Warm greetings from Nazareth!
This week, we’re celebrating something very special—Shavuot, or as many of you know it, Pentecost. These days always stir something deep in my heart, because they remind us how connected we are—Jews and Gentiles, one family under one God.
In Hebrew, Shavuot means “weeks.”
It comes seven weeks after Passover, and it’s one of the most meaningful holidays in the Jewish calendar. It marks the moment when God gave the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai—a moment that changed everything for Israel. It wasn’t just about receiving commandments—it was about entering into covenant, into relationship with a holy and loving God.
But Shavuot isn’t only spiritual—it’s also agricultural.
In ancient times, it was the wheat harvest when people brought the very best of their crops—the bikkurim, the first fruits—to the Temple in Jerusalem. It was their way of saying, “God, You gave us everything, so we give back to You with joy and thankfulness.”
Doesn’t that stir something in your spirit?
Today, we don’t bring sheaves of wheat, but we still bring our first fruits—our time, our gifts, our hearts. That’s what we at Home of Jesus the King Church long to do every day. We want to give God our very best by reaching out to both Jews and Arabs, bringing them together in love, and building His Kingdom here in Nazareth and beyond.
We also read the Book of Ruth during Shavuot.
Why Ruth? Because her story is one of loyalty, love, and redemption—a Gentile woman who chose to follow the God of Israel, and who became part of the lineage of the Messiah. Isn’t that a picture of what God is doing today? Drawing people from every nation into His great redemptive plan?
Now here’s the amazing part—Shavuot and Pentecost are the same day!
Fifty days after Passover, God gave the Law on Sinai.
Fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus—who rose at Passover—God poured out His Spirit in Jerusalem.
The Torah written on stone. The Spirit written on hearts.
The birth of a nation. The birth of the Church.
It’s not two stories. It’s one story.
One God. One plan. One family.
And you and I are part of that!
So today, as we celebrate Pentecost, let’s remember what really matters. God isn’t looking at how fancy our homes are or what car we drive. He’s asking:
“What did you do with what I gave you?”
Did we love others well? Did we serve? Did we use what we had to bless the brokenhearted and bring hope?
That’s the heartbeat of our church.
We want to live with purpose, with passion, and with faith—knowing that Jesus is coming back soon.
So let’s be ready.
Let’s live like a family.
Let’s bring our first fruits—our lives—and lay them at His feet.