Walking With Jesus Through the Stream, River, and Sea

Here’s something I thought I’d never say: Today I woke up and watched the morning sun shine off the Sea of Galilee! And I can’t wait to do it again tomorrow. Between the elegant hotel room with its balcony overlooking the sea and the seemingly endless spread of food we enjoyed for dinner and breakfast on the top floor, the Ramot Resort is worth the price of the trip alone!

Taking in that view of the sea where Jesus spent so much time made us anxious to get down there to see it for ourselves. We didn’t have to wait long—we went directly from breakfast to our bus on a short drive to the sea. We rode on the Faith Boat, a spacious vessel used to accommodate closer to 75 people that felt as big as an auditorium to the 25 of us. Daniel, our Messianic Jewish captain, entertained us with an exhibition of fishing, casting his net over either side of the boat as Jesus did, before singing praise songs with us.

Our cruise on the sea was beautiful. We could see the Jordan Valley, Tiberius, Capernaum, and the Mount of Beatitudes from the boat. This place made me feel close to my Savior. Two years of Jesus’ ministry took place in this region. Some of His best known miracles took place right on this sea. Jim Showers spoke about one of these: Jesus’ calming of the wind and waves in Matthew 8. He paralleled his own tempest moment with that of the disciples in this chapter, teaching that our trials test if our faith and trust are in God or ourselves. 

Next we traveled to the Banias Nature Reserve, known for its sparkling stream with little waterfalls along with the Shrine and Cave of Pan. The Greeks worshiped many gods, including Pan, a god of nature and fertility; and they built their temples in places of great beauty like this one. Bible scholars know this place by an earlier name: Caesarea Philippi. Though it only went by this name for a very short time, this was its title in Scripture. It was in this place Jesus asked His famous question: “Who do you say I am?” Simon correctly answered that He was the Christ, the Messiah. Jesus named Him Peter, or Petros, and declared that he was the rock, or petra, on which He would build His church. Jesus chose to build His church in the most pagan place, a poignant picture of His desire to save the lost and open the eyes of sinful humanity, including us.

After lunch we drove up to the Golan Heights. This area provided an amazing view of northern Israel. But it also carried a sense of uneasiness compared to the rest of our sites. We found tanks and memories of war at the Valley of Tears, named for the many burning tanks left in the wake of the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Tito taught us the significance of this war and its aftermath, explaining that if Syria and Egypt had taken the Golan Heights, they would be able to easily attack Israel in close proximity. Now Israel’s enemies like Iran are kept at arm’s length, as terror proxies like Hezbollah can only attack from neighboring Lebanon and Syria—a reminder of Israel’s excellent defenses and the endless threats it faces.

Following our time here we came to the Jordan River, Israel’s longest river and the site of great biblical history. Most importantly, this is the river where John the Baptist baptized our Savior, Jesus, where the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus and the Father praised Him as His Son. Six of our friends took the special opportunity to follow in His steps by being baptized in the Jordan River, a picturesque, green-tinted setting for this sweet reminder of Jesus’ baptism. 

Heading to dinner, we walked the streets of Tiberias before arriving at The Pagoda, a charming, upscale restaurant overlooking the Sea of Galilee and illuminated by lights strung all throughout the dining room. We were treated to one of the best meals of our lives, being handed trays of savory food that seemed to never stop. Soup, salad, pita, fried onions, salmon, fries, lamb, chicken, steak, dates, chocolate cake—I bet the apostles never ate like this! 

No one left the restaurant hungry (no surprise!). We’re headed back to our lovely rooms to settle in, as the sun has already set on the Sea of Galilee. We couldn’t have asked for a much better day—a cloudless, sunny sky; great food; great fellowship; and great adventures with great memories to follow. Thanking God for these blessings and hoping for more of the same tomorrow!

Our Team

Author: Jesse King
Staff Writer
The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry

Photos: Mary Hopp
Human Resources Manager
The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry