Imagine that I promised to come visit you and bring you Christmas presents.
Enough presents not only for you, but for your whole family, enough also for you to distribute to every family in your neighbourhood.
And I came. Not everyone noticed, but I actually came. I gave you your presents. You opened it. You loved it! Your whole family were handed their presents. You distributed presents for your neighbours too. And they loved it!
But some people didn't open their presents. Even some of your own family members didn't open theirs.
The fact that some of your own family members didn't open theirs didn't mean I'd failed to fulfil my promise. I did visit you. I did come.
Nor did it mean I'd postponed giving your family their presents 'til some future time. I came on time, and I really gave the presents for them.
Neither did it mean that the presents, or your family, or your neighbourhood have each been redefined in some way.
I came. To you. To your family. On time. I gave you your presents. Real presents. You're enjoying yours. Many of your family members are enjoying theirs. You distributed the presents to all your neighbours. Many of them have opened their presents and are enjoying them. It's just that some people didn't open theirs.
For those of your family who didn't open their presents - I never withdrew their presents. Your household was given the presents first, before any of the neighbours were. Your family-members' presents are still there. They could still open them, while there was still time.
In fact I was really hoping that more of your family members would feel like opening their presents once they saw their neighbours enjoying theirs so much! I was still feeling eager for them.
Along with each present, came a card. Inside the card I wrote a promissory note to everyone: I promised to come back one day. And this time everyone will notice my arrival - because I'll come with an entourage, in a limousine - and I'm going to give everyone a mansion! Everyone who's ready, with my promissory note in their hands. In fact I'm preparing a place for you right now! That's the main reason everyone is going around looking so happy.
Now, more and more people - your neighbours, and your own family members alike - are opening their Christmas presents! It doesn't matter anymore to them which family they came from, or who's got the best house on the block - because each of them has the same anticipation! This is the exact scenario I'd promised you long ago.
And there we have the Gospel. God foretold the Gospel to Abraham, saying that in Abraham's seed - Christ - all families of the earth would be blessed.
Christ indeed came, and blessed Israel first - then the Gentiles also heard and believed. Together, both Jews and Gentiles, enjoyed the same salvation!
The fact that not all Jews believed didn't mean the promise had failed; nor has it been postponed to a future dispensation - and neither was the promise, the kingdom, Israel or the Gentiles redefined.
God fulfilled His promise to Abraham by sending Jesus to Israel first - He was crucified - and He raised Him up again from the dead.
Moses' Law - which had been a temporary distinguishing barrier between the families of the nations and the physical descendants of Abraham's grandson Jacob (Israel) - was in that way brought to its fulfilment.
Now all families of the earth alike, as one new identity, could enjoy God's promised salvation, without needing to become proselytes to old Judaism. All precisely as foreseen, foreshadowed, and foretold.
This is the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ - which is for all people!
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