Have you ever wondered why he goes to Caesarea Philippi, an area where the god, Pan is worshipped? I have…Why on earth would Jesus use his few remaining days to visit the place of a pagan shrine?
On my trip to Israel, when I visited that region, the answer was revealed to me. Jesus did not go to see anyone…there weren’t many followers of his there. He went to visit a location…the same reason he went to Sarepta. He went to the area where he would begin his life’s journey…
The Hermon Mountain range looms over the area, once known as Caesarea Philippi (now Baneas). Snow remains on Mt. Hermon (sacred mountain) all year long, and underground springs originate from these mountains. Mt. Hermon was also called Mt. Sion (elevated) and was the northernmost boundary of Israel, granted by Moses. These springs feed the Jordan River…they are its source (Deuteronomy 4:48).
…Deuteronomy 4:48…from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of Arnon, even as far as Mt Sion (that is, Hermon).
The Jordan River (the descender…watering place) is the physical symbol of life to those who live in the Holy Land…the physical symbol of life to Jesus. And where possible, I believe he will make his last journey to Jerusalem, in the last year of his life, following the Jordan River down to the Dead Sea (symbolic of death). In this way, symbolically covering his life’s span, from birth to death.
The springs of Hermon also represent the spirit of God, from which all life emanates. So in this journey, he is returning to the Father, both physically and spiritually. It is the “beginning” to ready himself for the horrendous ordeal to come, and the “end”.
It will probably take the better part of two days to travel to Caesarea Philippi from Bethsaida, a distance of about twenty five miles.
There he tells his disciples of the destiny awaiting him in Jerusalem. He tells them of the suffering that will be inflicted on him by the elders, chief priests and scribes, and of his death, which will be followed by his resurrection (Matthew 16:21; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:21,22).
…MATTHEW 16:21…From that time Jesus Christ (The first time this title is used) began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.
He has gained the enmity of the Pharisees and Herodians, in Galilee. In Jerusalem his fate will be sealed by making enemies of the Saduccees. The Saduccees are the “elders”, the chief priests” and “scribes”. They control the Sanhedrin, the supreme judicial body of the Jews in Jerusalem. They are even more concerned about maintaining the established order than the Pharisees and will violently oppose anyone who might be able to upset it…like Jesus of Nazareth. They came very close to arresting him the previous Passover, in the Temple in Jerusalem (John 7:40-44).
…JOHN 7:40-44…Some of the multitude therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, “This certainly is the Prophet.” Others were saying, “This is the Christ.” Still others were saying, “Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He? Has not the scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and from the village of Bethlehem, where David was?” So there arose a division in the multitude because of Him. And some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him.
Jerusalem is in the Province of Judea, governed by the Roman Prefect, Pontius Pilate. The Saduccees are wealthy and influential men, who can make their influence felt by Pontius Pilate. And they, along with the Pharisees from Jerusalem, have already visited Galilee with the express purpose of finding out more about his “seditious” ways (Mark 7:1-5).
…MARK 7:1-5…And the Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem, and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, observing the traditions of the elders; and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots). And the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?”
Because Jesus will continue to preach of the Kingdom of God and repentence and of baptism as long as he lives, regardless of the feelings of others, he knows they will take drastic measures to stop him. For the Saduccees view his teachings as an appeal to the masses to overthrow the existing regime and establish another. Most fail to understand that he is not teaching about the existing physical kingdom, but rather of God’s Kingdom that will come. But they believe, emphatically, that he represents a threat to established order.
It is here, near Caesarea Philippi, that Peter recognizes that Jesus is the Christ. It is believed by many, myself included, that even though Peter is a “rock”. It will be Jesus, the ROCK, upon which the church will be built. Jesus is no doubt inspired to use this symbolism because of the large out-croppings of rock in the area (Mark 8:29; Matthew 16:18…in keeping with Isaiah 26:4)…
…MARK 8:27-31…And Jesus went out, along with His disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, “Who do people say that I am?” And they told Him, saying, “John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; and still others one of the prophets.” And He continued by questioning them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to Him, “Thou art the Christ.” And He warned them to tell no one about Him.
…MATTHEW 16:18-20…“And I say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it. I will give you (Peter) the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth, shall have been loosed in heaven.” Then He warned the disciples that they should not tell anyone that He was the Christ.
…ISAIAH 26:4…“Trust in the Lord forever, For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting rock.”It is also here that Jesus rebukes Peter for another example of a lack of faith. After Jesus tells his disciples of his coming death, Peter says, “…This shall never happen to you.” And Jesus replies, “Get thee behind me Satan.” (Matthew 16:22,23; Mark 31-33).
…MATTHEW 16:22,23…And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”
(NOTE: Paul uses the term “stumbling block” in I Corinthians 1:23 in explaining as to why the “Jews” would not accept Jesus as the Christ.)
…I CORINTHIANS 1:23…but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a “stumbling block”, and to Gentiles foolishness.
It is evident that Peter believes that, as Jesus is the Christ…the “Chosen One”, God will not permit this to happen, because Peter expects the kingdom to be established imminently, by Jesus. This, despite the fact that Jesus tells them it is not time for the kingdom and that he must suffer, die, and rise first.
But I believe Jesus delivers this “rebuke” with tongue in cheek. He knows that Peter says this out of loyalty, and he just wants to make a point to all assembled.
A waterfall tumbles down off the cliff near Baneas. I can see Jesus under the falls, soaked to the skin, communing with the Father; and again, he and his followers cavorting in the stream, splashing each other playfully, like little kids.
Unfortunately, I was unable to trek through the undergrowth to see the springs themselves, but I did sit beside one of the streams emanating from them, and drink from it. The water flowed easily over the rocky bottom, clear and cool. I found it very relaxing. I can imagine how much more relaxing and comforting it would be to sit beside the springs that gush forth from the mountainside.
It is beside these springs that Jesus seeks solace with the Father. The bible doesn’t mention his time there, but I’m certain he spends many hours alone with the Father, reaffiriming his faith in his destiny. It is here that he is probably reminded by the Father that his life will not end with death, for he will be resurrected and have everlasting life, just like the springs of Hermon. We read the 23d Psalm and get a better understanding of his feelings at the springs.
…PSALMS 23:1-3…“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures: He leads me beside the quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the path of righteousness for His name’s sake…”
It is here that he begins his final journey…his journey of “life”.