I just returned from Israel and Palestine. During this trip I had my mind blown many times over and I still have so much yet to process. I wanted to give three quick things I learned while I was in the Holy land.
1. Welcome to the land of Jesus apparent:
I came into this trip thinking that Jesus would be much more attainable and that my relationship with him would thrive merely through my proximity to Jesus’ steps. This was NOT the case. He was just as hard to find, still just as much a still small voice. To find Jesus, especially in the Middle East, it took discipline to hear his whisper among the shouting of Christians, Israelis and Muslims. Surely, I thought, standing in the synagogue in Capernaum or on the shore of the Sea of Galilee Jesus would be much more attainable than at home. If I could only get to stand on the southern steps of the temple, surely there I would meet Jesus in a way that I hadn’t back home.
Sadly, I was mistaken. He was just as hard to discover standing on the shores of the Jordan as he is here, on the shores of the Shenandoah.
But the more I think about it, the more thankful I am for this discovery. Thank and praise Jesus that he isn’t more present in Israel then he is here. Jesus came to rescue the WHOLE world and his message of forgiveness, redemption and salvation are for each and every person of the world.
2. Tabgha
One morning we went to a place called Tabgha. Tabgha is the site where Jesus fed 5,000 people but just down the hill is the coast of the Sea of Galilee. The Sea itself is not very big at all, you can see along the width easily from Tiberius, a roman city built on the western bank.
On this coast is where Jesus prepared breakfast for Peter, James and John. This is mentioned in John 21:1-14. The disciples do what we would have done when faced with world-shattering disappointment, they returned to what is safe, to their old life. James, John and Peter are fishing on the sea of Galilee not 2 miles from their home town of Bethsaida. For the 3rd time in scripture, Peter is out fishing all night and hasn’t caught any fish. Jesus is on the shore and tells him to cast on the other side and catch many fish. He, Jesus, then invites them to return to the shore and to eat a breakfast that He has prepared.
Now here, with our western eyes we see this situation and say, “Wow…Jesus is so nice, it is so cool that he prepared breakfast for the disciples.” But what is really going on is much more significant.
In Palestinian culture, when someone causes a grievance in a friendship, such as what Peter did by denying Jesus 3 times and Jesus was consequently killed, it was your responsibility to prepare a meal for the wronged the next time that you saw him or her. So when Jesus prepares breakfast for Peter, there is something much deeper going on here…Jesus has prepared a meal for Peter, signifying that he is taking on Peter’s shame for causing the grievance. Jesus has prepared a meal for Peter, saying that he has taken on Peter’s shame and is inviting him to the table.
This is a signal of the ultimate truth of the Gospel. Jesus has taken our shame with him on the cross and into the grave and then, after conquering them, has arisen to prepare a meal for us with His father. Jesus is inviting us to the table, inviting us to accept that he has bore all of our shame and there is NOTHING keeping us from joining him except our misplaced and unabandoned shame.
3. Caesarea Philippi
I loved the time I was able to spend at the city of Caesarea Philippi. This was part of the Roman Decapolis, a collection of 10 Roman cities throughout the Middle East. Caesarea Philippi was a center for gambling, sex, culture and trade. It is built right against a mountain chain in the Galilee region, and along the mountain there is a stream that wells up out of the mountains into a large cave and then out through the city supplying the whole city with water.
In Matthew 16:13-20, Jesus asks his disciples who people are saying that He is. Peter and some of the disciples poke a couple guesses and answers to who other people believe Jesus is but then Jesus directly asks Simon(Peter) who he believes Jesus is….I’m sure there was a hesitation before Simon said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus then says that only God has revealed that truth to Simon then he gives him a new name, Peter that means “Rock”, saying that Peter is the rock that He is going to build His church on and that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.
Peter…Rock…sometimes I think that this is because Peter is dumb as a rock at points and just simply doesn’t get it. Rather, Jesus calls Peter his rock and says that he is going to build the church on Peter and this is the defining moment of Peter’s life.
Peter is the rock and the Gates of Hell or Hades will not prevail against it. Remember the cave that I mentioned that comes out of the side of the mountain and provides the city with water?
The Romans and other people believed that this city, particularly that exact cave was the entrance into Hades or Hell. They believed that this was the edge of the world as they knew it and the underworld where the Devil lived.
Jesus isn’t talking about some far off, spiritual warfare but instead he is saying that right where they were standing, in the middle of this hedonistic, gambling, sex-driven society both God works to show Peter the truth of the Messiah and also Jesus is in and among these people and from there, the Gospel is going to go forth.
What does this mean for our lives? What does it mean that the Gates of Hell in Caesarea Philippi, Israel will not prevail against the kingdom?
Is it maybe that Jesus’ kingdom cannot be destroyed? Or that we cannot “out-sin” Jesus’ work?
What do you think?
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