Thoughts on Romans 1: 1-4

Romans 1:1-4

1 “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, 2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) 3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:”

The introductory verses of the book of Romans help anchor our faith. They remind us that the Gospel was promised by God. The promise can be found in the Jewish scriptures.

Ezekiel 36:25-29

25 “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. 28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. 29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses:”

Jeremiah 31:31-34

31 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

Genesis 22:18a

18 “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;”

A few other examples from the early chapters of Genesis include:

• Genesis 3:21 recounts God stepping in to cover the sin of the first humans by shedding the blood of animals to clothe Adam and Eve.

• The events in Noah’s life as he believed God, built an ark and went inside (as we are placed into Christ), was sealed within by God (as He seals us with the Holy Spirit), and survived the judgement in safety (as there is now no condemnation for we who are in Christ Jesus).

• The story of the life of Abram being chosen by God and becoming Abraham, the father of many nations. He was accepted and blessed by God despite his failures. The son he was promised was born miraculously. Abraham’s symbolic sacrifice of the son he had received through God’s promise, and God’s provision of a substitute sacrifice at just the right time, are clear pictures of the good news of redemption and salvation to come in Jesus Christ.

Verse 3 says that Jesus was the seed of David according to the flesh. His earthly lineage came through David’s line and that made Him part of the tribe of Judah. You may have noticed that Ezekiel 31:31 says, “I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah.” This used to make me nervous about quoting this passage from Ezekiel when talking about the new covenant as it applies to Gentiles (everyone who is not an ethnic Jew). I need not have been shy about it, however.

Hebrews 7:11-14 says, “If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. 13 For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.

Jesus is presented as a priest in the order of Melchisedec, who has no lineage.

Jesus is not of the tribe of Levi which the Law said all priests were to be. This overarching priesthood is required so that Gentiles can also be included in the promise.

Now let’s look at Hebrews 7:21-22.

“The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) 22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

Jesus is the surety, the guarantee, of a better covenant.

The new covenant is between God the Father and God the Son. The Son is of the house (nation) of Israel and of the house (tribe) of Judah. No lineage, the lineage of Israel, and the lineage of Judah. Therefore, the promises in Ezekiel and Jeremiah apply to Gentiles.

Jesus is God.

Jesus is human.

Because He is God, the covenant can never end and can never be broken.

Because He is human, a human paid the price for human sin. Consequently, the covenant includes us.

Right at the outset, Romans shows us much about our great Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Notice the light shed on the nature of Jesus in Romans 1:3-4.

3 “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:”

All this is packed into a single statement made in the introduction to a letter:

Jesus was born of human parents.

Jesus was born in the line of David, king of Israel.

Jesus was fully human according to the flesh.

Jesus is the Son of God according to the Spirit.

Jesus is the Anointed One (Christ, or Messiah).

Jesus is Lord.

Jesus is God, as He proved by rising from the dead.

According to John 1:14 the Word, who in the beginning was with God and who was God, is the same One who took on human flesh and came to lay down His life for those He created.

John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

Paul also underscores the humanity and divinity of Jesus in Galatians 4:4.

4 “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.”

Jesus meets every criterion.

Jesus passes every test.

Jesus fulfills every promise of God.

2 Corinthians 1:20 tells us that “all the promises of God in him are yes, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.”

Jesus is not ashamed to call us sisters and brothers (see Hebrews 2:11).

In Jesus, you are complete. In Him you live, and move, and have your being.