Who do you say that I am

Today we had the opportunity to explore the Galilee region of the Golan Heights. The Golan Heights is a beautiful part of the country, mainly because we were out of the heat of the desert, but the steep hills and fertile green lands were quite stunning as well. I’m slightly joking but to be in the hills near the headwaters of the Jordan was about as mild and comfortable as it gets. As we navigated our way today, we were also given a glimpse inside the borders of both Syria and Lebanon, 2 countries that have not exactly been best friends with the state of Israel. We learned some very interesting history about the tensions between these neighboring countries from long ago, as well as today.

For us, Friday began with an amazing devotional down by the shores of the Sea of Galilee. To watch the sunrise over these waters was surreal. After leaving our hotel, we headed north to the small village of Katzrin, a village that has kept some ancient tradition alive. Here we got the opportunity to dress the part as we toured the village and literally made our own pita over the fire. What a fun experience. We also toured a replica home from 2000 years ago with a roof very similar to that found in Mark ch. 2. This is the story where the men lowered down the paralytic man through a roof to get to Jesus. It was by his faith in Christ that this man was healed. Jesus forgave the man of his sins, as well as healed his body, leaving the packed house amazed.

From Katzrin, we then drove north to the very pagan city (at least in the time of Christ) of Caesarea Phillipi. Caesarea Phillipi is the location of the headwaters of the Jordan river. It is a beautiful site with some amazing structures that were dedicated to the Greek god, Pan. The marble structres eventally fell after the time of Jesus due to a great earthquake. This is also the site in which Jesus asked his disciples, “who do you say that I am”, to which Peter replies, “ You are the Christ”. Jesus replies with a very powerful statement saying that it is upon this rock (this confession) that He will build His church.

From Caesarea Phillipi we took a quick drive and hiked an amazing waterfall called Banyas. The hike took us close to gorgeous turquoise waters through a tropical forest setting. What a beautiful display of Gods craftsmanship and power.

Our last major stop of the day was Tel Dan. This really old site had some incredible history stemming from the tribe of Dan and their disappointing regression to idol worship. In addition, we also got to witness an amazingly old Caananite gate in which Abraham likely encountered on his journeys. On our way back to the hotel, we stopped back at the Sea of Galilee to watch the sun set before dinner. We can’t wait to see what tomorrow holds for us. Please continue to pray for good rest and for God’s power to be evident with us on this trip. Thank you and God bless.