Welcome to a year in the Bible with Daily Grace. My name is Kristen and my name is Katie and we want to spend a few minutes a day with you walking through the New Testament one chapter at a time.

This year we will fix our gaze upon Christ so that we may know him, not only with our minds but with our hearts.

Together we will learn that who Jesus is changes everything.

Welcome back to a year in the Bible with Daily Grace. My name is Christchuker, and we are

journeying through the New Testament in a year, and right now we are in the book of Romans,

and today we are in Romans 9. Yesterday, we pondered the riches of God's love for those in Christ by unpacking

blessing after blessing that Paul lays out in Romans 8.

It's truly a remarkable passage with a remarkable hope for the Christian.

We begin chapter 9 with a lament from Paul expressing his sorrow and unceasing anguish that so few Jews have accepted Jesus.

Paul even says that he wishes he could be cut off from God's promise so that Israel could believe.

Despite the Jews' continual rejection of Paul in his ministry, he loves them, for from them

God chose to bring the Messiah, Jesus Christ. When I read Paul's lament, I can't help but think

about how sad Jesus must have felt to watch his own people reject him. If Paul's sorrow is so

evident here, how much more does God have sorrow for those who refuse his love.

Paul models in the first five verses a heart for the lost.

Paul grieves those who do not know Jesus.

May we follow Paul's example and Jesus' example, the Savior who dines with tax collectors

and sinners, who taught that the good shepherd would leave the 99 to chase after the one.

Christ cared about the lost and so should we.

Throughout the next three chapters, Paul will make an aside of sorts, addressing Israel's rejection of Jesus and the salvation that he offers.

Paul seems to be answering questions like, did God reject those whom he chose?

And if salvation in Christ is as great as Paul proclaims, why did Israel reject Jesus?

...