A Faithful Remnant - Jews and Christians Together through Crisis

“Let’s pray no rockets are fired from Gaza as we head to Sderot.” I said these words to my good friend, Rev. Peter Fast, the CEO of Bridges for Peace, on the third day of the war as we headed down south to the Gaza border area where Hamas terrorists sowed death and destruction hours before. In a time of complete chaos, terrible tragedy and little official direction, Christians were willing to accompany Israelis to ground zero, to the front lines and help wherever help was needed. This went beyond the comfortable surroundings of a church event to support Israel and shout the slogans of Christian Zionism to reap the rewards of Genesis 12:3 where God promises to bless those who bless Israel. What I experienced on that day were Christians who truly walked out Ruth 1:17a, “Where you die, I will die…”

No rockets were fired when the Bridges for Peace team and I entered and exited Sderot on October 9, 2023, to deliver 500 bags of food. This was truly a miracle, for 30 minutes later, Hamas rained down a barrage of missiles on this community. At the time, we had no way of knowing whether this would be our last day on earth. And in that moment, the Jewish–Christian relationship reached a new level, something more than any other time in history.

On October 7, we as the State of Israel suffered an existential crisis far worse than the 1973 Yom Kippur War. For all intents and purposes, the average Christian Zionist volunteer serving in Israel did not sign up for the challenges that lay ahead. Their own lives were in danger. Yet they remained, more determined than before to serve—and became conduits of blessing from millions of Christians around the world.

Christians Showed Up

I remember hearing former Bridges for Peace International Vice President Reverend Cheryl Hauer remark that 90% of Jewish–Christian relations is showing up. This is definitely true. In the aftermath of October 7, the question would be if the Christians would remain and fight with us. They did!

In the departures area of Ben Gurion Airport, many non-citizens were trying to figure out how they were going to leave Israel. However, in the arrivals area, both Jews and Christians were working together, leveraging their respective networks outside Israel, to bring equipment into the country for our first responders.

A week into the war, The Isaiah Projects, Genesis 123 Foundation, Bridges for Peace, Zion’s Bridge and Zion’s Gate International along with some individual Jewish and Christian laity provided lodging in Jerusalem for 50 families from Moshav Mishen. This happened prior to the State of Israel’s evacuation mandate. These organizations, based in Israel, decided to pool financial resources to help these families who were under constant missile attacks and living just over 4 miles [6.5 km.] from the Gaza border. For the next 18 months, Christians and Jews would continue to work together to help those most affected by October 7.

Meeting Christians for the First Time

For the very first time, many of the residents of Israeli border communities would meet and create new friendships with Christians. Both secular and religious Jews were profoundly affected that a Christian would be willing to help them during the hour of need.

Many of the liberal Jewish organizations that normally would not have a relationship with Christians prior to October 7 began to work with them to counter the pro-Hamas narrative in the streets of Western democracies and on college campuses. Even Orthodox rabbis and their organizations began opening up to the Jewish–Christian alliance in grassroots initiatives to help Israel.

Foundation for Growth

While many of the current relationships forming between Jews and Christians are in response to a crisis, there is a huge opportunity to advance this alliance on a relational model. For years, a faithful remnant in Christianity have prayed for Israel. Many have sown into Israeli and Jewish causes, and some have even visited Israel. 

There is a huge difference between Christian support of Israel and Jewish–Christian relations. The former can be done whether or not a Christian knows any Jews. The latter requires knowledge of the other’s faith, training in the sensitivity on how to navigate the relationship and the willingness to truly know each other as individuals.

Often, Jews who are actively involved in Christian support of Israel see this as an opportunity of financial gain for their organizational agenda. Others view this as a relationship of convenience to promote a common cause. A small faithful remnant truly sees the covenantal partnership that was always meant to be between Jews and Christians. The full expression of a Jew stewarding the opportunity to be in a reborn sovereign Jewish state requires a partnership with the nations based on biblical values.

We Need Each Other

Different scriptural passages of the Hebrew Bible foretold of a national Israel in partnership with the nations to bring more of God into the world before the fullest of the Messianic Age. The process began when Abraham brought people closer to the Creator in the Book of Genesis. It continued when a mixed multitude anchored their destiny to the biological descendants of Jacob in Exodus 12:38 as they left Egypt together. Ruth’s Moabite past was shed when she walked with Naomi and became part of Israel. Isaiah allowed a remnant of non-Jews into the body of Israel and promised them an eternal memorial when he declared “for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Isa. 56:7). The nations of the world will eventually acknowledge what God has done for Israel (Psalms 117 and 126).

While some Christians focus on Genesis 12:3 as some form of Prosperity Gospel, the true nature of the verse is Israel transforming itself into that blessing conduit for the world. This means becoming the Jews God intended us to be. 

A faithful remnant of Christians has opened their arms to the Jewish people without ulterior motive. They stand with us as part of their understanding of their heavenly purpose and calling. Their stance with Israel and the Jewish people is not based on democratic values, but on their relationship with Jesus. Indeed, it is a mystery to understand how a segment of the Church went from misguided Replacement Theology to the belief that the covenant between God and Israel was never severed. Jews who are new to this experience or have borne the perception of Christians as transactional entities, can stop and pause for a minute to see the bigger picture of redemptive history. In a post October 7 world, we owe this much to the relationship to address together God’s purposes that are on the line.