Chill Bump Moments in Israel (Article 4 of 6)

Large Synagogue in Capernaum

To walk upon the ruins of Capernaum, the adopted home town of Jesus, where Jesus spent so much of his time teaching and doing miracles was another scene I will never forget.   When we saw the ruins of Peter’s house, I thought about the story I have heard since I was a child of Jesus healing Peter’s mother in law. Mark 1:29-30 tells us , “After leaving the synagogue, Jesus, James and John when home with Simon and Andrew.  Simon’s mother in law was in bed, sick with a fever, and they told Jesus about her at once. He went to her, took her by the hand and raised her up. The fever left her, and she served them.”  Just for your information, I can tell you that they had a very short walk from the synagogue to Peter’s house.  However my chill bump moment had come earlier when we visited the synagogue in that village.  We learned that the synagogue in Capernaum is by far the largest synagogue in Galilee. We learned that there can be only one logical explanation for that - and that is because Jesus taught there so often and drew large crowds.  I do not think there is archeological proof of the ministry of Jesus, but the synagogue in Capernaum is pretty close to it.  And it is more proof than I will ever need.

The Cardo in Beit She'an

In complete contrast to Capernaum, where life completely revolved around the synagogue located in the middle of the village, there was the Greek city of Beit She'an.  We learned that Saul and Jonathan's bodies were hung in this city on the public square.  (2 Samuel 21: 12) but we also learned that during Jesus' time, Beit She'an was a city where life centered on pagan worship and extravagance, with public bathhouses, prostitutes and a large theater. The Decapolis, by the way, was made up of 10 cities that were the center of Greek and Roman culture and we know Jesus visited the cities of the Decapolis (Mark 7:31).   When the Bible speaks of Jesus getting in the boat and traveling to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, he was headed to that pagan culture.  For example the story of Jesus casting the demons out of the men into the herd of pigs happened on the "other" side of the lake.  "When He arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon- possessed men met Him."  (Matthew 8:28).  There is no doubt He visited the pagan city of Beit She'an -  probably often since it was close to him and  the only Decapolis city west of the Jordan River.  I was very hot and tired when we arrived at the ruins of that city.  If there was ever a place where I was set up to miss the chill bump moment, it would have been at Beit She'an.  The verse assigned was from the Sermon on the Mount. "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13-14).  There is no doubt Jesus was talking about the wide gates and huge north-south roads (the Cardo) with ornate columns in pagan cities like Beit She'an when He was talking about the wide and narrow gates. His disciples would have understood HIs imagery.   It was obvious that the purpose of these Greek cities' wide gates and roads was to make a statement to the glory of their culture and to lure others into their extravagant pagan lifestyle and to convince others that their way of life was superior to all others.  Jesus knew that many unsuspecting people walking through those gates on a regular basis were walking into a life of futility.  Maybe Jesus was comparing the Cardo to the much smaller and more narrow East - West gates and roads in those cities that only a few utilized. But for me, the chill bumps came when I compared this wide and what would have been a very attractive road to the narrow and treacherous unattractive road we had just walked on through the mountains between Jerusalem and Jericho.  One thing is for sure. The Christian walk is much more like the Jericho Road than it is the Cardo in Beit She'an. 



Jordan River

Although the Jordan River was more narrow that I expected and we were at a commercialized part of it,  the impact of being there will forever be in my mind… and heart.  I thought of John the Baptist, the wild looking man from the wilderness who was filled with the Holy Spirit even before he was born, baptizing in that river and remembering his words in Luke 3:16, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirt.”  And I thought about Jesus being baptized in that river and the Holy Spirit descending on him in bodily form. And it dawned on me that His earthly ministry started right here.  What a thought. So it was very moving to watch the pastors in our group baptize those who wanted to be baptized in that sacred place.  I stood knee deep in the edge of the river and took pictures and videos of each one - which was difficult to do with  tears in my eyes.



"A city on a hill cannot be hidden."

If one chill bump moment can be greater than others, then our experience at the Sea of Galilee would rank in that category.  We had been on the shores for a couple of days.  I had been asked to tag team with Andy a couple of nights earlier as we quoted the Sermon on the Mount on the same shores Jesus delivered that ageless sermon originally over 2000 years ago.   It was evening and Andy pointed at the lighted city of Tiberias (that could be clearly seen) that sits very prominently on the hill on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, as he quoted these words in Mathew 5, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp an put in under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand so it gives light to everyone in the house.”  Although those words have been engrafted in me for many years, for the first time I heard it in the context of which Jesus said it.  What an incredible teacher He was.  We also had Sunday morning worship service on the shores of the lake.  We sang and then Pastor Jerry preached and related one of Jesus’s stories on that lake and made life application to it.  The fact that we were looking at the lake that was behind him as he preached was an incredible sight and moment in time.  And then there was the boat ride. Obviously none of us had ever physically been on the boat with Jesus, but our imagination in the moment seemed like we were pretty close to it.  It was emotional for all of us.  And we got a lesson  by a Jewish fisherman who was on the boat with us in how they “casted nets.”  Then there was the quick lesson in a jewish dance and that’s all it took.  In almost a moment, the boat began rocking as our group began dancing, laughing and  celebrating on the boat.  It was beautiful and very appropriate.  It was so very hot but that did not stop the chill bumps that came on us like it was a winters day.

Kathy and I with Armageddon in background.

We stood on the top of Mount Precipice overlooking Nazareth on one side and Armageddon, which is the physical place of end times prophesy, on the other side.  We were reminded that it was on this mountain that the furious Jews from Nazareth wanted to throw Jesus off the cliff after he taught in the synagogues. “They got up, drove him out of town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.”  (Luke 4:29 -30).  It was also in Nazareth that Jesus said those words, “A prophet is not without  honor except in his own town…”  - and He was frustrated that He could not do miracles there because of their lack of faith.  It was here that I was reminded that faith is a gift and is not something we can muster up but I did wonder how much do we really miss in life because we just choose not to believe.  Andy, our tour guide, also delivered a stirring message here about Mary, the mother of Jesus.  We now understood the geography of the long journey she and Joseph made to Jerusalem when she was pregnant and the many more times they took that trip with their family. We were reminded that they came back to Nazareth to live and Jesus made a living as a carpenter before he began his public ministry.  The stirring part and the chill bumps came when we began to understand the ridicule she went through during those times because she was pregnant without a husband.  And the doubt and questions she must have had as she was ridiculed and humiliated. We were painfully reminded that Mary was in Jerusalem and was looking on when Jesus was crucified on the cross and we wondered what she must have been thinking.  But we were also reminded that Jesus made sure it was his mother Mary who was at the tomb after He had risen.   What a story of God’s provision.  The good news is God’s provision is still ongoing and we were reminded of that as we looked on the other side of the mountain at Armageddon.  We have all read the end of the book.  We win.

Theater Uncovered at Ceasarea by the Sea

We read in the book of Acts that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea.   Caesarea sits on the Mediterranean Sea and was incredibly beautiful. Another one of Herod’s elaborate fortresses has been uncovered there as well as a huge amphitheater.   We were all stunned as our fellow traveler, Joe, read words on a marker from Acts 25 at the place that is believed to be the place where Paul defended himself against Festus.   “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar…. I am now standing before Caesar’s Court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews and you yourself know very well.  If, however , I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die.  But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Casesar!”   We know that Paul was in prison here for two years and was then sent to Rome from that same port and eventually executed.   After hearing that passage standing in the incredible heat in the place this actually happened,  the chill bumps arrived again.