Lessons from Israel: Caesarea Philippi

One of the most lush and fertile places in all of Palestine is the village of Caesarea Philippi.  Located north of the Sea of Galilee, it is part of the watershed that feeds the Jordan Valley. Water pours out from underground rivers and aquifers.  In a land where water is the most sought after commodity, Caesarea Philippi is a place of abundance. In a society where Ba’al was the god of water and fertility, it was also a capitol for Ba’al worship.  Worshipping this deity involved unmentionable acts of debauchery and sexual immorality. It is interesting and curious that Jesus would take his disciples to this immoral place. Yet in Matthew 16:13-20, in the midst of idolatry and evil, Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”  Peter famously confesses that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God.

It can be easy enough to make our confession in a church service, a LifeGroup meeting, or with other Christians.  Sometimes God calls us to places where evil and brokenness abound. Sometimes God leads us to places of pain and despair where it seems impossible to see his work or activity.  It is in those places that we can most powerfully confess the lordship of Jesus. He came to be the Lord of everything, not just of church services and Christians. Jesus is Lord in Vegas.  He is Lord in taverns and strip clubs. He is Lord on the streets where junkies and prostitutes live and work. Jesus isn’t afraid of those places. And sometimes he takes us there, shows us the brokenness, and asks us the same question he asked Peter: “Who do you say that I am?”  The next time you encounter despair or immorality or hurt, you can stand with Peter and answer confidently. Jesus is Lord in Caesarea Philippi. He is Lord of all.