Israel

Jesus’s Tomb

Israel. Most people I’ve talked to who’ve visited say it’s a life-changing experience. What do you consider to be life-changing? Surrendering my life to Jesus Christ was the ultimate for me. Marrying Chris, teaching middle school, and moving to Tennessee all take second place in that category. And having children? Talk about life-changing! It turned everything I’d known on its head.

So, I had high expectations of the ten-day tour of Israel Chris and I returned from last Thursday. Just flying from Montreal (of all places) to Tel Aviv started the experience off with a bang. Eighty percent of the airplane was filled to capacity with orthodox Jewish families visiting Israel in observance of Sukkot which falls between September 29^th and October 6th. Many (but not all) of the men were dressed in traditional orthodox clothing while most of the boys wore skullcaps. Some of the men and boys also had the traditional curls coming from their temples which follows the Biblical scripture against shaving the “sides” of one’s head.

These families kept to themselves for the most part. One young man requested that I switch seats with Chris because it was forbidden for him to sit next to a woman—even though I was old enough to be his mother. They followed rituals that were foreign to us—standing together after dinner and bobbing in prayer, strapping phylacteries on their foreheads or arms and covering their heads with a tallit for morning prayer. I found it fascinating, although it impeded the poor flight attendants as they tried to do their jobs. It definitely got us into the spirit of the trip.

Mediterranean Sea

Our first night, we stayed just outside of Tel Aviv where our room overlooked the Mediterranean Sea. Our tour guide, Adam, was born in Arkansas. He was a student of the Bible and went to Hebrew University in Jerusalem for his post-graduate studies. While there, he met his wife. They have four children (Messianic Jews), and Israel has been his home for twenty-three years. Along with the other thirty-nine people on our tour, we were blessed to have such an educated guide.

If you’ve been on a tour, you know it’s not a leisure walk in the park. We had eight days to see as much of Israel as possible. It’s amazing how much Biblical history is backed up by the revealing of prominent places through excavations. A few that hit me the hardest was Jesus’s tomb, the Garden of Gethsemane, and Peter’s home in Capernaum. There is speculation about some discoveries, but these were pretty certain. Also, the synagogue recently discovered in Magdala, where Mary Magdalene was born. Jesus walked and taught and performed miracles in these places.

Sea of Galilee

And of course, the Sea of Galilee. I could envision Jesus cooking fish along the shore after His resurrection, waiting for Peter and the others to come to shore (John 21:4-14). I could almost hear him asking Peter, “Do you love Me?” Oh, the grace and love of our Savior made all the more real when standing where He most likely stood.

But being on tour is a rush (and not in a good way). There were times I was snapping pictures with my phone on the run. We had places to see, a schedule to keep, and limited time. It’s no wonder a few of our group got sick, including Chris. He missed the last two and a half days nursing a fever and body aches. There was some concern about us being able to go home on schedule. Could he travel? Should he travel? But his fever broke and other than being tired, he had no other symptoms. God’s grace.

Peter’s Home in Capernaum

But was this trip life changing? No. It gives me a deeper understanding of the Bible—a deeper connection with the Lord. When I read the scriptures, I can now picture so many of the places that were just…well, places before. I’ve been going through the Bible Recap with Tara Leigh Cobble this year (my third time). It’s not a coincidence that I had just started the New Testament a few days before returning home. It was a thrill to know I’d just been to the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River (where we were both baptized). I’d peered into the remains of Peter’s home in Capernaum and stood at the edge of the synagogue in Magdala.

When I told Chris I thought there was something wrong with me that I didn’t feel what others seemed to when going to Israel, he said it wasn’t just me. Our lives had already changed when we surrendered them to Jesus Christ. Maybe there would’ve been a deeper spiritual awakening if things hadn’t been so rushed. Had I been able to sit in the Garden of Gethsemane uninterrupted for an hour or sat in Jesus’s tomb…but there were so many people and so little time.

Two days after returning home, Israel was attacked by Hamas. Tel Aviv and Jerusalem were affected, as well as many other areas. The U.S. Embassy is closed down, and I’m sure chaos reigns there. It wasn’t until a few hours later we were reminded that one couple stayed behind in Israel to tour on their own. Bridgette and Nelson. We haven’t been able to reach them, so I’m asking you to please pray for them.

Synagogue in Magdala

Honestly, going to Israel wasn’t my dream. I felt uneasy about it, and actually prayed to the Lord to close that door if it was a bad idea. But He didn’t. It reminds me that we cannot trust our “feelings” all the time. Sometimes? Yes. I believe we are given some discernment when needed. But He allowed us to take this trip for reasons that are yet unclear. I trust Him, though. It could be I needed to see Israel first-hand in order to pray earnestly for the people and their situation. I hope you’ll join me in that prayer.

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