18. Haifa, Israel to Sea of Galilee

We were up early on Thursday morning for a 7:45am tour departure. We left the ship and boarded one of a large number of buses lined up on the pier. Apparently this was one of the most sought-after tours offered by the ship, since I have never seen so many buses waiting beside the ship on any of our previous cruises. We saw a view of the port city of Haifa as we left to go inland toward the Sea of Galilee. The one dominant sight is a very modern office building located near the harbor, which towered over all the other low to medium rise buildings near the port. As we rode eastward, we passed by the Valley of Jezreel, mentioned in the Old Testament. We also saw the village of Cana, where the wedding feast was held when Jesus was credited with turning water into wine, and saving the host from great embarrassment. From a ridge, we had our first view of the Sea of Galilee and the southernmost point at which it empties into the Jordan River. The bus stopped halfway down the winding road to allow several of us to stand outside to make photographs. This moment became one of the initial highlights of the trip for me. I have seen pictures and preached many sermons referencing this body of water, but to see it with my own eyes, and to reflect upon the truth that Jesus and his disciples actually sailed on that same body of water during his earthly life – that was a very emotional moment for me. The bus continued down the winding road till we came to the seaside, It is a very low altitude spot, and is characterized by many palm trees. That was a surprise to me, since I had never associated palm trees with the Sea of Galilee. The Sea is more than 600 feet below sea level, and is almost completely surrounded by mountains. The Golan Heights are clearly visible on the far side of the Sea. We then made our way to the south end of the Sea, where it empties into the Jordan River. Just a short distance down the river is a classical baptism spot. It has developed into a commercial facility, and has several walkways that lead down to and into the river water. We saw many people changing into white robes and proceeding down into the river to experience a baptism in the Jordan River. I placed my hand into the river, to experience the water, and once again, to reflect upon the reality that this same river was the water wherein Jesus asked his cousin, John the Baptizer, to baptize him as well. We then proceeded along the coastline of the Sea of Galilee, passing through the city of Tiberius, named for one of the Caesars. Several Roman ruins in the area indicated that the village had become an outpost (perhaps a resort) of the Romans. As we travel north alongside the Sea of Galilee, a rainstorm becomes visible hanging over a portion of the huge lake. A wall of rain is clearly visible moving across the Sea, and the sight brings to mind the storm that arose quickly on the occasion when Jesus was sleeping in the back of the boat. When the disciples awoke him, he questioned their faith, then prayed, and the storm died down. We passed the hill known locally as the Hill of the Beatitudes. It is the traditional site from which Jesus offered his Sermon on the Mount near the beginning of his ministry. A new insight for me was that the Sea was clearly visible down below, and this hillside location would be a perfect “gathering place” for Jesus to offer one of the most complete recitations of his understanding of life lived in the Kingdom of God. The Church of the Beatitudes has a very beautiful altar and a garden sloping down toward the Sea of Galilee. A monastery has also been built and occupies a prominent position on the grounds overlooking the Sea. Another memorable stop was not very far away as we visited the Church of the Multiplication. It is a memorial church, also within sight of the Sea of Galilee, that recalls the feeding of the multitude with a few loaves and fish. It contains one of the most celebrated mosaics, depicting a bread basket and two fish, one on either side. Aninteresting note is that Cynthia remembered the very same mosaic, in the very same place from her Holy Land trip she took while still in high school. In addition to this rather small (3’ x 5’) mosaic adjacent to the altar, the rest of the floor of the church was covered with mosaic workmanship of various patterns. While we weer there, an elderly craftsman was engaged in some repair work on one area of the floor, utilizing the tiny stones that make up a larger pattern of artwork. An impressive feature of these very old churches is the level of craftsmanship and excellence that have gone into these churches, memorializing various events in the life and ministry of Jesus. The worship of God, as He revealed Himself in the person of Jesus, has called forth a remarkable expression of artistry and beauty across the ages, and not surprisingly in this land that has taken on the name Holy Land. We had a buffet lunch at a Kibbutz, a communal living arrangement with a focus on agriculture and farming. After lunch, from the Kibbutz, we traveled to Nazareth,where we visited the Church of the Annunciation. It stands as a memorial to Mary, and a crypt inside and down below the main floor contains a separate altar memorializing the location where the angel Gabriel is believed to have announced to Mary that she was to bear the Christ Child. Then we moved just a few yards up the street to the Church of St. Joseph, which is portrayed as the location of Joseph's carpenter shop. The village of Nazareth likely had only a few hundred inhabitants in the Biblical period, quite a contrast to the modern, busy, and very commercialized city it has become today. After a brief time for shopping as we awaited our tour bus, we boarded the bus for the after dark return to the port of Haifa. Overnight we will sail south to Ashdod, where we will spend another day touring the Old City of Jerusalem. This day has been an inspirational one, especially since it was my first time to visit this land of Israel. The constant challenge for me was to balance the physical view of the modern and congested land of huge churches which cover the ground locations that have been in place for centuries, and then to recall the events from both the Old Testament period as well as the time of Christ, and realize that I was standing on the same ground that witnessed those same events in the distant past. The contrast between then and now is so striking. And yet, the same events I have heard about, and read about all my life took place right here on the same coastline of the Sea of Galilee, or out there on that same sea, with a rainstorm skimming over the same surface of water (as it did today), or on the same hillside that Jesus spoke his Sermon on the Mount, or any other of the pathways we walked upon today - all of those experiences took place right here, even if all the trappings of the modern day are also visible all around. It has been a remarkable experience to be able to say, "I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked." And just think, tomorrow is Jerusalem!