Day 3 Morning: Biblical Sites around Sea of Galilee

I stumbled out of our hotel (more like a complex with lots of small condos- very simple condos) door around 6:45 am to experience a first real morning in Israel. Walking out on dock over the Sea of Galilee, I felt a certain sense of wonder as I thought of the many times that Jesus awoke early to spend time with his Father around this same freshwater lake. The hazy morning sky certainly added to this mystique.

After some time alone by the water, a huge Israeli breakfast buffet was served, and the group hopped on the bus to head around the Sea of Galilee towards Capernaum. The first site we stopped by was the location of a recovered Galilean ship dating to the days of Jesus. Our guide, Avi, explained the life of a fisherman of the time period. Ships were quite expensive and the occupation of fisherman indicated that the disciples were men of means for their day. Such a realization struck me, as I realized that when Jesus called his disciples saying, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men,” (Mark 1:17) they were actually abandoning a very comfortable and successful lifestyle to follow him. Its not as if they were some poor fishermen who left to better their situation physically.

Second, we proceeded to Capernaum, the hometown of Peter and likely of Jesus during his 3 year ministry in the region. Israel Fact #5: When the New Testament refers to crossing over the Sea of Galilee to the “other side,” it is implying that the characters are traveling to the pagan side of the lake, which is across from Capernaum. So in Mark 5, when Jesus crosses to the “other side” to cast out demons from Legion, He is actually beginning the spread of His Gospel to the Gentiles (non-Jews). Like basically everything He does, this is a very controversial crossing to the Jewish culture of the day, which did not associate with the pagans for the most part.

(with my buddy, Conor McMakin from OU)

Mount of Beatitudes came next. Aka the place of the Sermon on the Mount. As with all of the other Biblical sites, physically standing at the location has given me an unbelievably fresh perspective on all of the Scripture involved in them. We were given some time to sit and be present for a while at this site. Definitely needed. I decided to read through the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5). Sitting in context sparked me to relish in the fact that as Jesus says His words “never pass away.” He physically uttered those words over 2000 years ago, yet they speak to the heart and the head of the human race with equal power today.

Jesus said: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.. until heaven and earth disappear,[nothing] will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” (Matt. 5:17-18). Do you want to be a part of seeing them fulfilled? He offers us entrance into the adventure of it… “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law (my money’s betting that there is no one who can claim that), you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (v. 20)… well dang, then what. Thanks, Paul for clarifying- “But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” (Romans 3:21-22)