It’s hard for me to believe but it’s been twenty-two years since my first trip to Israel.  I remember before my first trip, when someone who’d been there learned I was making a trip to the “Holy Land” they would tell me, “You’ll never read the Bible the same way again!” or “You’ll be changed forever!”  These animated statements became so frequent I got tired of hearing them.  I couldn’t believe their passionate declarations could actually be true- until I got there.  The most significant moment on that first trip occurred when my study tour reached the shores of the Sea of Galilee.  As I stood on the shoreline and looked across the water a thought came to me so strong and clear, “Jesus was here!”  It was then that all the enthusiasm made sense, and yes, it also proved to be true!

            The Galilee region is divided into two sections, Upper and Lower Galilee.  The Upper Galilee region is mountainous and windswept.  Although it is not at its center, the Sea of Galilee is definitely the hub of activity in Lower Galilee.  The “Sea” is approximately 20 miles long and 8 miles wide.  The temperate climate and fertile soil of Lower Galilee make it a wonderful place for agriculture.  Galilee was also a melting pot of people.  Economic and political threats from outsiders had been all but stopped by Rome and the road systems which cut through it opened up trade with the outside world.  Galilee was hardly the backwater region of peasants and Pharisees as it is often depicted to be.  The broad scope of Greek, Roman and Jewish culture was probably one of the reasons the orthodox Jews of the south despised the people of Galilee and were convinced that no prophet could come out of it (Jn. 1:46; 7:41,52).

            One might think that the Messiah (as a descendent of David) would launch His ministry from Jerusalem the capitol of David’s kingdom but Jesus chose to begin His ministry in the Galilee region and used the city of Capernaum as His home-base.  Galilee’s hillsides were populated with terrace farms which grew grapes, olives, figs and grains, and its villages were filled with family-run industries in fishing and masonry.   There were also small cities like Capernaum and Nazareth where synagogues were well-established as the heart of daily life.  Jesus walked through them all and drew upon the daily routines associated with them to teach and proclaim the Good News.  As He interacted with His surroundings Jesus taught the people about His human and Divine Nature by celebrating weddings (Jn. 2:1-11), feeding thousands (Mt. 14:13-21; Mk. 6:33-44; 8:1-9), healing the sick (Mt. 4:24; 11:5; 12:5; 14:14; 15:30; 19:2; Mk. 7:37; Lk. 7:22; Jn. 9:39), demonstrating His divinity (Mt. 17:1-8; Mk. 9:1-8; Lk. 9:28-36), raising the dead (Lk. 7:11-17; 8:49-56; Jn. 11:1-45) and performing miracles (Mt. 9: 30; 11:4-6; 12:22; 14:22-34; Mk. 6:45-52; 7:32-25; Lk. 8:22-25; Jn. 9:1-7; 11:47).

            But really, why begin in Galilee?  It could be said that Galilee was chosen solely on the basis of God’s sovereignty.  That is to say that He chose this area because He wanted to.  However, that would ignore two rather obvious factors concerning Galilee itself.  First, Galilee was chosen because of its geographic location.  The Via Maris (or Coastal Highway), an ancient and well-traveled trade route, ran diagonally through it.  The Via Maris acted as an advertising platform for the ministry of Jesus.  Whatever He did in Galilee, the news of it spread with the merchants, traders and pilgrims who traveled this road as they conducted their business and went to Jerusalem for the holy days.  It is commonly known in business today that “word of mouth is the best advertising” and this was no different for Jesus.  He wisely took advantage of people’s natural tendency to talk about the news of the day.  And Jesus was certainly news!  Secondly, the choice of Galilee fulfilled prophecy which Matthew, Mark and Luke all point out in their Gospels when speaking of this region (Is. 9:1-2; Mt. 2:19-23; 4:12-16; Mk. 1:14-15; Lk. 4:14-21).  And according to Matthew, the fulfillment of prophecy was a prominent characteristic in what Jesus came to do (Mt. 5:17-18). 

            While Galilee’s place in fulfilled prophecy is unquestionable, it demonstrates to us an even more important aspect of God’s nature.  He desires to be with us!  From the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:7) to the Tabernacle (Ex. 25:8) and Temple (1 Ki. 8:10-13), Galilee proves that when God said He would once again dwell with His people (Zech. 2:10), He did it in the most intimate way by taking on flesh and walking upon the Galilean soil (Mt. 4:23; Jn. 1:14-18).  It is no different today than it was when Jesus walked by the Sea.  He wants to walk with you and He also wants you to walk with Him.  Some of His first disciples came from the shores of Galilee.  When He called them, they left what they were doing to follow Him (Mt. 4:18-22; Mk. 1:16-20; 2:14; Lk. 5:1-11, 27-28; Jn. 43-51).  He wants you to do the same.  Will you?

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com/, https://www.linked.com/in/annhlefevre/, https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre/

             The villages which dotted the hillsides surrounding the Sea of Galilee were buzzing with excitement.  As cottage industries produced their millstones, olive oil, fishing products and pottery, shop owners, farmers and villagers alike discussed the fiery new preacher who had come up from the Judean wilderness and was baptizing the repentant at the mouth of the Jordan River.  The Roman soldiers kept a watchful eye on the itinerant preacher, a man with strange clothing and even stranger eating habits.  He seemed more critical of the religious leaders of the Jews than the emperor, so they deemed him harmless and reported their findings about his antics and popularity to Herod rather than troubling the waters of Rome. 

            John the Baptist bursts into the world of the New Testament with all the passion and fire of a thunder and lightning storm.  Yet his connection to the Old Testament was not missed by the Gospel writers, or those who waited expectantly for the appearance of the Messiah.  The church leaders who organized the canon also saw the connection.  The Old Testament finishes with the eloquent words of Malachi and the promise of the return of Elijah the prophet before the arrival of the Messiah (Mal. 4:5-6).  Interestingly, all four Gospels link the beginning of Jesus' ministry to the preaching and ministry of John the Baptist.  The importance of this is explained in Mal. 3:1; a messenger would appear to prepare the way for the Lord. 

Matthew, Mark, and Luke also draw a connection to Isaiah's prophecy concerning a messenger like Elijah too (Is.40:3; Mk. 1:3; Mt. 3:3; Lk. 3:4).  Luke makes note of one critical and distinct link between John the Baptist and Elijah.  He sees that like Elijah, John received his message from God (Lk. 3:2) and, using similar to the Old Testament, relates the call of John to that of the prophets (Is. 1:1-2; Jer. 1:1-2; 1 Ki. 17:13).  Luke acknowledges that John is a spokesman for God as were his prophetic predecessors.  But it is Matthew who ties the strongest link between the prophetic fulfillment of Malachi with Elijah because it is his intention throughout his Gospel to demonstrate that everything about Jesus’ life was just that-a fulfillment of prophecy- so that there would be no confusion over whether or not Jesus was the Messiah.  As such John the Baptist would fulfill prophecy as well.

            John had several characteristics that the people immediately recognized as being like Elijah.  First, John came from the wilderness in Judea to the Sea of Galilee to preach and baptize (Mt. 3:1; Mk. 1:4-5; Lk. 3:3).  Elijah ministered in this region as well.  It stretched from the lower tip of the Sea of Galilee where it met the Jordan River, down through the Jordan Valley to Jericho and Jerusalem.  John's attire was a carbon copy of his illustrious predecessor.  Elijah was noted as a "hairy man with leather girded around his loins" (2 Ki. 1:8) as was John (Mt. 3:4).  Secondly, Elijah met the apostasy and unbelief of Israel head on (1 Ki. 18:21).  His outspoken condemnation of the duplicitous religious activity of both the common folk and royalty, earned him a spot on Queen Jezebel's hit list.  John was also outspoken on matters of religious purity.  He challenged the crowds who were coming to be baptized by making them analyze why they were seeking him out.  Did they come for a show?  Or did they truly understand that repentance translated into a permanent change of behavior which resulted in actions that were in line with God's commands in Torah (Lk. 3: 8, 10-14)?  He particularly targeted those who came because it was the “in-thing” to do (Mt. 3:7-12).  And lastly, both Elijah and John evoked a response from the people.  When the people saw the failure of Baal's prophets, they fell prostrate and cried, "The Lord, He is God!" (1 Ki. 18:38).  Likewise, the multitudes of John’s day asked for instruction, "Then what shall we do?" (Mt. 3:1-6; Lk. 3:10).

            The people gathered on the banks of the Jordan River and waited to hear the prophet speak.  They were anticipating a passionate message blasting the oppressive rule of Rome or the adulterous lifestyle of Herod.  Instead his words cut open their hearts and made them recognize their need to turn from their own sinful ways back to God's ways.  One by one, they stepped into the Jordan to rededicate their lives by repenting; first walking into the Jordan one way, and then climbing out another- a visible sign of turning away from sin and toward God.  Put yourself on the shoreline.  Listen to the words of the prophet.  How will you answer his message?  Will you see your own need?  Will you respond as they did and ask, "Then, what shall I do?"
 
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com/, https://www.linked.com/in/annhlefevre/, https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre/

          I grew up in Caldwell, New Jersey.  At the time it was a typical suburban town with tree-lined streets, several schools, a local diner, a beautiful park and plenty of churches.  Caldwell had a somewhat small presidential claim to fame that is still a source of community pride.  In a tiny little house just a block from the center of town, the 22nd (and 24th) president of the United States, Grover Cleveland, was born.  Cleveland only lived in Caldwell for 4 years but to this day Caldwell enjoys its presidential association and the house is still toured by school children each year.
            Nazareth could be the Biblical counterpart to Caldwell although Jesus, its prestigious resident, had nothing to do with presidents.  Jesus was born miles away thanks to a census which compelled His parents to take a temporary leave from their home there.  Matthew records that Joseph and Mary eventually returned to Nazareth (Mt. 2:23; Lk. 2:39, 51-52) and Jesus grew up there (Lk. 4:16) giving Him the name, Jesus of Nazareth (Mt. 21:11; Mk. 10:47; Jn. 18:5,7; Acts 2:22; 3:6; 10:38).  Neal May wrote, “It was only the fact that Jesus spent the early years of His life in Nazareth that gives the town its status of interest.  Aside from this, it is only mentioned once in Scripture and that is in regards to Jesus’ childhood.  When it is recognized, it is addressed with a noticeably sarcastic tone (Jn. 1:45-46).”  It is not really clear from Scripture why Nazareth was viewed with such disdain in Jesus’ day, but by the time of Constantine (A. D. 324-37) it had become a revered site in Christendom so much so that when Joseph of Tiberius appealed to the emperor for funds to build a church there it was granted.
            So why is Nazareth such a big deal and why do the Gospel writers make a point in telling us Jesus’ association with it?  The answer begins with Isaiah who wrote, “A shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse and a branch from his roots will bear fruit” (Is. 11:1).  Nazareth and the shoot of Is. 11:1 share the same Hebrew root word- and that’s what it means, root!  A netzor is a unique botanical term.  Have you ever seen a gardener trim a bush down to the ground in the Fall and thought, “That’s the end of that bush!” only to see it send up shoots in the Spring?  That’s a netzor.  The plant appears to be dead and suddenly life springs back to life from its roots.  Nazareth is “Root Town” as my one professor used to say.  But Who is this Root that Isaiah speaks of and how is He connected to Nazareth?  It would be natural to assume he is Jesse’s most famous son, David.  Like that flattened bush, David’s descendants all but disappeared when the Southern Kingdom of Judah was carried off into exile (2 Ki. 25:8-21).  But David’s “city” is Bethlehem, so where does Nazareth figure in?  While David’s lineage “springs up” again when Mary is told she will bear God’s Son (Lk. 1:26-35), it is Matthew who notes that Jesus grows up in Nazareth (Mt. 2:19-23) thus fulfilling the words of the prophet.
            It appears that when Jesus began His ministry He was not accepted in Nazareth.  Perhaps it was due to the familiarity of watching Him grow up there but Bible historians have noted that Nazarites in general had the expectation that the Messiah would come from their midst.  So, their disbelief resulted in Jesus’ departure (Mt. 13:53-58).  However, by the time that Paul was brought up on charges of insurrection before the Roman governor Felix, Jesus’ followers had become known as “Nazarenes” (Acts 24:1-5).  In spite of His rejection by the people of Nazareth, it is this town Pilate associates with Jesus upon His death (Jn. 19:19-22).  And while its place in Christendom was slow to catch on, today it is visited continuously by Christians from all over the world.  The magnificent Church of the Annunciation celebrates the declaration which Gabriel made to Mary bringing those ancient promises of a netzor coming forth but just a short walk from its glory one can gain access to the remains of a humble synagogue where The Branch made one of His most well-know declarations (Lk. 4:16-24).
            It has become fashionable to trace roots these days.  Some methods, like DNA testing, make it fairly easy to find out “where you come from”.   But while our genetic make-up can be interesting and revealing the Bible is not really concerned about our genealogical roots.  Rather it is concerned about where the roots of our lives take hold.  Paul wrote to the believers in Ephesus (a city many miles from “Root Town”!) that it was his prayer for them to be “rooted and grounded in love” (Eph. 3:17).  The source of that love is Christ’s love which is almost beyond understanding (vv. 18-19).  While there are a number of benefits to knowing your family’s roots, knowing the love of Christ and connecting your roots to Him (like a tree which sends its roots down to a subterranean water source) has eternal benefits (Ps. 1:1-3; Jn. 4:13-14; 7:37-38; 15:5).  Your physical roots may be from Hometown, USA or the country where you live, but where are your spiritual roots?  Be sure they are connected to The Netzor.  His family tree is everlasting.

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com/, https://www.linked.com/in/annhlefevre/, https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre/

             My first trip to Bethlehem in 2000 seems like a blur.  With a tour group of over 40 people and many other groups about us our stop over at the Church of the Nativity which sits in the heart of Bethlehem was rushed, crowded and slightly overwhelming! We went below the main sanctuary to the caves where Jerome translated the Vulgate and read Luke’s account of the birth of Christ but as there were so many people there it was hard to hear and I really could not get a picture of what it was like when Mary and Joseph arrived in this sleepy little village long ago.  But even so Bethlehem felt like a special place.  Why?  It was thanks to one professor directing me and several other students to a small chapel tucked away in an inconspicuous corner of an outdoor courtyard.  The little chapel was dedicated to Helena, the mother of Constantine, who made it one of her life’s ambitions to uncover places of the Bible in the Holy Land.  Bethlehem was one of those places.  The chapel had a very unique mural depicting Matthew, Mark, Luke and John with decidedly Semitic features.  Dating to the Byzantine era it captures a more accurate presentation of their likenesses than the Renaissance and Gothic pictures we’re used to seeing.
            Bethlehem is not mentioned very often in the Old Testament and only appears in the account of Jesus’ birth in the New Testament.  Why then Bethlehem?  Although it was not the modern city it is today in the time of Scripture, it does have some stories where it takes center stage.  When the tribal allotments took place, Bethlehem was situated in the area assigned to Judah (Jud. 15).  The Book of Ruth places it at the center of David’s lineage (Ru. 1:1).  Samuel is sent there to anoint David (1 Sam. 16:1) as the next king of Israel.  The Bible records that the Philistines controlled it for a short time and some of David’s mighty men went to great lengths to bring him water from its well (2 Sam. 23:13-17).  Rehoboam fortified it after the defection of the Northern tribes (2 Chr. 11:5-12).  However, Bethlehem’s “claim to fame” comes from none of these Scriptural snippets.  It is the prophet Micah who brings Bethlehem into the forefront of history when he prophesizes that the promised Messiah would be born in this humble little town (Mic. 5:2-5).   Both Matthew and Luke confirm that this prophesy indeed came to pass (Mt. 2:1, 6; Lk. 2:1-7).  And it is apparent that others were aware of this as well (Mt. 2:4-6; Jn. 7:42).
            It is not really all that surprising that as a descendant of David the Messiah would be born in “his city” (1 Sam. 20:6; 2 Sam. 5:7, 9; 1 Ki. 2:10; Lk. 2:4).  But when Mary is found to be with child both she and Joseph are residing in Nazareth, 85 miles north of Bethlehem.  Ooops!  And it didn’t look like Mary and Joseph were thinking about relocating either.  Enter Caesar Augustus, the pagan ruler who much like Cyrus (2 Chr. 36:22-23; Ez. 1:1-2) propels God’s plan of salvation forward by an official decree that sends Joseph and Mary to their ancestral home.  The decree did not mandate that they do so, but it was of great importance in the Jewish mind to be connected to one’s ancestral tribe, therefore Joseph and Mary made the journey to Bethlehem and fulfilled the words of Micah as promised.  Traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem meant covering a difficult terrain.  Most people could cover 15 to 20 miles per day but in Mary’s condition she and Joseph most likely would cover less.  Tradition pictures Mary riding on a donkey with Joseph faithfully walking by her side but the Scripture does not say anything about this.  Whether on a donkey or by foot this was not an easy undertaking!  Author Jeremy Royal Howard said, “How fitting that God should use the mundane transactions of a pagan king to fulfill heaven’s prophecies about the King of Kings.”  Yes, how true!  But I am not surprised when God uses the mundane or insignificant for His will.  He is and always will be the God of the Unexpected!
            Is there a place in your history that is significant to you?  Mine would have to be Caldwell, New Jersey.  I grew up there, married there and my children were born there.  Like the Church of the Nativity, the church I attended for many years stands at the heart of the town and its beautiful spire rises above a bustling community.  Whenever I return, I remember events and people who have been a part of my life and helped to shape who I am.  Most importantly Caldwell played a critical role in my journey of faith.  It is where I recognized Jesus as my Savior and learned the Bible lessons that carried me over the peaks and valleys of life.  It is my Bethlehem; insignificant in the eyes of most, but a part of God’s plan in my life nonetheless.  Where is your Bethlehem and how has God used it to shape you?

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com/, https://www.linked.com/in/annhlefevre/, https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre/