It changes everything

Greetings from Jerusalem! Soon, we will be back in the States, sharing stories and testimonies about how Jesus Christ has been moving in our lives as we learn throughout this trip. Consequently, this will be the last blog post that you will have the pleasure of enjoying. May it bring you blessing and encouragement.

Today, I would like to take you on a spiritual journey through the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (https://churchoftheholysepulchre.net/). The Church of the Holy Sepulchre includes both the place of the crucifixion and the tomb of Jesus Christ. Imagine with me, if you will, so that you may vicariously experience the awe and healing that I have been overwhelmed with today.

It starts with a walk through the shops in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City. The street is narrow, but it is empty now because the morning is young. We walk past tourist trinkets, ceramic dish shops, and a spice shop full of tempting smells. After a while, we arrive into a large empty area. Looking around, there is very little to indicate that a church is nearby. Stone walls surround the yard, but little is to be seen. There are two archways in the corner of the yard, but they look relatively insignificant. We begin to wonder if maybe we are just waiting for stragglers at the end of the group. It slowly dawns on us that one of those archways, believe it or not, is the church.

Apparently, the area used to be an abandoned stone quarry. Cracks in the bedrock made it impossible to continue working the site, but a large stone mound had been created from the process of chipping away at surrounding rock. This craggy mound became the site of crucifixions, including that of Jesus Christ’s. Tombs were cut into the surrounding rocks. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre houses the rock of Golgotha, the site of Christ’s burial, and a tomb that preserves the likeness of Jesus’ tomb.

Now, this is where it gets hard. For many of us, we are familiar with the “death-burial-resurrection” trinity. We say it so quickly, the concept becomes a one word blur to cover a hugely significant topic. In my protestant background, I quickly skipped over the death part, just as I was trained, focusing on the resurrection alone. After all, Jesus Christ is alive. Every Resurrection Sunday reminds us to celebrate this fact. I thought that focusing on the death is for “Catholics.” I was terribly mistaken.

Today was the first time that I understood that Jesus died. This is hard to put into words, because I want you to understand what I mean. I don’t want you to pass over this quickly, because you need to linger in the moment in order to understand. I mean that Jesus died, actually died. He didn’t watch it from afar while an angel took his place, nor did he take advantage of his knowledge of the betrayal to get out of Jerusalem before Judas returned.

There is something powerful about kneeling in front of the slab on which Jesus’ body was laid, hesitantly reaching out to touch the cold stone, and feeling the darkness of grief engulf the soul. For the first time in my life, I understood just what the consequences of sin is. I always knew that the “wages of sin is death,” but I never understood the cost.

Walking up to the rock of Golgotha, and placing my face near a small dark hole allowed me to breath in the earthy scent of cool rock and dirt as I knelt where Jesus was brutally murdered so that others might live. The taste of salt water tears flowed down my cheeks.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is a humbling, grief-filled, and overwhelming experience that engages all five of the senses. And yet, I find myself hopeful, too. Because I better know this grief, I also better know the love that made Jesus decide that this pain was worth it. It changes everything. All of the miracles that Jesus did are no longer merely shows of power. They are moments when Jesus sensed the pain of another and stepped in to relieve it, just as he did on the cross.

Jesus took our place, our sin, out of a love that we can only begin to fathom. He takes our pain, feeling it for himself. The childless parent no longer grieves alone. The lonely widow no longer lives on without hope. Because of Jesus, eternal life has already begun. Be blessed and encouraged, my siblings in Christ. Jesus died. And he rose, too. May your walk with Jesus be deepened and enriched as you continue your journey in faith.

God bless, and we’ll see you soon.

Pool of Bethesda: House of Grace
This has been another amazing and packed day. After eating a delicious breakfast, we got together at 8:00 a.m., in the lobby and started our walk following “captain” Yehuda who militarily shouted: “follow me” (I said to myself: “Yes Sir!”). I think after this trip we’ll all be in shape.
One of the places that we visited, which is closely connected to the Bible, and to the teachings of Jesus, was the Pool of Bethesda.

Archaeologically this is the kind of site that helps us confirm the evidence that the pool of Bethesda was right there. We affirm this because we can see that the southern steps are architecturally similar to the model of those of the second temple times.

A temple to the pagan god “Ecleptius” was built there in the year 300 AD. There are still some remains of this evidence. In the year 500 two churches were built between the pools which were demolished by the Persians in the year 614 AD. Today the Bethesda Pool is in the Old City, inside the Lions’/St. Stephen’s Gate.

While we were there, I was trying to “visualize” Jesus walking among all those that were disabled by different diseases. They were ignored, forgotten, and cast away by the science, the society, and the religion. I tried to picture Jesus especially when he stopped and talked to the man who had been paralyzed by 38 years.

Jonathan read the text in John 5: 1-11 which helped us remember the passage and the miracle. I depicted the scenario in my mind and saying to this poor man: “today is your day, my Jesus is here, and has come to heal you.”
When I think of all the people that are being rejected, abandoned and excluded for different reasons, I know that they are not alone. God is interested in their situation. We are the ones called to bring hope and healing. We are the ones called to go the diverse pools where desperation and desolation reign and make the difference in the Name of Jesus.

St. Anne Church
Right after the Pool of Bethesda, we visited St. Anne Church which is located next to the Pool of Bethesda. The traditional belief is that this was the place where Mary, the mother of Jesus, was born. There is no archeological evidence for this account. This is a very well preserved Crusaders’ style church. The acoustic of the church is just great. The most exciting part of this visit was when we gathered as a group and sang Amazing Grace and the Doxology, I loved it.

By: Elbin Castillo

Stepping off of the bus and onto the platform that surveyed a brilliant view of Jerusalem helped to put into perspective the sight that Jesus likely saw in Matthew 24:3, where Jesus pronounces judgment on Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, along with where many other Jews made their pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover meal. The sight was breath-taking as you could see the entirety of the city, but particularly the Temple Mount, where the 2nd temple used to be and the Dome of the Rock stands today. What comes to mind is just how much Jesus saw and how He loves His people, even in their judgment. The hope that is displayed comes from Matthew 23:37-39, where even though He acknowledges that Jerusalem hated Him, He would gather His people as a mother hen gathers it’s young. Looking out from the Mount of Olives is just that experience.

Why is it called the Mount of Olives though? Olives grow regularly on mountains in the land of Jerusalem, so most mountains could be called that as well. What made this so special though was likely that these olive trees were larger from the soil being more saturated from the sacrificial animals being dumped here regularly and buried coming from the Sheep Gate that was near the temple and the pool of Bethesda. Two of the oldest trees still standing are roughly 1000 and 1150 years old.

While that is interesting, why does this mountain matter so much. There are several reasons. First, there is that this mountain had a road that led into Jerusalem, in which many Jewish pilgrims would sing the Psalms of Ascent (Psalm 113-118). This would likely also be the road that Jesus walked as He came to Jerusalem where He was welcomed with palm branches and coats laid on the ground, as well as many Hosanas and glories entering the city. The hope was for Him to lead a political revolution against the Romans, just as the Maccabees led a revolution against the Hasmoneans. Jesus could not have led a more backwards revolution to what the Jews had expected. Instead of usurping the Romans and becoming a king, He dies a criminal’s death on a Roman torture device, the cross. It makes no sense to follow such a man if that was the end of the story. Instead of Jesus being a political superhero, He is much, much more. He is the true, eternal, and reigning King of kings and Lord of lords. He died and rose again in a way we cannot wrap our minds around, but what He does is fulfill the Scriptures predicting and longing for Him. He fulfills the hopes and longing in the Psalms of Ascent.

Second, many Jews are buried around the Mount of Olives, roughly 127,000 graves on site. There are simpler tombs, but also older 2nd temple times’ tombs. We were able to see many tombs, as well as the tomb labeled Dominius Flavit, where much of the archeology was still intact after being excavated. What was brilliant was seeing the size a d layout of what the tombs looked like. What is traditionally believed about being buried here is that when Jesus returns, He will return to the Mount of Olives and those buried there will rise first.

Third, and last of my points, is that the Garden of Gethsemene is here as well. This would have been the home base for Jesus as He would regularly retreat to pray with His disciples here. This would be a reason why Judas would be needed to come with the band of soldiers to arrest Jesus in the middle of the night, namely as it is pitch black. What is striking about seeing the Garden is that you can visualize and sense the scenery, as well as likely feel the fatigue of the disciples after climbing with Jesus. If this is the dead of the night as well, it would be even harder to stay awake (Story being pulled from Matthew 26 and Mark 14). The site of where Jesus likely knelt to pray to the Father before being arrested is preserved in the Church of All Nations, where the slab of rock is on display as well.
What can be taken from this?

Dr. Evans led us through a short devotional regarding just this. He mentioned that when humanity comes into contact with divinity, there is naturally conflict. Jesus understood this feeling of the conflict, though He never sinned or failed as we do. What more, He displays perfect surrender in His response to the Father's will. What should be considered is that every ministry opportunity in and outside of the physical church is a call and choice of surrender. We are victorious when we surrender, not just in a certain percentage, but in totality. Dr. Evans said, “On my best day, I am incapable of a God thought,” as are we all. But when we surrender by choice to the Father, we are victorious as He is victorious already.

Jonathan Dorband