Read Romans 11:17-24 in your personal Bible or at the link provided.
Review
1. How did the Gentiles join God’s family “tree”?
2. Why were some Jews cut off?
3. What does God desire to do? (See 2 Peter 3:9.)
Reflect
Jesus and the New Testament writers often used metaphors from nature that their agriculturally focused audiences would understand. In this Scripture, Paul says the Gentiles were grafted into God’s family, which is a process to surgically connect a part of one plant to another. God’s plan of redemption started with His chosen people, Israel, and Jesus’s death and resurrection extended forgiveness and new life to everyone who puts their faith in Him.
Gardeners graft branches by making a cut into the vine where the new branch will be placed, a process called bleeding. This week, we’ve read how Jesus called Himself the true vine – He bled for us, allowing us to be connected to Him and bear fruit through Him. Without Him, we would be like sticks cut off from the vine, spiritually dead and unable to save ourselves.
Have you been grafted into God’s family tree? It doesn’t require any cleaning up on your part because forgiveness only comes from Jesus. He wants you to put your trust in Him, to declare Him your Savior and Lord, because He loves you.
Respond
How would you describe the metaphor of the grafting process, knowing Jesus is the vine and you are the branch? Have you been grafted into His family tree? (If you want to talk with one of our pastors about following Jesus, you can reach out through our Contact Us form or by emailing info@tpcc.org.)
If you’re already a part of God’s family tree, with whom in your life can you share what you’ve learned about Him this week?