But some of these branches from Abraham's tree … have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, were grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in God's rich nourishment of his special olive tree. … And so all Israel will be saved.
Romans 11:17, 26a NLT |
Israel -- the birthplace of Jesus and the cradle of Christianity. Israel -- the Holy Land; the only place on Earth where you can walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.
It was here that the prophets foretold the coming of the Messiah to take away the sins of the world. It was here that Mary first heard God's call to her through the Angel Gabriel. In this land, Jesus was born in a lowly manger in Bethlehem, and then grew up and studied the Scriptures in Nazareth. This was the place where Jesus began his ministry with the first miracle at the wedding in Cana, turning the water into wine. It was along the banks of the Sea of Galilee that Jesus chose his disciples and started teaching the people and healing the sick. And it was in Jerusalem that Jesus, the Lamb of God, laid down his life for the sins of mankind at Calvary -- and then rose from the dead three days later!
It was from Jerusalem that the early Church was birthed, taking the message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ to the four corners of the globe. Christianity emerged from the Holy Land as one of the great religions in world history. From Jerusalem, the Apostle Peter took the Gospel to the Jews, and later to the Gentiles. Later, the Apostle Paul launched out from the Holy Land to take the Gospel to the entire Roman world.
By visiting modern-day Israel, you can walk the same streets that Jesus and his disciples walked. You can stand on the Mount of Olives and imagine Jesus teaching the disciples. You can visit the Old City of Jerusalem and hear echoes of historic events from nearly four millennia. You can wade in the Sea of Galilee, float in the mineral waters of the Dead Sea, or swim in the waves of the great Mediterranean.
Discover God's promises for you in the Promised Land.
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