Who Are The True Jews? (Revelation 2:8-11, Romans 2:28-29, Romans 10:1-13) Series

So just as we try to decide who is inside the boundaries of the church, and who is outside, so also people who call themselves "Jews" have made decisions about who is inside and outside of Judaism. And what this passage reveals, is that it's not just us making these decisions. Jesus makes this decision, as well. And Jesus gets the last word, on who the true Jews are.

Now, what we see in this verse is something that we find throughout the NT. It doesn't matter if we are reading Jesus' words, or Paul's, or Peter's (1 Peter 2:9-10), or John's-- everyone agrees that the church is the true Israel, made up of the true Jews, who ethnically, are Jew and Gentile.

This is a touchy subject. It's one that's fiercely debated among Christians. And I don't expect everyone to agree with me. But what I'd like to do for the rest of this morning is try to make five main points:

(1) Israelites were never a distinct ethnic race.

(2) Not everyone who is descended from Abraham physically is a Jew.

(3) Jews have never been "pure" ethnically. They've never all physically descended from Abraham.

(4) Even in the OT, God doesn't view all of his people, as being truly part of his people.

(5) In the NT, the true Israel, the true Jewish people, is made up of people who call Jesus "Lord."

So, #1.

(1) Israelites were never a distinct ethnic race. I don't want to belabor this point, but let me just read a few verses from Ezekiel 16 (NRSV updated):

16 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 Mortal, make known to Jerusalem her abominations 3 and say: Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.

Israel emerged out of the Canaanites. They were of the same ethnic stock as all of their neighbors-- specifically, from the Amorites, and Hittites. So we shouldn't think that Abraham was like Adam. Abraham came from somewhere, and that somewhere was the peoples who lived in the same area.

(2) Not everyone who is descended from Abraham physically is a Jew.

Let's turn to Romans 9:1-13 (NRSV updated no reason):

9 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own brothers and sisters, my own flesh and blood. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; 5 to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Christ, who is over all, God blessed forever.[a] Amen.

6 It is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all those descended from Israel are Israelites, 7 and not all of Abraham’s children are his descendants, but “it is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants. 9 For the word of the promise is this: “About this time I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 Nor is that all; something similar happened to Rebecca when she had conceived children by one husband, our ancestor Isaac: 11 even before they had been born or had done anything good or bad (so that God’s purpose of election might continue, 12 not by works but by his call) she was told, “The elder shall serve the younger.” 13 As it is written,