by Pastor Patrick Cho

Last week I had encouraged the members of the church to try their best to make it out to Sunday’s members meeting. Those who were able to attend understood quickly the reason for the encouragement. The evening was filled with significant announcements concerning the future of LBC, and most notably the announcement of plans to plant a church in the Los Angeles area. There was understandably a gasp that went across the room as the news was delivered, but I was particularly blessed by the cheers that erupted as people expressed their enthusiasm and excitement.

This decision to church plant in Los Angeles was not made lightly. A significant decision like this requires much prayer and consideration. There would necessarily be great challenges for all the LBC churches to move forward with the plan. But the Lord has been at work and it seemed as though all the pieces were in place for the move not only to be possible, but to be beneficial and strategic.

A church in Los Angeles would provide a viable hub to connect the Lighthouse churches in the north in San Jose and East Bay with the one in the south in San Diego. A location close to The Master’s Seminary could be very instrumental for the training up of future shepherds and church planters. Besides, Los Angeles provides one of the most densely populated areas in the entire nation, which means the gospel will be more accessible for people who need to hear it. Given the strategic value, it might have seemed inevitable that a Lighthouse church would eventually be established in Los Angeles.

While the excitement buzzing with the members is encouraging, in penning this article, I thought it would be best to remind the church of one particular factor: having good confidence that the Lord is leading us in this direction does not ensure that the work will be easy. I’m sure many have thought that a plant in Los Angeles would be great because of how many people are from there who are currently attending Lighthouse. Those who wanted to help out with the church plant could conveniently return home and contribute to the work. While the location might be convenient for some, it is important to remember that there is very little that is convenient about church planting.

Ask anyone who moved up north for the San Jose church plant that was originally from that area if the transition was easy. I can guarantee they would tell you it wasn’t. If we are going to move forward planting a church in Los Angeles, anyone who is involved needs to be deeply committed and ready to work. A team with individuals that are only thinking about convenience and ease will prove to be an inefficient and possibly destructive team. Those comfort seekers are the likeliest people to bail in the middle of the effort instead of persevering to the end.

This is not to say that the success of the church plant relies entirely on our efforts. Certainly not! Through it all, there needs to be a constant and enduring dependence upon the Spirit for guidance, encouragement, and strength. It is through the hardships of church planting that Christ’s Great Commission promise is so comforting: “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). We need His promise if we are going to endure and succeed. We need His help if this church is going to get off the ground. We need His guidance to walk us through the planning. And if lives are going to be won for Christ, we need His grace and mercy.

But in the plan of God, His sovereignty works through human effort. He uses those who would be spent for His purposes and glory. Understandably, laziness, idleness, and apathy work to hinder church planting efforts. Members who are willing to face and endure difficulties, challenges, opposition, and attacks are needed. We need men and women who will walk in holiness so as not to defame the name of Christ and hamper the testimony of the church. We need members who are vehement to maintain peace and pursue unity. We need people who can, in dependence on God, resist the attacks of the devil remembering that the devil hates healthy churches.

Yes, it is right and good that the church is excited about the prospect of planting a church in Los Angeles. Like I said on Sunday night, I think it’s patently clear that we are committed to our Vision Statement to be a church planting church. But I want to help make sure the members understand the difficulties and challenges that lie ahead. There will certainly be joys and many reasons to celebrate and cheer, but it will not come conveniently or easily. With that, let’s begin with prayer and even fasting as we seek to plow forward. From the very outset, let’s commit this work to the Lord and ask for His help to work it out. This encouragement is not only for those who are thinking about going. As a church united, we ought to be actively part of the church planting process to the glory of God.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1, 14)

by Pastor Patrick Cho

In all of human history, there is no more significant or controversial individual than the Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus came and walked this earth, He upset entire religious institutions, He challenged governmental authorities, and He gathered quite a following. He was peculiar and remarkable not only because of the things that He did, but also because of the things that He said. He clearly communicated that He was the Son of God who came to save the world, but He also proved it through His miraculous deeds and especially through His resurrection from the dead.

I would argue that there is no greater study in Scripture than to examine the life and person of Jesus Christ. The Bible attests to His deity – He is the everlasting God. Paul wrote to the Colossians that in Jesus “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Col. 2:9). The author of Hebrews explains that Jesus “created the world,” and, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature” (Heb. 1:2-3). When I study Jesus, I can come to understand who God is and what God is like.

The titles of God were rightly applied to Jesus. He is constantly referred to in Scripture as “Lord.” This title underscores His divine sovereignty over all things. It also points to His authority over His people. Jesus is the rightful King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Tim. 6:14-15). He is the one who governs the universe and His people (cf. Dan. 7:14). He also applied the titles of God to Himself, like in John 8:58 where He deliberately referred to Himself as “I am” (cf. Exod. 3:14).

He not only took on the titles of God, but He also demonstrated the power and authority of God. When the disciples were on the Sea of Galilee during a violent storm and fearing for their lives, Jesus arose and calmed the storm (Matt. 8:23-27). He thus demonstrated that He possessed authority over all creation. He also showed His authority over spiritual forces by commanding demons to come out of people (Luke 4:33-36). He even proved His authority over life and death by summoning Lazarus from the grave (John 11:43-44).

The greatest demonstration of Jesus’ deity was in His authority to forgive sins. The religious leaders of His time were particularly offended when Jesus proclaimed that He had the authority to do so (cf. Mark 2:3-12). They accused Jesus of blasphemy because they understood that only God could forgive sins. But Jesus came to rescue sinners. He was referred to by John the Baptist as the “Lamb of God” (John 1:29). This was an Old Testament title referring back to the sacrificial system which was God put in place to atone for the sins of the people. Jesus came to save sinners by dying on the cross and paying the penalty of death that we deserved because of our sins. He stood in our place. He served as our substitute. And in so doing, He brought us into right relationship and peace with God.

This is why Jesus became a man. One of the most mind-boggling truths in Scripture is that even though Jesus was fully God, He was also fully man. When Jesus was born as an infant in Bethlehem and laid there in the manger, He possessed the fullness of deity. As He grew up as a child learning to walk and talk, He possessed the fullness of deity. When He came to the banks of the Jordan to initiate His earthly ministry in His baptism, He possessed the fullness of deity. And as He hung on the cross and gave up His life, He possessed the fullness of deity.

He hungered as a man (Luke 4:2), He grew weary as a man (John 4:6), He had flesh and bones as a man (Luke 24:39), and He was completely God undiminished. But it was necessary for God to take on flesh for our sakes. Since man sinned against God, it was just for man to also pay for that sin. Jesus took on human flesh to stand in our place as a man and to die in our place. Philippians 2:5-8 helps explain the lengths to which Jesus went to provide a way of salvation for us.

After His earthly ministry was complete, after His death and resurrection, Jesus met His disciples at Galilee. After giving them some final instructions, He ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9). But the Bible tells us that He is coming again. He said so Himself (John 14:3). He will return to set up His kingdom and sit on His glorious throne (Matt. 25:31-32). In light of His coming, all those who believe in Him are called to walk in holiness and to pursue peace (2 Pet. 3:14).

If I could only study one thing for the rest of my life, it would be the person of Jesus. All of human history hinges on His life. When He walked this earth, He demonstrated for the world what God was like. We could observe Him, talk with Him, and learn from His teachings. Though none before Him had ever seen God (John 1:18), God made a way for us to see Him and know Him. This was all made possible through His coming as a man and making atonement for our sins.

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.” (1 Chronicles 29:11)

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Every once in a while, someone will ask me how I read through the Bible. Most of the time, I just enjoy reading the Bible to understand the general overall story as it unfolds. But sometimes I read the Bible looking to study a particular theme, and one of my favorite themes to focus on is the character of God. It is always impactful and eye-opening to examine what the Scriptures say about God. And it is humbling to consider that God would condescend to us and reveal Himself in the pages of Scripture. Though we cannot know Him comprehensively since He is infinite and we are finite, we can still know Him truly because whatever the Bible says about God is true. Chapter 3 of Fundamentals of the Faith covers the topic of God.

If you walk around and ask random people if they believe in God, many might tell you they do. I had a chance to do this while attending UCSD as a student. All sorts of people would tell me that they believed in God, some higher being, or a cosmic force. Each person had their own opinions and ideas about what God was like. For some, God was a good being who was the source of everything good. For others, God was a cosmic energy that gave life and sustained all that is. Some people shared that they didn’t know or that we couldn’t know what God is like. Others had come to very strong conclusions about Him.

Thankfully, we are not left to our own speculation to guess at what God is like. He is not simply defined by what we want Him to be. He has clearly revealed Himself in the pages of Scripture. When God met with Moses, He gave a description of Himself by proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation” (Exod. 34:6-7). The pages of God’s Word help us to understand who God is, what He is like, and how He acts.

There are many various attributes of God that are revealed in Scripture. God is found to be eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, never changing, righteous, merciful, good, and gracious. The Bible tells us that God is one (Deut. 6:4), He is love (1 John 4:16), and He is light (1 John 1:5). God is spirit (John 4:24) and is not a man (Num. 23:19; except in the Person of Jesus, which will be the focus of the next chapter!). God is all these things and more, and it is incredibly exciting to be able to know Him and to study what He is like.

This is an exercise you might want to try as you read your Bible. Keep a journal and pen handy (or a laptop open) and jot down observations you make about God as you read. Write notes on what passages tell you what God is like. Also keep note of the passages that tell you how God acts or what He requires of His people. These sorts of things can help us understand more clearly who He is. As you read His Word, hopefully your view of God will increase so that you will come to love Him more and live for Him more faithfully.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

It’s finally here. The last day we will spend together in Israel. I know how much I have been writing about the things we have been able to see and do, but I have not written about the wonderful friendships I have been able to build with the other members of our group. I’ve been so blessed by the conversations, singing, and worship together and am sad to think that we’ll all be heading home and returning to normal life. It really has been a tremendous joy getting to know all the people we’ve been travelling with who are from all over the globe. We had Canadians, Russians, and a New Zealander with us, so we really were from the corners of the earth! One of the sweetest memories of this trip will be that we were able to experience all of this together. It is amazing to think that just three weeks ago we were strangers because we really have bonded during this trip and have built sweet friendships.

I also have not written enough about how appreciative I have been for Dr. Grisanti and his instruction. I’ve been so thankful not only for all the technical information that has been passed along, but more so for the devotional quality of it. There were times where we were free to roam the city or enjoy an evening off, and Dr. G was diligently studying and preparing for the next day’s instruction. This trip really has made a significant impact on my life, and much of that is in thanks to Dr. G. I will never forget his constant exhortations to make God big in my life and to display His glory. Certainly through all the teaching we have received, God has been made much bigger in my eyes.

This morning, those who are taking the trip for credit enjoyed an exam while the rest of us slept in and enjoyed some rest. There was a time I was curious to see how I might have done on the quizzes and exams, but those feelings quickly got washed away by the many hikes and physical exhaustion. After a nice long morning of last minute packing and a hurried breakfast, we jumped on the bus for one last trip into the Old City.

John and I spent the bulk of the morning getting last minute shopping done. We were thankful for the opportunity to spend our last day with the Vlachs who have been a great blessing and joy to get to know. We actually began the day at Zak’s antique shop to look for a gift for Dr. G. Everyone in the group has been so thankful for the work that he has put in that we decided to get a little something to show our appreciation.

After our shopping was all complete, we had some extra time so we decided to swing by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre one more time. I really thought it was a perfect ending to an amazing trip to spend some time at Golgotha. The last time we visited, I didn’t get to see much because they kicked us out of the viewing area to make room for a ceremony. This time we were able to take it in. At the top of the stairs is an ornate viewing area with a little space you can crawl in. Inside the crawl space is a little hole and if you stick your arm in the hole, you can touch the rock quarry beneath.

We came down from there and went over to the empty tomb, but unfortunately the line to go inside was even longer than it was the first time we visited. We took a few pictures from the outside and began our walk back to lunch. On our way to lunch, we realized that we had entered the Church of the Holy Sepulchre with “immodest” attire (i.e., shorts). Thankfully, no one stopped us and told us to leave.

We were thankful to grab lunch at Jacob’s Pizza right by the Gloria Hotel where we had stayed earlier on the trip. Every time I had walked by, the restaurant smelled terrific so it was great to actually taste the food. It isn’t a kosher restaurant, so we were even able to get meat on our pizza.

We finished up lunch and then met up with the rest of the group to head back to the moshav. Bill Schlegel, who is an instructor at IBEX, took us on a tour of the biblical garden they have setup on the campus. It was pretty amazing! They have reproductions of a winepress, olive oil press, threshing floor, and even a rolling stone tomb. As we stopped at each display, Bill took some time to walk us through relevant corresponding Scriptures. It was neat to see the life-size illustrations before us as he taught. It was also fascinating to learn more about what life was like in biblical times.

After the tour, we enjoyed one last dinner together. The group from Dallas Theological Seminary headed to the airport first, so we had a brief chance to say goodbye. I was thankful that during our time in Israel, we were even able to get to know some of them. After they left, we had a little time to relax, finish packing, and make last minute phone calls before heading out. Thankfully, we had our rooms all the way until departure so we could take a shower before going to the airport. Our flight departs at around 1:00am, but I didn’t mind because it meant we could have a full last day in Israel.

What a wonderful time it has been! This most definitely has been a life-changing experience, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have been here. I will never forget all that I was able to see, smell, hear, taste, and touch as our group travelled up and down the country of Israel. I really hope that one day I will be able to return and learn more. It would be so great to be able to travel here with Christine so that we could walk this amazing country together. For now, it is good to be heading home. I miss my family, friends, and church and am looking forward to sharing all the stories and lessons learned.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

This morning, we were given a very unique opportunity to work together with the Associates for Biblical Research in an archaeological dig at Khirbet el-Maqatir. While et-Tel is the modern accepted location of biblical Ai (Josh. 7-8), there is no archaeological evidence that anyone inhabited the city during the days of Joshua’s conquest. Khirbet el-Maqatir offers an alternative site for Ai that fits well with the biblical narrative.

Those who participated in the dig needed to be up at around 4:00am to get ready. Breakfast was at 4:30am and the bus left for the dig at 5:00am. I really didn’t know what to expect, but when we arrived at the site, it was pretty impressive. Before we actually got on our hands and knees to start excavating, Gary Byers, the administrative director for the dig, walked us around the site to get us acclimated. He showed us how this site better fit the details of Joshua 7-8 than et-Tel. We were able to see where Joshua and his men might have set up their ambush (Josh. 8:4). We were also able to see that the gate of the city faced north towards Shiloh and Shechem.

I was assigned to dig in a first-century house that was discovered at the site. The first hour or so was pretty discouraging because we spent most of the time moving dirt and rocks. But after some time, we discovered a jug handle and rim that was probably from the Roman period. Those who were assigned to sift through our dirt also found a small purple coin that might be a widow’s mite. In the area just next to us, a group discovered a cistern about eight feet deep in one of the rooms of the house. It was pretty exciting and every time something was discovered, you could hear cheers around the dig.

Later in the morning, the rest of our group who did not participate in the dig joined us. We walked back down to the bus and headed north to Shiloh. This was Israel’s religious capital during the days of Joshua. The Tabernacle was erected at Shiloh and remained there for over 300 years. Shiloh was also where Joshua cast lots to divide the land amongst the twelve tribes. We didn’t spend a lot of time at Shiloh, but it was interesting to see a possible location where the Tabernacle might have been set up. An area is there that would have been able to meet the dimensions of the Tabernacle.

After Shiloh, we headed even farther north to a lookout on Mt. Gerizim overlooking Shechem and opposite Mt. Ebal. According to the command of Moses, Israel was to put six tribes on Mt. Gerizim for blessing and six on Mt. Ebal for cursing to review the covenant God made with His people (Deut. 11:29; 27:12-26). Joshua obeyed this command after destroying the city of Ai (Josh. 8:30-35). After the land had been allotted to the tribes of Israel, Joshua gathered the people at Shechem to renew the covenant (Josh. 24).

In the Old Testament, Shechem was set aside as one of the six cities of refuge (Josh. 20:1-9). As we stood on the lookout, we could look down below to Shechem where there is a building marking the traditional location of where Joseph’s body would have been buried (Josh. 24:32). There is also a large red-roofed church built over Jacob’s well where Jesus would have met the Samaritan woman (John 4:1-42). Given the biblical significance of this area, it was neat to be able to stand there and envision all that took place surrounding the city.

It is Friday so we celebrated Sabbath dinner together back at the moshav at Yad-Hashmona. Dinner and dessert were delicious, and afterwards one of the leaders for IBEX stood and read from Psalm 92 declaring the greatness and goodness of YHWH. It was another tiring day in Israel but also very rewarding. This was also our last day of touring in Israel. Tomorrow, we have a free day in Jerusalem before heading back to the moshav to pack and enjoy our last dinner together as a team.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

We had a bit of a later start this morning, and I was glad for the extra sleep. At this point of the trip, many people have commented that they are ready to go home. It has been a phenomenal time here in Israel, but we miss family, friends, and church. Three weeks is an awful long time to be away. I’ve been thankful to at least have had brief opportunities to video chat with Christine. That really has helped the time go by. Everything we have been able to experience in Israel has been tremendously rewarding, and I think all of us are just excited to tell our loved ones about it all.

We began the day stopping along a roadside and walking past a banana field towards the Sea of Galilee. When we got fairly close to shore we were told that we were in the area of Gadara. After Jesus had calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee, He and His disciples came to the country of the Gadarenes where they met two men possessed with the legion of demons (Matt. 8:28-34). These demons were cast into a herd of swine, which ran off an embankment into the water. The spot where we were standing was probably the likely area where this incident occurred.

As we drove away from the Sea of Galilee, Dr. Grisanti told us to say goodbye since we weren’t going to return again on this trip. It was actually really sad to leave because the stops we made along the Sea of Galilee were some of the most memorable for me. The hotel we stayed at for the week was called the Ma’agan Eden, so that made it even more special. I took a bar of soap from the hotel to show my daughter Eden.

Our next stop was Beth-Shean just south of the Sea of Galilee. This was an amazing place to visit because of its enormity. Dr. Grisanti showed us some pictures of the site from just a few decades ago and it was completely covered with dirt. It was incredible to consider how much had been excavated since. Beth-Shean was a Roman Decapolis city, so it was very significant. We first walked by a Roman theatre and learned a little bit about the city’s history while sitting there in the sun. Afterwards, we walked down to the bathhouse and even got to see a Roman public restroom. It was co-ed.

The major Roman city of Beth-Shean is located at the base of the tel, but the ancient city is actually up on the hill. There were some stairs (154 of them. Yes, I counted.) that took us to the top. The view of the city from the tel was amazing! By the time the Romans conquered the city, it didn’t need the defensive advantage of being up on the hill, so they moved the city down. This would have made access to water much easier. Since they didn’t really need the hill anymore, the Romans tore down the wall and erected a temple to Zeus.

Biblically, the ancient city is where Saul and his sons’ bodies were hung after they died in battle against the Philistines before the people of Jabesh-Gilead retrieved the bodies (1 Sam. 31:8-13). We had about an hour or so to run around the city and pretty much needed every minute to see all that was there. Dr. Grisanti had mentioned that this was one of his wife’s favorite sites, and I could see why. The city was very impressive. It kind of made me want to visit the other nine Decapolis cities, but most of them are in modern day Jordan or Syria. Hippus is the only other in Israel, and we only got to drive by it because we ran out of time.

After Beth-Shean, we drove to the southern end of the Jordan River just north of the Dead Sea. This would have been around the land of the Moabites in Old Testament days, and is an area of incredible biblical significance. When Elijah ascended to heaven and passed the mantle to Elisha, it would have happened around this area (2 Kings 2:1-15). With its proximity to Jericho, this would also have been around the place where Israel crossed into the Promised Land under Joshua’s leadership (Josh. 3). Given its spiritual significance, the southern end of the Jordan River is also what is believed to be the place where Jesus came to be baptized by John (Matt. 3:13-17).

As we drove west into Jerusalem, we said goodbye to the Jordan River and had a chance to review some of the things we had learned during our time in Israel. It seemed like forever had gone by since we first entered Jerusalem. We spent the last couple nights at Yad-Hashmona, where the IBEX campus (an extension of The Master’s College) is located. We quickly got unpacked and enjoyed a wonderful dinner together before catching up on emails and getting some rest.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

This morning, we had a chance to visit Bethsaida, another significant biblical town. In the Old Testament, this city was called Geshur. This is where Absalom fled after killing Amnon and avenging his sister Tamar (2 Sam. 13:37-38). We had a chance to walk into the ruins of the Old Testament city. Sadly, at the entrance to the gate, there were some standing stones and an altar to Baal.

In the New Testament section of Bethsaida, there were a couple very large homes. One belonged to a fisherman and the other to a winemaker. In the winemaker’s home, archaeologists discovered a wine cellar. It was odd to see a fisherman’s home in Bethsaida because the city is almost two miles from the Sea of Galilee. It would have been quite a chore walking down to the water, catching fish, and hauling the catch back home each day.

Bethsaida was originally the hometown of Peter and Andrew before they moved to Capernaum. It is feasible that they moved because Capernaum is right on the water and not two miles away. Besides, business would have been considerably better in Capernaum. Bethsaida is also the biblical location of the feeding of the 5000, but one of Jesus’ most interesting miracles took place in this city as well. In Mark 8:22-26, Jesus heals a blind man in two stages. At first, his sight was blurred but then he was healed completely. The text doesn’t explicitly say why Jesus did not immediately heal the man, but at the time there must have been a clear teaching point or reason.

From Bethsaida, we drove up to Hazor (pronounced “hot-sore”), which is another major city on the International Coastal Highway. Hazor is actually the largest uninhabited tel in Israel (almost 200 acres), and most of the city has not yet been excavated. There is a classic example of a four room Israelite house that was discovered along with an oil press with stone weights and basins. There was also a very impressive palace in the city. It was said that in ancient days, the Babylonian ambassador lived in this city, so it was a significant place.

Biblically, Joshua defeated Hazor during the time of conquest when Jabin was its king (Josh. 11:11). This was one of the three cities that the Israelites destroyed (Jericho and Ai are the other two). As we walked around the walls of the city, we could see clear signs of burning. Later in the period of the Judges (about 200 years later), Hazor was the city that Deborah and Barak defeated under a different Jabin’s rule (Judg. 4). Archaeologists say that the ashes found in the palace were three feet deep, and because of the massive quantities of olive oil found, it may have heated up to 2000 degrees!

We left Hazor and drove up to Tel Dan, which is one of the northernmost cities in Israel. (Earlier in the trip, we were at Eilat, which is a port city on the southernmost tip of the country.) In the Old Testament, this area was referred to as Laish before the Danites relocated here (Judg. 18:27-29). In an act of covenant treachery, the tribe of Dan resettled in the north, taking land that was not part of their divinely appointed inheritance.

Sadly, in the divided monarchy, this was also one of the locations that Jeroboam set up a high place and altar for sacrifice. He placed golden calves at Dan and Bethel (1 Kings 12:28-30). We had a chance to take a gorgeous hike up to the high place where we saw the foundation stones of the altar. It was gigantic. The altar itself would have been at least ten feet tall! I tried to imagine all the people who would have made a pilgrimage here to bow down and worship before a golden idol.

Dan was also where archaeologists discovered a Middle Bronze Age gate, which dated to about the time of Abraham. The Book of Genesis says that when Lot was taken into captivity, Abraham went as far as Dan to rescue him (Gen. 14:14). We can’t know for sure, but Abraham might have walked through that gate. Unlike stone gates that were built later, this one was constructed with mud bricks. There was a giant canopy built over the site to help protect it from the elements.

Our last stop for the day was at Caesarea Philippi, also known as Panias or Banias. This was a city built by Herod Philip II, which he dedicated to Caesar. In the city, there was a massive multi-temple site dedicated to the gods Pan, Zeus, and Nemesis. The city is surrounded by considerable natural beauty with cascading waterfalls and a gorgeous spring. It’s no wonder that the largest temple was dedicated to Pan, the god of the forest. Interestingly, Caesarea Philippi is the location of Peter’s great confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16). This is interesting because the massive cave where Pan’s temple was located was said to be the gateway to Hades (cf. Matt. 16:18). Jesus may have used it to illustrate His point.

We ended our day with a play stop at the fortress at Nimrod. This was an old fortress built by the Muslims from the time of the Crusades. It was a giant, impressive fortress up on a very high hill, and it even had a secret passageway. We had about half an hour to run around the castle and have fun. One of the men from our group found an arrowhead that was probably used during the Crusades. Even though the fortress is called Nimrod, the biblical person named Nimrod did not establish it (Gen. 10:8). It was constructed much later. Even though it had no biblical significance, it was a fun stop nonetheless.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Today we got to tour the cities surrounding the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Our hotel is located on the southern shore, so throughout the day we pretty much drove around the entire perimeter. Early on in Jesus’ ministry, He moved from Nazareth to Capernaum (Matt. 4:13). Considering the geography of the land, this move made a lot of sense. Besides the fact that He had been rejected in His own hometown (Luke 4:24), Nazareth was a small and obscure town off the beaten path. Capernaum, on the other hand, was a major city on the International Coastal Highway.

Capernaum was our first stop of the day. This is a city of considerable biblical significance where Jesus called the first of His disciples. He found Simon and Andrew fishing by the sea and also called James and John, the sons of Zebedee (Matt. 4:18-22). The Gospel accounts tell us that the disciples left what they were doing and immediately followed Jesus. This was also the city where Matthew collected taxes when he was called to be a disciple (Matt. 9:1, 9).

The centurion who showed tremendous faith in Christ was also in Capernaum (Luke 7:1-10). According to the text, this centurion helped build the synagogue in the city (v. 5). We were able to see the synagogue and its original foundation, which the centurion would have built. Apparently, this Roman centurion showed great kindness to the Jews. His kindness was also demonstrated by his concern for his servant. Being a man of authority, He understood and believed in the authority of Christ to heal, and his servant was healed.

The healing of the paralytic also happened in Capernaum. This was the man who was let down through the roof of a home by his four friends (Mark 2:1-12). It may well have happened at Peter’s house where Jesus probably stayed. There is a church that was found built around a home in Capernaum that is traditionally believed to be Peter’s house. By healing the paralytic, Jesus demonstrated His great authority not only to heal the sick, but also to forgive sins.

From Capernaum, we travelled to the neighboring town of Chorazim. There were two highlights from this stop, both from the synagogue in the city. First, archaeologists had unearthed a “seat of Moses” in the synagogue. This would have been a prominent seat for important people, which is what James was probably referring to when he wrote about partiality (James 2:1-4). Some of the members of our group took turns sitting in the chair looking very official and important.

A second interesting object of note was an engraving of Medusa in the synagogue’s décor. Like the zodiac calendar from Sepphoris, it just didn’t seem to belong in a synagogue. All sorts of explanations could be given for why it is there, but in the end, we simply don’t know. I snapped some pictures of it and thankfully did not turn into stone.

We continued our counter-clockwise tour of the Sea of Galilee coming to the Mount of Beatitudes. There is a natural amphitheatre here made by the surrounding hills and is a likely spot for the Sermon on the Mount. It is interesting that from the Mount of Beatitudes, there is a fairly clear view of the city of Hippus, which was part of the Roman Decapolis. This was a major city on a hill, and Jesus may have pointed in that direction when He taught that a city on a hill cannot be hidden (Matt. 5:14).

Our next stop was Tabgha. In this region, there are seven hot springs that run into the Sea of Galilee. The warm water attracts fish, so it would have been popular place to catch fish in Jesus’ day. Some believe that this is the traditional location of Jesus’ restoration of Peter (John 21:1-19). There is even a church built on a rock that is called Mensa Christi, the table of Christ, upon which Jesus may have cooked the fish for His disciples. It was built next to a serene and beautiful cove. Of course, there is no way of confirming whether this is the true location, but it offered a wonderful picture for that story.

Next door to Mensa Christi was a church in Tabgha with a famous mosaic of the loaves and fish (Matt. 14:15-21). Interestingly, the sign leading into the church had a picture with five loaves and two fish, but the actual mosaic only has four loaves. It really doesn’t matter anyway, even if this is believed to be the traditional location for that miracle, because the Bible says that it happened in Bethsaida (quite a distance away from Tabgha; cf. Luke 9:10).

We broke for lunch in Tiberius, which is a major city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Dr. Grisanti mentioned that one popular dish in the area is called St. Peter’s fish, so I decided to give it a try. It’s basically a whole tilapia fried in hot oil. Honestly, I ordered it more so I could get a picture of it, but it was still really tasty and a lot of food. At the very least, I can say I tried the St. Peter’s fish in Galilee and have photos to prove it.

After lunch, we had an appointment to take a boat out on the Sea of Galilee. Before we headed out on the water, though, there was a small exhibit of a fishing boat that had been discovered in the area. They call it the “Jesus boat” because it dates to about Jesus’ time and would have been similar to the kind of boat in which Jesus would have travelled. It was really fascinating to view. There was even a section at the rear of the boat, called the “pillow,” similar to the area where Jesus would have slept before calming the storm (Mark 4:38-39).

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We ended the day with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Somewhere in the middle, Dr. Grisanti had the crew shut the boat off so we could sing hymns and read from Scripture. I had asked him earlier if I could try to walk on water, but he denied the request. We had a great time of worship together and enjoyed each other’s company on the boat. The wind even picked up a bit so we could see waves on the sea, though significantly smaller than Jesus’ storm. It was a relaxing way to end a busy day full of interesting stops.

This was really a highlight day because it gave us a more personal look into the life of Christ. It was great to think about how Jesus walked those roads and rode that sea. To think upon the life and ministry of Christ was really helpful, and these memories will stay with me for a long time. I know that pictures can help tell the story, but in the end there really is no substitute for being here and experiencing it in person.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Today was Jezreel Valley Day, Part 2. We began by going to the city of Sephoris, which neighbors Nazareth, and ended our day at Arbel, which is off the west coast of the Sea of Galilee. Sephoris (or Zippori) is a historically important city in Jewish history because the Mishnah was codified here, but it really has no biblical significance. Because of the city’s proximity to Nazareth and the fact that it was constructed around the time of Jesus’ early life (ca. 3 B.C. to A.D. 17), some believe Joseph and Jesus may have helped with the city’s construction. Of course, there really is no way to confirm that, but it is a possibility since they worked as carpenters.

One interesting detail about Sephoris is in the synagogue where there is an elaborate mosaic floor. The floor contains various images from key Old Testament narratives, but in the center of the floor is a giant zodiac calendar. No one knows why the calendar is there, but it certainly doesn’t seem to belong.

Sephoris was a pagan city and another room, called the Dionysius Room, contained a second mosaic floor. This mosaic had images of different mythical creatures including satyrs and centaurs. The theme of the room seemed to be drinking and merriment. One of the images was of Heracles and Dionysius engaged in a drinking contest. On the perimeter of the mosaic to one end was an image of a lady who is commonly referred to as the “Mona Lisa of Zippori.” The detail in the image was really amazing. It was hard to believe it was a mosaic because it looked like a photograph.

Leaving Sephoris, we headed over to a spot in Jezreel overlooking the Harod Valley. This is roughly the area where Ahab and Jezebel took Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kings 21). Naboth was unwilling to give the land to the king because it was divinely allotted property. By refusing to give the land to the king he was demonstrating his faithfulness to God. As the story unfolds in Scripture, Jezebel arranged for Naboth’s murder after unjustly accusing him. As a result, Elijah came and pronounced judgment on Ahab and Jezebel.

The Harod Valley also has a spring that flows out of a fairly large cave. This place, called En Harod, was our next stop. In Judges 7:4-8, the Lord used either this spring or one just like it to whittle the army of Israel down to 300 men. He would use this small number of men to defeat the giant Midianite army (cf. Judg. 8:10). During the spring, the water flow is fairly strong but today it trickled along for us. Of course, our group took turns taking pictures lapping up the water like a dog or scooping it up to our mouths. We didn’t actually drink the water because while Dr. Grisanti taught us about Gideon, a bunch of pigeons came flying out of the cave.

After lunch we made a brief stop at a small community that made olive oil. One of the workers spoke some English so he walked us through the equipment they used for production. Their methods were actually very similar to the way olive oil was made even in Jesus’ day, so the brief tour was really fascinating. We were taught about how good quality olive oil is made, and how factories today do not produce oil of similar quality. It was neat to hear about the process of making olive oil because it helped me to understand how it might have been done in the days of Scripture.

Our final destination for today was the Arbel Cliffs. We began at the top of the cliffs, which overlooked the Sea of Galilee. From the cliff’s edge, we could clearly see the coastal cities of Capernaum and Chorazin. Magdala was at the base of the cliffs where archaeologists are currently excavating the land. I had heard once in a sermon that the Sea of Galilee was so large that if you were in a boat in the middle of it, you wouldn’t be able to see land. I came to realize that’s not true. We could easily see across the water to the other side. The small size of the Sea of Galilee actually surprised me. It was hard to imagine waves rising up that would seriously threaten lives, but because of the strong winds that can run across the water, apparently very large waves can form.

Dr. Grisanti had warned us the last couple days that we would have a fairly major hike down the side of Arbel, but it actually was really enjoyable. Thankfully we walked down it and not up because the face of the cliff was very steep. There were times we had to climb down handholds and metal chains to keep us from falling to the bottom. At different points during the hike, I looked up to see from where we had come and was amazed at how far we had descended. The only part I slightly regret was in the middle where we were given the option to climb up a bit to explore some caves. I suppose the caves were neat, but perhaps not worth the climb. Anyway, I can now say I came to Israel and climbed up Masada and down Arbel.