Antisemitism must have no place in our outlook as Christians. Take Paul’s case in Romans 11 to heart. In the Old Testament, the Jews were the centerpiece of God’s redemptive work. Yet when Christ came, they waged war against Him and his disciples and were, on the whole, rejected; and “Through their fall . . . salvation has come to the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:11). If you’re a Gentile Christian today, don’t pridefully despise the Jews, but be thankful God grafted you into the seed of Abraham. And know their rejection is not final, for “when the fulness of the Gentiles is come,” they will be gathered to Him again (Rom. 11:26-28). 

Sermon: https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/6784ac86239f2b3a92efceba

What in the world is this modern rise of anti-Semitism all over the world? We're here in Romans 11 that speaks of the status of the Jews. And it's really important that we understand that to understand the rise of antisemitism. Basically, Romans 11 reveals God's plan to save sinners across the ages, both Jews and Gentiles, and how it unfolds. It's really a disclosure of redemptive history.

There are three sections in this chapter. First of all, verses 1 through 10 makes it very clear that the rejection of the Jews is not total rejection. In other words, there's hope for the Jews. Dispense with anti-Semitism in the same way that you would dispense with hatred toward pagans. The second section begins in verse 11 and starts with I say and here's the here's the bottom line The rejection of the Jews is not final And then finally it ends with a song of praise, a doxology.

It's soaring, it's beautiful, every line is critical. I can't wait to preach on that. Verses 33 to 35. So this chapter is about the condition of the Jews. They rejected Christ, they were enemies of the cross of Christ, they waged war against Jesus and the disciples, they hated Paul, they harried him throughout the ancient world, they killed the apostles.

The question is, has the purpose of God failed with the Jews? And what the apostle Paul does here is he runs all over the Bible. Lewis Galson talks about the Bible as being almost like this gigantic keyboard where God is playing the keys all over scripture. He goes to the beautiful songs of David. He goes to the rejection of God's people.

He's moving back and forth in poetry and narrative and history and didactic. He's going back and forth all over the Bible. That's exactly what he does in this chapter. He quotes Old Testament scripture after Old Testament scripture. But he says that the Jews particularly are illustrated by two things, two things in the natural world.

Bread, they're a lump of leaven which expands and overtakes all of your life. That is what will happen to the Jews who are saved. And then also illustrated by an olive tree that the Gentiles are grafted in to this olive tree and they become and I'll just quote the text partakers of the root and fatness of the olive tree. And then when Jews are saved, then they are grafted back in to that olive tree. They were never grafted in before.

They were never spiritual Israel. Charles Simeon says this, what compassion we should feel toward the Jewish nation. How earnestly should we labor for the conversion of the Jews. I know that most of you who are listening to this are Gentiles that have been grafted in. Here's what the Apostle Paul says to all of us Don't be proud.

He says The root supports you. You don't support the root. In other words, it's the faith of Abraham that saved your soul. So don't be proud against the Jews, but recognize that God has grafted what He calls a wild branch. We were wild branches grafted into the root and the fatness of the olive tree, which is code for all the blessings of God through the Holy Spirit and through all of what He's written.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.