with roots that grow deep down into the ground. These roots draw nourishment up from the ground as the plant grows, feeding the trunk first, and then the branches. It is easy for anyone to understand. The root can live without a branch, but a branch can’t live without its root. We’ve all seen trees that were cut down to nothing but a stump, and in no time at all, new growth begins to replace that which was cut away. The roots were still alive and well.
God chose Abraham to be the father of His people – all of His people. He promised Abraham that all of the families of the earth would be blessed through him, because it would be through Abraham’s descendants that the Savior of the World would come.
So God’s family tree was established, and Abraham was the root. In each generation, it continued to grow bigger and stronger, adding new branches.
It is our sinful nature, pride specifically, that makes us feel superior over another person. It was no different in the first century church. Paul wrote this letter to give instruction to the church, in Rome
The church in Rome Rome
Paul’s heart went out to them. Christ Himself had commissioned Paul to preach the Good News to the Gentiles, but Paul’s heart still ached for his own people – the Jews – to come to faith in Christ.
Paul shifted the focus of his letter, momentarily, (beginning in verse 13) and specifically addressed the Gentile believers. In a way, Paul “pulled rank” on the Gentile Christians, and for all practical purposes said, “Look guys, I am the Apostle to the Gentiles – I am your boss – so stop arguing and listen to me.” Paul explained that if it wasn’t for the fact that some of the Jews rejected Jesus Christ, the Gentiles would have never been saved. Think of it this way; if every single Jew would have accepted Jesus Christ as their Messiah, no Gentile would have ever been saved. It would have become a strictly Jewish thing. We all would have to be Jews first, and then Christians.
This is why, you may recall in our last session, that God made the rest of the Jews unresponsive to the Gospel of Christ. “God has put them into a deep sleep. To this very day he has shut their eyes so they do not see, and closed their ears so they do not hear.” (Paul’s paraphrase of Deuteronomy29:4 and Isaiah 29:10 as written in Romans 11:8) This unresponsiveness is only temporary. Paul will explain why in our next session.
It was God’s plan all along to send His Son to save the entire world, but it doesn’t change the fact that it all started with the Jewish people. The spiritual nourishment that we live off of today is, and always will be, rooted in the Word of God as it was revealed through the Jews. “Man cannot live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Deuteronomy 8:3 as recited by Jesus Christ in Matthew 4:4)
Paul warned the Gentile Christians that it was the very thin line of faith that separated them from the Orthodox Jews. The branches of the Jews were broken off because they didn’t believe, and the Gentiles were grafted in because they did believe. “…Don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen.” “But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off.” And if the Jews turn from their unbelief, God will graft them back into the tree again. He has the power to do that.”
God is no respecter of class or title. No one is better than anyone else in God’s eyes. We are all equal. All God has ever asked of us is to do one thing, and one thing only - to believe in Him. God declared Abraham righteous because he believed God. Christ assured the thief on the cross that on that very day, he would be with Christ in heaven, because he believed in Jesus. They simply believed.
That is the true message of the Gospel.
Heed Paul’s warning and be careful not to brag about your spiritual pedigree. When you start to think that your denomination or non-denomination is the right way, remember that we are all branches that are grafted into God’s family purely by His Grace. “Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds. It is based on our faith.” (Romans 3:27)
Is your hope of salvation rooted in your faith in Jesus Christ and what He did for us on the cross? Or, is your hope of salvation rooted in your spiritual pedigree? I challenge you to think seriously about this question. Can you honestly say in your heart that Jesus is enough, or is your faith Jesus plus something else?
Your answer has to be Jesus alone.
Paul finished verse 24 with a message of hope for all mankind. Using the olive tree theme, He showed how God’s mercy is put into action. We Gentiles were grafted into God’s good tree, which is a very unusual thing to do. And by doing this, we can draw from the nourishment of God’s roots. We don’t belong here, yet we have been accepted. The Jewish people do belong, and God is patiently waiting for their return.
Study Questions
Why is it so hard to believe that God made it so simple for us to be made right with Him?
We live in a world of instant coffee, diet pills, and quick fixes. So, why is it so hard for people to accept that all we need to do is believe? This free gift of God is the one thing that is not too good to be true.
Is your hope of salvation anchored in faith in Christ alone, or Christ plus something else?
This is a serious question that needs a serious answer. Is Jesus enough, or do you feel you also need the doctrines of your denomination? Doctrines are intended to help us live for Christ, but much like the Jewish laws, they cannot save you – only Christ can.
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