A few weeks ago, I got the vaccine before going to a clinic in Jerusalem and traveling to Africa. In the nurse’s room, a Jewish woman began asking questions about my trip. I told her I am an evangelical Christian pastor who goes to international conferences. Soon she nodded deliberately and said, “Oh, evangelicals love Israel.”
Many of our Jews feel that these evangelicals love us for the wrong reasons.
I explained to her that many evangelicals actually claim that they “love Israel,” but often for the wrong reasons. Her face became serious. She thanked her for saying that, “Many of our Jews feel that these evangelicals love us for the wrong reasons. For their end views, they want to take us all here. She paused and then gave a very impressive image: “I feel like a man who fertilizes the ducks, feeds them every day, and caring for her.”
Her words capture deep doubt and reveal that many Jews feel towards the false love of Christian Zionism. This is not based on Christ-based love, but on manipulative eschatology. It may be wrapped in a language of blessing, but at its core, treats the Jews as pawns in someone else’s prophetic plan.
Ironically, just a few days later, I turned on the news of Israeli mornings and saw a self-proclaimed evangelical bishop being interviewed. He lamented the fact that Israel has lost its support among young evangelicals. With passion, he promised to bring back the younger generations, teach them to “pray for Israel,” no matter what Israel does, and work hard to show uncritical loyalty.
Looking at him I couldn’t help but feel the tragic irony. He thought that evangelicals were indifferent to the suffering of Palestinians and Muslims and would remain silent about injustice that they had no idea about Jesus Christ’s witnesses.
Christian Zionism is not merely theological oddity. It’s a stumbling over the gospel.
Both stories highlight the same issue. Christian Zionism is not merely theological oddity. It’s a stumbling over the gospel. It distorts Christian witnesses to Jews, Muslims and all people in the Middle East.
Biblical and theological concerns
Christian Zionists often justify their position by quoting Genesis 12:3 (“I bless you who bless you”) or Zechariah 14. However, the New Testament reinterprets these promises of Christ. Paul argues that the true seed of Abraham is Christ himself, and that by faith it is all who belong to him (Galatians 3:16, 28–29). The division wall between the Jews and Gentiles is being demolished by Christ (Ephesians 2:14).
The direct application of territorial promises to the modern Israeli state bypasses the gospel. As the apostle Paul writes, “No matter what the promises God made, they are “yes” of Christ” (Corinthians 1:20). As theologian Gary Berge observed, whose land is in his book? “Christian Zionism essentially returns the church to the shadow of the Old Testament and ignores the fulfillment brought by Christ” (Whose land? Who makes a promise?).
I believe that the poem in Genesis 12:3 now applies only to Jesus and blessings that arise from Jesus and his salvation and the impact on the expansion of his kingdom.
Stumbling blocks on the gospel for the Jews
If evangelicals support Israel simply causing Armageddon, our “love” is not love at all. It’s operation.
The words of the Jewish nurse reveal how hollow it is to often feel of the “love” of Christian Zionists. Rather than opening the door to the gospel, we will strengthen our doubts. If evangelicals support Israel simply causing Armageddon, our “love” is not love at all. It’s operation.
New Testament scholar Stephen Sizer warns in Christian Zionism: Roadmap to a roadmap? “By promoting the state of Israel as a theological necessity, Christian Zionism prevents Jews from seeing Jesus as their messiah.”
True Gospel witnesses should not be caught up in the political agenda, but they clearly refer to Jesus, the crucified and resurrected Messiah.
Muslims’ Gospel Disorders
When they see evangelicals support oppression, killing, evacuation and war, they conclude that Christianity itself is unjust.
Jews aren’t the only questions about witnesses. Throughout the Arab and Muslim world, people see how Christians relate to Israel. When they see evangelicals support oppression, killing, evacuation and war, they conclude that Christianity itself is unjust.
This is devastating for evangelism. Instead of hearing the good news, Muslims see Christians align with Muslims (particularly) they oppress. As far as Christian Zionists defend policies that harm Palestinians, our Muslim neighbors will see Christianity and our gospel as hypocrisy rather than hope.
Betrayal of the Gospel for the nation
The TV Bishop embodied this betrayal. By promising unconditional loyalty, he suggested that evangelicals must choose nationalism over the articulation of Christ. But Jesus calls us to love our neighbors (Luke 10:27), blessing Peacemaker (Matthew 5:9) and calling for us to stand with the oppressed (Isaiah 1:17).
Supporting injustice in the name of prophecy not only distorts the gospel into Jews and Muslims, but it distorts it throughout the Middle East.
We betray the very kingdom that is called to serve.
The Church’s mission is to declare reconciliation through the cross. “He himself was our peace, uniting two groups, destroying the barriers, the divided wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14). Replacing this vision with a political agenda will betray the very kingdom that we are called to serve.
A call to a Christ-centered witness
The path forward is not hostility towards Israel and Palestine, nor indifference to the suffering of Palestinians and Jews. It is a call to Christ-centric gospel witnesses who love everyone, Jews, Muslims and all humans, without compromising.
We must reject the final scheme of using people as props and returning to the gospel that proclaims Jesus as all Lord.
Only then can our love become real. Only then will our witnesses maintain integrity before all nations. Only then will we embody the message of the Kingdom: Christ’s love, justice, peace, reconciliation.
Rev. Jack Sarah is the president of Bethlehem Bible College. Born and raised in the old town of Jerusalem, Jack studied at Bethlehem Bible College after devoting his life to Christ and his teachings. Jack is an appointed pastor of the Evangelical Alliance Church in the Holy Land, and he still maintains the role of oversight along with the church leaders. He is the general secretary of the evangelical alliances in the Middle East and North Africa, and has extensive work in areas of peace and reconciliation.
