Blessing from Rejection. Romans 11:11-18 V.11. Israel, because of their rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ, has failed and fallen, but not into fatal ruin. Their fall has resulted in the Gospel message of salvation being brought to the Gentiles. That in turn provides reason to provoke the Jews to such an extent as to bring about their repentance. National Israel’s rejection of Jesus has brought about the conversion of the Gentiles which ultimately leads to the conversion of Jews.
Even though Israel as a nation stumbled and fell, there has been an on-going blessing to the world that came through them. Gentiles do not have to become Jewish proselytes to come into the favor and blessings of God. Those who are not from God's chosen earthly people are able to come into the Church which is the Body of Christ, along with Jews who individually confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. The Church is composed of people, both Jews and Gentiles, who are equals in God's heavenly kingdom.
V.12. The abundant blessings of the Gospel and salvation by faith in Jesus Christ has been enjoyed by believing Gentiles for centuries because the Jews as a nation rejected Jesus as their Messiah. As a result of that, the apostles turned to the Gentiles with the Gospel and it spread through many parts of the ancient world in the first century. Israel’s temporary failure has brought the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel to the whole world today. The “fullness” indicates the number of Gentiles who are and will be saved and includes Jews, who though comparatively few in number, will be saved by the grace of God.
Gentile believers should not consider themselves superior in any way because Israel stumbled and rejected Christ. Israel has to suffer the consequences of that action of not receiving Him. It is not as "a people" but as one of the "whosever will may come" group, that we are placed and accepted in Christ. There is no reason to look down on, or in any way despise those who are in the kingdom of God. We have all been brought into this unified Body by God's grace alone. May we never look down on anyone in the Body of Christ because we think we have a place of special privilege. All of us are "accepted in the Beloved," and that is our only way of acceptance by God.
V.13. In preaching the Gospel as “the apostle to the Gentiles,” Paul sought to remind the Jews who heard him that God still loved them and he also loved them. He still longed for them to be saved by accepting Christ as their Savior. Christians should not have any prejudice against any group of people nor should partiality be shown. Regardless of age, nationality, race or creed, the message of the Gospel is the universal language of grace shown to undeserving sinners. We rejoice whenever we hear of people coming to Christ by faith and coming into the family of God. This is a closer relationship than that of a king and his subjects.
V.14. The first ones to be accepted by God were before Israel was even called. We all go back to the root of faith alone upon which the promises of God are given. Through Abraham came the promises of One who would bless the world. From that family of Israel, the blessing of being saved by grace and placed into the Church of God has come to the believing people of all nations. Far be it from any of us who are saints of God to think ourselves superior to any other of God's people today.
V.15. The Gospel is progressing worldwide even though Israel is “cast away” at the present time. The time will come when like “life from the dead,” the nation will be saved. Now, the majority of Jews reject the Gospel. Gentiles are being saved in many countries when they hear and believe the Gospel. In the future in a time of great duress, Israel will be saved from annihilation and finally Christ will return to earth in His glory. The nation will accept Him and He will rule on David’s throne. That will be a glorious event, like resurrection, resulting in joy to the world, peace on earth and good will to all people.
V.16. Paul speaks personally to the Gentiles to remind them even though the Jews rejected Christ, God only for a time has rejected them. He intends a time of Israel’s restoration. We are brought into the blessings of God’s grace because through Israel came promises and the fulfillment of them when the Lord Jesus Christ came. He is the Root of David. The “olive tree” has its root in God Himself. The salvation of the Gentiles is based on God’s promise to Abraham that through his seed all the nations of the world will be blessed. That salvation is dependent on the Jewish nation through whom Jesus came being the root that supports all believers in Him.
V.17. Some of the tree has been broken off it is true, but the blessing to us Gentiles is like a branch grafted from another tree. Into good trees of a similar kind, a branch of a wild olive tree, can be grafted. It is an unusual way of presenting the message because the usual way of grafting is to put a productive branch into a wild or unproductive root. For an unproductive branch to be productive because of the root stock into which it has been grafted, is miraculous.
That root has given value to a useless branch! That which was fruitful was broken off so that an unfruitful useless branch could bear good fruit! We who are Gentiles can be grafted into the tree of our Lord Jesus Christ and get our new life from God through Him who is a Jew. Our life as a branch depends on the blessing that came first to Israel.
V.18. We should never, therefore, despise or overlook the Jews as being finished with God or God being finished with them. He is going to put new life back into Israel when He grafts them back into the tree and they will again be fruitful to God. I must never look down on their failure but I must be careful that I do not fail, because He can cut off anyone who is not fruitful if He chooses.