January-February 1999
Where Jesus Walked
by Ronald Kelly
Home and Holy Land for Jews, Muslims and Christians alike, the nation of Israel is a country of contrast and conflict. Yet it remains one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world -- especially for Christians. A veteran traveler to Israel gives perspectives, insights and advice.
dateline: Jerusalem
Jerusalem -- to walk where Jesus walked. It's the dream of many Christians. To stand where he was born.
To sail on the Sea of Galilee where Jesus walked on water and calmed the storm. To read the Sermon on the Mount at the Mount of the Beatitudes. To stroll through the Garden at Gethsemane where Jesus prayed on that fateful night before his death. To sense the agony of his trial and crucifixion. To experience the sorrow of his death at Calvary. Especially to feel the exaltation of the resurrected Christ at the forever empty tomb. These all await Christian visitors to Israel.
But there is much more to the land of Israel. The history of the Bible comes alive with almost every new vista. One relives the collapsing wall of Jericho under the leadership of Joshua after he led the Israelites dry shod across the Jordan.
The stories of Abraham and Sarah, Ruth, David, Gideon, Deborah, Samson and the patriarchs leap from the pages of the Bible into a personal experience.
The thundering prophetic warnings of Jeremiah and Ezekiel ring from the hillsides. The comforting words of future hope and peace of Isaiah and Zechariah hover over Jerusalem, whose very name heralds "Peace."
The Other Side of the Coin
But there is another experience in visiting Israel -- a conflicting experience. Sadly, Jerusalem has never been, and certainly is not now, the city of peace its name implies.
The visitor to modern Israel cannot escape the reality of conflict. Newspapers around the world carry stories of regional violence -- Jew against Arab, Arab against Jew. Jewish settlements continue to spring up. Palestinians struggle to regain territory on the West Bank. Youths hurl rocks. Security forces fire bullets. Both sides argue cogently and emotionally, based on centuries of perceived territorial rights.
It's almost impossible for even the most casual tourist not to become bewildered by the controversy. Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, delivers a powerful speech. PLO leader Yasir Arafat counters. The United Nations Security Council issues mandates. Heads of state broker peace agreements.
Many outsiders, most not comprehending the depth of the modern controversy, simply choose sides. Others ignore the controversy, hoping it will go away some day. Still others fear all-out war will consume the Middle East and lead to World War III.
To add yet another perspective, many fundamentalist and evangelical Christians ponder the apocalyptic significance of every move in this highly flammable part of the world. Could Saddam Hussein be the Beast of Revelation? Is the Battle of Armageddon soon to be fought? Are we near the end of this current age? Do events in the Holy Land herald the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?
Whether one is a historian, a political scientist, a journalist, a Bible student or just an average tourist, it is easy to get caught up in the majesty and mystery of Israel.
Visiting Israel Today
Israel is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. For all of the above reasons, people from many nations fulfill lifetime dreams of visiting the Holy Land.
Perhaps the first concern a would-be tourist to Israel has to resolve is the issue of safety. With so much in the news about discord in the Middle East, many assume the area is not safe. But Israel is one of the most security-conscious countries in the world. So much so, that security measures for travel in the Holy Land can be long and tedious. At first this seems inconvenient, but upon reflection, most tourists appreciate the thorough screening and questioning that helps assure a safe and enjoyable trip for all.
Jerusalem, sacred to Jews, Moslems and Christians, is a city all three religions want to protect. Thus a tourist is generally safer in the streets of Jerusalem than in many major cities of the world. I have been to Israel several times, including once when the country was at war. Frankly, I feel every bit as safe no -- even safer, traveling throughout Israel than on the freeways and streets where I live.
Gaining Personal Perspective
These trips to Israel have given me an opportunity to experience the Bible up close and personal. As a pastor, my sermons have greater depth. As a writer, my articles are more authentic and accurate. As a teacher, I can better convey the geography and the emotions of the historical perspective. As a Bible student, I have appreciated the lives of the great men and women of God whose stories are told in the pages of the Bible. As a Christian, I have experienced the life, times and teachings of my Lord and Savior. My confidence in the accuracy of the Scriptures is even more secure. My hope for the future is even more joyful.
Understanding the Perspective
But with all the excitement a trip to Israel can bring, I want to give a few words of caution. It's one thing to be near, even on the spot, where biblical events took place. It's another thing to give too much importance to the location. What happened is more important than where something happened. Even if the place where one stands is not the exact spot, the significance of the event is still valid.
In some cases, historic sites can be quite accurately identified. In other cases, there is scholarly speculation. Whether an olive tree in Gethsemane was a sapling in the days of Jesus or whether it was planted later isn't important. The identification of Jesus praying at a spot much like this becomes very real at the traditional site of the olive grove.
The vista of modern Jerusalem is not the same as the historic city of Bible times. The walls of Jerusalem today were not there in the days of Jesus. The temple of Solomon was destroyed long before the time of the apostles. The restored temple of Herod the Great dominated the skyline of first century Jerusalem. But the Romans destroyed it in A.D. 70. By contrast, the most famous landmark in the city today is the golden-domed Islamic Mosque of Omar. It stands on the site, or at least near the site, of the Jewish temples.
But all this does not take away from the experience of looking over Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives as Jesus did and longing for the city to someday truly become the City of Peace.
It isn't more significant to be baptized in the River Jordan than anywhere else in the world. But many Christian visitors to Israel rededicate their commitment or renew the covenant of baptism by being immersed in the Jordan.
It isn't more spiritual to take communion at the garden tomb, but many Christians are moved by the experience of taking the Lord's Supper at or near the site where his body was laid in a borrowed tomb.
End-Time Speculations
A final word of advice. For those I call prophecy buffs, don't place too much significance in every move that takes place in Jerusalem and Israel. Don't interpret every news report, every rumor of war, religious ritual, prediction of temple worship or the daily strife between Jew and Arab as an imminent precursor to the Messianic kingdom.
The Lord will come in his own time. God has not given us the day or the hour. In fact, he hasn't given us the decade or century. He hasn't given us even the millennium in which Jesus will return. But now, as we approach the year 2000 and a new millennium, prophetic speculation is running rampant.
Chances are good that most, even all, the speculation of significant events will not be as the prognosticators predict. The one thing that can be said with absolute certainty about every one of the prophecies and date-settings that have been pronounced from the first century to the end of the 20th century -- they have all been wrong!
A visit to the Holy Land to confirm or discover some prophetic event misses the most important reason to go at all. That reason is to experience the world of the Bible firsthand. To experience in a modern setting the unique and controversial histories of Jews, Arabs and Christians who honor this part of the world as their historic roots. To confirm the words of sacred Scripture. To affirm faith in Jesus as God who came to live in mortal flesh. To deepen appreciation for the saving sacrifice he made to pay for the sins of the world by dying on the cross. To rejoice in the salvation granted by the power of his resurrection as testified by the empty tomb.
Any Time Is a Good Time to Visit
The tiny nation of Israel has had much to celebrate recently. 1997 marked the 3,000th anniversary of the founding of Jerusalem. During 1998, Israel celebrated the 50th year of the modern state of Israel. Many tourists will travel to Israel in late 1999 and throughout the year 2000 to reflect on the beginning of a new millennium.
But it certainly doesn't take a special occasion to draw one to Israel. Nearly 3,500 years of history, the places where prophets and patriarchs lived and served God, are vividly brought to life on every visit to the Holy Land. But most amazing is the experience of walking where Jesus walked. And that's reason enough to read about, view a video or plan a trip to the land of the Bible.
Ronald Kelly is a pastor, Bible instructor and conference speaker who has lead
multiple tours through Israel. He has also directed archaeological digs in that country.