The Gospel and the Jews
A Sermon on Romans 10:18-21
Originally preached May 15, 1964
Scripture
18But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. 19But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and …
Sermon Description
Why is the Jewish nation now outside the kingdom of God? In this sermon on Romans 10:18–21 titled “The Gospel and the Jews,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones analyzes and confirms that it is not because the Jews lack hearing or because there is a lack of plain teaching to them. Paul has made three things very clear thus far in Romans: the way of salvation, the inclusion of the Gentiles, and the exclusion of the Jews. The Jews did in fact receive very clear teaching about this from Moses and other prophets. Moses even explicitly said that the kingdom of God would be taken from the Jewish nation and given to a nation bearing fruit. So if the Jews have heard and received teaching, what are the reasons they are no longer in the kingdom? It was due to their false views on salvation. They thought of it in terms of their nation and the fact that they were circumcised. They had a false confidence in their flesh, holding onto their family lineage, and the fact that they had the Scriptures of the Lord. That proved to be their stumbling block. God requires that believers be not only hearers of the law but also doers of the law.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle is showing how the Jews' position as unbelievers and rejectors of the gospel is indefensible and inexcusable.
- He does this in two ways: negatively and positively.
- Negatively: Their trouble was not due to lack of hearing or lack of plain teaching. They had heard and had clear teaching.
- Positively: Their trouble was due to:
- False ideas of salvation:
- They thought salvation was due to their nationality as Jews.
- They thought salvation was due to their learning and knowledge of the law.
- They thought salvation was due to their own works and efforts.
- Failure to have the true view of salvation.
- The state of their hearts.
- The apostle establishes through Scripture that the Gentiles were to be called and the gospel was for the Gentiles, not just the Jews. The Jews had been told this would happen.
- Moses said God would provoke the Jews to jealousy by calling "no people" and a "foolish nation." This refers to the church, made up of Gentiles and some Jews.
- Isaiah said God was found by those not seeking Him and made manifest to those not asking - referring to the Gentiles. But God stretched out His hands all day to disobedient and contrary Jews.
- Therefore, the Jews were without excuse. They had heard and had the knowledge but rejected the way of salvation in Jesus.
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.