It’s 2026, and the world is reacting to the oil crisis sparked by America’s barrage against Iran. Just 3 years ago, Iran backed Hamas invaded Israel. Hamas hoped to gain sympathy from the world by turning the media against Israel’s retaliation, but the tides dramatically turned after Donald Trump triumphed to Presidency again.
The center of attention is Israel. A nation that has not only survived with America’s help recently. Crippling Hamas and Iran in the process. But Israel is also showing incredible strength in military capabilities, bearing ‘fangs’ against the hostile terrorist driven groups set against them.
How does Israel continue to exist with a history of Islamic extremists, and waves of antisemitism coming against her? Does Gospel of Luke shed light on Israel’s survivability?
Before I answer the question above, I would like to share a personal experience below.
From 2007 to 2021 I joined a megachurch that affirmed the nation of Israel as a fulfilment of God’s Word by rejecting Replacement Theology.
Yet, the same evangelical Pentecostal charismatic megachurch also believed that wherever the Bible mentions the word ‘Israel’ with a promise of God attached to in, you could replace the word ‘Israel’ with ‘the name of the church’ or with your own name to claim the blessings contained in the passage.
For example, the megachurch would replace the word ‘Israel’ below with the name of the church in Isaiah 43:1-2 in the New King James Version (NKJV),
But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel: <they would replace ‘Israel’ with the name of the church in prayer>
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
Now, on one hand, I totally believe that all truly born again, Jesus believing Christians who stay in the faith should stake their life on the Word of God. Because all Gentiles who believe in the Messiah are grafted into the body of Messiah, having been granted access to all the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant from God through the blood of Messiah Jesus.
On the other hand, even though the megachurch I attended denied Replacement Theology, replacing the word ‘Israel’ with its name in prayer waters down how believers attending church should understand the passage. Contaminating the ability to accurately read the Word of God to comprehend the promises that God intended for THE REAL nation of Israel.
How does the Gospel of Luke affirm the coming of Jesus for Israel?
Instead of reading the book of Luke and subjecting scripture to us, the better way to read it is read it as it is. Then, we are able to understand God’s plan for Israel clearly. Understanding God’s plan for Israel will help us understand events in our world today surrounding the nation of Israel.
I would like to share my observations in Luke chapters 1 & 2 in this post.
1. Gabriel the angel declares God’s plan for Israel’s future
Gabriel appears to Miriam (Mary) and he declares in Luke 1:31-33 NKJV:
And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
2. Miriam aka Mary the mother of Jesus clearly hoped for the fulfilment of God’s promise to Israel
Miriam (Mary), declared at the end of her magnification of God when visiting Elizabeth her cousin in Luke 1:54-55 TLV:
He has helped His servant Israel,
remembering His mercy,
just as He spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his seed forever.
3. Zacheriah, father of John the Baptist proclaims God’s fulfilment of His covenant to Israel
After Elizabeth gave birth to John, Zacheriah’s voice returned, God’s Spirit filled him and as he praised the God of Israel, he proclaimed in Luke 1:68-75 NKJV:
Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,
For He has visited and redeemed His people,
And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of His servant David,
As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,
Who have been since the world began,
That we should be saved from our enemies
And from the hand of all who hate us,
To perform the mercy promised to our fathers
And to remember His holy covenant,
The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:
To grant us that we,
Being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
Might serve Him without fear,
In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
4. The angel who appeared to the Shepherds shared about the birth of Israel’s Savior
As baby Jesus was born in a manger, an angel appeared to some shepherds and shared this with them in Luke 2:10-12 TLV:
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I proclaim Good News to you, which will be great joy to all the people. A Savior is born to you today in the city of David, who is Messiah the Lord. And the sign to you is this: You will find an infant wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.”
5. Spirit filled Simeon blessed God as he gazed upon baby Jesus in the temple
God promised Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah with his very eyes.
On day, as Simeon was in the Holy Spirit through prayer, he went temple of God. And as Miriam (Mary) and Joseph brought baby Jesus into the temple, Simeon said as he blessed God in Luke 2:29-32 NKJV:
“Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
For my eyes have seen Your salvation
Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”
6. Anna the prophetess gave thanks to the Lord as she saw baby Jesus
The actions of Anna the prophetess as she entered the temple in Luke 2:38 NKJV:
And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
What Luke records about Jesus’ role for Israel in a nutshell
Let us see what we find after distilling what Gabriel the angel, Miriam (Mary) mother of Jesus, Zechariah father of John the Baptist, the angel who appeared to the shepherds, Simeon and prophetess Anna said concerning Jesus:
- Jesus is the Son of God Most High, the God of Israel
- Jesus will inherit the throne of David as King over Israel
- God remembers His mercy to Israel (Jacob), the covenant in which He made with Abraham to give His descendants the Canaanite land
- God has redeemed Israel, raised up a horn of salvation for Israel and saved Israel from all her enemies
- Jesus is the light to bring the revelation of God Most High to the Gentiles
Jesus is the Messiah who will return to save His people, Israel from their enemies, rule the world in righteousness (unlike current leaders of the world) and every person who submits under His rule will receive grace, mercy and peace.
What does what Luke record mean for us today?
Back to modern day Israel.
After Rome sacked Jerusalem in 70 A.D, Israel ceased to exist for about 1,878 years right until 1948.
From then on, theologians realized that God had indeed kept His Word to Israel and resurrected them into a nation as declared by the prophet Isaiah:
Isaiah 66:8 TLV
Who has heard such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Can a land be born in one day?
Can a nation be brought forth at once?
For as soon as Zion was in labor,
she gave birth to her children.
And Ezekiel prophesied as he watched dry bones come back to living flesh:
Ezekiel 37:2-6,12-14 NKJV
Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.”
Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”…
Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’ ”
Therefore Israel’s redemption as recorded is coming to pass as we speak because Jesus has to come to a nation in existence.
Moreover, the return of Jesus is a consistent teaching by His Apostles:
Revelation 14:1 TLV
Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him were 144,000 who had His name and His Father’s name written on their foreheads.
Romans 11:26-27 TLV
and in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,
“The Deliverer shall come out of Zion.
He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.
And this is My covenant with them,
when I take away their sins.”
1 Corinthians 15:22-24 TLV
For as in Adam all die, so also in Messiah will all be made alive.
But each in its own order: Messiah the firstfruits; then, at His coming, those who belong to Messiah; then the end, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all rule and all authority and power.
So, if we hear of wars in the Middle East and Israel triumphing over her enemies now, it’s not because of Israel’s military might nor because of the power of her allies, but God fulfilling His Word to set the stage for the coming of His Son, Jesus the Messiah, the true King of Israel.
Fulfilling every Word of promise He spoke ever since He made a covenant with Abraham the Hebrew.
According to prophecy, a Beast of nations will arise one day and attempt to subjugate the Jews. When he succeeds in doing so, they cry out for a Savior, and Jesus will return for His people.
I love the Jewish name of Jesus, Yeshua.
Yeshua means Yahweh who saves. The God of Israel who saves. He will save Israel and everyone who believes in Him. Amen.