Israel – Day One
Today was one of the most interesting days of my life. And the fulfillment of a life-long dream.This was the first touring day for those of us on The Bridge Experience Israel group. And what a way to start.We took a boat across the Sea of Galilee, explored Capernaum, visited the area
where Jesus delivered his famous Sermon on the Mount, and I baptized dozens of people very near where John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. In fact, just for the experience, and though both of us were already baptized, Linda and I were baptized in the Jordan. It was incredible to walk where Jesus walked.Capernaum was Jesus’ hometown during his ministry. There, we explored a second century synagogue that was built over the foundation of the synagogue that Jesus taught in. In one corner, the floor was excavated, revealing the podium area below, including the stone podium of the synagogue that was in use in the first century. It was the very spot where Jesus taught from! Also in Capernaum, we saw the excavated walls and foundation of what is more than likely Simon Peter’s home.
Seeing the podium that Jesus taught from was one of the most thrilling moments of my life. But there was another experience that I want to tell you about.The Sea of Galilee... Jesus spent a lot of time on this lake. It was here where he calmed the sea, walked on water, and travelled across many times to reach places for teaching and ministry. There’s something about water that calms us, helps us think, and leads us to prayer. Jesus would have spent many hours thinking and praying on the shores of this lake and traveling over it’s waves.As I was gazing over the helm of our boat and imagining the lake 2,000 years ago, a scene from Luke 15 began to play in my mind. Jesus was teaching a large crowd on the north shore near Capernaum. I was looking at that shoreline. The crowd began to press Jesus and he was nearly forced into the water, so he asked a fisherman in a boat who was returning after a night of fishing, to let him stand in and teach from his boat to finish his lesson. Peter obliged and when Jesus was finished, he told Peter that he should put his nets out again. Peter laughed to himself, “What would he, a rabbi, know about fishing?"
Jesus knew plenty. Peter begrudgingly obliged, probably only out of respect for him. But then he and his partners where surprised. The nets not only began to fill with fish, they filled to the place of stretching and breaking the nets. Another boat was beckoned to help them bring in their haul.Peter and Andrew were dumfounded by what they saw. They knew this man was special.Then Jesus used what they witnessed to offer them far more, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men."They did follow Jesus and the world was changed. In fact, we’ve all been changed. Those of us who are now followers of Jesus are the fish Jesus wanted them to catch. Because they followed Jesus and began to fish for the hearts and souls of men, we have been brought into his boat.Sitting on a boat near the site where it all began and reading/teaching that passage to our group was overwhelming. And I was reminded why I do what I do. I’m one of those fish, and now I’m one of those fisherman.