5/21/13. Romans 11:13-24. THE OLIVE TREE – my devotional

Romans 11:13-24                                                                                 Kevin E. Jesmer

Key Verse: 11:20                                                                                 5/21/13

“That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear.” (ESV)

    My Lord and my God, Jesus Christ, I want to thank you for your forgiveness and your love. Thank you that you fill our hearts with hope, love, life, mission and relationships and power and satisfaction. All things are found in Christ. I pray that you may bless the upcoming UBF International summer Bible conference. May the conference work in the hearts of all attendees. May they know your love and your grace. May they be inspired spread your love to the ends of the earth. I pray that you bless the KBC Vacation Bible School. I pray that you may touch the hearts of the young people and their families with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Lord, Please grant your word in my heart through this passage. Help me to understand Native ministry through it. I thank you and I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Part 1: Life From The Dead (13-16)

Paul, a Jewish convert to Christianity, was an apostle to the Gentiles, but he never stopped loving his own people. He prayed that his Gentile ministry might make the Jews jealous enough to repent and return to God. It would be like a dead man coming to life. Look at verses 13-16, “ Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry ¹⁴ in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. ¹⁵ For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? ¹⁶ If the dough offered as first fruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.” (ESV)

Paul’s faith that one day his people would accept the Messiah, Jesus, en masse, is based on God’s own hope for his people. The root of Israel is the Messiah–and God’s Messianic promise Isaiah 11:1, reads, “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.”

The roots of the stump of the tree is the Messiah. The stump of the tree, the remnant of the original shoot, can be the nation of Israel. The stump was once a tree, but it was cut down. Israel was cut down in ancient times, because of idol worship. They were defeated in battle and taken into exile on a couple of occasions. But though they were brought low as a consequence for their sins, and though the tree looked dead, they are still a holy stump in the land. The stump is still alive. It still can sprout and form a branch and then a new trunk and then other branches. The trunk is the Messiah Jesus, and the new branches are the Gentiles who would later come to faith. The stump, which can also be Israel, is still holy and still has a lot of potential.

Another thing about the stump is that it is not easily removed. Israel is not so easily removed. It is amazing that they have been in the land of Israel since 1800 BC and they are still there even though so many forces want them to be removed.

Wherever the people of God are planted, there are is still hope and great potential. People have tried to uproot Christians and Christianity from the land also. But they have become a stump in the land. Though many have tried to cut them down and dig the root out, they still sprout and flourish. Even in the Middle East, people are still converting, many through dreams. Christianity is the fastest growing religion in the world. They can not be removed. They are multiplying.

Among the Native people in NW Ontario Canada, there has been Christian activity for over two centuries or more. For various reasons the church has become like a holy stump in the land. It is there and trying to sprout. In many places it has and is bearing fruit. But in some ways there is only stump. But where there is a holy stump, there is hope. There is hope for a new trunk and many branches to grow and bear abundant fruit.

Part 2: Grafted Branches (17-24)

Paul is writing to Gentile believers. He wants them to have a sense of history about where they came from and to whom they owe their existence. Look at verses 17-24, “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. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. ¹⁹ Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” ²⁰ That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. ²¹ For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. ²² 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. ²³ 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. ²⁴ 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.” They should not be arrogant; they should fear God and be extremely thankful for the grace that was given them.

The tree and the branch allegory beautifully describe the life giving relationship that we have with God. The roots are Christ. The whole olive tree is the people of God. If branches are connected to God and his Christ, they are alive. If they are cut off from him, they are dead. Israel was cut off from the tree because of unbelief. This provided a space for “gentile” branches to be in grafted into the trunk. They are in grafted through repentance unto faith. They derive their nourishment from being attached to the root, by being a part of God’s people and his history. This can happen to branches that are not even branches from an olive tree. In California I have heard of trees that are handmade. Julie’s aunt has a tree that bears plums and apricots. It has plum branches that were in grafted into an apricot tree. It works. The tree is much more interesting, beautiful and fruitful and provided a variety of fruit that is good for nutrition.

Gentiles need to also know that it is because of the pure grace of God that they can be included into the olive tree. I think about the grace of God that I could be included into the Olive tree and begin to bear fruit for God. I was like a branch that was withering and dying and drying out because of my sins. I could not bear good fruit. I only held onto shriveling fruit that was about to fall of the branch and rot. That sounds a little harsh, but spiritually speaking it was true. I really had no hope, but to be gathered up and “burned”. But by God’s grace I could be “in” Christ and be part of his body and his family and have eternal life. My salvation came at the cost of the suffering of the people of Israel. In many ways I am indebted to them, but especially to God. I must never be proud. I must be grateful for the sacrifices of those who have gone on before me.

Paul prayed for Israel to recover her life, her relationship with God and their God-given mission to glorify him by being a light to the Gentiles. He says that that Israel is like a cut off branch that is not yet dead. The branch can still be gathered up and spliced into the trunk. It is not too late. If they are grafted into the olive tree then they can get the life giving sap from the tree and flourish and bear lots of fruit. They can do this even easier than the gentiles because they are a closer match to the original stump.

I am a Gentile, but God gathered me up from the ground before I was completely dead and dried up. He forgave me, had hope in me and spliced me in. Now I am alive and bearing fruit in my life. Praise the Lord. (Actually God can do this to a branch that is even completely dead, because he can raise the dead.)

Craig Smith, in his book, “Whiteman’s Gospel”, refers to this passage. He stated that God sees two groups of people, the believer and the non believer. God is no respecter of persons. All are equal in his sight. The olive tree is represents the world wide Christian church, made up of believers from many tribes, people’s and nations. Every nation that has believers among them is represented as a branch on the olive tree. The branches of different cultures and peoples adorn this tree. Smith says the branches are at different stages of growth and development. There could be other smaller branches representing other nations. There are some that are twigs that have recently been grafted in. He says that the American church could be an older branch with much fruit. The NativeChurch could be a younger branch. They are a smaller branch, but they are definitely there in the branch. The Native branch is in grafted into the same trunk that gives life to the larger church of the dominant culture. The Native church gets its life from the same root, that is Christ. This fact opens up a whole new world of opportunities for the Native church for the same life giver, Jesus, works in all believers. We all need to be humble and have a deep sense of gratitude. We are all, both the church of the dominant culture and the Native church, products of missions. With this attitude we all must serve the world with the Gospel. (Whiteman’s Gospel. p. 89-91)

Prayer: Lord, by grace you grafted me into Jesus and into your redemptive history. Help me to remain in you and be filled with you life and bear fruit for your glory.

One Word: Stand by faith, connected to the root