Hello, my “Walking with Jesus” friends on this Friday,
Have you ever had the exhilarating experience of entering a famous city for the very first time? Perhaps you’d heard so much about the city that you carefully planned your first visit. As you arrived, were you anxious about what experiences might be awaiting you? Summer travels provide many people that opportunity, maybe you’ll experience that this summer in your travels?
I left you yesterday on the deck of a sailing ship, with the apostle Paul, in the year 51ad. This ship is pulling out of the harbor of Ephesus, a seaside city in the country we know today as Turkey. Paul’s ship is heading out on the open water of the Mediterranean Sea, and as the wind catches the sails, they billow out full and this great ship lurches forward in the water, heading southeast toward Caesarea.
Interestingly, that’s not how Dr. Luke described this homebound journey in Acts 18:18 “Paul…left the brothers and sisters in Corinth and sailed for Syria…” I find that fascinating, do you know why? Paul is on the homeward leg of his second great missionary journey. He and Silas had departed from Syrian Antioch more than two years before. By the time Paul will arrive back in Antioch, this journey will have covered more than 2800 miles!
But this ship Paul is on is not heading to Antioch in Syria, it’s heading to Caesarea! From Caesarea it will be a hike of about 70 miles north to Jerusalem, and then another 300 miles north to Antioch, Syria! Was there no other ship available? Or was this return voyage, as all other aspects of Paul’s voyage, Holy Spirit led and strategic, yet not necessarily the most efficient in travel time? Oh, my friends, part of why I like traveling with Paul is how God leads Paul on an adventure, with every new day, every new stop along the way, being full of possibilities for God to do some significant things!
So, with sails full of wind, this ship is headed southeast toward Caesarea. Does the name of that city stir up memories for you and me of some significant things which have happened there in the 25 years or so since that world changing Passover/Easter weekend, when Jesus Christ was crucified and resurrected from the dead?
Perhaps you remember it was to this great city Caesarea that the Holy Spirit led Philip the Deacon as he fled the persecution in Jerusalem which was led by a zealous Pharisee named Saul Paulus of Tarsus! Yes, the very same Paul, with whom we are now standing on the deck of this sailing ship. Philip had fled from Jerusalem into Samaria, and he presented the Gospel to Samaritans. Amazingly, the Holy Spirit had confirmed the authenticity of their salvation. (Acts 8:1-25)
Then the Holy Spirit led Philip from Samaria to Jerusalem for an encounter with an Ethiopian Treasury official. He also had trusted the truth Philip presented about Jesus and this official may have become the first African Christian, as he headed back home to Ethiopia! (Acts 8:26-39)
Finally, the Holy Spirit led Philip to Caesarea where he evidently settled down, married, raised a family and we presume shared the Gospel faithfully throughout Caesarea. (Acts 21:8) We have no indication Paul yet knew anything about Philip on this first visit to Caesarea. Years later, however, they will meet here in this great city!
Perhaps you recall the apostle Peter also had a remarkable experience here in Caesarea. Through a vision, the Holy Spirit led Peter to Caesarea for the purpose of meeting a Roman Centurion named Cornelius, a worshiper of God, who wanted to hear about the Gospel of Jesus Christ! That was way, way outside Peter’s Jewish comfort zone! It required every ounce of faith in God that Peter could muster, to obediently come to Caesarea and present the Gospel of Jesus to a Roman military officer, and his house full of Gentiles!!
That event was so significant it required the entire 10th chapter of Acts for Dr. Luke to recount the world changing details, for from this event on, Gentiles were welcomed in the global Jesus movement! Undoubtedly, in the ensuing years as they had met, Peter told Paul all the details of that remarkable event, perhaps more than once.
This sea voyage of Paul’s, from Ephesus to Caesarea, would have likely taken about two weeks, depending on the wind and sea currents. But as the coastline began to rise up on the horizon, I can see Paul peering ahead, shielding his eyes, looking for his first glimpse of this magnificent, seaside city, Caesarea. More than 70 years before King Herod the Great had rallied thousands of workers and spent a fortune building this seaside hamlet into a magnificent city worthy of the Caesar, thus its name.
This was the regional Roman authority with a military garrison stationed here. Herod had erected palaces, a massive amphitheater, overlooking the harbor, with magnificent acoustics, able to accommodate perhaps 10,000 people! Herod had constructed a hippodrome for chariot races and other athletic competition.
From the springs near Mt Carmel, a remarkable aqueduct system was constructed stretching many miles, bringing fresh water to Caesarea! Some ruins of all these construction projects still rise up from the archeological digs at Caesarea today, 2000 years later, causing this to be one of the most frequently visited places on most “Holy Land tours”. Perhaps most amazing was the harbor, into which the ship carrying Paul is now entering.
Modern explorer divers have found huge stones measuring 50ft x 18ft x 9ft at a depth of 120ft of water. The breakwater erected with these huge stones was so effective historians wrote that no waves entered this harbor in the first century! It should not be difficult for us to stand amazed, alongside Paul, watching this magnificent harbor and city rise up before us, as our ship enters the Caesarea harbor!
We don’t know how long Paul lingered here in this magnificent city, but I have to believe with all the sites to see, Paul stayed several days before heading north to Jerusalem. Luke only gives us these few words of description: “When Paul landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem…” (Acts 18:22)
Knowing Paul as I do, I cannot imagine Paul disembarked down the gangplank of this ship and headed straight for the main road to Jerusalem. From the harbor, as he entered this great city there was so much beckoning him to spend at least a few days, as he did in Philippi, or Thessalonica, or Athens, or Corinth, or Ephesus.
Soon, with his bag slung over his shoulder, Paul headed north, his excitement growing with every step. Jerusalem awaited him. As we walk along with Paul, perhaps you’ve noticed we’ve made no mention of Silas or Timothy for quite some time. In fact, the last time the name ‘Silas’ appears in the book of Acts is 18:5, when he joined Paul in Corinth.
Some Bible scholars believe Silas remained there in Corinth, to continue the work Paul had begun in that great city, teaching those early Christians. Some scholars believe Timothy took Paul’s second letter back to the Thessalonians, and thus Paul traveled alone on this ship, and alone he walked toward Jerusalem.
Paul was filled to overflowing with all God had done since he was last in Jerusalem. He was so anxious to report to those in Jerusalem and finally those in Antioch, all that Jesus had accomplished on this great second missionary journey. As we walk with Paul, reflect for a moment.
What have been some of the great experiences of your life over the past few years? How have those experiences impacted and maybe even changed your life? And more important, what impact has your life had on those who your life has touched, these past few years?
Have we, like Paul, made a difference in our world as we have ‘walked with Jesus’ these past few years, my friends? Here’s a song to help us consider that. . .
Today’s Scripture is Acts 18:22.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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