Israel 2022 - Reflection #15 - Caesarea Philippi Part 2

 

The more I read the Bible, the more questions that fill my mind. 

As we toured this site of one of the most powerful moments in the Bible. (Matthew 16:13-20, Mark 8:27-30, Luke 9:18-20) I couldn't help but ask a "Steve" question. "Steve" questions are questions most people don't ask, but my crazy mind just can't get past them. So, as we learned about this site we found out that during the first century, Caesarea Philippi was a place of pagan worship. Specifically, this site was a worship site for the Greek God, Pan. 

Rami described Pan as "half goat and half man, an ugly-looking god." HAHAHA! I loved that description.  

But, Caesar was also worshipped here. A temple was built over the entrance to this cave. At the time the water from the spring came gushing out of the cave with great force. The worshippers would come and throw their sacrifice, a goat, into the gushing water. The goat would be smashed on the rocks below. If there was blood in the water afterward, the sacrifice was deemed acceptable. 

This area was a Pagan city. Jesus had to have known that. AND this place was not on Jesus' "normal" route of travel. He and his disciples had to travel twenty miles north of Galilee to this spot. The only mention of this town in the Bible is in the New Testament and both mentions are concerning this story. It was not a hot spot for Jewish activity.

So, here is my "Steve" question -- Why did Jesus bring his disciples all the way to Caesarea Philippi to ask the question, "Who do people say I am?"

Couldn't Jesus have asked this question anywhere else? Why here? What point was Jesus trying to make by entering this area, greatly steeped in Pagan culture?  

I have not done any research on this question. I might find answers from people that know a lot more than I do. But, I'll share my own theory, a theory I came up with while on the bus ride between Caesarea Philippi and Tel Dan. 

After Peter gave his Holy Spirit reply, Jesus talked about the church. Most people accept this key moment in the Bible as the point where Jesus firmly planted the church and that church was built upon the single fact that Jesus was the "Messiah, the Son of the living God."

Jesus' church was a different church from the temple built in Jerusalem. This church would be different than the synagogues littering the countryside. This church would NOT be built exclusively for the Jewish people. This church would be built to serve the gentiles, the Pan worshippers, and those that worshipped Caesar, and it would be built for ALL the nations of the world. The gruesome sacrifices that occurred here on a regular basis, the sacrifices on the altar in the Temple, and endless rituals to forgive sins would no longer be needed. I do not think it is by chance that we know longer offer sacrifices and the worship of Pan and Caesar has been replaced by the worship of the ONE true God. 

If Jesus had asked this question in Jerusalem, Judea, or around the sea of Galilee, he could not have made this point.  The GOOD NEWS, THE GOSPEL of JESUS CHRIST, is for all people, all nations, and we as followers of the Messiah, are called to go into all the world and to share that wonderful message. 

YES, we are called to take that message into the PAGAN cultures of our day. We are to be a light in the dark world, just like Jesus entering this dark and pagan culture, we must go and serve those that don't know about the ultimate sacrifice made for us and the eternal life that awaits us. Praise God! 

If you zoom in you can see the way this area probably looked as Jesus and his disciples spoke about 

THE CHURCH. 

These little caves are the goat pens where the goats to be sacrificed were kept. 

Israel 2022 - Refl. #14 - Caesarea Philippi - part I

 

Caesarea Philippi was one of my favorite sites as we toured Israel. When I say visiting Israel made the scriptures COME ALIVE, I would say this specific site would prove that point with the strongest evidence. It's going to take at least a couple of BLOGs to discus my thoughts of this beautiful site. 

'When Jesus came into the coasts of Cæsarea Philippi, he asked

his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man

am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist:

some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He

saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter

answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon

Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but

my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That

thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the

gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee

the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt

bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou

shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then charged he

his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the

Christ. ' Matthew 16:13-20 https://my.bible.com/bible/1/MAT.16.13-20

          The Scripture from Matthew 16:13-20, is such a powerful story in itself. It is here in Matthew's gospel that we finally get the definitive answer to WHO Jesus is. Up to this point, Jesus was in teacher mode. He was demonstrating his power through miracles and sharing the Kingdom through his parables and teaching. The disciples were fighting among themselves about who would be greatest in his Kingdom. Their vision was fixed on earthly things, earthly kingdoms. At this point, the story starts to change. The teaching still continues. But, now, Jesus begins his march to the cross. 

         I have always loved this scripture and the few verses later where Jesus chastises Peter. It fits my life so perfectly. 

'From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples,

how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of

the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be

raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to

rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be

unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind

me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not

the things that be of God, but those that be of men. ' Matthew 16:21-23 https://my.bible.com/bible/1/MAT.16.21-23

         I am an analyzer and planner, and I love knowing exactly where I am going, what I am doing, and what the plan is for the future. More often than not, my personality gets in the way of my walk with the Lord. For three years, after retirement from teaching, Stephanie and I waited for our SPECIFIC call to ministry, where and when. I spent that three years trying to FIGURE OUT GOD and his plan. Let me say, my loving Heavenly Father is way beyond being figured out by me. I am so glad I worship a God that is beyond my understanding. He is bigger than any description I could attempt to assign. His plans are greater than anything I could ever imagine. Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and put to words exactly who Jesus was. He thought he finally understood the plan. Jesus was the Messiah, he thought. So, that means he will establish his Kingdom here on earth and the Romans will be gone for good. A few verses later, Jesus would compare Peter to Satan! 

Peter thought he had the plan figured out, but little did he know, the wonderful plans about to unfold were so much greater than anything he could possibly imagine. He thought he understood God's plan, but he had no idea how things would unfold. 

In the following verse (Matthew 16:24) Jesus says, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me." (emphasis added)

I have always focused my thoughts on "take up your cross, and follow me." BUT, I miss a key part of this verse. I have to give up my own way. I have to give up my own plans and yield to the Savior of the world, THE CHRIST THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD. 

As I sit here and reflect on this beautiful setting, I can't help but think of the disciples following Jesus to this site. They were "getting away" from the crowds, spending time with Jesus. They were hearing so many voices about JESUS, who he was. They knew he was special, they had witnessed such miraculous things and heard amazing teaching like never before. Until this moment they still had these visions that Jesus would replace Caesar and reign in an earthly kingdom. Their dreams were so small. 

My dreams are the same as these disciples, they are so small compared to the plans Jesus has in mind for me!

Dear Heavenly Father, Free my mind from my own plans and fill me with your Holy Spirit. Fill me with your wonderful plans. Give me boldness in pursuing your perfect plan for my life. Please Lord, keep Satan from distorting your plans and filling my head with voices from this world. Give me ears to hear only you. I praise you for all your patience, love, grace, and mercy.  I praise you for your power and might. I praise you that you are such a big God! Amen!

Israel 2022 - Reflection #13 - Tel Hazor

 

          Tel Hazor was another site, like Megiddo, I had no idea existed or how it fits into the Bible. So, I had to do a little research. With the help of our tour guide, Rami, and a couple of external sources, I was surprised about its significance.

The Canaanite city of Hazor was occupied over 4000 years ago and had a population of nearly 20,000 at its peak. There is clear evidence of the presence of the Canaanites including Pagan temples, and the King's palace. In the Bible, Joshua describes Hazor:

'And Joshua turned back at that time and captured

Hazor and struck its king with the sword, for Hazor

formerly was the head of all those kingdoms.

And they struck with the sword all who were in it,

devoting them to destruction; there was none left

that breathed. And he burned Hazor with fire.

'Joshua 11:10-11
https://my.bible.com/bible/59/JOS.11.10-11

The picture below, although not easy to see with the photograph, is clear evidence that this city was completely destroyed by FIRE around the 13th century BC. The experts have supported the presence of extreme fire and destruction within these walls. I love how the physical evidence and Biblical records fit together. 

 

          After the destruction of Hazor at the hands of Joshua, the city was rebuilt on top of these ruins and fortified by King Solomon. Evidence of the gates is still found at this site. The extensive water system is also still present. This town located on the northern end of the Kingdom would stand as an unsuccessful defense from Assyria. The town was completely destroyed again in 732 BC by the Assyrians as they overtook the Northern Kingdom. 

         I reread the account of Joshua and his ruthless battles against the enemies of God. In our culturally sensitive society, these battles of destruction and annihilation are NOT politically correct. I have to admit, I wince when I read about entire towns being wiped out and "there was nothing left that breathed." 

          There have been so many biblical scholars that have tried to reconcile the difference between the loving God found in Jesus Christ and the God of conquest and battle found in the Old Testament. I hate seeing anyone die that may be able to attain everlasting life through Jesus. The Canaanites completely rejected God, they worshipped false Gods and were dedicated to the destruction of God's people. The people of the Old Testament and leaders like Joshua were completely committed to saving God's people. Joshua defended the lives of those committed to God with ruthless abandon.

           As I explored the archaeological site, the highly developed water system, the fortifications, and the presence of the Canaanites. I had a moment to be able to reflect on the Old Testament and the history of our faith. It struck me how powerfully resilient our faith has been since the beginning of time. God has been so faithful. His patience and enduring love existed from the first days of creation and now, as adopted children in the nation of Israel, we experience that same patience and love.

          God wants all the nations of this world to come to him. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, as the ultimate sacrifice. He suffered the same kind of ruthless death as the people of Hazor and countless other people of the Old Testament. The difference, he did nothing to deserve it. He was blameless and sinless. As this crazy world continues to reject God, we are not called to destroy them. We are not called to vengeance and judgment. We are called to love people. We are called to love our enemies. We are called to share the love of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. His death on the cross was final. Our job is to share that love and message. 

          I praise God for his love and his commitment to his people and to me personally. Thank you, Lord, for your love, patience, and enduring strength. Thank you for suffering a ruthless death for me and so that others would not have to suffer the same death. 

          I really can't remember what this picture represents. HAHA! I just thought it was interesting!

The Old Testament steps going down to the well were pretty treacherous. I liked the modern steps! 

It was a long way down. They had to dig this "tunnel" by hand and had no modern tools. They also had to bring up water the old-fashioned way, by hand!

The over-all look of the well. Pretty cool!

I think this picture was of the Pagan temple that had been excavated.

The palace excavation site is under roof. It was a welcome respite from the hot sun!

Israel - Reflection #12 - Tabgha - Church of the Multiplication

 

          I am constantly amazed at the number of people that are not followers of Jesus Christ. I have heard it said, it takes more faith to NOT believe than it does to believe in Jesus. As we visited sites in Israel, the evidence kept piling up higher and higher that this "Jesus thing" is real and amazing. Sometimes I get so impatient with non-believers that do not sense the same urgency I feel. The Israel trip has made me rethink my evangelism and given me a bold confidence in reaching out to the lost. 

          Churches were built almost IMMEDIATELY after Jesus' resurrection and then churches were built upon churches that were built upon other churches. This Church known as the Church of the Multiplication is one of those churches. This beautiful mosaic floor commemorates the place where Jesus fed the 5,000 and dates back to the fourth century(300AD). In the mosaic, the two fishes and the FOUR loaves are original to the fourth century. But, WHY ONLY FOUR LOAVES?  This was done on purpose. The altar, representing Jesus Christ, is considered to be the FIFTH LOAF. Isn't Jesus the BREAD OF LIFE? What an awesome way to commemorate this wonderful miracle!

Tabgha (Seven Springs) has significance for this wonderful miracle of Jesus, but it is also the accepted site of Jesus selecting Peter, James, and John. It is also the possible place the resurrected Jesus appeared to his disciples in John 21. 

'After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the
Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter
, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the
sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together.
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him,
“We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but
that night they caught nothing. Just as day was breaking, Jesus
stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was
Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?”
They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the
right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it,
and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity
of fish. 'John 21:1-6
https://my.bible.com/bible/59/JHN.21.1-6

Our guide, Rami, told us about this event and how significant it is. 

Typically, fishermen throw their nets out on the left side of the boat, toward shallow water. The left side of the boat, in this case, would be facing the Jewish part of the lake. The "Other side" of the lake was the GENTILE side of the lake. When Jesus told them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat, he was giving them instructions that would have been very unorthodox. Yet, they could not haul in the nets because they were so loaded with fish. (John 21:4-6) 

Jesus was telling his disciples, once again, they would be "fishers of men" and those men would be in the vastness of the Gentile world.

I'm not much of a fisherman. I like it, but it just takes so much time with such marginal results. My son-in-law has recently been "net fishing" just like the disciples. Even this form of fishing can be tedious and takes patience casting the net time and again before you get results. Many times he just gives up and waits for a better day. 

What kind of "evangelist" am I? 

Do I go for one fish (person) at a time, or do I try for the big catch? 

I really don't know which is preferred, both of them take a lot of patience. We see the people that need Jesus, and we long to catch them in our nets or on our line, but it just takes time. We are pressed by the fact that we know time is short, and the return of Jesus is imminent. The world does not have that same sense of urgency. 

We can't give up. 

Please, Lord, give us a heart that is patient and focuses on loving people with all our might. The best bait for catching fish is "your love." Nothing else will do. The more we sense the urgency, that time is short, the more we should love people, the outcasts, and those rejected by society. Lord, give us a heart to love the unloveable so we can have a full boat!

Olive press (Gethsemane) outside the Church of the Multiplication.

Inside the Church of the Multiplication. Such a beautiful place.

This courtyard was used to baptize people before they went into the church during the Byzantine Period.

This is an adult baptismal used in the early 4th century to baptize people before they 

entered the church.

I'm not much

Israel - Reflection #11 - Mount of Beatitudes

Our tour guide, Rami, provided such a wealth of information and history of the sites we visited. He was such a great leader. Dr. Joseph and Dr. Levichiva also provided such a great spiritual framework for everything we saw. This certainly was true for our visit to the Mount of Beatitudes.

There is a little debate about exactly where this sermon took place. But it is generally accepted that it was near here and the Franciscans built this church and convent, not to mark a specific place, but to commemorate the wonderful words spoken by Jesus. 

This teaching from Matthew 5-7 or Luke 6, was radical. Even today, it is still pretty radical. Jesus was promoting a NEW way to live. At this time, in the Jewish culture, they had 613 laws they must observe. I cannot even imagine this. For thousands of years, since the time of Moses, we have tried to write down on paper what it means to be a child of God. We have tried to codify, make it easier, to know right from wrong. When we try to do this, it always gets more complicated.

Jesus was revolutionary, he brought a new simpler way of living. He taught living in a way that is completely counter-cultural.

Below is the opening of this wonderful Sermon:

' “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole
earth.
God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will
be satisfied.
God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy
God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.
God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called
the children of God.
God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the
Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
“God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and
lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because
you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a
great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient
prophets were persecuted in the same way. 'Matthew 5:3-12https://my.bible.com/bible/116/MAT.5.3-12

Rami told us we could translate "God blesses" as "I should envy you....."

Go back and read each of these verses with those words inserted into the scripture. 

Isn't it radical to think we should envy the poor, or those who mourn, or those who are humble?

Jesus wants us to look at life differently. 

One of my favorite bible passages comes from this wonderful discourse, Matthew 5:14-16

' “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that
cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a
basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives
light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good
deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your
heavenly Father. ' Matthew 5:14-16
https://my.bible.com/bible/116/MAT.5.14-16

We are supposed to live differently. We are supposed to be the light on the hill. We are supposed to

live radically for Jesus. Our definition of GOOD should be different than the world's definition of Good.

I could not help but think about these specific verses as I looked out from the Mount of Beatitudes

gazing on Tiberias, the city on a hill. Praise God for his message to us!

A wonderful painting inside the Church of Beatitudes

Franciscan Church of the Beatitudes

I just love the flowering trees that surrounded this church.

One of the possible sites of the sermon on the mount. This area was deemed acoustically perfect to

speak to the thousands present on that day.