Israel Study Tour with Calvary Chapel Mission Viejo

November 5-16, 2018

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The place where Jesus began His ministry

This morning began with cloudy skies and a brisk wind, and we were told to bundle up – it might rain.  We donned our rain coats and headed out for a hearty breakfast.  Nevertheless, we had exciting things to look forward to.  We had seen, experienced and learned so much in the last few days, and were excited about what the new day would bring!

After a delicious breakfast and good fellowship, we headed out to Mount ArbelLocated in Israel’s Lower Galilee region, Mt Arbel stands sharply and prominently over the Sea of Galilee. Its graceful stature and steep slopes, particularly on the eastern side, provide magical views across the Sea of Galilee and beyond.

Mount Arbel

Mount Arbel (Hebrew: הר ארבל‎‎, Har Arbel) is a mountain in The Lower Galilee near Tiberias in Israel, with high cliffs, views of Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights, trails to a cave-fortress, and ruins of an ancient synagogue. Mt. Arbel sits across from Mount Nitai; their cliffs were created as a result of the Jordan Rift Valley and the geological faults that produced the valleys.

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We arrived, parked, and headed up the gentle slope to the top of the mountain.  The path was quite manageable, although our walking sticks did come in handy. When we reached the top, the view was indeed breath-taking. As we looked down the steep cliffs, we could see some of the caves which were dug into the slopes of the mountain. According to Flavius Josephus, these were the hideouts for the Jews who fought against the Greeks and Romans. Josephus records that Herod had his fighters lowered down the cliffs in wooden buckets, armed with bows and flaming arrows which they shot into the caves.  Of course, the rebels had to come out due to the smoke, at which time they met a gruesome end by the hands of the Romans.

Leaving Mount Arbel, we headed out toward the Mount of Beatitudes.  This of course is where Jesus delivered what is probably His most famous sermon – the “Sermon on the Mount”.  The site was jammed packed with buses and hundreds of visitors, so we had to stick together and find a place to hear from Yehuda about the site and listen to a message from Pastor Bill Foote.  Eventually we found an area off from the main building, and listened in. 

Bill’s message about the famous sermon was intriguing – he portrayed the message in a way we hadn’t heard before.  The words “Blessed are…” can also be translated as “Happy are…”. In other words, happy are the people who do these things.  Who doesn’t want happiness, exclaimed Bill.  He then began to point out that the sermon is in a way speaking about the journey of a believer (see Matt 5:3-10).  At first unsaved, the believer is “poor in spirit”.  They then progress to mourning, realizing they need a Savior.  In meekness, they receive Christ, and begin to “thirst after righteousness”.  In their Christian walk, they begin to show mercy to others, because they have been shown so much mercy be the Lord.  As Christ continues to refashion their lives from the inside out, they are blessed because they become purer in heart.  They very often act as the peacemakers during conflict.  And finally, because they are “not of this world”, the world hates them – and begins to persecute them. Indeed, theirs in the kingdom of heaven! What a blessing to be in the place where Jesus delivered this message 2,000 years ago, and hear it expounded on so well!

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.

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As we walked around the church building that stood on the mountain top, we were alerted to a nearby natural amphitheater below and to the right of the mountain top.  This natural cove faced the sea, and probably could have accommodated thousands of people.  We pondered – could this be where the people sat down to listen to Jesus as he spoke the words of that most famous sermon? We though yes, this indeed could be what happened.  The pieces all seemed to fit together.

Next, we visited the town of Capernaum. In the Galilee of northern Israel, Capernaum is a Biblical village, located not far from other important Christian sites in Israel such as Bethsaida, the Mount of Beatitudes, and Tabgha, as well as the Jordan River and Tiberias on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Today the site attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists from around the world every year, and believe me, that was obvious when we arrived! Loads of buses, and tourists from all over the world.  Yet all these people, from different countries, and various races, were all visiting this little town to learn something about the place where Jesus, their Lord, began His ministry.

It was here that He called His first disciples to follow Him. It was here that He taught in the synagogues, proclaimed the good news of the Kingdom, and healed every manner of disease and sickness (Matt 4:23). As He taught, His fame spread throughout the region, and thousands came to hear Him.  It was not far from here, up on a mountainside, that Jesus taught what was to become probably his most famous sermon – the “Sermon on the Mount”. 

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.

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In Capernaum we visited an ancient archaeological site which is believed to be the home of Peter’s mother-in-law.  The stone structure has been well excavated, and based on the evidence, and extensive research, it is indeed most likely where Peter’s relative resided, and where he – along with the other disciple and Jesus – probably visited from time to time.

We all took a walk down to the beach, to sing together, and enjoy the sea.  We all gathered on the sand, sitting together facing that most beautiful sea where Jesus’ disciples sailed, caught fish, and spent time with our Lord.  After singing several songs together, two couples of our church re-dedicated themselves in marriage to each other - with Pastor Rob performing the ceremony.  We then spent some time walking on the rocks and sand, realizing that this very beach could have been the very same one that Jesus and His disciples spent time on.  What a blessing!

Before leaving Capernaum, we strolled around a rather large synagogue built with white stones, and still in very good condition.  The stones were probably transported from far away, as the natural stones in the region are volcanic in nature.  The synagogue was most likely very impressive in its time, and still exhibited ornate carvings of the Star of David in the stones.  Our guide remarked that underneath this synagogue were the remains of a still older synagogue, dating back some 2,000 years – perhaps the same synagogue Jesus taught in at that time.

Our final stop of the day was to visit a very old fishing boat recently discovered – one that has been he dated from the time of Jesus and His disciples!  We entered a museum that had been set up to enshrine the wooden boat, painstakingly reassembled and on display for visitors.  We all watched a brief 10 movie about the discovery, which happened quite by accident!  Some ancient nails were discovered on the beach at Galilee, and then a few more, and then digging began in earnest – culminating in the discovery of a 2,000-year-old fishing boat, preserved there, in the mud, waiting to be unearthed.  He

As we all gazed at the old boat, we couldn’t help but think that this could be the very same type of boat that Peter, James, John and the other disciples sailed in to catch fish.  The same boat that Jesus sailed in with them.  And the same boat that was rescued from the storm when Jesus spoke the words that calmed the rough seas.

Ended a very full day with a special Shabbat Dinner, good fellowship, and sharing amongst ourselves about how the Lord had blessed us on this Shabbat.

Shalom,
Paul and Marie 

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