The apostle Paul tells Gentile Believers that they are “grafted” into Israel, and while the two groups remain distinct, they share one faith in the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. Join Jonathan Bernis and Ezra Benjamin as they discuss the finding of an ancient symbol depicting this united faith and the unique role of Gentile Believers, spoken of in Roman, in reaching Israel with the Gospel.
…and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root.
—Romans 11:17
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GRAFTED DAY
Are you grafted in? In agriculture, grafting is a pretty fantastic thing. A live branch from one tree is cut and then inserted into a cut on a host tree. The graft is secured in place and left to grow as one with the tree. In this way, gardeners have even created “salad trees,” where various types of fruit within the same family grow on one tree.
According to Romans 11:11, Gentile Believers in Jesus are grafted into the faith of Israel like a wild olive branch is grafted into a natural tree. Gentile Believers have not become Israel or replaced Israel any more than a grafted branch becomes or replaces the original tree. Instead, they grow together, each having their specific role in producing fruit. We are two distinct groups made one in Jesus.
As grafted-in Believers, Gentile followers of Jesus have been blessed to take part in the “fatness” — the richness and abundance — of the olive tree that is Israel. They are not obligated to follow God's mandates to Israel in Scripture but are invited into them to share in their rich meaning.
What, then, is Grafted Day? We’ve set aside January 15 to celebrate this grafted-in relationship between Jewish and Gentile Believers in Jesus. January 15 is a special day for Jewish Voice. It’s the date of our founding. In December of 1966, the Lord told evangelist Louis Kaplan to begin a radio program reaching out to his own Jewish people and teaching Gentile Believers about the Jewishness of faith in Jesus. He immediately obeyed, and January 15, 1967, was the first episode of a weekly 15-minute radio program by the newly formed “Jewish Voice Broadcasts.” We may have changed our name over the years as we merged with Jonathan Bernis’ Hear O Israel Ministries, but we’ve never changed our purpose. Jewish Voice Ministries International is still focused on sharing the Gospel with unreached Jewish people worldwide and helping Gentile Believers deepen their connection to Jesus by understanding and embracing His Jewishness.
WHAT IS THE GRAFTED SEAL?
At the top is a traditional Jewish menorah design to symbolize the remnant of Israel with branches grafted back in. Some believe this represents Messianic Jews (Jews who believe in Jesus).
In the center, the Star of David weaves together the two distinct groups – Jews and Gentile Believers – both working in partnership and shalom to bear powerful witness to the world of God’s promises, love, mercy and grace through Jesus, our shared Messiah.
At the bottom is an ichthys fish as well as numbers we’ve added to represent Romans 11:11. Some believe the ichthys symbolizes Gentile Believers and their calling to point Israel back to salvation through the Messiah, Yeshua.
This ancient symbol dates back to around the 3rd century A.D. and is believed to tell the incredible story of the early Church to remind Gentiles and believing Jews of the biblical mandate in Romans 11, as well as to portray the power and mystery of two faiths made whole through Yeshua (Jesus), the Messiah.
