Each year during the Christmas season, the world’s attention turns to ancient Bethlehem. It was a special place in God’s historic plan. It is a special place in God’s current plan. Jack Sara is the president of Bethlehem Bible College. He is also a BGU PhD student doing research on innovation in higher education in order to better prepare young leaders for key leadership roles in all sectors of society, launching them from Bethlehem into the Holy Land and the nations. We asked Jack to share a Christmas greeting from his unique vantage point for the BGU family.
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are least among the clans of Judah, from you will come forth for Me a ruler…” (Micah 5:2)”
“This ancient prophecy still echoes every Christmas season as the world’s attention turns again to Bethlehem. A small town, humble and often overlooked—yet chosen by God for His greatest work in history. And even today, Bethlehem continues to hold a unique place in God’s unfolding plan.
As I travel each day from my home in Jerusalem to my work in Bethlehem, I am constantly surrounded by reminders of the extraordinary history of this land. God has placed His love upon this place in a very special way. So much of scripture unfolds in what is, quite literally, my hometown. Everywhere I go, I am reminded of His care for us—and for me personally.
This season makes those reminders even richer. Many friends from around the world reach out asking what life is like here during Christmas. I feel privileged to share the blessing of living in the very place where the story of Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection took place. It is a time filled with joy, gratitude, and deep awareness of God’s grace poured out on the world from here.
And yet, as you can imagine, there is another reality surrounding us as well—constant signs of a world broken by sin. The traces of war, death, racial tension, injustice, and suffering are not something we simply watch on screens. They surround us. They are the roads we drive through, the streets we walk, the expressions in the eyes and voices of our neighbors and friends.
Reports in the international news often intensify hatred, pushing one side against the other, and much of it is misleading. I am a Christian, evangelical Palestinian Arab who holds and Israeli ID. Bethlehem is located in Palestine, and even the ID I carry reflects the complex and divided world we live in. Yet in scripture, God loved all nations and all the children of Abraham and the nations, and He gave promises to all (Genesis 17:20; 26:24).
God loves all their descendants. Here, we have followers of Jesus from Palestinian background and some from Jewish background. There are four times as many Palestinian followers of Jesus—and yet together, we are still a very small minority. We share so much in common, far more than what divides us. Sadly, political and religious leaders—both here and abroad—often fuel hatred between our peoples. The divisions, injustices, and pain are real. And yes, they affect even us who believe.
In Luke 2:14 the angels proclaimed near Bethlehem, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rest.’ As believers in the Holy Land, we long to demonstrate a peace that shines in contrast to the conflict around us. And as believers around the world, I ask you to pray for us. I also encourage you to consider how you can become a bridge of peace among your own families and communities, sharing the hope of the reconciliation God is building between the people here—even in the midst of voices and forces that try to divide. We are humbled by your prayers and support.”
During this Christmas season, please remember Jack Sara and his work at Bethlehem Bible College, his C&MA evangelical church, his role as the Regional General Secretary for the MENA region of the World Evangelical Alliance and his other ministries.
Please prayerfully consider supporting Jack and his work at https://bethbc.edu/support-the-college/
Please prayerfully consider supporting BGU in its work to train advanced leaders throughout the world like Jack who influence hundreds and thousands in their nations.