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Series Code: TIJ
Program Code: TIJ002108A
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00:28 The Sea of Galilee is the most famous, the best known and the 00:32 most loved body of water in the world. It isn't really a sea but 00:37 actually Israel's largest fresh water lake. It's been called by 00:41 different names throughout its history including Lake of 00:44 Gennesaret, Sea of Tiberius and Lake Tiberius. In 1996, during a 00:53 period of terrible drought here in Israel the water level 00:57 dropped dramatically exposing extensive mud flats. Two 01:01 brothers Moshe and Yuval Lufan saw this as a golden opportunity 01:05 to look for hidden treasure. As they were searching along the 01:09 receding shoreline of the lake, they came upon a piece of wood 01:13 sticking up out of the mud. When they looked closer they found 01:18 some ancient coins and then some very old iron nails. As they 01:23 started to expose the wood they were astounded to find that it 01:28 was in the shape of a boat entirely buried in the mudflats 01:32 near the shore. Archeologists were called in and soon an 01:36 excavation was under way. The brothers had made an incredible 01:41 discovery. They had indeed found treasure. They discovered the 01:46 first and only ancient ship ever found in the Sea of Galilee. 01:49 It was 2000 years old and came from the first century, the time 01:55 of Jesus. Join me as we follow the emotional and suspenseful 01:59 recovery of the Galilee boat and more importantly the inspiring 02:05 story of the most famous fisherman in history whose life 02:08 is illuminated by the discovery of the ancient fishing boat. 02:13 ♪ ♪ 02:29 The Sea of Galilee is situated in northeast Israel and is fed 02:32 partly by underground springs although its main source is the 02:36 Jordan River which flows through it from north to south. 02:40 It would take you about three days to leisurely walk the 53 km 02:45 around the lake. It's 21 km long and 13 km wide. Over the 02:53 centuries it's provided rich fishing grounds for local 02:56 fishermen. The northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee was the 03:02 center of the fish salting industry 2000 years ago. Local 03:07 fishermen used boats and nets to catch the fish here that were 03:11 dried and exported to various parts of the Roman Empire. In 03:15 the towns along the shore, the fish would be salted and packed 03:19 in baskets for export. Then the fishermen would take it on 03:23 wagons pulled by mules to shops in Jerusalem or to a sea port 03:27 where it would be loaded on ships and taken to Rome. Dried 03:32 fish from Galilee was considered a delicacy among Roman 03:36 aristocracy. In ancient times, fishing boats were an integral 03:43 part of life here in Galilee. And now for the very first time 03:47 one of these boats had been discovered. But it brought 03:50 unique challenges to recover and preserve it. Firstly, the 03:55 waterlogged timbers were as soft as wet cardboard. So it wasn't 04:00 possible to simply dig the boat out of the mud. Secondly, the 04:06 rains had come and the water level began to rise and 04:10 threatened to flood the excavation. And then rumors 04:14 spread that the boat was full of gold and so the excavation had 04:18 to be guarded day and night. What happened next was 04:22 remarkable. Marathon, around- the-clock excavations began 04:27 working against both the rising waters of the Sea of Galilee and 04:32 treasure seekers. For 11 days archeologists and volunteers 04:36 worked day and night to save the boat. They quickly built a 04:42 massive dike around the site to prevent the lake from flooding 04:45 it. The hull was strengthened with fiberglass and then encased 04:49 in a polyurethane cocoon to hold it together. Tunnels were dug 04:54 under the boat and its side was strengthened. Then water was 04:59 pumped into the big pit and the boat was floated ashore and 05:02 lifted by crane into a conservation pool. For the next 05:07 11 years specialists worked on it replacing the water in the 05:12 wood with a synthetic wax that penetrated the timber and 05:16 strengthened it so that it could be put on display. And here it 05:26 is, the 2000-year-old Galilee boat from the time of Jesus on 05:31 display at the Yigal Allon Museum at Kabbutz Ginnosar on 05:35 the shores of Galilee. It's made of wood and is 8.3 meters long, 05:41 2.3 meters wide and 1.3 meters high. This size would have 05:46 enabled it to carry up to 15 people. Boats like this are 05:50 mentioned more than 50 times in the Bible account of Jesus' 05:53 ministry in Galilee. Four of his disciples were fishermen who 05:58 worked in this area and used boats just like this one. Now 06:07 the Galilee boat may not be the exact one that Jesus and his 06:12 disciples used, but it's still a real treasure because it gives 06:15 us an opportunity to look back many centuries and to visualize 06:19 what life was like on the Sea of Galilee in the momentous days of 06:24 Jesus' ministry here. It was a boat like this that had been out 06:31 on the Sea of Galilee on a long stormy night and in the early 06:36 morning's light four fisherman had beached their two fishing 06:40 vessels with nothing to show for hours of toil. They dragged 06:44 several casting nets from the boats, then began throwing them 06:48 and pulling them through the water to clear the nets of 06:52 debris. One of the bearded, deeply tanned men was quite 06:55 an imposing figure. His name was Peter, the leader of the group. 06:59 He beckoned some of his hired men and pointed out spots in the 07:03 nets that needed mending. He was not in a good mood. Peter didn't 07:09 take failure lightly. Engrossed in cleaning out the boat, he 07:14 didn't notice at first that a large crowd was starting to 07:17 gather on the shore. Suddenly he looked up and hundreds of people 07:22 were standing there. And in the middle of them all a man he 07:26 thought he recognized. The man began to speak. Yes, it was the 07:32 teacher from nearby Nazareth. Peter was about to have an 07:36 extraordinary encounter with Jesus. An encounter that would 07:39 turn his world upside down. For many people it seems that 07:44 religion is fine, for the weak that is, for those who can't get 07:48 around on their own. Some people just need the comfort and 07:52 reassurance of faith. But the strong, the secure and the able 07:57 bodied, well they seem to be doing quite well on their own. 08:00 Religion for them just seems to be something that slows you 08:05 down. Today we'll meet a dynamic self-sufficient individual who 08:10 had to face the question, Do you have to become weak to become 08:14 a Christian? That individual was Peter the fisherman. We meet 08:22 him on the shore of this lake, the Sea of Galilee, after a long 08:26 unsuccessful night of fishing. Jesus arrived on the scene and 08:31 began teaching the crowd. Peter listened as he worked on his 08:34 boat. He'd liked Jesus from the very moment they met. He was so 08:39 different from the scribes and priests who were always knit 08:42 picking about some detail of the law. In fact he was different 08:47 from almost all the religious people Peter knew. He seemed to 08:50 belong out here in the great outdoors. There was a sense of 08:54 power in his bearing that matched the elements. The crowd 08:58 kept thickening on the beach. People in the back tried to push 09:02 there was closer and Jesus found himself stepping back into the 09:06 water. So he turned and asked Peter if he could get into his 09:10 boat. The fisherman was happy to oblige. After Jesus had 09:14 finished his talk, he suggested something quite unexpected. 09:18 Let's go fishing. He asked Peter to take the boat out into the 09:23 deep water and let down the net. Peter looked at Jesus in 09:27 surprise and then explained, We worked here on the Sea of 09:31 Galilee all night and we worked hard and we caught nothing. You 09:36 see the prime hours of fishing were always at night. No one 09:40 caught much in broad daylight. But Peter caught the earnest 09:43 look in Jesus' eyes and he said, But at your bidding I will let 09:48 down the net. As the fisherman adjusted the sail and pointed 09:53 the bow of his vessel out toward the middle of the lake, as he 09:57 sat there in the stern with the cool wind off the water blowing 10:01 through his beard he didn't realize that he was sailing out 10:05 to meet his destiny. This was to be a turning point in his life. 10:09 Jesus came to ask Peter to be a full time disciple, to leave his 10:15 fishing business and follow him on the road and Peter presented 10:20 a special problem to Jesus. It wasn't that Peter couldn't make 10:24 decisions. Peter usually made them instantly. It wasn't that 10:30 Peter shrank from challenges. He thrived on them. He would 10:32 butt heads with anyone, take on any obstacle. The problem was 10:36 that Jesus' call consisted of two words, Follow Me. And Peter 10:43 was anything but a follower. Peter was a born leader, a 10:47 confident man, a provider. He'd made good in the fishing 10:51 business. He didn't need anybody to hold his hand. 10:56 Peter's temperament stands out clearly in his later contacts 11:00 with Jesus. He wanted to be a player in the game. If Jesus was 11:06 out walking on the water, then Peter wanted to walk on the 11:09 water as well. If Jesus asked for a declaration of faith, then 11:15 Peter would be the first to give it. He was bold, brash and up 11:20 front. Once on a mountain top not far from here Jesus was 11:25 transfigured before Peter and two other disciples. He appeared 11:29 in awesome divine glory along with Moses and Elijah. What was 11:35 Peter's response? Oh, it's great to be here, he said. Let's build 11:40 three temples, one for each of you. On another occasion when 11:45 Jesus spoke of the suffering that awaited him, Peter took him 11:49 aside and tried to straighten him out. We read about it in 11:54 Matthew 16 and verse 22: 12:01 Peter embodied the strong self confident man. It wasn't that he 12:07 didn't admire and love Jesus. He just wasn't a follower. Weak 12:12 people, needy people, follow. They follow Jesus easily it 12:17 seems. The lame was healed, the blind given sight, the paralyzed 12:22 lifted to their feet. These individuals naturally wanted to 12:26 follow the powerful miracle working Christ, but what about 12:30 Peter? As he sailed out into the middle of the Sea of Galilee, he 12:35 was about to face an important question. Do you have to become 12:41 weak to become a follower of Christ. Many people today face a 12:47 challenge similar to Peter's. Strong, self-sufficient 12:50 individuals wonder what religion has in it for them. They see 12:55 people whose lives are falling apart collapse into God's arms. 12:59 They see the hurting and the broken come for restoration. 13:05 They hear calls to bring their miserable lives to Jesus, to lay 13:08 their burdens down at the foot of the cross. That's fine for 13:12 some. But they don't feel particularly burdened or broken. 13:15 So they conclude religion isn't really for them. Many men have 13:21 have this kind of reaction. They see themselves above all as 13:26 providers. They want to take care of business. They want to 13:29 be strong. And then someone comes along and makes an appeal 13:34 to come to Jesus with all your troubles. Well that seems 13:39 passive, submissive. It seems like giving up. They can't 13:43 imagine that the object of life is to have someone else take 13:47 care of you. Do you have to become weak in order to become 13:52 a Christian? That's the question strong, secure people face today 13:56 and it's a question Peter faced as he sailed out on the Sea of 14:01 Galilee. Peter let down the sail as his boat reached the deep 14:05 part of the lake. Then just as Jesus had instructed he threw 14:09 out the net. It sank into the water and almost immediately 14:12 began to fill with fish, it seemed like a whole school of 14:20 fish. Peter couldn't believe his eyes. He and his brother Andrew 14:25 started to haul in the net, but it was too heavy. The net began 14:28 ripping. They had to call over their partners in another boat 14:31 to help them raise the catch. Peter filled the other boat but 14:36 the net was still bulging. They dumped fish into their own boat 14:40 which actually began to sink. Now Peter was really overwhelmed 14:47 He knew this lake like the palm of his hand. He knew fishing and 14:51 there was no way in the world you could make a catch like this 14:54 in broad daylight. There'd been nothing at this spot the 14:58 previous night. But here this teacher had produced the catch 15:03 of the year with one little suggestion. This was an 15:08 extraordinary man, a great man. Impulsive Peter threw himself 15:15 down at Jesus' feet and said the first thing that popped into his 15:20 head. Depart from me for I am a sinful man, O Lord. And Jesus 15:25 changed his life with one sentence and here it is. 15:29 From now on Peter you'll catch people. That was the call. How 15:36 did Jesus make a disciple out of somebody who was anything but a 15:41 follower? He showed him how much more he could do. He fired 15:44 Peter's imagination. He opened up possibilities. Two boatloads 15:50 of fish did that. That's why Peter responded when Christ said 15:54 Follow me, and I'll make you a fisher of men. Luke tells us 16:00 that after he'd brought his fishing vessels to the shore 16:02 Peter left everything and followed Jesus. Christ has a 16:08 special message for the strong. Follow me and you can do more 16:12 than you ever dreamed possible. You can do more not less. Listen 16:17 to the benediction of Paul, another very strong individual, 16:22 written in his letter to the Ephesians in Ephesians 3:20: 16:40 Two boats filled with fish were immeasurably more than Peter 16:44 could have imagined. He was overwhelmed by the power and 16:48 nobility of Christ. So he set out on the road with him. But 16:52 that was just the beginning of the story. That was just the 16:56 beginning of a series of adventures that were to change 16:59 Peter's life. This strong, self sufficient individual had been 17:04 attracted to Christ because of a big challenge, becoming a fisher 17:09 of men. But now he had a very important lesson to learn and it 17:13 would take a long time to learn it. Peter had to become strong 17:18 in a different way. He had to become bold and courageous in a 17:22 different way. It wasn't enough simply to join forces with 17:27 Christ. The power of Christ had to get inside him in some way. 17:31 That power, that supernatural strength, that spiritual 17:36 strength did get into Peter's heart and soul. Christ did 17:40 transform him although we don't see it clearly until after Jesus 17:44 goes back to heaven. Let me give you a few examples of that 17:49 transformation, that different kind of strength. Strong, secure 17:53 people tend to say whatever's on their minds without fretting. 17:58 They don't think about the consequences. Peter was 18:01 certainly that way. But he was also very impulsive and tended 18:06 to get his foot caught in his mouth a lot. We see that 18:09 throughout the gospels. But let's take a look at Peter later 18:13 in the book of Acts in Jerusalem He was once brought before a 18:18 Jewish council for speaking about Jesus at the temple. He'd 18:21 just been imprisoned for doing that and now he was at it again. 18:26 The Jewish officials put on their most indignant faces. You 18:30 have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, they thundered. The 18:35 officials were sure that they could intimidate this former 18:38 fisherman who stood before them. After all, this was Peter, who 18:42 when Jesus was arrested, had run away with the other disciples. 18:47 And then at Jesus' trial he denied to a servant that he even 18:51 knew Jesus. They just needed to get Peter's impulses going the 18:56 right direction. But instead of apologizing and promising not to 19:01 speak again, Peter replied calmly, We ought to obey God 19:06 rather than men and he went on to remind them that they'd 19:11 condemned Jesus to death on a cross and that God had raised 19:14 him from the dead and exalted him to heaven. Peter ended with 19:18 this assertion, We are his witnesses of these things. 19:23 The Jewish officials didn't quite know what to do. This was 19:28 a different man standing before them. This was a different kind 19:31 of strength, a steadier resolve. In the end, they gave Peter and 19:38 his companions another warning. They had them beaten and sent 19:41 them on their way. Peter rejoiced that he could suffer 19:46 shame in Christ's name. Yes, something had happened to that 19:52 fisherman. Before when Peter spoke he had to take his foot 19:55 out of his mouth. Now when Peter spoke thousands were converted. 20:01 Peter had displayed a different kind of courage before. When 20:06 Jesus warned that his disciples would forsake him in the hour of 20:10 trial, Peter answered back in Matthew chapter 26 and 20:13 verses 33 and 35: 20:25 And Peter meant those words. He was willing to die like a man 20:30 for the cause of Christ. He was also willing to fight like a man 20:34 When soldiers arrived in the Garden of Gethsemane Peter drew 20:40 his sword. As they stepped forward to arrest Jesus, he 20:43 lunged forward and cut off the ear of the high priest's servant 20:46 Jesus had to tell him to put his weapon away. But then when 20:51 Jesus allowed himself to be dragged away, Peter's resolve 20:56 vanished. He found himself running for his life in the 20:59 night along with the other disciples. Peter was prepared to 21:06 fight for Jesus, but he wasn't prepared to be mocked because 21:09 of Jesus. That same night a servant girl thought she 21:13 recognized Peter and taunted him as one of Jesus' Galilean 21:17 followers. Others joined in. Peter swore angrily, I don't 21:22 know the man. Before he knew it he denied the one who meant 21:27 everything to him. Peter thought he would be the one to stand 21:32 strong in the worst of times. But he buckled under pressure 21:37 like everyone else. So we've seen this contrast between Peter 21:43 before and Peter after. We've seen the difference between a 21:46 man who thought he was strong and a man who really did find 21:52 inner strength. So what made the difference? What happened to 21:56 Peter? Well to understand, let's take a look at his failure. 22:02 After he denied Christ, Peter had to take a good hard look at 22:07 himself. Peter was a doer, a mover, a shaker, a very self 22:11 confident man. He wasn't used to taking good hard looks at 22:16 himself but now he had to face his weaknesses his vulnerability 22:21 and this finally enabled him to open up to the kind of strength 22:26 that Christ has to offer. It enabled him to accept his need 22:31 of a deeper kind of courage. The love of Christ broke through. 22:37 It won him over. And so when the Holy Spirit was poured out on 22:41 the day of Pentecost, Peter received it wholeheartedly. He 22:45 was ready. Pride no longer put up barriers. He wasn't posturing 22:51 He wasn't pretending to be the self-sufficient one any longer. 22:55 He was pleading as the one in need. We get a glimpse of what 23:00 Peter learned in his first letter. Listen to what he wrote 23:04 in I Peter chapter 4 verses 10 and 11: 23:33 And that's it friends. This admonition is really a picture 23:38 of Peter's new life. He wasn't just trying hard on his own. He 23:43 was aware of God's gift, of God's grace working inside of 23:49 him. When he spoke it wasn't just his own eloquence that 23:53 counted. It was God's word expressed through him. When he 23:57 served, he served with the strength that God provided. Did 24:01 Peter become a weak person after his conversion? Not at all. He 24:06 found more resilient strength. He found a deeper courage, but 24:12 did this strong person have to come to understand his 24:16 weaknesses. Certainly yes. He had to see that he couldn't do 24:20 it on his own. He had to see that to stand strong you have to 24:25 stand with Christ. Before Peter's courage was a little 24:30 like tin armor, a bit brittle with a hollow echo inside. After 24:37 Peter's courage was like tempered steel. Do you have to 24:40 become weak to be a Christian? No. But you do have to 24:44 acknowledge your weaknesses in order to become truly strong. 24:49 A most powerful personality in history invites you to share in 24:54 his life. He wants to pour a more resilient strength inside 24:58 of you, a deeper courage inside of you. The most powerful and 25:03 loving personality in history wants to change you from the 25:09 inside out, but you have to come to him, acknowledging your need 25:14 without posturing, without pretention. You have to come 25:18 just as you are. Let's join Peter right now as we respond 25:22 to Christ's great call, Follow Me, as we pray. 25:26 Dear Father, thank you for showing us what real inner 25:31 strength is all about. We want to become all that you intend us 25:37 to be, but we can't do it on our own. We become proud and brittle 25:42 just relying on our own strength So we come to you acknowledging 25:46 that even our strength there is weakness. We ask in the name of 25:51 Jesus our Savior, Amen. 25:56 The story of Peter and his encounter with Jesus Christ 26:02 shows how God puts people in touch with real courage. 26:05 It pierces right through our pretensions and our pride. 26:09 Jesus' relationship with Peter is just one example of many 26:14 encounters in the Gospels where Jesus met individuals need. If 26:19 you are looking for ways to find real courage and have a closer 26:23 relationship with God, then I'd like to recommend a free gift 26:27 we have for all our viewers today. It's the booklet Standing 26:33 in the Circle. This booklet is our gift to you and is 26:37 absolutely free. There are no costs or obligations whatsoever. 26:40 So make the most of this wonderful opportunity to receive 26:44 the gift we have for you today. Here's the information you need: 26:50 Phone or text us at 0436333555 in Australia or 0204222042 in 27:03 New Zealand or visit our website www.tij.tv to request today's 27:09 free offer and we'll send it to you totally free of charge and 27:14 with no obligation. Write to us at: 27:35 Don't delay. Call or text us now 27:39 If you've enjoyed today's journey to the Sea of Galilee in 27:44 Israel and our reflections on the life of Peter the fisherman, 27:48 then be sure to join us again next week when we will share 27:51 another of life's journeys together. Until then remember 27:55 the ultimate destination of life's journey. Now I saw a new 27:59 heaven and a new earth. And God will wipe away every tear from 28:03 their eyes. There shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying 28:08 There shall be no more pain for the former things have passed 28:11 away. 28:13 ♪ ♪ |
Revised 2021-09-15