From Galilee to Jerusalem

Today we said goodbye to our place by the Sea of Galilee and headed west, then south. We visited Nazareth and Megiddo in the morning, then Mount Carmel and Caesarea Maritima, on the Mediterranean Sea.

As we drove through the somewhat large and busy city of Nazareth, Yehuda told us that it was very small until the 19th Century. In fact, it might not have shown up on many maps, and it is a far cry from the quiet village it was in the time of Jesus.

Outside the city we ascended Mount Precipice, which is the most likely place the crowd drove Jesus to push him off the cliff, having been offended by his teaching (Luke 4:16-30). Terry led us through this passage, as well as Matthew 13:53-58, where Jesus could not do very many works in his own hometown, because of their unbelief. Sadly, Jesus was greeted with either apathy or offense by the people he grew up knowing.

We saw a similar theme as we covered the showdown between Ahab and Elijah on Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18). In both locations (here and Mt. Precipice), we were treated to stunning views of the valleys below. And both accounts had at least one thing in common: speaking the truth vs. remaining silent.

In the Mt. Carmel account, Elijah refused to remain silent, as he challenged Ahab and his god, Baal. The people, though, perhaps out of fear, would not answer when Elijah asked, "How long will you go limping between two opinions?"
In the same way as Elijah, Jesus refused to remain silent when he went back to his hometown, and it brought him to the edge of a cliff.

Both lessons remind us that speaking for the Lord is rarely a comfortable calling. Though we seek a gentle answer for the hope that lies within us (1 Peter 3:15), many will still take offense.

So our default can often be the safe route of silence, but Terry reminded us of familiar quote that especially applies to those of us who cling to the hope of the gospel: "All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing." He then challenged us to choose which God we will serve, then resist the temptation to remain silent when we should speak of Christ and His righteousness.

Speaking of the hope of the gospel, our trip to Megiddo reminded us of the culmination of our hope. But before commenting on that, here is a little history:

Megiddo is a Tel of 25 different cities, but what do I mean by "tel"?

Often in this land, you will see many small hills, often flat at the top. In the days of old, when an army would conquer and destroy a city, they would then build another on top of it. This might go on multiple times, resulting in a hill filled with layers of ancient cities. So when archaeologists study history, one of the best ways to do so is to carefully excavate these "tels."

Megiddo is located in a very strategic place, overlooking the flatland which serves as a key path between Egypt and Mesopotamia. Because of that, it was prime real estate, and served as the scene of many battles. The area it now overlooks was also a popular battle site, since it is flat and could have been traveled more easily by troops and accessible to chariots.

Megiddo's excavation has revealed all kinds of fascinating history, including a deep granary, a place of Canaanite worship, dating to 2700 BC, and an underground water shaft, built by Ahab, connecting the city with an underground spring. This would mean an endless supply of water for the residents, even if the city was surrounded (many of us descended down steep stairways to see this. It was fascinating!).

As we stood atop Megiddo and listened to a reading of Revelation 19, Terry reminded us of a vital ingredient to Christian hope: One day the Lord will return and set things right.

If we did not have this hope of ultimate justice, it would be impossible to live the life to which our Savior calls us. He charges us to turn the other cheek, forgive others, love our enemies, and many other difficult things.

What makes these kinds of commands digestible? The guarantee that justice is coming. Wrongs will be made right. We who belong to Christ will receive our rewards, and sin will meet its final end.

Megiddo is the site of many battles, and it's also the site of the last battle, where the Word of God will have the final say, and we will win!

Caesarea By the Sea:
So, we got to go the beach today! No swimming, surfing or snorkeling, but we got to see the remains of the magnificent seaport, built by Herod the Great built.

Most of this grand project now lies in ruins, but while there, we were reminded of two New Testament stories set in this place: Peter visited Cornelius, bringing the gospel to Gentiles here (Acts 10), and Paul delivered his story to Festus and Agrippa here (Acts 26).

The ruins of this once magnificent port were just one more reminder of how we must set our hope on things above, rather than earthly things. No matter how impressive man's inventions, buildings and fame might be, they will one day be destroyed or forgotten. Our King, however, offers us an eternal kingdom, where nothing will spoil or perish or fade away.

Today involved a lot of bus travel, so we arrived in Jerusalem after dark and got a hearty meal. Tomorrow we head to Bethlehem, birthplace of the world's only hope!