December 29, 2024 – Romans 11:1-16

Lesson Date: December 29, 2024

Focal Scripture Passage: Romans 11:1-16

AIM: To lead students to discover God’s current plan for the Jews, and to pray for the safety and salvation of Jewish people everywhere.

Before class: Read the notes on Romans 11:1-16 found in the Sunday School Teacher Book.

INTRODUCTION (Create Learning Readiness): Ask: “Have you heard anything about Israel lately?” (they undoubtedly have, because Israel is in the news almost every day).  Remind the students of the following:

• In October of 2023, Hamas launched a deadly attack against southern Israel, killing and kidnapping hundreds of innocent people.
• More recently, Hezbollah has launched massive rocket and drone attacks against northern Israel.
• Many people here in America and around the world have protested Israel’s actions to defend itself and fight back against these unprovoked attacks.
• Anti-Israel and anti-Jewish protests have erupted on many American college campuses and in many cities around the world.

Ask: “Why do you think so many people hate the Jews?”  Allow time for responses, and then explain that since the Jews are God’s chosen people, those who oppose God naturally hate the Jews, too.  Tell the class that down through the centuries, no people have been abused and oppressed as much as the Jews.

Explain that the Old Testament is all about God’s dealings with the Jews in ancient times, but after Jesus came, died, and rose again, it seems that God’s focus has shifted to the Gentiles.  Tell the class the title of today’s lesson is God’s Current Plan for the Jews.  Tell them we will learn a little about how God is working in and through the Jews today.

HEART OF THE LESSON (Bible Study):

1. Review.
   • Remind the students that last week’s Christmas lesson was from John 1.
   • Ask: “What was last week’s lesson about?” (The Arrival of the Savior; we examined some very important facts about the coming of Jesus Christ).
   • Ask if any volunteer would recite last week’s memory verse (Romans 10:15).
   • Tell them today’s lesson returns to the book of Romans.
2. God Has Not Thrown Away the Jews.
   • Read Romans 11:1-2.
   • Ask: “What question do we find in verse 1?” (Has God cast away, rejected, or discarded His people, the Jews?).
   • Ask: “What answer do we find in verse 1?” (“God forbid;” in other words, absolutely not!).
   • Ask: “What fact does Paul cite in verse 1 to prove this?” (he was a Jew, yet God saved him, which means God was still saving Jews).
   • Explain the following:
     • In verse 2 God emphatically states that He has not cast away or rejected the Jews.
     • God foreknew and chose the Jews long ago to be His special people.
   • Summarize: Most Jews today reject Jesus as their Messiah, and many people around the world hate them, but God has not thrown away or rejected the Jews.
3. God Still Saves a Remnant of Jews Today.
   • Tell the students that verse 2 speaks of Elijah the prophet, when he was discouraged and depressed because wicked Queen Jezebel threatened to kill him.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 11:3-4 (which are quoted from 1 Kings 19).
   • Ask: “According to verse 3, what did Elijah tell the Lord?” (they have killed the prophets, I’m the only one left, and they want to kill me, too).
   • Ask: “How did God answer Elijah in verse 4?” (He had preserved 7,000 faithful Jews who had not bowed down to the false god Baal).
   • Stress the fact that Elijah felt alone, but God assured him that there were still many other faithful people in Israel.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 11:5-6.
   • Ask: “Elijah was in the past, but what did God say about the present time?” (that He had preserved a faithful remnant, chosen by God’s “election of grace”).
   • Tell the class that verse 6 makes it clear that salvation is by grace, not works.
   • Read John 1:11-12 (which you have also read in each of the past few lessons).
   • Ask: “How did most Jews respond to Jesus when He came?” (they rejected him).
   • Ask: “How did some Jews respond to Him?” (they received Him and became sons of God).
   • Summarize: Most Jews today reject Jesus as their Messiah, but God is still calling and saving a remnant of Jewish people today.
4. Most Jews are Temporarily Blind While God Saves Many Gentiles.
   • Read Romans 11:7-10.
   • Ask: “God still saves a few Jews today, but what do the last words of verse 7 say about the rest?” (they are blinded or hardened to the fact that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah).
   • Quoting from Isaiah 29 and Psalm 69, verses 8-10 reveal that most Jews are spiritually blind to Jesus (v. 8, 10) and focus instead on their religious rituals (v. 9).
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 11:11.
   • Ask: “Does their current spiritual ‘stumble’ (Rom. 9:32-33) mean that God has rejected them and no longer cares for them?” (“God forbid;” in other words, absolutely not!).
   • Ask: “What good thing comes from the current spiritual blindness of the Jews?” (salvation has come to the Gentiles).
   • Read Romans 11:25 (which is part of next week’s lesson).
   • Ask: “How long will the Jews’ ‘blindness in part’ last?” (until God saves all the Gentiles He plans to save).
   • Tell the students that Jesus stated it this way in Luke 21:24b, “and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”
   • Summarize: While most Jews today are spiritually blind to salvation by grace through faith in Jesus, God is using this time to save many Gentiles.
5. God Still Calls Jews to Spiritual Life.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 11:12.
   • Tell the class that since the Jews’ rejection of Jesus led to the blessing of salvation for many Gentiles, imagine how blessed we will be when the Jews finally turn to Jesus.
   • Read Romans 11:13-16.
   • Explain the following:
     • In verse 13 Paul said he embraced his role as apostle (messenger) to the Gentiles.
     • In verse 14 Paul said he hoped the salvation of the Gentiles would provoke the Jews to accept Jesus as their Savior.
     • Remember that Paul had a deep burden for his fellow Jews to be saved (Rom. 9:1-3; 10:1).
   • Ask: “According to verse 15, to what did Paul compare a Jewish person receiving Christ?” (life springing from spiritual deadness).
   • Ask: “What does verse 16 say?” (if the first fruit is holy then the whole lump is holy, and if the root is holy then the whole plant is holy).
   • Explain the following:
     • This first people to accept Jesus Christ as Savior were His Jewish disciples.
     • They were the first fruits of salvation among the Jews.
     • That means a greater harvest is coming; in other words, more Jews will be saved.
   • Summarize: God is still calling Jews to receive Christ as their Messiah, and the few Jews being saved today means that many more will be saved in the future.

PERSONAL APPLICATION: Remind the class that the title of today’s lesson is God’s Current Plan for the Jews.  Tell them we have learned about how God is working in and through the Jews today, including the following:

• God has not thrown away or rejected the Jews.
• God is still calling and saving a remnant of Jewish people today.
• Most Jews today are spiritually blind to salvation by grace through faith in Jesus, but God is using this time to save many Gentiles (including us!).
• God is still calling Jews to receive Christ as their Messiah, which assures us that many more Jews will be saved in the future.

Ask: “Do you know any Jewish people?”  Tell the students it is usually difficult to share Christ with Jews, but God can miraculously open their hearts, give them a hunger for the Lord, and draw them to faith in Jesus.

Tell the class that the Bible tells us to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6a).  Remind them that the nation of Israel is under attack and Jewish people everywhere endure hatred and persecution.

Remind everyone that God promised Abraham, “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Gen. 12:3).

Stress the fact that we should pray for the safety of Jewish people and the security of the nation of Israel, but we must also pray that God will open the eyes of Jewish people, give them faith to believe in Jesus, and save their souls.

Ask everyone to bow their head and close their eyes.  Ask them to pray that God will open the eyes of the Jews, and especially for the salvation of any Jewish people they might know.  Allow a moment for silent prayer, and then voice a closing prayer.

CONCLUSION: Ask everyone to memorize Romans 10:17.  Encourage them to pray that many Jewish people will turn to Jesus.  Next week we will learn about God’s future plans for the Jews.