ARBEL: The Gospel is Still the Answer

"Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:16–20)

Where do we find hope in a dark and hopeless world? What answer do we give to people who suffer and struggle with the wickedness that they see around them? Is there any hope? Are there answers? Yes! Hope is available through the Lord Jesus Christ, and the answer that the world needs is still the Gospel message. One of the many places that truth is illustrated in the Holy Land is on top of Mount Arbel.

Arbel towers 800 feet above the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee. Below Arbel’s steep cliffs is the Valley of the Doves, through which the International Highway once passed. Anyone traveling around the Sea of Galilee would have passed by Arbel and used it as an identifiable landmark from anywhere around the lake. In fact, in Matthew 4:12-13, when Jesus moved from Nazareth to Capernaum, this is the route He would have taken. Standing atop Arbel, you get not only a remarkable view of Galilee, but you can see where approximately two-thirds of the gospel took place.

As beautiful as the view is, Arbel has a bloody history. According to the brochure given by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority: “The historian of the Roman period, Josephus Flavius, is the only source for a description of the battle between the Galilean Zealots, who barricaded themselves at Arbel, and Herod the Great, in 37 BC. Josephus relates that Marc Antony had sent Herod to suppress a rebellion by Jews from “the village of Arbella” who were '…lurking in caves…opening up onto mountain precipices [that] were inaccessible from any quarter, except by some tortuous and extremely narrow paths leading up to them; the cliff in front of them dropped sheer down…' (Josephus, War 1: 305, 310). Herod overcame the rebels only after he had the best of his warriors lowered to the caves in cages suspended by ropes, from which the Zealots became convenient targets for their fiery brands and arrows. The Zealots fought to the death; Josephus describes one old man who, rather than surrender, closed his ears to the screams of his wife and his seven sons, killed them and threw them into the gorge, jumping after them to his own death.”

While Arbel is not mentioned in the Scriptures, there is a great possibility that it served as the location for several events in the life of Jesus. This is mere speculation, but Arbel could have been the mountain where Jesus spent the night in prayer and then in the morning, chose twelve apostles out of the disciples that had gathered (Luke 6). Some believe that the Sermon on the Mount took place here as Matthew refers to a mountain and Luke a plain. Arbel certainly would fit that description.

The final event that some believe took place on Arbel was the giving of the Great Commission in Galilee. If Jesus gathered with a large group on a mountain in Galilee, there are not many possible candidates for the location. It would seem to be poetic if Arbel were the location, as the hopelessness of the mount could only be overcome by the power of the Gospel. Could it be that from a place with a bloody history, Jesus told His followers to go everywhere and tell everyone about Him?

Mt. Arbel as viewed from the Sea of Galilee

Fast-forward nearly 2,000 years and we find ourselves in a culture that is experiencing hopelessness. Questions swirl in our hearts and minds concerning where we are as a nation, how we got here and what the future holds. Yet, these are not unique days. We are not the first generation of believers to face the darkness of a culture. Ever since sin entered the world, death has reigned. The first human born became the first murderer. Roughly 1,500 years after the first perfect family sinned, God wiped out all but eight people in the flood and started over with an imperfect family. Throughout the ages, God’s people have lived in difficult days and experienced pain and persecution. Think of Stephen in the book of Acts. Consider James, Timothy, Paul, Peter and the other early followers of Christ. They did not have a “Christian Nation” or personal freedoms guaranteed by their government. What they had was a deep passion for Christ, a commission to reach the world and an unwavering commitment to please their Lord. Sometimes it cost them a night in jail, threats or beatings. Sometimes it cost them their lives. No matter the cost, they did not cry nor complain. They did not bemoan their loss of freedom. Instead, Paul and Silas sang and prayed in a jail cell. Others boldly stood and declared the only answer this world has ever needed: the glorious Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. His sacrifice on Calvary and resurrection from the dead for the sin debt of humanity is the message we preach. It is the message the world needs. It is the only message this world needs. Kingdoms come and go, but Christ’s eternal kingdom is all that matters.

Do not lose heart. Do not allow the darkness to overwhelm you. Stand upon the bloody Arbels of your life and this culture and declare that Jesus is the Christ. ■