30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 20 9-18 THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE 12 Luke 20 15-16 God is drawing both the Jews and Gentiles to Himself
📖 Luke 20:9-18
28Feb2021 - *God is drawing both the Jews and Gentiles to Himself* - _Luke 20:9-18_ - THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE 12 - _Romans 11:32-33_
_Luke 20:15-16 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Now what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? (16) He will come and destroy those farmers and give the vineyard to others." Those who heard him said, "*That must never happen!*"(ISV)_
The Lord was making the Jews realise the sovereignty of God. Yes, Israel, had a favoured place with God but God’s purposes of reconciling all of creation into the habitat of God would be accomplished, even when the first vine-growers had failed.
We see how Apostle Paul was so ‘in sync’ with the purposes of God.
_Romans 11:13ff For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, (14) if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them._
Paul yearned to see His people, the Jews, to realise their failure, repent and return to God since the Gentiles are now taking charge as the vine-growers.
_(15) For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? (16) For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches._
If the Jews would return to God, it would be life from the dead. Since the root, who is God, is holy, the branches too are holy. So, Israel was blessed with the very nature of God since they drew their substance from the Root, who was holy.
_(17) And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, (18) do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you._
We, the Gentiles, are branches of a wild Olive tree and we were grafted into the holy root. We may say that the original branches, the Jews, were broken off so that we could be grafted into the Root, who is Christ. This statement is true but we must always remember that it is the Root that holds us. Without the Root that holds us, we have no standing whatsoever.
_(19) You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in." (20) Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear._
We may gloatingly say, “The original branches were cut off so that I could be grafted into the holy Root”. The original branches were cut off because of unbelief. We dare not be haughty but we must always walk in reverential fear, submission and trust in the Lord.
_(21) For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. (22) Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off._
Friends, let’s take a moment to savour the mercy and goodness of God, on the one hand, and His concurrent justice and judgement, on the other.
_(23) And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. (24) For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?_
If the Jews, who are the natural branches, return back to God, in true repentance and faith, they will be grafted in again to do their first intended task of being the vine-growers.
We are branches of the wild tree but we are grafted in. Would it not be possible for God to graft in the natural branches?
_(25) For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in._
This is the mystery of God. In His sovereignty, He has permitted that blindness, in part, should happen to the Jews, with the intent that the full measure of God’s purposes for the Gentiles should take place. We are left astonished at the blinding sovereignty of God.
_(26) And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "THE DELIVERER WILL COME OUT OF ZION, AND HE WILL TURN AWAY UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB; (27) FOR THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS."_
God will take away ungodliness from Jacob and remove their sins
_(28) Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. (29)
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable._
The Jews are resisting the gospel of Jesus and are being enemies to the church but that does not alter their place as the chosen people of God. God’s gifts and calling are binding.
_(30) For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, (31) even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy._
We, the Gentiles, were far away from God but because of the disobedience of the Jews, we were grafted in. Since God showed His mercy on us, Gentiles, they, the Jews, too will be provoked to return to God and obtain His mercy.
_(32) For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all. (33) *Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out*!_
*Thought to ponder*
```God is reconciling all of creation to come back into the habitat of God.```