Israel 2018 Begins
For over a year we’ve been planning it and 45 of us are now in Israel.With umbrellas in hand and ponchos draping our bodies, our journey began with amazing sights. Israel is in the middle of a drought and so the rain we brought with us is a blessing to these people. But we are also thankful that the forecast promises warmer and dryer weather for the rest of our week.
Yesterday started with beautiful Caesarea, the Roman seat of government on the Mediterranean Sea. Here, Peter met with the household of Cornelius (Acts 10), and Paul stood before Felix, Festus and Agrippa (Acts 24-25). Seeing the very courtroom where Paul had his hearings before Roman magistrates and then the prison where he was kept for over two years was sobering. It reminded us of the sacrifices our forefathers made for the Gospel so that we could hear and embrace the message of Jesus, centuries later.Our final two wet and rainy stops yesterday included the ancient ruins of Megiddo, mentioned many times in the Old Testament, and Mount Carmel, where Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal.
There were only a few sprinkles today, and we had an interesting variety of tours. First, we investigated the childhood home of Mary Magdalene, which was a major fishing village on the north side of the Sea of Galilee. This would have been a frequent stop of Jesus as he travelled Galilee, visiting towns and villages and teaching in the synagogues. The ruins of this important city were fascinating, especially the first century synagogue where Jesus himself would have taught. As we walked along the ancient thoroughfare of this town, we imagined people running out of their houses when they heard the news of Jesus being in town, some embracing him and others kneeling before him.We then toured the ancient ruins of Zippora, a Roman center of commerce just a few miles from Jesus’ boyhood home. Scholars believe that Jesus would have spent a fair amount of time here, along with his step-father, Joseph, working in their carpentry business. It was the big city nearby his tiny home-town where craftsmen went to sell their wares and work on projects. Many of Jesus parables show the influence of Jesus' time in this city. Some of Galilee’s wealthiest inhabitants lived in large houses that are prominent in the ruins, and it is obvious they lived lavish lives. Here, Jesus saw first-hand the oppression many of the area's poor at the hands of the rich and powerful.
We then visited Nazareth, Jesus’ boyhood home. Under a modern church there are very well preserved streets and foundations of homes of Nazareth from the time of Jesus’ child-hood, and we could almost see him running those streets and playing with his childhood friends.The day ended for us in downtown Cana, the site of Jesus' first miracle at the wedding he attended in John 2. Over a dozen couples, Linda and I included, renewed our vows together with Junior officiating. It was a little odd to have my own son officiate our wedding, standing right next to my in-laws. Some had tears in their eyes, not just thinking of the meaninfulness of our promises to each other, but how Jesus would have stood right near that very spot, witnessing the vows of his friends, 2,000 years ago. We knew he was witnessing ours as well, and prayed for his watch, care, and blessing.I’ve got to get to bed…big day tomorrow!