A Biblical Theology of The Olive Tree: Jesus and His Body as The Olive Tree of Romans 11:17–24

Introduction

In several weeks, I will be preaching about the Apostle Paul’s Olive Tree metaphor from Romans 11:17–24. As I’ve spent time digging deeper into this topic, I’ve noticed that the mysterious identity of the Olive Tree has produced a lot of speculation over the centuries. A quick Google search will turn up around 3.6 million results.

In this post today, I will contribute some of my findings from my research to this space. It is my personal view that the Olive Tree that Paul refers to in Romans 11 is none other than Jesus Himself, and His covenant people.

Let me make my case.

Olive Tree Uses Across The Canon

The ἐλαία or Olive Tree (as it’s translated) has several different uses across the canon. It appears in 31 verses in the Septuagint (LXX). It also appears in 15 verses in the Novum Testamentum Graece (NA28).

The first use is a natural and geographic usage. This is usually in reference to the plant itself, olives, or orchards full of the tree. Sometimes the Promised Land is referred to as the land with olive trees and honey. It’s also used in reference to the Mount of Olives. (Gen. 8:11; Deut. 8:8, 24:40, 28:4, 2 Sam. 15:30, 2 Kings 18:32; Neh. 5:11, 8:15; Job 15:33; Matt. 21:1, 24:3, 26:30; Mark 11:1, 13:3, 14:26; Luke 19:29, 19:37, 21:37, 22:39; John 8:1).

The second use is a symbolic and poetic usage, and here’s where things begin to get interesting. It gets picked up in kingly, priestly, and prophetic symbolism In Judges 9:8–9, we see that the trees wanted an olive tree to rule over them. Obviously, this is in reference to the people of Israel wanting a king. In Psalm 52:8, David uses it symbolically to represent himself in the House of the Lord (The Tabernacle). This Psalm is a reference to the event in 1 Samuel 21–22 where he (David who would become King) was running from King Saul, fled to Nob, and met Ahimelech who was the priest presiding over the Tabernacle. Ahimelech gave him bread. In Zechariah 4:11–12, it’s used symbolically to refer to two anointed prophets. This same theme is picked up by John in Revelation 11:4, and is applied to the two witnesses who are also described as two olive trees. It’s also used symbolically in James 3:12.

The third use is a corporate usage. It used in Jeremiah 11:16 to refer to corporate Israel or the covenant people of God. It’s also used this way in Romans 11:17–24.

A Biblical Theology of The Olive Tree

Old Covenant

After looking into these various uses in their various contexts, I believe the case could be made that there’s a biblical theology of the olive tree that fits into the much larger biblical story like pieces in a mosaic.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

On the third day of creation, He formed the dry land by causing seed-bearing plants to sprout from the dirt. He called it good.

On the sixth day of creation, God filled the wilderness land that was now full of seed-bearing plants with a seed-bearing man from the dirt. God named the seed-bearing man Adam. And, He called him good.

God takes seed-bearing man from the wilderness of the land and puts him in a garden. He creates for him a mate named Eve from his side. He tells them to take dominion over the earth and to be fruitful and multiply like seed-bearing plants. In the midst of the garden, there stands two trees - the tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Instead of multiplying like seed-bearing plants, man abdicated his authority and was deceived by a divine rebel. Man sins at a tree. He is then removed from the garden.

This fall continues to work its way out. His descendants will be removed from the wilderness land of Eden and went into the land of Nod.

After several generations, God raised up a new seed-bearing man, named Noah. The generation of Noah had been fruitful but by unnatural means. The sons of God went after the strange flesh of women and produced fruitless offspring called the fallen ones or the Nephilim (Gen. 6:1–4; Jude 1:5–6).

God promises Noah a new creation. One in which He will be able to pick back up the original seed-bearing man (Adam’s) task, of being fruitful and multiplying. In Genesis 6–9, the fruitless descendants of Adam would be removed from the world. The creation would be destroyed, and a new creation would arise from the chaotic waters, just as it did in the original creation.

As the waters recede, Noah is given a promise that that new creation is coming. He sends out a bird and it retrieves the leaf of an Olive Tree (Gen. 8:11). God would make a covenant with Noah, and promised to never destroy all flesh by way of a flood, and to uphold the created order so that seedtime and harvest would remain (Gen. 8:22).

Noah would become a farmer, and would become fruitful planting a vineyard (Gen. 9:20). However, Noah would get drunk and would uncover himself in the tent in his vineyard. Ham, the father of Canaan would see his father's nakedness. Noah would awaken from his wine (the fruit of the vine) and would curse the fruit of Ham (Gen. 9:24–25). This is a repetition of the original fall story, where a seed-bearing man would curse his seed after him.

After this, the fruit of Noah would gather together in the Table of Nations (Gen. 10). These nations would come together to conspire in the fruitless Tower of Babel (Gen. 11).

Out of the fruit of Babel, we come to Abraham. God promises Abraham, who is a man who is very old and who has an unfruitful wife that they will have fruit as numerous as the stars (Gen. 12–18).

The seed of Abraham would eventually multiply into a great nation that found itself in Egypt. We learn that they had been fruitful and multiplied abundantly in the land (Ex. 1:7).

The seed of Abraham would be liberated by God and brought into the fruitful land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey (Deut. 8:8). A land that is filled with olive trees (Deut. 28:40). This land would eventually become theirs through the conquest of Joshua.

After the death of Joshua and after years of fruitlessness, the trees (people of Israel) decided they wanted an olive tree to rule over them (a king) (Judges 9:8–9). They’re given a king named Saul, and he turns out to be fruitless king in terms of rule, and then in terms of seed as well when his son Jonathan dies (1 Sam. 31:13). David, who is pictured as a fruitful olive tree would replace him (Ps. 52:8).

David, who was a fruitful olive tree, would teach Israel about what it looks like to be righteous and wicked by writing about the tree planted by the waters that yields it’s fruit in its season (Ps. 1). David would be a seed-bearing man and would have a son named Solomon. Solomon would build a temple made of all types of trees. The Cheribum on the Ark that sat in the Holy of Holies would be made of Olivewood. The Temple would be decorated with fruit-bearing plants like Eden (1 Kings 6).

Solomon, however, would turn from the Lord (1 Kings 11). His seed would become unfruitful. Eventually, the kingdom would split (1 Kings 12:16–24), and Israel would eventually go into exile. Their olive trees and vineyards would be tread down and would be unfruitful (Is. 24:13; Mic. 6:15).

The prophets prophesied of a day where Israel would become fruitful again and spoke of a prophetic witness that would be like lampstands and olive trees (Hos. 14:7; Zech. 4:11–12).

New Covenant

As soon as we open the Gospel of Matthew, we see a record of seed. The same is true with Luke and John’s Gospels with their genealogies. The Gospel of Matthew demonstrates that Jesus is the promised seed of Abraham and David (Matt. 1:1–17). The Gospel of Luke demonstrates that He is the promised skull-crushing seed of Adam (Luke 3:23–38). The Gospel of John demonstrates that He is the divine Logos, the only begotten Son (seed) of the Father and that He is the one who gave the order to the universe (John 1:1–5, 3:16).

As we dig into the Gospels, we see Jesus call his disciples. The seed of the Good News of the Kingdom is proclaimed (Matt. 4:12–17; Mark 1:14–15; Luke 4:14–15). There’s a harvest (Matt. 4:18-Mark 1:16–20; Luke 5:1–11). Some even come to Him from out of trees (John 1:35–51).

He tells parables about men throwing seed (Matt. 13:1–10; Mark 4:1–9; Luke 8:4–8)), wheat and tares (13:24–30), and mustard seeds (13:31–21; Mark 4:30–32; Luke 13:18–19).

His family, disciples, and himself attend a wedding in Cana. The wedding feast had become barren and had no wine. Mary, alerts her seed, Jesus of this matter. Jesus separates the waters into six jars and produces fruit by turning water into wine (John 2:1–12). This is reminiscent of the creation week where the waters were separated from the waters on day two, and then the seed-bearing trees emerged from the barren dry ground on day three. This was just the beginning of his signs.

After this, Jesus began proclaiming that He is the seed of the Father (John 8:37–38). And, then He proclaimed that Abraham rejoiced at His day and was glad. Why? Because He was indeed His promised seed (John 8:54–56). He then heads to a small village outside of the Mount of Olives named Bethany, which means the House of Figs. There, he raises a man from the grave named Lazarus. Lazarus was like a seed that had been put in the ground, died, and sprang to life again (John 11:1–44, 12:24).

Following His triumphal entry, Jesus proclaims that He will be like a grain of wheat that falls into the ground and dies, but will rise again and produce much grain (John 12:24). This is pointing to his death, burial, and resurrection. After this, Jesus tells His disciples that He is the true vine and they are the branches (John 15:1–8). That every branch in Him that does not bear fruit, the Father, who is the vinedresser, takes away. But, those who do abide in Him, bears much fruit. In other words, those who are united to Him, who is the True Tree, become trees themselves that bear fruit.

In the climax of His story, Jesus becomes David from Psalm 52:8. In the Psalm, David was fleeing from his enemies. Jesus is caught by His, and He is the Tabernacle King who has become like a tree (John 1:14, 19:17–24). And, prior to His last breath, He is given sour wine put upon hyssop to drink (John 19:28–30).

As He lay lifeless upon that tree, His side was pierced (John 19:31–37). He became like the first seed-bearing man, Adam, whose side was pierced in the Garden while put into a deep death sleep. Just as seed came from the side of the first seed-bearing man, so it shall with the second. He has become the Tree of Life with streams of living waters flowing from His side that David wrote of in Psalm 1.

Following this, Jesus, just as He said He would, rose again like a seed taking root and shooting forth from the ground. And, what was the first thing He did post-resurrection?

He didn’t immediately go to his disciples. He didn’t immediately go to Jerusalem and present himself to everyone.

What was it he did? He decided to work a garden (John 20:15). Working the ground, like Adam, the seed-bearing man. But, He’s the better seed-bearing man. He is the first-fruit from the dead (1 Cor. 5:20). The beginning of a new humanity, who in Him, will also bear fruit and follow after Him in resurrection — like flowers springing up from the ground.

After this, His disciples become like trees themselves. They seed and plant. God gives the growth. The church explodes across the continent of Asia Minor (See Acts).

The Apostle John picks the tree by the waters theme from Psalm 1 in Revelation 22:2, writing “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”

Interpreting Romans 11:17–24

Now, what does this biblical theology have to do with Romans 11:17–24?

To put it as simply as I can, I believe that it demonstrates clearly that Jesus is the Olive Tree in Paul’s metaphor, along with His body.

Jesus is the true Olive Tree (King) of Israel. He is the Greater David who was made a tree at His crucifixion. He is the tree of life that has rivers flowing from His side that bore His fruit in His season. He is the vine in whom His disciples abide. He is the one that produces fruit within us all. He is the first-fruit from the dead. It’s clear that all of this language is used to describe Him in Scripture.

So, with this in mind, here’s what I believe Paul is saying in Romans 11:17–24.

I believe he’s basically saying the same thing that Jesus said in John 15:1–8, and even expanding upon it.

There, Jesus told His disciples that He was the True Vine, and they were the branches. Those that abided in Him would produce fruit. The Father, who is the vinedresser, would prune them. They would become even more fruitful as a result. And, those who did not bear fruit in him would be broken off and cast into the fire.

I believe Paul is essentially saying the same thing to the church in Rome. He’s telling them that the Jews, who were the natural branches, have been broken off because of their unbelief. And, as a result, the Gospel has come to them (the Gentiles). And, for those who received its message, though they were wild olive branches, they have been grafted into Christ the Olive Tree — into His mystical body.

He then warns them of the same thing that Jesus warned His disciples about in John 15. If they don’t produce fruit, by abiding in Him by faith, they too will be cut off, just like the natural branches. There is also clear parallelism between vine and olive branches found in Psalm 128:3.

Concluding Thoughts: Benefits and Objections

I believe the benefits of interpreting the text Christocentrically are twofold. I believe that it fits the biblical-theology of the Bible better, and it helps us remain Christocentric in our application of the text.

Those preaching this text can easily exhort listeners to not be like the Jews, who were connected to the Olive Tree merely by boundary markers (Torah, circumcision), or heritage (By virtue of being Abraham’s descendants). Rather, they are set their eyes upon Jesus, and to abide in Him by faith in His substitutionary life, death, burial, and resurrection for their justification so that they may bear much fruit.

To contextualize, preachers preaching this text can exhort listeners to not trust in their obedience, baptism, or who their family is. That’s the exact type of thing that gets you removed from the Olive Tree. That’s what happens when you’re not vitally attached. We need to be vitally attached to the Vine and Olive Tree. And, that happens by trusting Him.

I believe this is not just a better interpretation than most interpretations put forth, but I also believe it’s a much simpler way of reading the text and applying it.

For example, I have seen some interpret this text as a one-time redemptive-historical event. It appears that Calvin believed this as well. The argument basically is that the Olive Tree is only the church, and in this one-time redemptive-historical event, the Jews (corporately) were cut off in AD70 when the Temple was destroyed, and the Gentiles (corporately) were grafted in.

There are multiple problems with this interpretation.

First, I don’t believe it’s possible to separate the head and body. In other words, where the body (church) is, there the head is also (Jesus). And, vice versa. This is the Totus Christus (the Total Christ). Also, I believe that in order to argue that this text is only talking about the covenant people of God, one must ignore Scriptures biblical-theological use of tree language given to Jesus.

Second, it’s difficult to say this is a one-time redemptive-historical event because of the language. Paul seems to allude to the natural branches (the Jews) being grafted back in at some point. This has not happened yet, and therefore, it cannot be a one-time event. Rather, it must be an on-going event.

Third, the Gentiles were grafted into the people of God long before AD70 and the destruction of the Temple. The Book of Acts and the majority of the New Testament corpus affirms this.

Fourth, if what Pauls’s referring to is a one-time redemptive-historical event, there’s little to no application.