Jerusalem

We Made it to Jerusalem!

Today started early in the morning with a 5am wake up call because we had so much to see and do! After an amazing breakfast where most of us ate more than we probably should have, we hit the road to our first stop, Temple Mount.

Temple Mount

Temple Mount is located in the heart of Jerusalem upon a hill that now holds the Dome of the Rock. Temple Mount has a rich history and is an important place for the Christian, Judean, and Islamic faiths. Due to this, Temple Mount is one of the most contested religious sites in the world. Originally built by King Solomon and later re-built by Herod the Great, Temple Mount is where the Jewish people would come to experience God’s presence as it was the holding place for the Ark of the Covenant and the only spot that they were allowed to sacrifice to God. It is this exact temple where Jesus proclaimed that there will be a new covenant, and a new way to draw near to God. This new covenant is found in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the last and ultimate sacrifice. What took Herod 46 years to build, would later be destroyed, as Jesus prophesied in Mark 13.  Today we only see the remains of what once was just the retaining wall to the temple (Western Wall). Standing at our first site this morning we were able to see the truth of the Biblical story and the power that Jesus Christ has had throughout history.

Western Wall and Rabbinic Tunnels

The second place we visited was the Western Wall and Rabbinic Tunnels. The Western Wall is a very important place for Orthodox Jews today because it is all that is left of the retaining wall for the temple. Here you are able to witness many that come to pray at the wall and leave prayer notes for God. The Rabbinic Tunnels were fascinating as we took a long walk through the underground tunnels that line the Western Wall. Here we were able to see a glimpse of the original structures that lie beneath the current ground floor. Being in both of these places caused me to pray for the people of Israel to see that they do not need the Western Wall to draw close to God, but to accept Jesus as their messiah and the final sacrifice for our sins.

Israel Museum and Dead Sea Scrolls Museum

The third spot we visited on our journey was the Israel Museum and Dead Sea Scrolls Museum. Here we saw an incredible model of what the original town of Jerusalem looked like. What was fascinating about this model was that it is based on actual excavations, and anytime they discover something new they immediately update the model. Within the Dead Sea Scrolls Museum, we got to see actual sections of the Dead Sea Scrolls!

Lunch in Bethlehem

After a long morning we were all very hungry, and what better place to eat lunch than where Jesus was born! As we drove through the streets of Bethlehem we immediately hit bumper to bumper traffic. Our tour guide had us get off the bus and walk through the town of Bethlehem to get to our lunch spot instead, which ended up being a nice way to see more of the city. Bethlehem is currently a Palestinian-run area in Israel where Israelites are not allowed to enter. Here we were able to see first hand the unique differences between the Palestinian-run zones vs. the Israel-run zones. Currently only 12% of the population in Bethlehem are Christian with the remaining population being Muslim. By shopping at the Christian shops you are able to support the local Christians in the community since the shops help provide them with their healthcare needs and housing needs. After lunch, we made sure to show our support as many of us bought some great souvenirs.

Herodium Park

Our final stop on our tour today was Herodium Park. Here we were able to explore the place where Herod the Great would often come to relax and live, but also flee to in times of trouble. Sitting on top of a huge hill, this palace/fortress was home to bath houses, incredible archways, and a massive cistern that we had the opportunity to walk through. Here we stopped and heard from pastor Mike about the power that King Herod had at the time of Jesus and physically see for ourselves how incredible his fortresses were. Although his power was great, we see today that it was Jesus, who was born just a 10 min drive away in Bethlehem that would ultimately become the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

As we returned to the hotel, many of us were tired and overwhelmed with the amount we saw and learned today. This entire experience has really brought the scriptures to life as we have been able to see for ourselves the places that are written in the Bible. We concluded the day with another incredible feast, and are expectant of another exciting day tomorrow.

--Matt & Kaitlin Johnson