Day 11 - Jerusalem: Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Christian Quarter, Shuk, Dinner and Airport

Friday, February 27 -  Jerusalem: Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Christian Quarter, Shuk, Dinner and Airport

We began our last day with one final devotional time with Terry. It’s impossible to tie together every golden thread of our study tour— it’s been life changing! We’ve seen so much evidence of the sovereignty of God in this place — of his goodness to His people. Terry challenged us to take what we’ve learned about the past and apply it to our future. Just as Abraham trusted God to provide a ram on Mt. Moriah, we can trust Him to provide for us, too (He’s already given us the Lamb!). 

As we discussed some of the lessons we’ve learned over the last 11 days, we circled back again to Chorazin. The idea of the insula— that communal life which is “high intimacy, low privacy” has deeply impacted many in our group. And yet, as Matt brought up, Jesus had a warning for Chorazin— even though they prized the family, doing so many things “right”, they did not put their faith in Jesus.

Terry connected this back to the idea of henotheism, which we learned about in Arad. He said God can’t be our first priority. He’s not just the top of a list, one of many important parts of our lives. He is our life. He is the center of everything we do, all we are. 

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” Psalm 127:1

Church of the Holy Sepulchre

This morning we visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is built on the traditional site of Jesus’ crucifixion burial, and resurrection (yesterday we visited the garden tomb, another possible location).

As we made our way from the Jaffa gate into the Christian quarter of the old city, Yehuda gave us some background and history of this site through the centuries. Like many of the holy locations in Israel, it has been built and rebuilt many times. And like the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the Holy Sepulchre houses shrines and worship spaces from different Christian traditions. We saw areas belonging to Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Armenian, and Assyrian Christians. Yehuda said Egyptian Coptic Christians are involved, too.

The Holy Sepulchre is built on a rock which was once a Roman place of execution. A cave with a grave dating from around the first century was found nearby. Both the rock and the cave are enshrined, covered in glass, and surrounded by artwork and decoration (it was beautiful but this made it really difficult to imagine the original site!).

We were very fortunate to avoid crowds— we got to see (and touch) the rock where it is believed the cross of Jesus stood, as well as enter the shrine that was built around the tomb where Jesus may have resurrected. The mosaics, frescoes, and other decorations were really beautiful, and it was moving to enter a sanctuary where Christians have worshipped for centuries!

After leaving the Holy Sepulchre, we spent some time exploring and browsing some shops in the Christian Quarter of the Old City. 

The Shuk

Because it’s Ramadan, Jerusalem is filled with up to 100,000 Muslim worshippers on Fridays. This meant we saw more of our scheduled sites earlier this week and had a free afternoon! Some of our group spent the time in the Shuk, a lively marketplace. They ate in a local restaurant, browsed the stalls selling fresh fruit and spices, and even came upon live music and dancing in one of the squares.

Dinner and Departure 

After packing up at the hotel, we stopped at a restaurant for a last supper feast before heading to the airport!  We had delicious salad and pita, kebabs, and baklava. Best of all, we had one last opportunity to gather together and talk about what we’ve learned on our trip. We also got to say a big THANK YOU to Terry, Laura, Yigal, and Yehuda. They have taught and served us every step of the journey and we are so grateful.  

We’ll be unpacking the treasures of this trip long after our suitcases are emptied and put away.  

May all we’ve learned of God’s sovereign goodness over the past 2 weeks build our faith for all the days to come!  

Quote of the Day

Easton gets extra credit today— not only did he pray a beautiful heartfelt blessing over our group this morning, but he also finished all his makeup school work!

Then, tonight at dinner, our table talked about our favorite moments of the trip.  Easton said, “Being baptized in the living waters of Jesus Christ. That was fun.”

Prayer Request:

One of our number had a bad fall today outside the Jaffa gate and required surgery. He is receiving incredible medical care. Please pray for his continued healing and grace for the journey home in a few days. 

Taylor Rauschkolb