The Friends of Israel

March 13-23, 2015

Subscription options are no longer available for this tour.

Help support our friends in Israel in their time of need.

Where Jesus ministered

Today was another amazing day here in Israel. The weather was absolutely perfect, and I’m so glad there are still 7 days left before I go back to cold New Jersey!

Our morning started off with a delicious breakfast in the Lobby of the Ramot Resort overlooking the Sea of Galilee, followed by our first stop of the day to the Mount of Beatitudes. It is not confirmed that this is where Jesus gave “The Sermon on the Mount”, but just to be near to where Jesus ministered is such an overwhelming experience in and of itself.

Mount of Beatitudes

The so-called “Sermon on the Mount” is recorded in Matthew 5-7 and Luke 6. The alleged discrepancy between Matthew’s version being on a hill and Luke’s being on a level place is easily reconciled with observation of many level places on the Galilean hillsides. Scripture gives no indication of the exact location of this event, but the Byzantines built a church to commemorate it at the bottom of the hill. Some of Napoleon’s men placed it on the nearby Arbel mountain.

Learn More

Our next adventure of the day was a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee where Bill taught about how Jesus calmed the storm for the disciples, and He still calms storms in our lives as well. From here we made our way to Capernaum where Jesus made His home during His ministry, and we were able to see the Synagogue where He taught and performed miracles.

Capernaum

Jesus made Capernaum his home during the years of his ministry: “Leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum” (Matt 4:13).

Peter, Andrew, James and John were fishermen living in the village. Matthew the tax collector also dwelt here.

Capernaum is one of the three cities cursed by Jesus for its lack of faith.

Learn More

Our last stop before dinner was to the Jordan River, where 14 of the people from our group were baptized. It was the perfect way to end a perfect day. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow holds!

Upcoming Signature Tours

With 30 years of experience creating trips for other ministries, we've prepared our own signature study tours featuring some of our favorite itineraries and compelling teachers! If you've never been on a GTI Study Tour, take a moment to learn more about what you can expect.

GTI Signature Germany Study Tour
Sep 11-19, 2024
Learn More

Turkey / Greece Signature Study Tour
Sep 15-25, 2024
Learn More

Egypt / Jordan Signature Study Tour
Mar 5-17, 2025
Learn More