A visit that really brought the Bible to life

What is it like to walk in the footsteps of Jesus? Direction features writer Chris Rolfe found out on her first trip to the Holy Land, visiting sites in Galilee that brought Jesus’s ministry to life

As a first-time visitor to Israel, I admit I was nervous about the trip. “Is it safe?” was the first thing anyone asked when I mentioned I was going. Daily news reports and media portrayal of the Israel-Gaza conflict did little to allay my fears.

But the five-day tour I took part in last November turned out to be a faith-enriching experience that nurtured a love for the Holy Land among everyone in our group.

We were a party of Christian media and leaders from various denominations, invited by the Israel Ministry of Tourism in the UK to experience the land where Jesus lived, walked and talked.

Some, like me, were first timers. Others visit the Holy Land regularly to refresh their faith and stand by Israel and its people.

Tourism was decimated in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, and our visit was part of a wider bid to rebuild confidence and inspire renewed faith-based tourism among Christian travellers. Our tour took us to Galilee and Jerusalem – not only through the physical landscape but the spiritual one too. It was led by believing guides who shared facts and scriptural reflections and made space for devotional times at the various locations.

In this article, I’ll focus on Galilee – the region where 80 per cent of the gospel stories about Jesus took place while he lived among and taught fellow Jews.

We visited sites marking the homes and villages of Mary Magdalene, Peter and Jesus’ mother Mary and the places where Jesus chose his disciples, fed the 5,000, delivered the Sermon on the Mount and was baptised.

One poignant moment was our devotion time at the Mount of Beatitudes; reading the Sermon on the Mount and worshipping with the Sea of Galilee as a backdrop.

Another was standing by its shore, watching the sunrise and reflecting that this view was exactly what Jesus would have seen too.

Many of our group and guides summed this up well – visiting these places brings the Bible to life.

I was already grateful to shows like The Chosen for helping to picture Jesus’ ministry. A visit to the Holy Land helps you envision and connect with it so much more.

Was it safe to visit Israel? I felt totally comfortable travelling with a tour operator who organised great guides, secure transport and an itinerary that avoided high-risk or politically sensitive areas. The Israel Ministry of Tourism’s advice is to follow the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) guidance if you’re planning to visit, which at the time of writing shows Israel as safe.

Was a visit to the Holy Land faith-building? Definitely!

As our guide at Magdala, Father Daniel, told us, “Israel is an opportunity for a new encounter with Jesus. It’s a geographical place to visit, but it’s also important to our hearts; a place where we can receive from Jesus.”

This article first appeared in Direction Magazine. For further details, please click here.