Day 09 - Mount of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, Israel Museum, Shrine of the Book, Garden Tomb, Pool of Bethesda, Church of the Holy Sepulchre

The Last Day started for most of us with a mixture of emotions. Most of us have been stretched physically and were pretty tired, but the LAST DAY means leaving friends, especially Meir and Ronen, who live here. They have become so special it is difficult to put in words. Between that and leaving Israel it’s a tough start to the day. But what a day the Lord put before us. We started on the Mt. of Olives scenic overlook, one of the Most amazing viewpoints in the World. It looks westerly and the whole Temple Mount and Jerusalem spreads out before you. Jerusalem is the most important city in the world. It has been, it is now and will be the central place for the Plan of God including the Return of JESUS. We took a group picture with Jerusalem in the background, the memory of a lifetime.

Walking down the Palm Sunday Road, that gets its name from the fact that this modern Road follows the path from Bethany that Jesus would have travelled into the city on the Triumphal Entry. He told the Pharisees that the very rocks would cry out if the crowds did not cry “Hoshanna” on the day of their visitation. He wept over the city, knowing that the leaders were not willing to believe and were bringing judgment upon the city in the near future.

Jewish Cemetery on the Mount of Olives. The Jewish people believe the Resurrection will begin at the Mount of Olives when Messiah Comes. This makes this large cemetery the most popular cemetery in the world. For centuries people have wanted to be buried here because they want to be the first to rise.

In a private garden adjacent to the Garden of Gethsemane, we planted an olive tree for Israel, a tradition that is building the nation for the future  We took time to read a gospel account of Jesus prayer and struggle in the Garden and shared in communion.

As we walked down the Kidron Valley with the eastern wall of the Temple mount above us on our way to the bus, we paused to look at the Eastern Gate. The visible, existing gate is from Muslim Era and was walled up to prevent the Messiah of Israel JESUS from returning and entering through that gate.  

I guess they didn’t read Zechariah 14: 3 Then the Lord will go forth
And fight against those nations,
As He fights in the day of battle.
4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,
Which faces Jerusalem on the east.
And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two,
From east to west, Making a very large valley

The Eastern Gate from the time of Christ is directly below the existing and that is the one Jesus used on Palm Sunday to enter the temple. The Eastern Gate is a reminder of the promise of Jesus return.

Next on the schedule was The Israel Museum- The museum has LARGE Model of the ancient city of Jerusalem that gives a real understanding of some of the events as Ronan our guide pointed out the significant landmarks.

Josh Noble shined in the Bible Quiz which Ronen put together to test our attentiveness and razor-sharp wits.

The Museum also has a unique exhibit called the Shrine of the Book containing the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Dead Sea scrolls discovered in the caves in Qumran are the most important archeological finds in history.

We stopped for our “pizza” lunch in a local park before we headed to the Garden Tomb. I have to confess that Maggio’s has it beat.

The Garden Tomb is a beautiful example of an ancient tomb of a wealthy person, in a garden near a place of execution. There are questions regarding both possible locations for the tomb of Jesus but that is not the point. The point is the tomb is empty. He is not there. He is RISEN. 

From the Garden Tomb we walked into the Old City through the Damascus Gate walking down to St. Anne’s a Crusader Church for a quick ”worship concert” (this church has acoustics that make the most average group of voices sound angelic).

Adjacent to the church they discovered the Pool of Bethesda. We considered Jesus healing a man who had been ill for 38 years. Jesus healed this one guy at the pool named “The House of Mercy”. This healing shows the Lord’s power and mercy. It also encourages us to show compassion to those who are suffering and need healing. Maybe the Lord would use us to pray for some in need. 

We exited the church and walked up the Via Dolorosa to Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This traditional site for the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. It was established by the Emperor Constantine’s Mother. Seven different denominations share the site and millions of pilgrims come to worship the Lord in that place. The expressions that people show in this place are quite different than our experience, but we know He died for our sins and rose from the Grave. 

As the day was fading away we had time for a short bit of shopping for gifts and souvenirs then off to our farewell dinner. Up on the 3rd floor with kebobs, falafels and a view over the city of Jerusalem we shared our last meal together.  Many shared heartfelt joy and gratitude to God for all the insights and especially the fellowship we have experienced and grown in love for each other. Todd summed it up in a simple statement- “We were told what to expect and it exceeded all expectations.”