What Does Grafted In Mean in Romans 11?

What are believers grafted into? What is the meaning of Romans 11? What was the branch that was cut off? This post will take a closer look at this passage of Romans and the meaning of being grafted in for believers today, and offer fresh commentary on this misunderstood part of Scripture.

The chapter opens with Paul addressing the question of if God has rejected his people. He explains that this is not the case, saying plainly that, "YHWH has not rejected his people whom he knew beforehand." He then goes on to talk about the northern kingdom of Israel, and some writings of King David before getting to the part this passage is known for.

"Branches were broken off, and you being a wild olive tree, have been grafted in among them to share the root and richness of the olive tree." -Romans 11:17

The popular interpretation of this verse as seen on tee shirts and ministry logos and spoken by teachers and rabbis is this: the Jews in the New Testament that rejected the Messiah are the branches that were broken off, so that "Gentile" people could have salvation and eternal life. The Jews said no, so God decided to extend the offer to other people - the story goes. The Messianic movement uses this interpretation to tell believers that they need to look and act Jewish, because they mistakenly think that Judaism is what you get grafted into. But this is not the case!

This analogy has been misunderstood, and this chapter of the Bible isn't talking about those who rejected the Messiah in his day. If we zoom out and look at the broader context, we can see that this passage is talking about the House of Israel being scattered or cut off back in 2 Kings 17, which would have been a pressing issue to the disciples and early church.

The context of Romans 11 is not focused on the house of Judah or those practicing Judaism. The context is the house of Israel. According to 1 Kings 11, Israel and Judah became two distinct kingdoms. The house of Israel was scattered or cut off because of idolatry back in 2 Kings 17. This was a historic event where the people of Israel went into other nations and mixed - physically living elsewhere, and intermarrying with non-Israelites. Even though YHWH sent them away at that time, they are invited to come back to the kingdom through the work of the Messiah!

This is why a few chapters earlier, in Romans 7, Paul talks about the Biblical laws related to remarriage when the wife has been unfaithful to her husband. Because that's exactly what Scripture likens the house of Israel to...an unfaithful bride. This is why Jeremiah 3 tells us that YHWH divorced Israel. When Scripture speaks of divorce as "putting away," that fits with the northern tribes of Israel literally being sent from the promised land into the nations. That's not a vague spiritual principle, it physically happened when he exiled Israel in 2 Kings 17.

When the people of Israel physically moved from the promised land they became 'mixed' with the people in the new places they lived. In the sense that they lived among others, but more significantly, that they began to act like other nations and didn't follow Scripture's commandments for worshiping God. When they intermarried, the children they produced were both part of Israel and from the nations, but it's likely that after a few generations most people would have no idea their ancestors had physical heritage in Israel! 

"By their fall deliverance has come to the nations." -Romans 11:11b

Why is it important to know what grafted in means? 

Highlighting this overlooked detail of Scripture illuminates many other passages of the Bible. That verse in Jeremiah 3:6 about God divorcing Israel is not just a vague spiritual principle, but is tied to this specific historical event.  The prophet Hosea naming his child, 'Not My People,' changes my perspective of that from being a strange thing to do, to seeing the powerful message of redemption when YHWH says, "I will say to those who were not my people, 'You are my people.' And they will say, 'You are my God,'" (Hosea 2:23). Paul's analogy in Romans 7 about a bridegroom not being able to remarry an unfaithful bride shows the necessity of why the Messiah had to die: to remarry unfaithful Israel.

When we look at Romans 11 through this light, it fits with many other parts of the Bible, including much of the Old Testament. The northern kingdom of Israel being restored would fit with prophecies such as Ezekiel 37 and the valley of dry bones coming back to life. It would tie together historic events from the Bible, prophecies of Israel and Judah coming back together, and the writings of Paul. And it would still mean that now all people are free to be grafted into the olive tree of the people of God.

But if we choose to look at the analogy of the olive tree as being that the New Testament Jews are what get cut off the tree, that would really be a brand new idea in the Bible. 

To review:

The branches of the olive tree that were cut off, were the people of Israel's northern kingdom, after it split from Judah. They were cut off because they repeatedly chose to disregard Biblical laws and partake in the worship of idols. This happened roughly around 925 BC.

This passage is not saying that Jewish people were cut off, which would have happened around 50 AD.

This is not to say that Biblical things that many Christians think of as being 'Jewish' or 'just for the Jews' do not still apply to believers today. After all, each of us is grafted into the olive tree, and the olive tree is about worshipping YHWH and having the freedom to do the things he has called us to do - including things like keeping Sabbath days.

But this passage does highlight that God's people are not just one specific culture or ethnicity. All of us get to take part in the things of YHWH - forgiveness of sins, the fruit of the spirit, celebrating what he celebrates, resting when he says rest, and following his commandments. 

Related posts:
The Two Houses: Israel and Judah in Scripture
Why Paul Withstood Peter in Galatians 2
The Covenant of Vocation - The Death of Jesus Freed Us from Idolatry

How Did John the Baptist Prepare the Way for Jesus? Three Moral Directives from John the Baptist (Luke 3)

John the Baptist is famously known as the one who prepared the way for the Savior. We know from Scripture that he was just six months or so older than his cousin Jesus. And because he prepared the way, he is often quickly brushed aside, but his words and actions laid the groundwork for the Messiah's good news. Because of John's work, people were better able to understand and receive Jesus later on. I think we should examine what he had to say and what advice of his the Bible records!

How exactly did he prepare the way for Jesus? I don't think it was just about him announcing that someone greater was coming, though that's an obvious example. I think he began speaking of the things that were near to the heart of the Savior's message. 

Have you thought about that before? John the Baptist's message fit with the message of Jesus. And not just because he said the kingdom of heaven was at hand. For those who heard John's words, his message prepared them to better receive and understand the words of the Messiah.

What was the message of John the Baptist?

Take a look at this passage from Luke 3:

"What should we do?" asked the crowds.

"Anyone who has two cloaks," replied John, "should give one to someone who hasn't got one. The same applies to anyone who has plenty of food."

Some toll-collectors came to be baptized. "Teacher," they said, "what should we do?"

"Don't collect more than what is laid down," he replied.

Some soldiers, too, asked John, "What about us? What should we do?"

"No extortion," replied John, "and no blackmail. Be content with your wages."

-Luke 3:10-14

Stop hoarding things. Share what you have. Don't take more than you're entitled to, or more than what's reasonable. Don't extort anyone. Be content with what you have.

These things prepare the way for the kingdom of Heaven.

It's interesting that he directs different instructions at different groups. When he tells the tax collectors that they shouldn't collect more money than what is required of them, he's not saying it's fine for them to use extortion or blackmail. 

This is because he's speaking about things that are generally considered acceptable by those groups. John is saying that we shouldn't let our culture or setting dictate what is morally right or wrong. That's not to say that we can't do things that are part of our workplace vernacular or culture, but he is saying we certainly shouldn't when that means we violate commandments from God. This message fits with the Messiah's.

We see the Messiah say many similar things to what John taught here.

-"Sell what you have and give to the poor." -Matthew 19:21

-"Be on guard against greed, for life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." -Luke 12:15

-"Woe to you for being full of robbery." -Matthew 23:25

-"Do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or drink, or wear." -Matthew 6:25

While our world today celebrates constant striving to accumulate more things and status, both Jesus and John the Baptist encouraged the opposite behavior. Rather than hoarding wealth, they taught sharing and giving. 

This is a core tenet of the Gospel. Having faith isn't just about going to Heaven...it should change how we live here and now. As followers of the Messiah we are called to live differently and help others. We are not called to a life of greed, and our focus shouldn't be on constantly trying to make more money or have the newest or best possessions. The Creator of the world did not give you life so that you can be controlled by greed.

How can we work to honor these instructions in our lives today?

Related posts:
Fifty Ways to Love Your Neighbor
Giving When You Don't Have the Finances
How to Pray for Our World

The Beginner's Guide to First Fruits (Celebrating the Savior's Resurrection the Biblical Way)

In this post we examine the basics of First Fruits, which is a Biblical holiday that happens shortly after Passover within another Biblical holiday, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This is the day that Jesus rose from the grave! By learning more about this holiday we can worship the Messiah in deeper ways and celebrate his resurrection at the Scripturally appropriate time. We will talk about what this holiday means and share practical ideas for celebrating and taking part in such a joyous occasion!

What is First Fruits? 

First Fruits is one of the Biblical holidays and it happens within another Biblical holiday, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It is a special part of Unleavened Bread. In Levitical times, it was the day when the priests presented a wave offering of the 'first fruits' of the harvest that year - barley. It's also the day that the Messiah rose from the dead and presented himself to his Father!

Where is First Fruits in the Bible?

Details on First Fruits are seen in Leviticus 23:9-14 (usually spelled Firstfruits).

What Bible verses relate to First Fruits?

Leviticus 23:9-14
Deuteronomy 26
Matthew 28
Mark 16
Luke 24
John 20
1 Corinthians 15:20-28

Biblical events have taken place on First Fruits:

-The resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. (Matthew 28)

-Israel crossed over the Red Sea after leaving Egypt in the Exodus story. (Exodus 3:18, 5:3)

-Israel ate the first fruits of the Promised Land. (Joshua 5:10-12)

-The Temple was cleansed and sacrifices were reinstated under the reign of King Hezekiah. (1 Chronicles 29:17-18)
-Queen Esther foiled the plot of Haman. (Esther 3:12, 5:1)
-Noah's ark possibly came to rest on Mount Ararat after the flood on First Fruits.

-The walk to Emmaus, where the Savior "expounded on all things concerning himself" from Scripture to a couple of his followers. (Luke 24:13-15)

Why celebrate First Fruits?

This is the day that Jesus rose from the dead! If that's not worth our attention and celebration, what is? When he rose from the dead, no one called the day Easter. First Fruits is about doing our best to worship the Messiah in ways consistent with what the Bible teaches.

Who should celebrate First Fruits?

First Fruits should be celebrated by all Bible believers. If you want to celebrate the Savior defeating the grave and coming back to life, the Biblically correct day to do so would be on the day of First Fruits. 

The Bible holidays were given to all of God's people and all Bible believers may take part in them, regardless of ethnicity, spiritual background, ancestry, etc.

How is First Fruits different than Easter?

When it comes to the idea of celebrating that the Savior is risen, the Bible holiday First Fruits is very similar to Christian intentions behind Easter. The difference is that while First Fruits is Biblical, Easter is manmade. They happen at similar times of year (sometimes the same day), but First Fruits does not involve Easter bunnies, egg hunts, or ham.

Is First Fruits the same as Unleavened Bread?

First Fruits is part of Unleavened Bread. While Unleavened Bread is weeklong holiday, First Fruits is one day during that. It happens the Sunday after the Sabbath during the week of Unleavened Bread. The stipulation of not eating leaven still applies during this time, and we still remember and celebrate the spiritual significance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. We remember how God parted the Red Sea and lead his people to freedom, but on First Fruits especially we also remember and celebrate that the Messiah is no longer in the grave and he lives!

How to observe First Fruits:

First Fruits is a joyful day! Praise God for the resurrection of Jesus and have fun! 

Gatherings are not Scripturally required, but you could certainly arrange to get together with friends or attend a service at a congregation that celebrates this.

Note that First Fruits is not considered a Sabbath day, unless it happens to fall on the last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 

What should I do to celebrate First Fruits?

-Read the Gospel stories of the empty tomb! This is truly the best part of the Good News - that the Messiah lives - and there's no better time to revisit that. Read Bible passages aloud, revisit the tale in children's books and movies, or do a dramatized version.

-Gather for a festive meal, if you want. Again, this is not a requirement but you certainly can make a special meal and invite loved ones to join in. On First Fruits, the Bible says not to eat leavened bread, so make foods without leaven. I'll link to a list of unleavened recipes at the end of this post to get you inspired.

-Spread the good news. First Fruits is a wonderful day for sharing the joy and love of God with others. Send notes of Scripture and encouragement to loved ones, volunteer for a service project, gather donations to give to those in need, and challenge yourself to be extra gracious and kind to everyone you encounter this day.

-Have fun! Even though Easter egg hunts are not appropriate for First Fruits, games can still be played, treats enjoyed, and prizes given. How about making an obstacle course for kids where they have to cross the "Red Sea" and "escape from Egypt"? There are plenty of empty tomb and crucifixion related kids crafts you could make. Put together a scavenger hunt. Make and enjoy matzah toffee or a Red Sea crossing smoothie bowl. 

Related posts:
How to Celebrate First Fruits
Meal Ideas for the Feast of Unleavened Bread
Kids Crafts for Passover and First Fruits
Red Sea Crossing Smoothie Bowls

The Spiritual Meaning of Unleavened Bread (What Unleavened Bread Means)

In this post we will discover some of the spiritual significance and meaning behind the Biblical holiday of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. We will look at what this holiday means, and the reasons why it is celebrated today. This special time reminds us of how quickly the Living God acted on behalf of his people in Egypt, and the lessons we learn from those saving acts! The holiday of Unleavened Bread is found in the Bible in Leviticus 23, Deuteronomy 16, and Exodus 12.

Do you ever wonder what the meaning is behind the holiday of Unleavened Bread in the Bible? It's not just a weird week of eating flatbread; it has spiritual significance beyond that of being lumped in with Passover. In the Exodus story the Israelites were commanded to eat no leaven immediately following Passover, and then of course the first part of their journey into the wilderness took place during Unleavened Bread (including the crossing of the Red Sea). During this time, all believers are told to eat unleavened bread to remember the miracles that YHWH performed to free his people from slavery. It was also during this Biblical holiday that the Messiah rose from the dead! Celebrating Unleavened Bread helps us to refocus on how awesome the God we serve is and reminds us of these spiritual truths as well as many others.

Let's take a look at just a few lessons the Feast of Unleavened Bread teaches us.

1. All things are possible with YHWH. If you grew up hearing the Exodus story, it's easy to gloss over how amazing these events were after a while. Can you imagine the sudden emancipation of an entire enslaved people group? Scripture says that 600,000 men left Egypt, and with women and children the total number would likely have been around 2,000,000. I would say aside from the life, death, and resurrection of the Messiah, a few million people walking away from slavery would be one of the most singularly amazing moments in history. There was no insurrection, there was no violent political coup...they just walked out. I'm sure no one would have ever expected the slaves to just go free, including those who were enslaved. Even when many people didn't expect it, the Living God worked in truly awesome ways! The Messiah's followers experienced their own version of this when, beyond all hope or expectation, their executed Savior came back to life! Whatever you're longing for in your life is possible with God.

2. Things can get better very quickly. Do you know why unleavened bread is eaten this week? It's to remember that circumstances changed so quickly for the Israelites that they didn't have time to let their bread dough rise properly before baking. They needed to leave so suddenly that there simply wasn't time. Making bread from scratch can be a lengthy project, but there is no reason it can't be done within 24 hours. In less time than that the Israelites went from enslaved by the most powerful empire in the world to having freedom, and even being sent away with gifts! What not ideal circumstances do you find yourself in right now? Where are you struggling? What do you feel like will never change? You never know how suddenly things will get better.

3. We need to get rid of the old leaven. What is leavening your life in a spiritual or emotional sense right now? There comes a time when we are told to get rid of those things. Not necessarily because they are all bad, but because we are being called to better things. Leaven is a permitted thing to us most of the time, but during this week it is not. In the same way there are times where emotions like anger are permitted (and even godly), but eventually we are called to get rid of that and not have it control our lives. Like 1 Corinthians 5 tells us, a little leaven permeates the whole thing. Don't continue to let leaven spread in your life to where it shouldn't be.

4. We need to proactively make changes. During the Feast of Unleavened Bread we are commanded to eat differently. That change is not just going to happen on its own. We need to intentionally get rid of the leavened bread in our kitchens and choose to make or purchase unleavened bread. Unless we make these decisions we will miss out on this time from our Creator. Unleavened bread is not just going to materialize in your home. What other areas of your life is YHWH calling you to make changes in? It could be to choose more life giving words for the people in your life, to spend more time studying his word or in worship, or to change your thinking in some way. Consider what steps you can take today to be obedient to the call on your life.

5. To be grateful for what we have. There's nothing like a restriction to make us appreciate what we had! That first bite of a sandwich or croissant or pizza or whatever your leaven of choice is, is a joyous moment after Unleavened Bread is over. It's easy to overlook how wonderful simple things are, and I think the Feast of Unleavened Bread is a good reminder to take joy in the things we take for granted...whether that's the people in our lives, the job we are blessed with, the home we get to live in, or the many other blessings we all have from the Creator. 

There are many more lessons to be had from the Feast of Unleavened Bread but these are a few reminders that can truly transform our lives, because the Savior lives and we have been set free!

Related posts:
Why I Started Keeping the Biblical Feasts
The Beginner's Guide to the Feast of Unleavened Bread
12 Ways to Celebrate Unleavened Bread