When Love For Israel Costs Your Life: A Wake-Up Call To The Church

The tragic deaths of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., should not be treated as another passing headline. For the global Church, this is a moment of profound reckoning. These were not only Israeli diplomats. They were also our brother and sister in Christ. Their lives were rooted not just in service to the Jewish state, but in devotion to Jesus the Messiah--lives lived at the intersection of faith and purpose, of calling and covenant.

Both Yaron and Sarah believed in God's promises to Israel, and they laid down their lives in defense of them. Yaron, described by family and friends as a "devout Christian" and "a super solid believer," carried within him a love for Israel that was not merely national--it was deeply spiritual. 

His love for the Jewish people and their land flowed from the pages of the Bible, not from a political platform. Sarah, likewise, served with conviction and clarity--her identity as a believer in Jesus only strengthened her resolve to work for the peace and security of the Jewish state.

Their murders were not random acts of violence. Authorities are investigating the attack as an antisemitic act of terrorism. Let that settle in our hearts: two Jewish believers in Jesus--ambassadors of both the gospel and the Israeli nation--were executed in the capital of the United States. Why? Because they stood with Israel. Because they bore the identity of a people chosen by God and loved by Jesus.

And this hatred is not isolated.

Just days after the attack, TikTok influencer Guy Christensen, known to his 3 million followers as YourFavoriteGuy, posted a chilling video defending the murderer. "I do not condemn the elimination of the Zionist officials who worked at the Israeli embassy last night," he said, referring to the shooter as "a resistance fighter." He urged others to support the killings, calling Israel a "genocide machine." This is not free speech. This is the glorification of evil. This is the celebration of bloodshed.

Christensen joins a growing, shameless chorus of voices calling for violence against Jews and their supporters. They claim to champion resistance, but they are peddling hate. They cloak their hatred in political slogans, but what they truly despise is the God of Israel and those who love Him.

And that includes us.

Because if you are a Christian who loves the Bible, you are someone who loves Israel--even if you don't know it yet. The very foundation of your faith is Jewish. The Scriptures you treasure were written by Jewish hands, inspired by the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Your Savior walked the hills of Judea, wept over Jerusalem, and fulfilled the prophecies of Israel's prophets.

We must not miss this: Yaron and Sarah were killed for the same reason early Christians were persecuted--because of their witness to the hope of Israel (Acts 28:20). That hope is Jesus, and the world still hates Him. The line between antisemitism and anti-Christian persecution is thinner than many think. Jesus Himself warned us in John 15:18, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first."

In a time when antisemitism is once again baring its fangs, the Church must rise--not in silence, but in solidarity. These were our people. Yaron and Sarah were not only Jews. They were believers. They were family. Their blood is on the ground of Washington, D.C., but their testimony echoes in eternity.

To be a follower of Jesus is to carry within us a love for the Jewish people. Paul wrote in Romans 11 that Gentile believers are grafted in--we are branches, not the root. Our salvation story is impossible without Israel. When we love Israel, we are not practicing politics. We are living out the covenant. We are honoring the God who keeps His promises.

Let us contrast this Christian love with the vile hatred on display. While online influencers like Guy Christensen glamorize murder and inspire rage, we are called to speak truth, act justly, and love mercy. While Hamas-inspired voices chant for destruction, we proclaim resurrection. While the world calls for war, we stand for peace--the peace of Jerusalem.

We must not be silent.

Let Yaron and Sarah's deaths wake the Church from its slumber. Their sacrifice is not just a headline. It is a heavenly reminder that standing with Israel--and with Jesus--comes at a cost. But it is a cost worth paying. Because the story of Israel is not over, and the Church is part of it. 

Until then, we stand. We speak. We remember.

And we love--because He first loved us.