INTERVIEW

In this introductory session of the Israel Masterclass, Gateway Center for Israel Executive Director Nic Lesmeister sits down with Dr. Wayne Wilks (GCFI Executive Pastor of Development) and Dr. Greg Stone (Gateway Pastor of Jewish Ministries). Together they dive into the rich history of Gateway Church's understanding of Israel & the Jewish people, and how the impact of this legacy is walked out spiritually and practically through the church's ministry today.

SESSION 1

Why is the world so offended by Israel, especially since Hamas' brutal attack against the Jewish homeland on October 7, 2023? What should be the Church's biblical stance on this issue? Nic Lesmeister (Executive Pastor, Church & Jewish Relations; Executive Director, Gateway Center for Israel) lays some crucial theological groundwork to answer this question. By discussing "the scandal of particularity" as it relates to God's sovereign choice of Israel, he stresses the importance of Christians loving and blessing what God Himself loves and blesses in this first session of the Israel Masterclass.

SESSION 2

In this Israel Masterclass session, Gateway Center for Israel Teaching Pastor David Blease defines the widely-held (yet incorrect) theology rooted in 1700 years of Christian tradition - replacement theology. Using history and Scripture, David helps us identify this faulty belief (that the Church has replaced Israel in God's covenant promises), describes why it is so dangerous, and explains the four negative consequences that will result from embracing this error as truth.

SESSION 3

Are Jewish believers and Christians, the natural and grafted-in branches of God's family tree, truly connecting in the loving, unified manner He desires? Ezra Benjamin digs into the various aspects of this mutual relationship in the third session of the Israel Masterclass.

SESSION 4

Few words can stir up both negative and positive reactions more than the term Zionism. This phrase has been a lightning rod on a global scale since the October 7 Hamas attack against Israel. It can be defined simply as the national movement of Jewish people returning to and establishing self-autonomy (or self-rule) in their ancestral homeland, Israel. But what exactly does the Bible say? Did Jesus ever speak about Zionism?

SESSION 5

What makes the Jewish people the most consistently hated people in the world throughout history? There have been many people groups enslaved and persecuted by others through the centuries. But it defies all logic that one group, the Jewish people, are time and again the recipients of repeated persecution above all others. In this Israel Masterclass session about antisemitism, David Blease examines God's heart for the Jewish people as revealed in Scripture.

SESSION 6

All four Gospel writers, from Matthew to John, felt it necessary to mention the Jewish genealogy of Jesus. Why? Is the Gospel itself Jewish? In this session of the Israel Masterclass, Dr. David Rudolph explains why the Church needs to rediscover the essential Jewish emphasis of the Gospel message. Using the writings of Isaiah, the Apostle Paul, Mark, and Matthew, Dr. Rudolph gives us a framework for understanding how the Gospel message was intended first for the Jewish people and then for the nations.

SESSION 7

We know Jesus WAS Jewish. But does it matter that He is STILL Jewish?

In this Israel Masterclass session, author and Jewish believer David Hoffbrand teaches the importance of the Church reconnecting with the authentic Jewish Jesus. He explains (while sharing his personal story) why viewing Him through this cultural lens is still very central to our spiritual walk and full understanding of the Gospel.

THE JEWISH JESUS

SESSION 8

David Blease poses some hard questions in this session of the Israel Masterclass, such as: What about the Palestinians? Aren't they the true indigenous people of the region and the Jewish immigrants just colonialists? Using biblical accounts, and historical and archaeological records, he examines the timeline and details of arguably the most intense geopolitical controversy in history. 

SESSION 9

How can we take all that we've learned in the Israel Masterclass and put it to practical use in our daily lives? Nic Lesmeister wraps up this ninth and final session by explaining how to grasp - and then discuss with understanding - the very complicated issues surrounding Israel & the Jewish people today.