Do you have any experience with grafting one tree branch onto another tree? I’ve personally never tried to do anything like that. So I did a little research and these are a few things I learned – interpreted in simplified, general terms from someone not educated on the topic:
- Grafting joins two separate parts of a plant together so they grow as a single living thing.
- You cannot graft just any two things together, they have to be closely related – within the same “family”. (i.e., apple family, stone fruit family, citrus family.)
- You will have to use the part of a tree that has the roots (rootstock) and graft the scion (the cutting from another tree) into that rootstock in a very meticulous way.
- There are several different methods of grafting. But with all of them, the key to success is to make certain that you cut/trim each of them perfectly. When you align and then secure them together, the actively growing green inner bark from both trees must be in close contact so that the trees can heal and fuse together.
So…what does this have to do with anything? Actually, it has a lot to do with us as Gentiles (non-Jewish people) – Christians. This is what Romans 11:17-24 (NLT) says:
“But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root. ‘Well,’ you may say, ‘those branches were broken off to make room for me.’ Yes, but remember—those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t spare you either. Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree. You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong.”
“And the mystery is this: Because of Christ Jesus, the good news has given the Gentiles a share in the promises God gave to the Jews. God has also let the Gentiles be part of the same body.” Eph. 3:6 (CEV)
“Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called ‘uncircumcised heathens’ by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.” Eph. 2:11-13 (NLT)
So God took the Jews (the rootstock) and Gentiles (the scion), being from the same “family” – that being the human family – expertly grafted them, binding them together to grow into one single thing. Together, we are the family of God.
The Jewish people that could not/would not believe that Jesus was more than just a great prophet, but had come to be their Messiah – their Savior – were “broken off”. But Gentiles that came to believe in the Messiah were then grafted into the tree of Jesse. “Then a Shoot (the Messiah) will spring from the stock of Jesse [David’s father], And a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.” Isaiah 11:1 (AMP)
“The Bible makes it clear that God does not show favoritism (Acts 10:34). He is ‘no respecter of persons’ (KJV). Peter spoke those words when God called him to go to the house of Cornelius, a Gentile who, according to traditional Jewish opinion, was outside of the Kingdom of God. But God’s message to Peter was that the doors of the Kingdom were wide open to anyone who would believe and who would seek God on His terms. The blessings of God are global, not national.” “The seed of Abraham grew into a tree of life, and the fruit is there for all.” “We who believe in Jesus have been grafted into this vehicle of revelation, this religious/ethnic culture that became the soil for our Messiah.” *
The point of all this?
- We need to always keep in mind that in order to remain grafted into Abraham’s tree, we must continue to live in faith, believing in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. If we turn our backs on Him, then we too can be broken off and put away, just as the unbelieving Jews were.
- As a part of His family of believers, He has granted us a lot of power and authority as we walk out our Christian faith. We should use that power and authority to pray without ceasing for those that do not yet know Jesus as their Savior so that they too can be grafted into the Tree of Life. However, we should not forget to do the same for our Jewish brothers and sisters that are still unbelievers – because the passage above says that if they turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted back into the tree.
- Our responsibility to speak to others about their salvation is literally a matter of life or death. They have to know they have a choice – a life lived eternally in beauty and comfort; or, a life lived eternally in a state of agony and torment – in which they will wish they could choose a final death to escape the eternal torture.
Paul is a wonderful example about how we should pray for everyone, including our Jewish kin.
1 Timothy 2:1 & 4 (ERV): “First of all, I ask that you pray for all people. Ask God to bless them and give them what they need. And give thanks.” “God wants everyone to be saved and to fully understand the truth.”
Romans 10:1 (ERV): “Brothers and sisters, what I want most is for all the people of Israel to be saved. That is my prayer to God.”
It’s very easy to get complacent about our responsibilities to others. We should determine that our daily prayers will include asking for all people – Gentiles and Jews alike – to come to know Jesus.
Written by Karran Martin – July 10, 2026
*Quote by Chris Tiegreen from The One Year Heaven On Earth Devotional
[All bold emphasis is mine]
Karran's Korner 