Yes, Jesus Loves Me

Hello family and friends! Day 7 was, well, incredible. I am struggling for the words to describe some of the events, as there was a lot of emotion involved for me, and I know for many others as well. And we had fun today too!

We got an early start (even earlier than usual) with breakfast at 0630, then we left to enjoy a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee. The weather was gorgeous and as everybody got comfortable on the boat, the captain played The Star Spangled Banner over the loudspeaker (really loud!), and hoisted the American flag on the bow, next to the Israeli flag. It was such a nice gesture and we all stood respectfully, hand over heart, before the boat pulled away from the dock. The water was fairly calm and reflecting the same blue-green as yesterday, and we could see fish jumping out of the water all over the place. We had our morning devotional, and Pastor Terry talked about Jesus and the disciples on a boat on this very water. A raging storm ensued, as Jesus was sleeping. The disciples were afraid they were going to die, awakened Jesus, and He stilled the waters by rebuking the storm. With His words, He held dominion over the sea. He could have just told them "it's going to be alright" and gone about his rest. But He did it in grand fashion, miraculously. To apply this lesson in our lives today, Pastor Terry asked an elegant question: What in the world can our God not do? The answer of course, is nothing. Nothing is impossible with God. It is easy to think our circumstances are overwhelming, but this story reminds us that we don't have to be afraid. If God doesn't calm the storm, there is a reason, and it doesn't mean He is leaving you to fend for yourselves. On the contrary, He will be right there with you, giving exactly what is needed, at exactly the right time. Even if we don't often understand it. About halfway to our destination of the City of Tiberia, the song Hava Nagila came on and Yehuda taught us the dance that goes along with it. The gist of the lyrics of that song is "Let's rejoice, rejoice and be happy, let's sing, awake brothers with a happy heart" - what a great song for the way this day would go. The boat ride was great fun!

When we arrived at Tiberia, we took a short walk through the town, to where the bus was waiting, then drove to our first site of the day, Beth She'an. This site has a hill where the biblical Beth She'an was found. As we walked up the hill, Yehuda taught us about some of the plant life along the pathway, showing us wild capers growing on a low bush, as well as mustard seed, which were quite plentiful in this area, and are tiny specks of black, inside dried-out, yellow pods. We were reminded of Matthew 17:20, where Jesus said "...Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." I and several others plucked a few of those mustard seeds to take home, and to remind us of the importance of faith.

Also at this site, are the excavated ruins of the Roman city of Scythopolis, built during the 2nd century C.E. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 749. Remnants of the workmanship and grandeur with which the site was constructed are visible everywhere in the ancient architecture and masterfully designed water and sewer systems. Yehuda provided historical teaching throughout this large site, and there was a lot to learn. This place is really huge! We came to the theater, which has a large stage, and rows of seating areas that could accommodate approximately 5,000 people. It was designed acoustically, so that the back row could hear what was happening on stage. I was given the opportunity to sing on that stage in front of our group. Though a bit intimidating, I would have been crazy to turn down the offer. As Pastor Terry had talked about several times on this trip, the Greeks and Romans represented exactly the opposite of Christianity. There were prostitutes, politics, money. The center of Greek and Roman life was socializing outside the family unit, whereas Jewish village life centered around worship and strong family cohesiveness. Jesus and the disciples represented an intense clash of the cultures. So, as I was thinking about what song I would sing, it seemed fitting to choose a beautiful, simple song, with an incredibly powerful message. In that center of excess and opulence and pagan worship, the words of the classic hymn "Jesus Loves Me" presented a stark contrast by proclaiming His Strength, His Word, and, most importantly, His love. This was such an honor for me and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity. This was my solo debut, on a very big stage, and I know my voice cracked and pitch was far from perfect. But I closed my eyes, opened my heart, and for a little while, it felt like there was only Jesus and me.

We had more great teaching from Pastor Terry and Yehuda, then made our way to the picnic area at this site for lunch. Next stop, the Jordan River.

We went to a baptismal center on the river, changed into white robes, and stood in the water, witnessing the baptisms of 35 of our group. Those not in the water began singing hymns, and those of us in the water soon joined in. It was a joyous scene! My tears began to flow about three seconds after I felt the cool water surround my ankles, and they didn't really stop until long after I had changed into dry clothes. Terry Feix and his son Cole performed most of the baptisms, and it was really one of the most beautiful and spiritually moving moments of my life to this point. In the water of the Jordan River, where Jesus Christ received the same cleansing by John the Baptist, emotions were running high. The most prominent for me was profound, indescribable gratitude. I will never be the same.

After all were changed back into traveling clothes, we headed to our next stop at a date farm at Kinneret (Kinneret means Galilee). We watched a short video about the origin of the Kibbutz and the success of the farm, then were free to taste the dates and other products available at the shop. We then boarded the bus and headed for our last site of the day.

"Wherever He went, to village or town or farm, they laid the sick in the streets and begged Him to let them simply touch the edge of His cloak; and all who touched Him were healed." - Mark 6:56

Bethsaida was a major city of the biblical kingdom of Geshur. The city was destroyed in the Assyrian conquest of the kingdom of Israel in 732 B.C.E., but was rebuilt and was inhabited through the third century C.E. The Apostles Peter, Andrew, and Philip were from Bethsaida, and fourth century C.E. sources indicate that James and his brother John were also from Bethsaida. So this was a town where a lot of fishermen lived, hardworking people in a community centered on God and family. The miracle of the Loaves and Fishes took place in Bethsaida. As Jesus preached throughout Galilee, performing miracles and healing the sick and the blind, word spread quickly and crowds of people followed wherever He went. Jesus and the Apostles withdrew to Bethsaida, the crowds followed, and he continued preaching and healing. The Apostles came to Jesus and told Him to send them away (it seems they may have wanted some rest and relaxation). But Jesus told them to give them something to eat. This was a crowd of 5,000 men. This estimate does not include the women and children, so the number may have been closer to 10,000. These people heard Jesus teach, and saw Him work miracles, and they just dropped everything and followed Him. They had no plans for finding food, water, and shelter, but the desire to be with Him was so great, this lack of an itinerary did not seem to matter. When Jesus told them to feed this crowd, I can almost hear the grumbling and grunts from the Apostles when they informed Jesus Christ that there were only five loaves of bread and two fish, and no way would that be enough to feed all those people. This crowd may have had only an immature faith, but, as in the parable of the mustard seed, it was enough. Jesus gave thanks, broke the bread, and everyone ate until they were satisfied. As if that were not miraculous enough, there were leftovers! Jesus made his point in a big way. The obvious parallel of this event with God's provision for the Israelites wandering 40 years in the desert was, in His unmistakable style, a proclamation that He is the Son of God. The Messiah! This all happened here, at Bethsaida, where we were standing in the hot sun, finding our way to a deeper understanding and firmer connection to The Son. I am running out of adjectives for today's experiences, but "incredible" and "awesome" come to mind about every 42 seconds. And as if the Loaves and Fishes were not remarkable enough, it was also from the town of Bethsaida that Jesus was seen walking on the water of the Sea of Galilee. Ultimately, Jesus condemned Bethsaida, because the people refused to repent.

Pastor Terry spoke at Bethsaida, and again with simple questions, challenged us all to think about our faith in God's goodness and His love for His children. These people at Bethsaida had seen and tasted the grace of God, and did not repent. Although we didn't see the miracles, we know about them, as The Word proclaims it so. Do we know enough to believe? Or, as it says in Luke 10:13, will the pagans at Tyre and Sidon be better off on judgement day, than those who knew and saw the miracles in this place and chose not to repent?

I have been trying for hours to neatly sum up my thoughts of all that we experienced today. But I am at a loss. So, I will end with the words of the simple song that always fills my heart with hope and helps me focus on the most basic and elemental foundation of a relationship with Our Savior.

"Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so."

My prayer for each of you reading this today, is that you will keep these words in your hearts, share them with others, and remember the mustard seed.

Thank you for reading.

~ Terri