Salvation comes to Gentiles thru Israel's Fall

Luke 13:6-9 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

The Lord forgave Israel on the cross and they were given one more year to repent and be baptized and come back to that covenant relationship that they had with God. They still needed to accept Christ as her Messiah.

The three years refer to Christ’s earthly ministry. Christ entered the priesthood at age 30, as it was required under the law (Num. 4:3,23). He ministered for three years, until He was crucified.

He was hungry for fruit. He wanted to see His chosen nation produce the fruit that she was supposed to, since she was supposed to be a kingdom of priests that was to be a light unto the world. But he found no fruit. (Matt. 21:18-22; Mk 11:12-14)

The one more year ends with the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7), which is where they rejected the Holy Spirit and committed the unpardonable sin (Matt. 12:31,32). Whoever speaks against the Son of man, it would be forgiven them. And it was forgiven them when Christ called out to the Father, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34).” But, when they resisted the Spirit, they weren’t forgiven for that. God set them aside, as a nation, in His eyes at that point. We know that the book of Acts is a transitional book and it took a while for Israel to be cast away (it was a gradual process). But, in God’s eyes He set her aside at the stoning of Stephen. That was the one more year that was given to Israel, before they were cut down.

Israel didn’t bear any fruit, so she was cut down. She didn’t repent.

Therefore, God raised up another Apostle, the Apostle Paul (Acts 9), after He set Israel aside temporarily. He commissioned Paul with the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24), not the gospel of the Kingdom (Matt. 24:14). God revealed to Paul the “revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began” (Rom. 16:25). Paul received the revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ directly. He didn’t receive it from man, nor was he taught it by man either (Gal. 1:11,12).

Romans 11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

Since Israel fell, salvation has now come to the Gentiles. Romans 11:32 says that God has concluded us all (Jew and Gentile) in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon us all (Jew and Gentile).

God is now dealing with everyone on an individual basis, whereas before He was dealing with nations, particularly the nation of Israel. Salvation is now offered to everyone (Rom. 1:16; 3:22) by the grace of God. You don’t have to become a Jew to be saved. Once you believe in Christ Jesus as your personal Savior, you are immediately baptized (identified) into Christ’s body. You are placed into the Body of Christ, the church (Eph. 1:22,23). The Body of Christ is a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). Every believer in the Dispensation of Grace (whether Jew or Gentile, male or female, bond or free) is now one new man (Eph. 2:14-18). Believers today are not Israel or spiritual Israel, they are a new creation. They are each a new creation individually. And they are all one new creation collectively. The new man or new creation is the Body of Christ.

Once the fullness of the Gentiles come in (Rom. 11:25), the Body of Christ will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and be with Him forever at that point and God will resume the prophetic program with the nation of Israel. As the next verse says (Rom. 11:26), “and so all Israel will be saved.” God will resume His plans for her as a nation of priests. They will inherit the earth as it was promised to Abraham. They will receive the promised Messiah that was promised to come from David’s royal line. 

But, for the time being, we are still living in the Dispensation of Grace today. The message for today is to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose again the third day (1 Cor. 15:1-4). If you believe in Him as your personal Savior and His finished work on the cross, then you will be saved. You will have eternal life in Christ Jesus! Please, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ today (2 Cor. 5:20,21)!