We will wake up on the Sea of Galilee and gather up our belongings for our last day in Israel. Our first stop will be a drive through Cana.
Cana In the Bible
1. Jesus changed water into wine which was His first public miracle at the beginning of His ministry.
John 2:1-11: On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." 4 And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come." 5 His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." 6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast." So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now." 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
2. Jesus also healed an official’s son here in Cana.
John 4:46-54: So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum, there was an official whose son was ill. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 So Jesus said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe." 49 The official said to him, "Sir, come down before my child dies." 50 Jesus said to him, "Go; your son will live." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. 51 As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." 53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." And he himself believed, and all his household. 54 This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.
3. Nathanael, one of the close followers of Christ and close friend (or possibly a brother) of the Apostle Philip, was from Cana.
John 21:2: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together.
4. The Apostle Philip led Nathanael, who was from Cana, to Christ.
John 1:43-51: The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me." 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46 "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip. 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." "How do you know me?" 48 Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you." 49 Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." 50 Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." 51 He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.
Next stop will be Jesus' Boyhood town of Nazareth.
1. Nazareth had an estimated population of around 300 during the time of Christ.
2. It’s a famous town because this is where the Angel Gabriel announced the miraculous virgin birth to Mary.
3. Nazareth is also the place where Jesus grew up.
4. It was a small farming town where everyone knew each other.
5. For some reason, Nazareth had a bad reputation (John 1:43-46).
After our time in Nazareth, we will make our way to Tel Megiddo
Megiddo is an ancient city with future significance. It is located in the middle of the southern Jezreel Valley, in northern Israel. Its prime location gives its inhabitants control over travel from the Mediterranean to the east and a wide scope of the valley below.
1. King Solomon fortified Megiddo and used it for a fort of protection. He had 450 chariots stationed here.
1 Kings 9:15: Now this is the account of the forced labor which King Solomon levied to build the house of the Lord, his own house, the Millo, the wall of Jerusalem, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.
2. A monumental battle will be fought here and in Jerusalem at the end of the Great Tribulation Period.
We will get to see out on an overlook to view where this battle will be fought according to the book of Revelation in the Bible.
Next we will make our way up to Mt. Carmel.
1. The place marking the great showdown between Elijah and the false prophets is known as Deir Al-Mukhraqa Carmelite Monastery.
2. Mount Carmel is located about 9 miles (15 km.) east of the Mediterranean Sea in the Carmel Mountain Range which is in the northern part of Israel. It’s also about 28 miles (44 km.) southwest of the Sea of Galilee.
3. Mount Carmel was a High Place of worship to the false god of Baal and Asherah during the period of Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel, and 1 & 2 Kings.
4. It has a spectacular view of the Jezreel Valley, which is also known as the Valley of Armageddon. Armageddon is where part of the last battle on earth takes place at the end of the Great Tribulation Period.
5. From Mount Carmel, Nazareth and Cana can be seen to the northeast.
Next we will visit Caesarea Maritima.
1. Caesarea was built by Herod the Great about 25 to 13 BC as the port city called “Caesarea Maritime.” It was built on the site of a Phoenician and Greek trade post known as Straton's Tower. The Phoenicians were maritime merchants of the ancient world.
Fare well dinner in Caesarea before your transfer to the airport with a lifetime of memories.
Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for your flight back home.
Farewell!! Thank you for joining us in Israel. Flights should be leaving late night on 09JUN or midnight / 1am flights on 10JUN to coincide with the bus drop-off at airport. Please contact Tabitha@AdoptionAirfare.com for help booking your flights.