The Road to Sepphoris
I've been sharing about our life-changing experience with the evangelical Arab Christian churches in Israel, who are leading Jews, Muslims and nominal Christian Arabs into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Today, I want you to tell you about the road to Sepphoris.
When my wife and I made our first trip to Israel in 2003, we visited the ruins of a first century Roman city called Sepphoris, once the capital of Galilee. It had been burned down by the Roman governor Varus but was believed to have been rebuilt by Herod's son, Antipas, a contemporary of Jesus. Sepphoris is located just over a hill three miles from Nazareth. It was an impressive site with some roads still in tact, a well defined water system and various walls and buildings. During the time of the Romans, Sepphoris included a theater that seated three thousand.
As we were leaving Sepphoris in 2003, heading toward Nazareth, we couldn't help but notice a dirt road that went over a hill that led to Nazareth, which our guide indicated would have been a common path between the two places. Now here is the exciting part. In the first century, Nazareth was very small. Sepphoris was very large and most speculate that workers building this Roman capital were from Nazareth and surrounding villages. Some speculate that Jesus with his father Joseph, may very well have been part of the work force that rebuilt the city, using their carpenter and masonary skills.
On our recent trip, because our conference was held in Nazareth, we had the opportunity to view that same dirt road from our hotel window. It led right out of Nazareth toward Sepphoris. We were now seeing it from the other side. There it was, the same road. Could that have been the path that our Lord walked from his home in Nazareth to work, and then later through Sepphoris to Cana as he began His ministry?
Well, I can't answer that question absolutely. But I can tell you what I'm going to do the next time I visit Nazareth, and I do hope there will be a next time. I'm going to walk that road, all three miles of it, and imagine that Jesus is walking with me—and we're on our way to work together. He will be with me, of course, for didn't He say, "I am surely with you always, to the very end of the age" (Mt. 28:20), and again, "I will never leave you or forsake you," (Heb. 13:5) and is it not true that God's word tells us that it is, "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27)?
So how about you my friends? Do you want to come along with us?
Pastor Don
When my wife and I made our first trip to Israel in 2003, we visited the ruins of a first century Roman city called Sepphoris, once the capital of Galilee. It had been burned down by the Roman governor Varus but was believed to have been rebuilt by Herod's son, Antipas, a contemporary of Jesus. Sepphoris is located just over a hill three miles from Nazareth. It was an impressive site with some roads still in tact, a well defined water system and various walls and buildings. During the time of the Romans, Sepphoris included a theater that seated three thousand.
As we were leaving Sepphoris in 2003, heading toward Nazareth, we couldn't help but notice a dirt road that went over a hill that led to Nazareth, which our guide indicated would have been a common path between the two places. Now here is the exciting part. In the first century, Nazareth was very small. Sepphoris was very large and most speculate that workers building this Roman capital were from Nazareth and surrounding villages. Some speculate that Jesus with his father Joseph, may very well have been part of the work force that rebuilt the city, using their carpenter and masonary skills.
On our recent trip, because our conference was held in Nazareth, we had the opportunity to view that same dirt road from our hotel window. It led right out of Nazareth toward Sepphoris. We were now seeing it from the other side. There it was, the same road. Could that have been the path that our Lord walked from his home in Nazareth to work, and then later through Sepphoris to Cana as he began His ministry?
Well, I can't answer that question absolutely. But I can tell you what I'm going to do the next time I visit Nazareth, and I do hope there will be a next time. I'm going to walk that road, all three miles of it, and imagine that Jesus is walking with me—and we're on our way to work together. He will be with me, of course, for didn't He say, "I am surely with you always, to the very end of the age" (Mt. 28:20), and again, "I will never leave you or forsake you," (Heb. 13:5) and is it not true that God's word tells us that it is, "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27)?
So how about you my friends? Do you want to come along with us?
Pastor Don
posted by Don Kimbro | 1:23 PM
2 Comments:
I would love to walk that road with you - if for no other reason to see more clearly the scenes I've read about all my life in the Bible, perhaps to see a view that Jesus himself may have seen. Pretty awesome.
I think you are right about Joseph and Jesus working at Sepphoris. I think its Josephus that tells us Herod Antipas employed all the tektons (builders - stone masons) within a 25 mile radius of Sepphoris.
There is also an ancient quarry within eye sight of Nazareth not too far from Sepphoris. It's likely that stone from there was used in building Sepphoris. Did Joseph and Jesus work in that quarry?
Imagine walking along that road between Nazareth and Sepphoris or to the quarry to hew stone. Maybe you would get a little dusty along the way.
In the time of Jesus, a disciple would always want to be close to his rabbi - To hear everything he said, to watch what he did, to learn to be like him. There is a saying: "Walk so close to the rabbi that you get covered in his dust." Jesus is our Rabbi, the Rabbi with all auhority.
How close to Jesus do we walk? Close enough to get the dust from His sandles on us as we walk along life's paths?
Whoever claims to live in Him, must walk as Jesus walked. 1 John 2:6
Bless God for you and Dorothy
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