Israel-in-Depth with Rod VanSolkema

March 1-13, 2019

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We are here to bring shalom

Today was our last day full day in Israel, and the end of our third night in Jerusalem. I feel like I can speak for most that this trip has been life changing, healing, eye-opening and just wonderful and even then…those words fall short. We have all been touched by this land and these people in a way that we will never be the same. Today we went to the Garden of Gethsemane, the Southern stairs, the Church of the holy sepulcher and the Mount of Olives! All in one day- we get our steps in that’s for sure!

We learned about the 5 cups/toasts that are traditionally made during Passover:

1st God has freed us from Egypt- our bondage

2nd – He has completely healed us from our slave identity

3rd- the cup of redemption-he bought us we are His

4th- He made covenant with us-He is our bridegroom and we the church are his bride.

Then there is a 5th cup- this is the cup Jesus weeps over, prays in the garden of Gethsemane for it to be removed from himself. This cup represents Gods wrath- but our Jesus says “not my will, but yours be done”. There is a price for forgiveness from God- and it is in the blood of the Lamb- he took our cup, our death and drank it in our place. The lyrics from the song Living Hope by Phil Wickam came to my mind “the cross has spoken, I am forgiven, the king of kings calls me his own, Beautiful Savior I’m yours forever, Jesus Christ, my living hope.” The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is to mark the place believed to be Jesus’ crucifixion and burial.

It was a beautiful place to see, but our Jesus isn’t there, He is alive and that is something we can celebrate and live in every day. At the Mount of Olives we were reminded of the story of Jesus riding on a colt; people waving palm branches and yelling “Hosanna- Lord save us!”. The story is powerful, here Jesus’ heart hurts- the kingdom he is bringing in is one of reconciliation, victory through the death, not victory by the sword- what the people ask him for. We learn from Jesus that true power comes by the relinquishing of power, that is what he has done for us! He came into the world not as royalty but a peasant, not born in a castle but in a cave. He humbled himself to the lowest position to take our place, drink our cup, and by his blood we have received righteousness.

Mount of Olives

Separated from the Eastern Hill (the Temple Mount and the City of David) by the Kidron Valley, the Mt. of Olives has always been an important feature in Jerusalem’s landscape. From the 3rd millennium B.C. until the present, this 2900-foot hill has served as one of the main burial grounds for the city. The two-mile long ridge has three summits each of which has a tower built on it.

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At the southern stairs we took it back to day one- who are we? What are we doing here? The blessing of what God has done for us is that He has called us to come alongside him in his mission. He has given us talents and resources to not leverage for ourselves, but for the benefit and blessing to the world. We are children of God and we are here to bring shalom- peace- out of our church walls and to the ends of the earth!

Southern Steps

An enormous flight of steps leads to the Southern Wall from the south. They were excavated after 1967 by archaeologist Benjamin Mazar and are the northernmost extension of the Jerusalem pilgrim road leading from the Pool of Siloam to the Temple Mount via the Double Gate and the Triple Gate, collectively called the Huldah Gates. These are the steps that Jesus of Nazareth[2][3] and other Jews of his era walked up to approach the Temple, especially on the great pilgrimage festivals of Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot. [2] The stairs that lead to the double gate are intact and "well-preserved."[4] The steps that lead to the triple gate were mostly destroyed.[4] / The risers are low, a mere 7 to 10 inches high, and each step is 12 to 35 inches deep, forcing the ascending pilgrims to walk with a stately, deliberate tread.[2] The pilgrims entered the temple precincts through the double and triple gates still visible in the Southern Wall.[5][2] Together, the double and triple gates are known as the Hulda Gates, after the prophetess Huldah.[2]

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