Why We Love the Jews

Riches for the World

From the standpoint of the gospel they (the Jews) are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Romans 11: 28-29

In Romans 11 we have the course of redemptive history, which is to say human history, presented in a nutshell. Redemptive history is how God, over time and through the ages, is working to save the world. Since the world is ruled by His Messiah, Jesus Christ, and since all enemies of Christ are being progressively, gradually, and ineluctably placed under His feet, redemptive history is actual human history. There is no other true meta-narrative.

Within this glorious narrative the most important dynamic is the Jew-Gentile dichotomy.
From the very beginning of God calling Israel and entering into a covenant with the fathers He made it clear that Israel was being called so as to redeem the entire world. All the families of the earth were going to be blessed through His calling of the Jewish people (Genesis 12:3).

In this first phase of redemptive history God separated Israel from the nations to be a holy nation unto Him. In the second phase of redemptive history--in which we now live--the stubborn disobedience and rebellion of the Jews (the natural branches of the redemptive tree, Romans 11:16) have been cut off, and God has turned to the Gentiles--all the rest of the families of the earth to graft them in.

Now, over the course of this phase to date millions of Jews have been re-grafted back in as they have come to embrace Jesus Christ as their long awaited and promised Messiah of God, and have repented and believed. But the majority have not. But a time will come--the third phase--when the Jewish people as a whole, as a majority, will be grafted back in again. This will result in turbo-charged divine blessings being poured out upon the whole world. (Romans 11:12)

Paul reveals this when he says that the partial spiritual hardening will continue to hold the Jews in check, until "the fulness of the Gentiles" has come in; but then God will turn once again to the Jewish people, and all Israel (then living) will be saved (Romans 11:25--27).

This is why Christians must maintain a deep humility towards the Jewish people--a profound love and longing for them. Of course, this does not mean that we excuse or rationalise away Jewish idolatry or disobedience or rejection of Christ. We would continue to speak the truth in as winsome a way possible. But we ever remember that for the sake of our fathers they remain beloved of God and that one day He, when the fulness of the Gentiles has come in, He will turn again to His ancient people, their eyes will be opened, and they will see and embrace their Messiah. There will be dancing in the streets all over the world.

But the fullness of the Gentiles must come in first--including the conversion to Christ of Islamic people all over the globe. Therefore, because we love the Jews and long for their salvation, every year we double down on our labours to make all the nations of the world true disciples of Jesus Christ. Then true blessings will fall upon Israel, and as a consequence the entire world will behold and experience the fullness and glories of our Saviour God.