The Mystery of Mercy
Romans 11:25-36
Intro: People love to solve mysteries. Whether it’s figuring out a John Grisham novel or solving a complicated riddle, people love to try to figure out mysteries. Lots of people enjoy the TV show "Unsolved Mysteries" hosted by Robert Stack. "Unsolved Mysteries" was one of the first internet interactive TV shows. The TV show’s web site boasts that over 270 cases have been solved by viewers of "Unsolved Mysteries."
-People love to look for mysteries in every area of life, and that includes the spiritual life as well. A second century spin off from Christianity called the gnosticism became obsessed with solving mysteries. The gnostics claimed that there were secret truths that Jesus revealed to just an elite few. If you were initiated into the elite, you too could gain access to these mysteries that the rest of the Church was ignorant of. Fortunately gnosticism died out in the late second century, and the Christian faith prevailed. However, as I see so many people try to find secrets and mysteries in the Christian faith through Bible codes and obscure interpretations of the Bible, I’m reminded of just how similar this is to second century gnosticism.
-People love mysteries. You see, the reality is that the reason we like mysteries is so we can try to solve them. We don’t really like mysteries that we can’t solve. How popular would the TV show "Unsolved Mysteries" be if it boasted zero cases solved? We simply can’t put up with things we don’t understand, and the spiritual life is no exception. Some people struggle with this in regards to the doctrine of the Trinity. Bible verses about the Trinity show Jesus being fully God, the Father being fully God, the Holy Spirit being fully God, yet the Bible teaches that there is only one true God. Some would say, "I can’t understand that. It doesn’t make sense. It’s not reasonable or logical that God could be both three and one." But here’s a thought: If we could totally comprehend God’s nature, we’d be equal with God. It comforts me to think that there are things about God that are mysterious and beyond my stunted ability to comprehend. Some simply cannot imagine worshipping a God who is surrounded by mystery, a God who can’t be fully explained or put in one’s own mental box. That’s why some reject the God of the Bible. (Timothy Peck, sermoncentral.com)
-Lord willing, we’re going to shed some light on some of the mysteries of God’s mercy today. We don’t have all the answers and we won’t this side of heaven. However, we can certainly look into the mysteries of God and continue to receive His mercy in our lives. Let’s take a look!
I. The Mystery of the Hard Heart (25)
Romans 11:25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.
-Paul has already warned the Gentile believers not to be arrogant against the Jews who don’t believe. This may have been a common response given by Gentiles in the church at Rome when Jewish believers were pushing for the observance of Jewish laws and customs. Paul’s view was that Jewish people should be Jewish in every way, but be sure that their faith was in Jesus, not in their Jewishness or the Mosaic law. He also believed that Gentiles did not need to become Jewish in their practices, but should be sure that their faith was in Jesus.
-So, his response to their arrogance as they began to berate Jewish people as a whole for not embracing Jesus was, “Don’t boast! Don’t be arrogant. Recognize that without the grace of God we’d all be lost!”
-And now in v.25 Paul guides the Gentiles into a deeper understanding of God’s mercy that will lead to humility – not conceit or arrogance. He explains that Israel has experienced a partial hardening, leaving room for Gentiles to come in to the favor of God. The partial hardening means that not every Jew has rejected Jesus, but many (perhaps the majority) have. And what many Jews rejected because of their hardened hearts the Gentiles received by faith.
-As mysterious as the hardened hearts of the Jewish people was, so the salvation of the Gentiles was a bit of a surprise. No one could’ve predicted that God would set Israel aside for a time, and create an entirely new community called the Church. No one could’ve known that Israel would be broken off from the stem of God’s purposes, and a new community called the Church would be grafted in that wasn’t very Jewish at all. This new community wouldn’t be centered around the law of Moses, but would live by the law of Christ. This new community of the Church would celebrate communion instead of the Passover, worship on any day instead of the Sabbath day, treat circumcision as indifferent and instead welcome people into their community through baptism. This new community instead of Israel would embody and live out Jesus’ great commission to share the good news of Jesus Christ will all people everywhere. No one could’ve guessed that this would happen. It was mysterious! God used the hardening of Israel to open the door of salvation to the Gentiles. But wait! He’s not finished with the Jews! Many of them will still embrace Jesus as the Messiah.
II. The Mystery of God’s Calling (26-29)
Romans 11:26-29 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. 27 And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins." 28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, 29 for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable.
-God keeps His promises and will preserve a remnant. Listen to God’s promise through the prophet Isaiah: Isaiah 59:20-21 20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the LORD. 21 “As for me, this is my covenant with them," says the LORD. "My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever," says the LORD.”
-Is Paul saying in v.26 that every individual Jew will be saved? No, we just read from Isaiah that “those in Jacob who repent of their sins” will be saved. Jewish teachers commonly taught that all of Israel would be saved, but then proceeded to list which Jews would not be saved. So Paul is referring the great majority of the surviving Jewish remnant who turn to Christ. As a whole, all Israel will be saved in the last days.
-Again, we’re talking about mystery here. Israel expected that an ingathering of non-Jewish people would eventually occur, but Jews thought it would occur through Israel. In other words, Jewish people expected that eventually all the nations of the world would join Israel in worshipping the God of Israel the same way they did. Israel figured they were the doorkeepers to God, and that people had to go through Judaism to get to God. They were mistaken, but God had called them as a nation or people group, and still had enough mercy to go around for everybody – Jews and Gentiles.
III. The Mystery of God’s Mercy (30-32)
Romans 11:30-32 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you. 32 For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
-Our Dilemma of Disobedience is answered by the Mystery of Mercy. Paul seems to be repeating himself again, but repetition is a great teacher. Gentiles as a whole were not included in God’s covenant with the Jews and lived in disobedience to God. However, when the Jews in large part rejected God’s mercy, the Gentiles received the good news about Jesus and were included in the family of God through faith in Jesus.
-It is like the Jews and Gentiles as a whole traded places. Now Paul says Israel will be primed to receive God’s mercy and turn from their disobedience because they see God’s mercy working in the lives of the Gentiles. Back in v.11 Paul says that Israel will become envious of the Gentiles and return to God and His Messiah.
-And then in v.32 Paul shows that in God’s wisdom He bound all men (Jew and Gentile alike) over to disobedience so that He would have mercy on them all.
-We cannot receive mercy when we think we deserve it. If Jews could have kept the law perfectly and never strayed they would never have seen their need for a Messiah. But as we know, all have sinned and come short of God’s glory. And each of us find ourselves in need of a Savior – in need of mercy.
-We can offer no excuse for our disobedience. We can only turn humbly to the One who paid the price for us with His very own life! What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus! What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus! We have nothing to offer that will atone for our sins. There is nothing we can do, nothing we can say that will take care of our sin problem. It is only when we come by faith, trusting in what Jesus did for us that we receive God’s mercy and are forgiven and made clean and become a brand new person in Christ!
-And the knowledge of this is what leads Paul to pen the words of praise that follow:
IV. The Mystery of God’s Wisdom and Knowledge (33-36)
Romans 11:33-36 33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 34 "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" 35 "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?" 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
-God’s mercy is so amazing, it should call forth praise from the very core of our being! It should make us giddy at times! It should move us to tears of joy and gratitude! His mercy elicits praise and celebration! “Oh God! You are soooooo good to us! You are way bigger than I ever thought You were! Nobody could ever teach you anything, God! Nobody could ever give You any advice on how to do things better! Nobody could ever give You something, Lord, that would make you indebted to them! You own it all! Everything comes from You! It is through You, God, that everything and everyone exists! And all things will return to You – either in Your mercy or in Your judgment!”
-Listen to these last few verses from the Message Bible:
“Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It's way over our heads. We'll never figure it out. 34 Is there anyone around who can explain God? Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do? 35 Anyone who has done him such a huge favor that God has to ask his advice? 36 Everything comes from him; Everything happens through him; Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes. Yes. Yes.”
Conclusion: Do you love mysteries? I hope you are growing to love the mystery of God’s mercy! It is not one of those mysteries that cannot be looked into. We will never understand everything about it, but it is God’s free gift to each of us. It is ours to receive.
-No matter how hard your heart might have been in the past, God still extends the kind of mercy that can heal all the hurt and bring you freedom and peace and true joy! No matter how disobedient you may have been toward God and what you know is right, He will forgive you and transform your life into something good and clean and wholesome that will last forever!
-Nobody here deserves this kind of treatment! But because God loves us, He speaks to us – just like He is speaking to you right now. You may be sitting here with all kinds of unanswered questions in your mind and maybe dealing with a whole lot of pain and perhaps feelings of guilt and failure. But if you listen, you’ll hear the voice of God speak plainly to your heart – “I love you and I accept you just the way you are! Come to Me and I will help you! Come to Me and I will restore you to be the version of You that I had in mind before you ever took your first breath!” That is the God I know! That is the God who is so deep and so full of mercy that nobody can ever figure Him out! And if you want to join your life with Him today, I’d be happy to talk with you and pray with you as God Himself does what only He can do in your life.
