The tragic and senseless murders of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim on the streets of Washington, D.C., are far more than another headline—they should stir the conscience of the global Church.
Both Yaron and Sarah were staff members at the Israeli Embassy, devoted defenders of the Jewish state. Their lives were cut short in what authorities are investigating as a blatant act of antisemitic terrorism. Let that sink in—Jewish people are being gunned down in the U.S. capital for their support of Israel.
But this tragedy reaches even deeper. Yaron and Sarah were not only emissaries of Israel; they were also followers of Jesus the Messiah.
According to All Israel News, family and friends described Yaron as “a devout Christian” and “a super solid believer.” His faith in Jesus and trust in God’s Word only deepened his passion for the people and land of Israel. His life testified to the truth that loving the Jewish people is not merely political—it is profoundly biblical.
In their deaths, we witness a powerful intersection between the Jewish and Christian communities—a moment that reveals just how deeply connected our stories truly are. These two Jewish believers in Jesus were killed for the “hope of Israel” (Acts 28:20), the very phrase the Apostle Paul used to describe the unbreakable link between his faith in the Messiah and God’s promises to His people.
The Bible that Christians cherish is a Jewish book. Its foundation rests on the covenant God made with Abraham: “Through you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). This divine promise weaves through every page of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, binding the destinies of the Church and the Jewish people together. To honor Yaron and Sarah is to remember that our faith as Christians is not separate from Israel—it is grafted into it.
The Jewish people have endured centuries of hatred, scapegoating, and violence. Since the horrors of October 7, 2023, antisemitism has surged with alarming boldness—even in places once considered safe. For Yaron and Sarah, that hatred crossed borders and invaded their very mission, their service, and their faith.
This must be a wake-up call to the Church: Yaron and Sarah were part of us, too.
Now is not the time for silence or apathy. Antisemitism is not merely a political or social issue—it is a spiritual evil that opposes the heart and purposes of God. It is the same darkness that has resisted God’s redemptive work through Israel and the Church throughout history.
The Apostle Paul warned Gentile believers not to boast against the Jewish people. In Romans 11, he reminds us that the Church does not support the root—the root supports us. Our faith in Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, is built on the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Turning our backs on Israel is to forget the very foundation of our gospel hope.
For Bible-believing Christians, standing against antisemitism should not be controversial—it should be instinctive. Scripture calls us to bless whom God has blessed. As Balaam declared under divine compulsion, “How can I curse whom God has not cursed? And how can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?” (Numbers 23:8). God has blessed the Jewish people—and so should we.
Church, it is time to rise.
Let us pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Let us stand with the Jewish people in love, in truth, and in solidarity. Let us speak out boldly against antisemitism in all its forms—whether cloaked in political rhetoric, academic ideology, or raw violence. And let us not grow weary in doing good, knowing that our King—the King of Israel—is coming back to Jerusalem.
Yaron and Sarah’s witness did not end in death. It now lives on as a clarion call to the Church. May we answer it with faithfulness, courage, and conviction.
