We began the day at our hotel! We are staying on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. It is beautiful. Different than the beauty of Caeserea, but with mountains and the color of the water...wow! I wonder how many times Jesus, as he walked along the shoreline, looked at the scene and pictured all he would do.
Things are different since leaving Jerusalem. We have joined up with the group from FPC Houston and are having a great time. We are moving slower, but eating better! So we are making stops, instead of spending the day in one place.
Our first stop today was where Jesus turned the water into wine. There is a church built over the foundation of a home where it is traditionally believed that this miracle occured. In the church they had a water jar from the time of Jesus that would have been like the one that Jesus would have used in the miracle. My guess is that it is nothing like what you have pictured in your mind! take a look below.
After we left from Cana we stopped on Mt. Tabor. Now you may be thinking, what happened on Mt. Tabor? You are not alone...me too! I didn't know what to expect from this stop, and it was the most interesting of the day. This mountain is thought to be the location of the Transfiguration! Read Matt. 17:1-13. It was said to be on "the high mountain," which Tabor was often refered to as the high mountain in the region. As I went out on the upper observation deck it was like the Bible flashed through my mind! If Jesus were standing at the top, I thought of where the disciples would sit. From the mountain you could see Megiddo and the Valley of Jezreel. So much of the Old Testament occured in this valley! In Judges, Deborah and Barak were here, in Samuel, part of Saul's anointing process was here, the Philistines would later kill Saul and Jonathon here in the valley at the base of Mt. Gilboa. One day, this very valley may mark the final battle, where The Lord finishes things once and for all! What a beautiful view through time!
From there we stopped for lunch and then went on to the Jordan River. Now, this is not the place where Jesus was baptized, but it is the same river! It was beautiful. The natural beauty and the clarity in the water! I was baptized in a pond as a child...this water was much cleaner and clear! There were many people getting "rebaptized" in a group (from KSBJ). I am not a superfan for rebaptism, just for ceremony, but I can celebrate with them desiring to have something else in common with my Lord!
I could sit in each of these places from hours, talking with The Lord, and allowing Him to be my tutor. (That is part of the gift of the Holy Spirit you know!) It was a short day, but Lord willing we will have strength in store for tomorrow! It should be filled with even more to delight in! A boat ride across the Sea of Galilee, a stop in Capernium, a visit to the location where Jesus fed the 5,000, and finally a stop at the place where Jesus gave the Sermon on the mount. It has been good, every day is sweeter, and this will be a week that Christi and I will share forever.
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