Regrafting of the Jews
A Sermon on Romans 11:23-24
Scripture
23And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. 24For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive …
Sermon Description
In Romans 11:23–24, Paul continues his arguments to prove that the Lord is not done with the nation of Israel. In this sermon on Romans 11:23–24 titled “Regrafting of the Jews,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones points out the three previous arguments in the beginning of the chapter for review and explains two more arguments in these verses. The first is based on the power of God; He is able to do anything. This means that the Lord is able to regraft the Jews back into His fold. Paul is continuing his illustration of the branches and roots of a tree. The Lord may have chosen to cut off the nation of Israel, but that does not mean that He cannot once again restore them. The second argument is in light of what God has done to the Gentiles. Because the Lord chose to bring salvation to the Gentiles, this is proof that He can also restore the Jews once again. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that it was even harder to graft in the Gentiles, so how much more would the Lord be willing and able to once again regraft His chosen people. As a final reminder, the Christian should always be aware that they are part of the branches that are growing and fruitful, lest they also are cut off.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is addressing the possibility and reasonableness of the restoration of the Jews as a nation in verses 23-24.
- In verse 23, Paul states that the restoration of the Jews is possible if they do not remain in unbelief. Their salvation is conditioned on faith alone, not works or nationality.
- Paul emphasizes God's power and ability to graft the Jews in again in verse 23. Though it seems impossible, God is able to do it. This is a reference to Mark 10:27 - "With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God."
- In verse 23, "they" and "them" refer to the Jews as a race, not the specific Jews alive during Paul's time. Paul is not teaching that the same Jews who rejected Christ can come back again. He is referring to Jews in the future.
- Verse 23 does not teach falling away from grace or being in and out of salvation. God is the one who grafts people in, and when He does so, they remain grafted in. Salvation is certain and permanent.
- In verse 24, Paul argues from the greater to the lesser. If God could graft in the Gentiles, who were "contrary to nature" and outside the covenant, how much more easily can He graft in the Jews, who were the "natural branches"?
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.