Who is the Israel of God (Gal. 6:15, 16)? According to Rom. 11 Paul explained it with an olive tree. All Israel (olive tree) = Jewish remnant (natural branches) + Christians (wild olive branches): Rom. 9:27; 11:16, 17, 25-27.
The nation of Israel was specifically created for the purpose of welcoming and accepting the Messiah.
Until the Messiah's appearance, these were like branches within this coming purpose, vine dressers and cultivators of this main purpose.
Without the Christ, their role would become one without purpose as their entire future depended upon listening to him.
Acts 3:22, 23 For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’
Jesus spoke of himself as being a rootstock and his disciples as being the branches.
John 15:1-9 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
The Jewish nation got a little too big for its boots, thinking that somehow the root was dependent on the branches. This is probably why they had this attitude:
Luke 3:8...Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.
The truth is, the tail does not wag the dog, it simply does not work like that.
The Jews wanted the Christ to serve them in a way they they seemed fit.
When this was not panning out for them the way they had imagined they sought to kill him and take what he had.
In view of this, Jesus said this to them:
Matthew 21:33-45 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.” Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:“ ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’ ? “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them.
When this "wicked Jewish nation" rejected Christ, there was a need for a new nation to be created, a fresh start. Those among them who would listen to and accept this Christ had to abandoned Jerusalem and its ways, becoming Christians.
Since the 1st century, there has come into being a new Israel.
This new Israel it is not a place, it is a people - a true Israel of God.
Kind Regards
Kerry Huish
