The Sea of Galilee - Sermon on the Mount: January 28

In the middle of the night I was awakened by the constant rush of the wind. As I looked out the window from my room in the Golden Tulip Hotel, the waves on the Sea of Galilee were high. No wonder the disciples were frightened when they were on the boat as they rocked back and forth as Jesus slept. No wonder Peter lost focus on Jesus when he stepped out of the boat. The storms do suddenly appear. There was no rain, just a lot of wind.





By dinner time last night the person whom I shared accommodations with arrived. She was not permitted to get on the plane to Tel Aviv because she had brought the wrong passport. Continental Airlines sent her back to Texas to get the correct passport, rescheduled her on the next flight to Tel Aviv and she met up with us for dinner last night. I can only begin to imagine how tired she must be.

After breakfast: a choice of salads, pickled herring, breads and cheese, hardboiled eggs, cereal, and pastries we boarded the bus. The routine is wake up call at 6, breakfast no later than 7 and on the bus by 8. We have a responsible group and have not had to wait on anyone.

Today was one of my favorite days. It was filled with incredible experiences as we spent the day on the northern end of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus did much of his ministry.

The Sea of Galilee is also known as ‘the Sea of Chinnereth’ (or ‘Chinneroth’), from the Hebrew word for a harp-like instrument (Num. 34:11; Josh. 12:3; 13:27); ‘the Sea of Tiberias’ (John 6:1; 21:1); ‘the Lake of Gennesaret’ (Luke 5:1); and ‘the waters of Gennesaret’ (1 Macc. 11:67). Elsewhere, it is referred to simply as ‘the lake’ (Luke 5:2; 8:22-33) or ‘the sea’ (John 6:16-25). It appears as ‘the Sea of Galilee’ in Matt. 4:18; 15:29 and Mark 1:16; 7:31.

Due to the height of the hills (1,200 to 1,500 feet) surrounding the below-sea-level lake, abrupt temperature shifts occur, causing sudden and violent storms, as the NT accounts indicate (Matt. 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25; Matt. 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-52; John 6:16-21). The northern end of the lake has little protection and remains subject to strong winds. Nevertheless, the natural features of climate, fertile soil, and abundance of water attracted inhabitants from prehistoric times to the present day to settle along the shores of the lake.

Much of Jesus’ ministry occurred in the vicinity of the Sea of Galilee. Our first stop began with a visit to the Mount of Beatitudes where we heard the Sermon on the Mount in its entirety Matthew 5-7). Located on a small hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee near Tabgha, this site is the traditional site of Jesus' delivery of the Sermon on the Mount.