Day 09 - Beit She'arim, Sepphoris, Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Farewell Dinner

In all three of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) there’s a story about Jesus returning to His hometown of Nazareth. The people of Nazareth were largely from the tribe of Judah and the line of David. They were convinced the Messiah would come from there. In fact, they named their town Nazareth based on the Hebrew word “netser,” which means “shoot.”

“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.” (Isaiah 11:1-2, ESV)

Jesus had been traveling throughout Galilee teaching the people and healing the sick. He’d begun to gain quite a reputation. So, when He came home to Galilee the people were ecstatic. He went to teach in their synagogue and opened up the scroll of Isaiah.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” (Luke 4:18-19, ESV; cf. Isaiah 61:1-2)

Jesus closed the scroll, sat down, and said, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21, ESV)

The crowd went wild. This is it! This is the Messiah! We knew it! We knew He’d come from here! Let's see what special miracles He will perform in His hometown.

But then Jesus reminded them that in the days of Elijah, there were many widows in Israel, but Elijah was sent to a widow named Zaraphath in the land of Sidon. And in the days of Elijah there were many sick in Israel, but Elisha was sent to heal Naaman the Syrian. Zaraphath and Naaman were Gentiles.

And the people turned on Him. They were outraged. They drove him out of the town and took Him to a nearby cliff. They intended to throw Him over, but Jesus passed through the crowd and went away.

What happened? They had just been cheering for Jesus! Why did his mention of Elijah and Elisha make them so angry?

Because Jesus was exposing their motives. They had a particular kind of Messiah in mind – one that would make their lives better. They wanted Jesus for what He could give them, not for who He was. Not only did the people of Jesus' hometown not see any miracles, they heard Him declare His message was FOR ALL, including Gentiles! How dare He?

I am so often guilty of that. I come to Him with my list of requests. I treat Jesus like He’s a genie who will grant my every wish. But He isn’t interested in being a genie. He’s interested in being my Savior.

As one of our group members so eloquently put it, “He’s not always the Savior we want. He’s always the Savior we need.”

We then made our way to the anxiety city of Zippori. Zippori was initially built by Herod the Great and then later chosen by Herod’s son, Herod Antipas, as his capital city. Antipas eventually moved his capital to Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee, but Zippori remained a large city heavily influenced by Rome.

At the end of the first century, the Jewish people were expelled from Judea. Many of them moved north to Galilee and some settled here in Zippori. During the Jewish rebellion of the second century, the people of Zippori opted to make a treaty with Rome rather than fight alongside the rebels.

How could they stand with the Romans rather than their fellow Jews? So, what happened?

They’d been living immersed in the Roman way of life for decades. They’d begun to adopt Roman practices. They decorated their homes in the Roman fashion. Even their synagogue floor was an elaborate mosaic featuring the zodiac signs as its centerpiece. They went to the Roman theater which, by the way, was the primary vehicle for Roman indoctrination and propaganda. They were Jews living in Israel, but they lived and breathed Rome. Rebelling against Rome would be rebelling against the very culture they had so long embraced.

We’re not so different from the people of Zippori. Our culture is far more Roman than it is Christian. And we’re immersed in it. Are we paying attention to the messages we’re taking in? Are we noticing the subtle ways in which we’ve adapted or even compromised our faith and obedience?

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2, ESV)

Our last stop was Jaffa.

Jesus had told his disciples to take the good news of who He is and what He has done first to Jerusalem, then to Judea and Samaria, and then to the ends of the earth.

The disciples were doing a great job in Jerusalem, but it was time to begin moving outward. God instructed a devout Roman named Cornelius to seek out Peter at Jaffa. So, Cornelius sent men to retrieve Peter and bring him to Caesarea Maritima.

Peter, meanwhile, was receiving his own instructions from God. God gave him a vision in which he made clear that this good news wasn’t reserved for the Jews. Gentiles, too, were to be welcomed in.

When Peter arrived at Cornelius’ home, he began to preach the gospel. He’d only just begun when the power of the Holy Spirit came upon Cornelius and his entire household. The gospel was finally going forth - from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.

We’ve had an incredible time here in Israel. We herded sheep, planted trees, worked at an archaeological dig, and stomped grapes. We took a boat ride around the Sea of Galilee. We celebrated the Lord’s Supper together in the Garden of Gethsemane. We celebrated Shabbat together. Tonight we shared a farewell dinner together.

We learned so much about the love and grace of God. We experienced His Word in powerful ways.

Tomorrow, we’re going to the ends of the earth. We’re going beyond Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria to the places where God has put us to serve as His witnesses.

To my fellow-travelers and friends:

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26, ESV)