Galilee

14. Kingdom Come

Starting a Journey with Jesus, Day 14  (Matthew: 4:23-25)

Today we cover a lot of ground.  Put your walking shoes on, we are going to follow Jesus all over the hilly region of Galilee.  There are only two cities here (Sepphoris near Nazareth and Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee) and many small villages.  Most of the people are farmers and fishermen living under Roman rule that is exercised through the Herodian family.

He went across all of Galilee teaching in the synagogues and preaching the good news of God’s kingdom and healing all the sickness and disease of the people.   The report about what he was doing went beyond Galilee into all of Syria.  People brought to him anybody who was ill with an ailment or problem, those suffering great pain, the demon-oppressed, epileptics and paralyzed, and he healed them all.  Great crowds came to him from Galilee, from the “Ten Cities” across the lake, others from Jerusalem and Judea, and others from across the Jordan. (Matthew 4:23-25)

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12. Light in Galilee

Starting a Journey with Jesus, Day 12    (Matthew 4: 12-17)

When the sun has gone down and it is dark and you need lots of light to get your work done, it can be very frustrating.  How you wished for more light!  When the sun comes up, then you will be able to see again.  But can you imagine darkness that lasts years?  decades?  centuries or more?! (more…)

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7. Back to the Land of Israel

Starting a Journey with Jesus, Day 7 (Matthew 2:19-23)

Today’s journey takes us from Egypt northeast past Judea into Galilee, a distance of about 300 miles (500 kilometers).

When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt.  “Get up!” the angel said.  “Take the child and his mother and go back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are themselves dead.”

So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with the child and his mother.  But when he learned that Archelaus was the new king of Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there.  After being warned in a dream, he left Egypt for the region of Galilee, and the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth.  This fulfilled what the prophets had said:  “He will be called a Nazarene.” (Matthew 2:19-23)

Egypt had a thriving Jewish community in Jesus’ day.  It would not have been difficult for Joseph and his family to find work and live there.  But like Moses many centuries before, Jesus is not (more…)

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