A Beautiful Story

God's plan from the foundation of the world was to save humanity, through the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. 

He told His friend Abraham about this plan long ago. A son of Abraham's was going to become heir of the world; and people of all the world would become beneficiaries of His blessing. 

Abraham believed God, and as a result God declared him righteous - before he was circumcised; before Israel was even born.

Later Abraham got circumcised. And God chose one line of Abraham's descendants to be the custodians of the plan. He formed them into a nation, and in the meantime gave them a temporary Law which set them apart from all other nations. 

But the Law couldn't save them, because sin was too strong. The Jews were, after all descendants of fallen Adam, just as Gentiles were. 

In their sinfulness they handed Jesus over to Pilate to be crucified. But in the wisdom of God, Jesus' crucifixion became the means of salvation not only of Jewish people, but of all humanity. 

A new covenant was made in Jesus' precious blood. Eternal life was inaugurated by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. 

News of this good accomplishment was announced first to Jews, since they had been custodians of the plan - and also to Greeks. Many Jews believed, but some were still hard-hearted and were missing out. Then many Gentiles also believed. 

Some Jews said the Gentiles who believed had to become Jews - but the Apostles and elders said no: they were complete in Christ. In the Messiah Jews and Gentiles alike had now been made one new humanity, by faith. This was precisely what Abraham had foreseen! 

Incase any Gentiles, especially in the congregation at Rome, might have mistakenly thought that Jews could no longer get saved - Paul explained that any Jew who turned from unbelief to faith could still get saved. God was even using the fact that Gentiles were experiencing the very plan of salvation which Israel had been custodians of, in order to provoke some of them to that very response. And many who at first disbelieved, did eventually become believers. Saul (Paul) himself was an example of that happening.

That scenario - in which both Gentiles and Jews were continuing to come to the Lord at the same time - had been foreseen by the prophets, and was to continue for as long as the gospel is still being preached among the nations, because God hasn't closed the door to anyone - and then the end will come.

Jesus is the way, and the truth, and the life - no one comes to the Father except through Him.