Israel Road Journey

Day #5 Jerusalem Temple             Today, our feet travel holy ground. Though the glory of Solomon and Herod’s Temples has been long gone, an intangible mystery still lingers on our path leading to this Temple site.             King David first envisioned the Temple on this mount. For most of his life, he dreamed of building the ultimate worship center—a magnificent place where God’s presence, His Sh’khinah , would dwell with His people.             But it was his son Solom

What will you remember about Israel? We’ve traveled some fantastic roads in the last 10 days. Which experience has been your favorite?             Strolling along the Caesarean aqueduct at the Mediterranean ? . . .               Meandering through the ruins of Megiddo  . . .                Marveling at the view from Mt. Arbel  . . .             Cruising across the Sea of Galilee  . . .             Trekking to that incredible cave at Caesarea Phillipi . . .             Walking

Special: Road from Jericho to Jerusalem Today, you join in a tradition that’s over three thousand years old.  As we left Jericho and traveled the steep climb to Jerusalem, we join centuries of pilgrims who have set their heart on Jerusalem.  Faithful Jews traveled this road at least three times a year for the annual feasts of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles.  To ready their minds on what awaited them in Jerusalem (and maybe to get their minds off the steep climb beginnin

Day #8 Jerusalem and the Cross During Jesus’ last Passover week, everybody was looking for something. Religious Jews sought forgiveness from sin. Zealots searched for the revolutionary who would lead them to freedom. Rome’s representatives just wanted crowd control. And every Jew longed for the Messiah. As we enter these last week’s events, let us be looking, too. Let us, “Fix our eyes on Jesus  . . . who for the joy set before Him endured the cross . . . Sunday:  Follow Jesu

Day #7 Fr om Jerusalem to Masada, En Gedi The wind blows hot and dry on our road in the wilderness. Does this place feel familiar to you? At some point in our lives, everyone who trusts God ends up in the wilderness. After he was a shepherd but before he was king, David the fugitive found a place of refuge in this wilderness. For seven years, David, misunderstood, hunted, yet the anointed king, hid from Saul in these caves and desert hills. Discouragement blew through David’s

Day #6 Jerusalem: Mount of Olives Coupled with many other emotions, the road from the Mount of Olives to the Temple has always been paved with joy. David, the great Old Testament King, founded this glorious city. A thousand years before Jesus rode down this slope on a donkey, and three thousand before we enter today, David had established Jerusalem as Israel’s religious and political capital. He danced the day the Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of God’s presence finally came

Day #4 From Jericho to Jerusalem Today, we’ll travel to the oldest city on earth. Jericho’s fresh water and shade has long made it an emerald in the brown Judean foothills. Watered by the Spring of Elisha, people have found refreshment here since before the land was promised to Israel. In Joshua’s time (1400 b.c), the road that God’s people meandered for 40 years came to Jericho through the Negev Desert. When they reached the edge of the Jordan, they must have been overwhelm

Day 3 From Israel to Damascus Today’s road is older than dirt. Back when Egypt and Mesopotamia dominated the Middle East, they called this road the Via Maris, and used it predominantly as military and commercial “interstate freeways.” The Romans then developed the well-traveled routes into roads, setting up mile-markers for maintenance purposes and tolls. (Tollways have been around a long time!) For people of faith, a funny thing often happens on this road. Somewhere along t

Day 2 The Sea of Galilee    Some roads are paved with tar. Some with stone. Today’s road is made of water. For the next few days, we’ll make our home around the sea, walk its shore, cross over its breadth. We’re experiencing the road that led home for Jesus. He loved this area—even claiming Capernaum on its north shore as His adult home. Jesus taught most His sermons, performed almost all His miracles, and called all His men (except Judas) from around these shores. He travele

Day 1 From Joppa to Caesarea Our first journey on the ancient roads of Israel begins where many well-known people of the Bible have also begun. From this sea-side port, run-away Jonah set sail on his infamous Mediterranean fishing trip as he ran from God in rebellion. On the flip side, 800 years later, this road out of Joppa carried an obedient Peter to a new branch of ministry. Joppa is where Peter stayed with his friend Simon, the tanner. Peter had gone up on the roof for

You’ve traveled a long way to be here today. Here you stand in the Land, ready to travel the road of a lifetime. No matter how long your journey has been, you’re about to discover a road even longer. In the next ten days, you’ll not only visit fabulous sites, but you’ll travel ancient roads with eternal significance grounded in each path. On these actual roads we’ll travel, God has done incredible work in the lives of His people. He broadened Peter’s view of evangelism on the