Greetings from Israel!
Today we spent the majority of our day in what is called the “Evangelical Triangle”. This is the small (and we do mean small!) area in Galilee where Jesus spent the vast majority of His ministry. The triangle is formed by drawing connecting lines between the towns of Bethsaida, Chorazin, and Magdala.
We began our day at the small village of Kursi on the eastern bank of the Sea of Galilee. This place is notable for a couple of reasons. First, Dr. Zelt is of the opinion that this site is the place where Jesus fed the 5,000. The other interesting thing about Kursi is that it is home to two very early Christian churches. One is a small chapel up on a high hill, but the other is a truly magnificent structure, that would feel familiar to most Christians today. Existing tile mosaics from the 5th century depict baskets, grapes, and chalices, in addition to its location, support the theory that this may be where Jesus fed the 5,000.
Our other stops today were all places tied directly to stories you know involving Jesus. We were in Capernaum where Jesus taught difficult truths in the synagogue (John 35-59), where He miraculously healed a paralyzed man (Mark 2:1-12), and where He called some of His apostles (Matthew 9:9-13). Interestingly, though Capernaum was a fishing town, it is not right on the shore of the lake. A harbor was constructed inland on the Jordan River, which was used to gain access to the lake. We took a boat across the lake (it’s smaller than the places where many of you fish!) of Galilee where Jesus calms the storm and walks on water (Matthew 14:22-33) and appears to His disciples after He rises from the dead (John 21:1-14). We even visited the place where Jesus delivered the sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Suffice it to say, today we saw many of the sites of Jesus’ ministry.
Brothers and sisters, our God is truly amazing. He has not only done wonders, not only spoken truth, not only loved beyond compare. But He has done all this in a way that all may plainly see what He has done for our broken and dying world. He has worked out His plan for our salvation in real history and in real places. He brought us into His kingdom by becoming a man – a real man – that walked and talked and ate. And He has preserved the account of His work not just in the written accounts of His actions, but in the very land that bears witness to His faithfulness.
Pastor Matheny and Matt Brand
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