Romans 11:16-24 provide for us a “Biblical Botany Lesson”. These verses introduce us to the “first-fruits” concept and the “roots and branches” image. In both cases God is helping us to better understand the fact that God is not yet finished with the Jewish people. More than this, God’s people, the “olive tree”, now includes both believing Jews “natural branches”, and gentile believers “wild branches”, built upon the root of the Lord Jesus Christ! All of these things underscore that God has an unfolding plan to save the lost that touches both Jews and Gentiles, and this plan has always been rooted in repentance and faith, not personal merit.