Israel Day Five- Jesus and the Pagans

We began our day at Gamla. The Zealots were stationed here during the time of Jesus. It was a beautiful mountain range and a great hike. The first things we noticed were the Eagles. In Hebrew the eagle is called, Nesherim, and we saw “the shadow of his wings” as the Griffen Voucher flew overhead. It was a beautiful picture of the protection of God.

The Zealots were religious Jews who were extreme in the practice of devotion to God. They could be 

considered terrorists as they used a curved knife to kill off their Roman enemies. Although Jesus was the most zealous person in all of history He was not a Zealot. He used love and personal sacrifice rather than a knife and torture to combat His enemies.  It was a great place to learn of the love of Christ and to be inspired to live extreme lives for God.

This was also a place we saw the remains of a first century ritual bath and synagogue. We are 99% sure Jesusread and taught in what remains today. We stood in the bath, the place one washed before reading from the day’s assigned text. We saw the Moses Seat, the place the reader of the day sat. We stood on the Bema Stone, the place where Jesus would have stood as He read the assigned reading from the text. 

It was incredible to be there, to stand where Jesus stood, the read what He possibly read in the same exact place He did. It was an experience you can only have in that spot in the world and God blessed us with the experience. It was incredible! 

We spent the rest of the day at incredibly sad sites. Places of Paganism and rebellion of God. Places of sin and torture. Places of sexual immorality of the worst kind. Places of sinful and unnecessary murder sacrifices. It was a sick feeling to be there, to see the place where these things took place. However, even this evil enhances the beauty of God, the truth of Christ, and the justice of our Father.

Caesarea Philippi was in the northern part of Israel and borders Syria and Lebanon. The Paganism practiced here is called Pan worship and this was the most pagan place in all of Israel. In was in the midst of this sin referred to as the “gates of Hades” by Christ that Jesus visited this city, stood with His disciples, as asked, “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:13-20).

We are all faced with this question as we stand in the place of sin. As we live in the world we must continually ask ourselves, “Who do you say Jesus is?” Who He is to you will determine how you live your life. If it doesn’t I ask you the question, “Who do you say Jesus is?” My friends, He must be more than a good thought, He must be the Christ, the Son of the Living God. This should impact our lives because it us upon this confession that Christ is building His Church. Be a builder for Christ!Our last stop was Dan, practically speaking this is the northern most city in Israel. This city was also full of Paganism. Here is where the Tribe of Dan was not satisfied with their land and compromised by setting up altars of worship to others Gods (Judges 18). To be honest, after Caesarea Philippi it was hard to take more teaching on paganism.  It made me wonder how numb I am to subtle compromises to pagan thought in our culture, it’s probably more than I realize. It made me want to study the text more practically and examine my life. I love to study for doctrine and theology but never want to compromise the practical. We have to believe right to live right but sometimes I focus more on the former. I want the practice of my life to reflect the text.

It was a heavy day in northern Galilee. 

As I stand on the text in the face of secular pagan culture and say to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God and I will live as a builder of Your Church.” Amen?