Early Years of Jesus

Written by Heather DeBoer

Today we truly felt the heat of the desert. With a temperature of about 108 degrees, we felt a little bit like we were melting. “It’s toasty”, “I feel like I’m standing by an oven” and, sarcastically, “huddle up it is little chilly” were the most common phrases on the trail today. Nevertheless, spirits we’re still very high!

The first thing we had the opportunity to do was sit on top of a hill overlooking Jezreel Valley. From this place we could see where multiple Old Testament stories took place. Places like Hill of Moreh where Elisha brought a boy back to life, Mt. Gilboa where Saul’s rule comes to a tragic end after his disobedience, Megido where Josiah ruled faithfully from the age of eight, and Goth-hepher where Jonah is from. These stories come to life when you can see the landscape of where they took place. We read these ancient stories as history, but also as a source of encouragement and hope. These stories allowed us to take a step back and get perspective. Overlooking the Jezreel Valley, which means “God Sows”, we were given the chance to remember the stories of how God has been at work throughout history. Better yet, these stories were ones Jesus himself likely was told as a young child. Could he have maybe even been told these stories on a spot overlooking Jezreel Valley? We like to hope so.

Later we hiked to an ancient quarry between Nazareth and sephorus. Here we reflected on Jesus’ early years as a carpenter. Jesus likely worked with stone, as that is the material they use here. Given the location of the quarry, it is possible that he worked in the very spot we stood. Whether he worked there or not, it was peculiar to reflect on God of the universe.

From there we drove to a spot where we hiked on the “International Coastal Highway.” The trail placed in a strategic spot was where people traveled long distances to city to city throughout Israel. In the very beginning of his ministry, Jesus travels from Judea to Galilee and moves from Nazareth to Capernum. Historically, the route he would likely have taken would be the trail we walked on today. We once again got to walk where Jesus walked!! What made this story even more incredible was thinking about WHY Jesus traveled to these places. What Jesus set out to do here is crazy! He boldly sets out to preach repentance, make disciples, and heal knowing full well of the dangerous consequences.

The last thing we did today was hike to the Jordan River. Here we reflected on how Joshua led the Israelites to cross the Jordan river. This story highlights God’s trustworthiness and our need to “get our feet wet.” God did not part the waters before they got in, the Israelites had to trust God by getting into the dangerous waters. Physically getting into the waters that God carried them through offered us a time to reflect on how we want to trust God, how we want to “get our feet wet.”

As college students we feel like we are at a crossroads. What an encouragement it is that the Lord will carry us through any rushing waters we face. Whatever we are called to do, whether it’s a plumber or a preacher, we know that the Lord will make safe our path. Sometimes we need to just take a step back, get perspective, remember what God has done, and make that first step.

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