A study of the Word of God will reveal a rather simple fact; the Lord’s Plan begins with and ends with the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Inserted in the middle of this Plan are the non-Hebrew people of the world. We refer to such people as Gentiles, and that includes most of us. This inclusion was not accidental, but was intentional. The Lord desires that all should be saved (II Peter 3:9). Out of the estimated eight billion people living on the earth, only a few million, perhaps fifteen or sixteen million are of Hebrew descent. These are usually refereed to as Jews.
The books of the New Testament demonstrate this Gentile insertion into the Lord’s Plan. The New Testament is composed of twenty-seven books. These books are divided into three groups of nine books; Matthew through Galatians, Ephesians through Philemon, Hebrews through the Revelation.
The first group beginning with Matthew are about Jewish subjects. They are about the early church, which was Jewish. The second group, which begins with Ephesians, are all addressed to Gentiles or Gentile churches. The last book of this second group of books, Philemon, is metaphorically about the church being sent Home with all its debts paid, which is the story of our Salvation. For more information, please click "HERE.
The last group of nine books begins with Hebrews – think about that for a minute. This group of books again addresses Jewish subjects. The Book of James is addressed specifically to the twelve tribes of Israel (James 1:1). The Return of the Lord in Revelation 19:11-16 fulfills what was prophesied by Zechariah some 2,400 years ago (Zechariah 14:3, 14:12-13). It is all about Israel and Jerusalem, the “apple of God’s eye.”
The first two miracles performed by the Lord Jesus, as recorded in the Gospel of John, illustrate the Gentile Insertion. In chapter two of John is the account of changing water into wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. Although Jesus said that “His time had not yet come,” he performed the miracle as a blessing to the family of the bride and groom. Basically, the people at the wedding never knew that a miracle had been done. The only people that knew were the disciples and the servants. This presents us with a picture of God’s Plan in Old Testament times. Everything He did was to bless the family that He chose, the Hebrew people. The only people that knew what the Lord was doing were the Old Testament prophets, who were His disciples and were His servants.
The next miracle is recorded in chapter four of John. The miracle of changing water into wine and the healing of the nobleman’s son form bookends to the Gentile Insertion. In the second miracle the Lord Jesus healed the son of a nobleman even though the son was in another town perhaps a day’s journey away. In this event the Israelite had faith in Jesus and believed that He could heal his son. The first miracle showed us how the Lord dealt with the Israelites in Old Testament times. This second miracle shows us the other bookend, how the Lord Jesus will be accepted as Messiah by the Israelite people at His Second Coming. Just as the nobleman believed the Lord Jesus, the Jewish people will believe and accept and honor the Lord Jesus.
And inserted between these two miracles, what do we find? We find the Lord Jesus going through Gentile (Samaritan) territory, speaking with a Gentile woman and teaching the people of that territory for two days. Jesus performed no miracle. The Gentiles simply believed Him because of Who He was and what He said (John 4:41), just as we accept Jesus by faith today.
The Bible tells us that with the Lord a day is as a thousand years (Psalm 90:4, II Peter 3:8). In the account of Jesus in Samaria we have a foreshadow, or a picture, of the Lord Jesus spending two “millennial” days, two-thousand years, with the Gentile peoples. And those who believe in Jesus believe in Him in faith, not because a miracle was performed. When the “times of the Gentiles” are completed the “insertion” will end, and the Lord Jesus will return as Messiah and the Lord’s wonderful Plan of Salvation, made before the world began, will be completed.
The Plan began with and ends with the Hebrew people. Gentiles are an intentional insertion in the Plan. We who believe in the Lord Jesus by faith are so blessed. The Lord Jesus told us that when Thomas had to see His wounds before he would believe. Jesus said, “blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29).
How blessed we are to be part of the family of God, and it is all because of Jesus. Praise the name of Jesus, always and ever!