Following in His footsteps!
This afternoon, my wife and I set time out of our schedule to look back on our trip to Israel that we took 5 ½ years ago. As we viewed the various photos it seemed as if we were transformed back in time. And I do not mean to a period 5 ½ years ago, but to the time of Jesus as He became flesh and dwelt among us.
The places we visited in the Holy Land were those locations where Jesus was born, lived, and did His ministry for the last three years of His life in this world. When I think about our amazing adventure, I would have to say that we virtually walked in the footsteps of the Master and traveled over the same countryside just as He did with His parents early on and His disciples later in life.
Some of the places we visited, which touched me the most were: when we sat on the hillside overlooking Capernaum and the Sea of Galilea and read Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. This is where they believe Jesus preached His famous message to His followers; when we walked along the Via Dolorosa (the way of the cross); when we took a ride on a wooden boat across the Sea of Galilea; when we went onto the Mount of Olives and visited the Garden of Gethsemane; and when we visited Bethlehem.
Traversing throughout Israel and visiting these historical sites that our Savior spent time at and preached and taught about the Kingdom of God and God’s plan of salvation which would be fulfilled in Him, brought a new energy to my Christian faith. Not that I needed to see these sites with my own eyes to believe, but it was an affirmation and solidification of what I already believed, preached, and taught within my life and ministry. And it was a wonderful blessing the Lord allowed my wife and I to be able to experience together and thoroughly enjoy.
Yes, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, by faith we believe Jesus was a real person, who walked the dusty roads of the Holy Land. We believe He truly was the Son of God and Savior of the world. And, we also believe His life was lived in this world for the sole purpose of bringing glory to His Father and salvation to all mankind, thru His life, death, and resurrection. We may not all be able to go to the Holy Land and walk in the footsteps of Jesus, but we can read God’s Word and experience the adventure in our minds as His faithful followers. Enjoy your travels with Jesus, whether on land, or by basking in the pages of the Gospels! Pastor McCarty