On the way to Jerusalem

Greetings from Jerusalem! At the time of this writing, our group has safely arrived in Jerusalem, and our adventures will continue here tomorrow. First though, we’d love to share with you our day traveling from Nazareth.

We got an early start in Nazareth this morning, which is where Jesus grew up. This morning the sunrise was beautiful, with rolling green hills and roosters crowing in the distance. It was easy picturing a young Jesus here. Our view of him becomes more grounded every single day. He lived a normal everyday life, just like all of us. What a profound and humbling thought.

Our first stop for the morning was in Nazareth, not too far away from our hotel. We went to the top of Mount Precipice, also known as the Leaping Mountain for our devotion time together. Since it is the only mountain in close vicinity to Nazareth, it is believed that this is the place where the people of Nazareth threatened to throw Jesus off a mountainside after he read a certain verse out of Isaiah at the local synagogue. Luke 4:14-30 describes exactly what happened. Jesus stood teaching in the synagogue of his own town, reading out of Isaiah 61. After he was done reading, he claimed that the verse had been fulfilled at that moment. He was claiming to be the Messiah and everyone knew it. They tried to throw Jesus from the high place but he escaped, walking right through the crowd. We looked at all of Nazareth and the surrounding areas, extremely impacted by everything that had happened here. Ralph led us in a time of reflection, asking us what parts of the trip have been the most impactful. We all had different answers to this question, but the theme remained the same. We’re learning so very much here. Our lives are changed. Lifelong friendships are forming. We’re bonding every day as we walk and learn and even cry together. It’s a special time. All of us are well aware that we’re making memories that we’ll carry forever. We prayed and thanked God for such an opportunity.

After our devotion, we drove to Megiddo, which has 7,000 years of human history. It is one of the most excavated tels (artificial mounds formed from the accumulated remains of generations of people living on the same site for hundreds or thousands of years) in Israel. The city has been built and destroyed 25 times, so there is a lot to unearth. The height of glory for this city was from the time of King Solomon to the time of King Ahab. Whoever controlled Megiddo controlled the Via Maris, which was the road that cut through this part of the land. Whoever controlled this city ended up controlling the known world at the time, so it’s little wonder why there were so many conquests on the city. As we walked, we saw ruins everywhere, including a public grainery that was built in the 8th century BC. Looking out from Megiddo, the Jezreel Valley stretched out ahead of us. Another name for this is the Valley of Armageddon. It’s a stunning place for both historical and prophetic reasons. Our profoundly knowledgeable guide, Yehuda, showed us everything, explaining as we went. 

Our third stop was at Mount Carmel, which is where the prophet Elijah confronted the 850 false prophets of Baal. We sat in a courtyard at the top of the mountain as Ralph told us the Biblical story. He chided the prophets of Baal telling them that if Baal was a true god, that he would show himself and answer them. After an entire day of calling on him, Baal was silent. All Elijah had to do was pray to the LORD once, at the time of the evening sacrifice. At this prayer, God answered, reigning fire from heaven and consuming the sacrifice Elijah had offered to him. The prophets were defeated and God sent much needed rain on the land. After this King Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, was furious with Elijah, threatening his life. He ran all the way to the wilderness all by himself and hid in a cave. After such a victory, even the great prophet Elijah was not above discouragement. Pastor Ralph encouraged us that, even when we’re struggling and having a rough time in life, always choose to come out of the cave. Never do life alone. Remember who you are in the hard times. We’re still his children. We must stay focused on the mission he’s given us. God is faithful, even when we don’t feel it.

After a delicious lunch, we visited Caesarea Maritima. This coastal settlement was built by Herod the Great. He imagined the city and what it would be like in 22 BC. It took twelve years to complete the unique and ambitious project. Because of the success of the city, King Herod gained the trust of the Romans. Through the years after Herod, many changes happened in this city. Different empires and people groups occupied the city. The most meaningful story for us happened concerning the Apostle Paul. Pastor Joe took us to the hippodrome (remains of a Grecian stadium) where he taught us about Paul’s time in the city. When he was under arrest and appealed to Caesar, Paul was held here until he set sail for Rome. Paul wrote that he would finish the race, and he finished his well. Pastor Joe admonished us to do the same.

That’s it for today. We’re all so overwhelmed by the magnificence of this place, and we know that as we get closer to all the special sites in Jerusalem, that feeling will only grow.

Thanks again for all of your prayers. Please continue to pray for our health and safety, and that we will continue to learn and encounter God more and more in the days to come. We love all of you and we wish you a blessed day.

Laila Tov! (Good night!)