013 – What about Israel? (Romans: A Life of Faith)
As Pastor Alex points out, Romans chapter eight ends with a crescendo celebrating the loving faithfulness of God. It seems like a mic-drop moment, after which no more needs to be said. However, Paul is conscious that his teaching poses a serious question. If Jesus is both Israel’s Messiah and the savior of the world; if all of the world’s ills and human sinfulness are addressed by Jesus (as the culmination of God’s faithfulness and righteousness), then why do so many Jews reject Jesus as their Messiah?
It’s a tough question, both then and now. Moreover, it orbits a larger question about God’s trustworthiness. Is the rejection of Jesus by ethnic Israel evidence that God has tossed aside the Jews in spite of his promises to them? Pastor Alex addresses these questions, and Paul’s passion for people to receive Jesus, during this weekend’s teaching.