Jesus is a True Israel - Series

This video is about John 15, which is at the heart of the farewell discourse that Jesus has with his disciples. Jesus claims that he is the True Vine, which means that he is the true Israel. To be a disciple of Jesus means to rest or abide in Christ. The main point is to stick with Christ and rest in him, and we'll look at some of the Greek language that's behind that as well as a word play that's completely invisible in most English translations.

 

Who is True Israel? by - Tim Conway

  

 

Jesus is the true Israel and that the Old Testament promises and prophecies are fulfilled in Him  and the church, here are several key biblical passages with full verses that support this view.             

 

1. Jesus as the True Israel

• Matthew 2:15:
• “And was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.”
• This verse refers to Hosea 11:1, which originally spoke of Israel’s exodus from Egypt. In Matthew, it is applied to Jesus, showing that He is the fulfillment of Israel’s role as God's "son."
• Isaiah 49:3:
• “And he said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”
• This verse speaks of Israel as God’s servant, but the New Testament sees this servant as Jesus. Isaiah 49:6 clarifies that this servant will bring salvation to the Gentiles, a task ultimately fulfilled by Christ.
• John 15:1:
• “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.”
• In the Old Testament, Israel is often described as God's vine (Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80:8-16). Jesus declares that He is the true vine, symbolically taking Israel's role as the one through whom God’s people bear fruit.

2. Jesus Fulfills the Promises to Abraham

• Galatians 3:16:
• “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.”
• Paul explains that the promises made to Abraham's seed (Genesis 12:3, 22:18) were not to his many descendants, but to one descendant—Christ. This shows that the covenant promises were always intended to be fulfilled in Jesus.
• Galatians 3:29:
• “And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
• This verse extends the promise to all believers in Christ, both Jew and Gentile. Those who are in Christ are considered the true descendants of Abraham and heirs to the promises.

3. The Church as the New Israel

• 1 Peter 2:9-10:
• “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”
• Peter applies Old Testament descriptions of Israel (Exodus 19:6, Deuteronomy 7:6) to the church, showing that the church inherits Israel’s identity as God's chosen people.
• Romans 9:6-8:
• “Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.”
• Paul clarifies that being part of true Israel is not based on ethnic lineage but on the promise of God. Those who believe in Christ are counted as the true "children of the promise."
• Ephesians 2:11-13:
• “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”
• Paul teaches that Gentile believers are brought into the "commonwealth of Israel" through Christ, indicating that the church shares in the covenant promises made to Israel.

4. Jesus Fulfills the Davidic Covenant

• Luke 1:32-33:
• “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”
• Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise to David that his descendant would reign forever (2 Samuel 7:12-16). The church is included in this kingdom, which is not limited to ethnic Israel.
• Acts 13:32-33:
• “And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.”
• Paul here teaches that Jesus' resurrection fulfills the promises made to the patriarchs, especially the Davidic covenant, confirming that Jesus reigns as the promised king.

5. The Promises to Israel Fulfilled in Christ and the Church

• 2 Corinthians 1:20:
• “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.”
• All of God's promises, including those made to Israel, are fulfilled in Christ. Believers, as members of Christ's body, the church, partake in these promises.
• Hebrews 8:6:
• “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.”
• Jesus mediates the new covenant, which fulfills and surpasses the old covenant made with Israel. The church now lives under this new covenant.
• Romans 11:17:
• “And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree.”
• This passage explains that Gentile believers are grafted into the same spiritual olive tree (God's covenant people), sharing in the promises made to Israel.

From these verses, we can see a clear biblical argument that Jesus is the true fulfillment of Israel and that the promises made to Israel are fulfilled in Him and applied to the church. The church, made up of both Jews and Gentiles, inherits the spiritual promises given to Israel through faith in Chris

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  Understanding Covenant And Reformed Theology

Covenant theology and Reformed theology have nuanced views on God's covenant with Israel and how it relates to the church and Jesus.

1. Covenant Theology : views the covenants God made with Israel (like the Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic covenants) as part of a broader redemptive plan. According to this view, the covenant with Israel was always intended to culminate in Jesus Christ. Covenant theologians argue that Israel's failure to keep the commandments does not nullify God's promises, but rather, these promises are fulfilled in Christ, who obeyed the law perfectly on behalf of His people. Thus, the church is seen as the continuation of true Israel, composed of both Jews and Gentiles who believe in Christ.

3. Reformed Theology :  similarly emphasizes that the covenants were temporary in their outward forms (like the sacrifices and ceremonies) but eternal in their inward promise of salvation through faith. The promise of a “forever” covenant with Israel is fulfilled in Jesus, who is seen as the true Israelite, and in His followers, the church. So, the promises made to Israel are applied to the church, not through ethnic descent, but through faith in Christ.
      
5. Israel's Failure and God’s Promises: According to both covenant and reformed theology, God is not showing favoritism to ethnic Israel today, but remains faithful to His covenant promises. However, those promises find their fulfillment in the new covenant through Jesus. Israel's failure to follow the commandments is interpreted as part of God's plan to demonstrate the need for a Savior. Romans 9-11, in particular, is often cited to explain how Israel's rejection led to the inclusion of the Gentiles into God's covenant people.

6. Application to the Church and Jesus: In these theological frameworks, the church is seen as the “new Israel” because Christ is the true mediator of the covenant. Jesus fulfills all the promises made to Israel, and those who are in Him—whether Jew or Gentile—are heirs to those promises (Galatians 3:28-29). The church, therefore, inherits the spiritual promises made to Israel, but not the national or political ones.

These perspectives assert that God's promises are always upheld, but their ultimate expression is in the person and work of Christ, not in a national or ethnic sense of favoritism.

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