tyrant,” Ari explained to the group. “But as a master planner and builder, he was a daring genius. Israel didn’t have a natural harbor, so he created one here in Caesarea. But his most famous achievement was the complete rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem.”
“Is he the same Herod who was king when Jesus was born?” one of the students asked.
Ari nodded. “Herod was called a king, but he was actually under the authority of Rome.”
Abby snapped several photographs of the Herodian ruins, then followed everyone inside the restored Roman amphitheater and took a seat on the stone bleachers, warmed by the Mediterranean sun. The theater faced the sea, and Abby felt the gentle breeze on her face as she awaited the lecture. Hannah seemed to have soothed Dr. Voss’s temper. They were laughing as the group took seats in front of them. Hannah’s laughter had a joyous, musical sound that reminded Abby of children at play.
“Welcome to the Promised Land,” Hannah began, “the land God chose for His people. We’re sitting beside an ancient travel route—the Via Maris , or Way of the Sea, at the crossroads of three continents—Europe, Africa, and Asia. Unfortunately, the route was also a convenient pathway for invading empires. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Greece, Rome . . . all of these armies marched across the land of Israel. Now, why do you suppose God would put His chosen people at a crossroads? Why not a place that was more isolated—maybe an island, like Cyprus? Wouldn’t it have been easier for the Israelites to keep God’s covenant if they lived apart from the other nations? Why expose them to the temptations of pagan religions and cultures?”
She paused, studying the faces in her audience, then smiled when her gaze settled on Abby. “I believe it was because God knew that many trials would help His people grow in their faith. They would learn to depend on Him and discover that He is trustworthy.”
Abby recalled her morning devotions. The testing of your faith develops perseverance . . . so that you may be mature . . . . She stopped taking notes and listened carefully instead.
“God sent His promised Messiah to a land and a people in crisis. In 63 B.C . the nation lost its freedom to one of those invading empires—Rome. But even before Pompeii’s armies swept through the land, the Jewish religious traditions had been contaminated by the pull of pagan Greek culture. The Jews felt their world crashing in on them, and the way of life they had always known was gravely threatened.”
Against her will, Abby recalled the night she had discovered Mark’s affair, the night twenty-two years of marriage came to an end, shattering her life.
“How would God’s people react to this crisis?” Hannah continued. “Would they strike back at their enemies in revenge? Learn to live with them? Or would they pull away, living separate lives from their invaders?”
Abby knew that she had bounced among all three of these reactions during the past few months, becoming bruised and battered in the process.
“These were three of the reactions in Jesus’ day,” Hannah said. “The Zealots chose to fight against the Romans, the Sad-ducees to compromise with them, and the Pharisees to withdraw from them. All three groups eagerly awaited the promised Messiah. They hoped He would rescue them from a life that had grown intolerable. All three groups had expectations of what His coming would mean.
“And then, on a star-filled night during King Herod’s reign, Jesus the Messiah was born.” Hannah smiled as her eyes met Abby’s again. “He offered a solution to the crisis in their lives. But in spite of all the words that the prophets had spoken, the answer Jesus offered was not what any of them wanted—or expected.”
Abby looked away from Hannah’s penetrating gaze, squinting in the glare of sun on water. She wanted her own pain to end, her frightening anger to be extinguished. She wanted the solution to her own
“Is he the same Herod who was king when Jesus was born?” one of the students asked.
Ari nodded. “Herod was called a king, but he was actually under the authority of Rome.”
Abby snapped several photographs of the Herodian ruins, then followed everyone inside the restored Roman amphitheater and took a seat on the stone bleachers, warmed by the Mediterranean sun. The theater faced the sea, and Abby felt the gentle breeze on her face as she awaited the lecture. Hannah seemed to have soothed Dr. Voss’s temper. They were laughing as the group took seats in front of them. Hannah’s laughter had a joyous, musical sound that reminded Abby of children at play.
“Welcome to the Promised Land,” Hannah began, “the land God chose for His people. We’re sitting beside an ancient travel route—the Via Maris , or Way of the Sea, at the crossroads of three continents—Europe, Africa, and Asia. Unfortunately, the route was also a convenient pathway for invading empires. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Greece, Rome . . . all of these armies marched across the land of Israel. Now, why do you suppose God would put His chosen people at a crossroads? Why not a place that was more isolated—maybe an island, like Cyprus? Wouldn’t it have been easier for the Israelites to keep God’s covenant if they lived apart from the other nations? Why expose them to the temptations of pagan religions and cultures?”
She paused, studying the faces in her audience, then smiled when her gaze settled on Abby. “I believe it was because God knew that many trials would help His people grow in their faith. They would learn to depend on Him and discover that He is trustworthy.”
Abby recalled her morning devotions. The testing of your faith develops perseverance . . . so that you may be mature . . . . She stopped taking notes and listened carefully instead.
“God sent His promised Messiah to a land and a people in crisis. In 63 B.C . the nation lost its freedom to one of those invading empires—Rome. But even before Pompeii’s armies swept through the land, the Jewish religious traditions had been contaminated by the pull of pagan Greek culture. The Jews felt their world crashing in on them, and the way of life they had always known was gravely threatened.”
Against her will, Abby recalled the night she had discovered Mark’s affair, the night twenty-two years of marriage came to an end, shattering her life.
“How would God’s people react to this crisis?” Hannah continued. “Would they strike back at their enemies in revenge? Learn to live with them? Or would they pull away, living separate lives from their invaders?”
Abby knew that she had bounced among all three of these reactions during the past few months, becoming bruised and battered in the process.
“These were three of the reactions in Jesus’ day,” Hannah said. “The Zealots chose to fight against the Romans, the Sad-ducees to compromise with them, and the Pharisees to withdraw from them. All three groups eagerly awaited the promised Messiah. They hoped He would rescue them from a life that had grown intolerable. All three groups had expectations of what His coming would mean.
“And then, on a star-filled night during King Herod’s reign, Jesus the Messiah was born.” Hannah smiled as her eyes met Abby’s again. “He offered a solution to the crisis in their lives. But in spite of all the words that the prophets had spoken, the answer Jesus offered was not what any of them wanted—or expected.”
Abby looked away from Hannah’s penetrating gaze, squinting in the glare of sun on water. She wanted her own pain to end, her frightening anger to be extinguished. She wanted the solution to her own
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