Jesus in Jerusalem

Written by Rachel Gillespie

Today was a big day for our team: it was Passion Week in Jerusalem. We began our day on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the opposite side of the city towards the Judean Hills. We sat just two miles from Bethany, where the ascension took place, Lazarus was raised from the dead, and Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with oil. From there, we went to the other side of the mountain and had an incredible view of the city and the temple mount. Jesus looked out from this place and wept for the city. We began Passion Week by talking about the triumphal entry of Jesus. From our perch, we could see the road Jesus took on a donkey as he was riding into the city on Palm Sunday. After that, we went and sat near the Dominus Flevit Church, a church based on the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi. Ben did a teaching here about Gethsemane (our next site), which literally means “oil press”. In order to make olive oil, you have to heat, crush and press the olives. In order for something to have fragrance, it must be crushed. This beautifully mirrors how Jesus was “wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5). A king was known by his fragrance! And we too are the “fragrance of Christ” (2 Cor. 2:15).

From there, we met outside the city wall. Just behind that wall was Herod’s palace, and a potential spot where Jesus’ trial with Pilot took place. It was surreal to imagine Jesus speaking with Pilot and the crowds yelling, “Crucify him!” After that, we journeyed in the footsteps of Jesus on our “Via de la Rosa” to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher which is the traditional site of Golgotha and Jesus’ burial. This church is occupied by 6 different religious traditions, including the Greek Orthodox, Armenian, and the Roman Catholic. As you can imagine, this creates a lot of controversy as to who owns the space, and whether any renovations can be completed. In the church, we went down to a small cave-like space where we put our hands on the rocks above us. These were the rocks that shook when Jesus gave up his spirit and when he rose from the grave! Before moving on, we touched the rocks while singing the doxology. It was an amazing moment. Within this church, you could see the original bedrock from Calvary and the place where Jesus’ tomb was (enclosed by a large stone edicule). This church was a lot different than I, and some others, expected this holy site to be. People from all different faith traditions were there. Some wept and kissed the slab of stone above the tomb, others walked around in silence. It’s kind of challenging to picture Jesus being crucified and buried on the spot with so much hustle and bustle and different faith expressions being displayed. Yet, the majesty of God could be felt in that place. It was unbelievable to be there! In this church, we got to celebrate Good Friday and Easter morning all in one day. After that, we got to see Jerusalem University College where Ben and Stacie studied. We had a some much-needed down time and ice cream! From there, we hopped on the bus and headed to Galilee.

This place, Galilee, is more beautiful than I ever imagined, not to mention crazy hot! We went for an evening swim in the Sea of Galilee, watching the lights of Tiberius light up across the water as the sun went down. After leaving the busyness of Jerusalem, Galilee is a wonderful exhale. All of today was so incredibly important, and one that I’ll never forget.

Passion Week is mind-blowing, counter-cultural, and even scandalous. The king died for the murderer. The Perfect Lamb was slaughtered for the sinner. His blood not only covered our sins like it did in the Old Testament sacrificial system, but his blood took our sin away!! As John the Baptist said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” As we have seen such amazing places, like the battle ground of David and Goliath, the steps Jesus walked outside the temple, and the bedrock of Golgotha, I keep reminding myself that this is not the end of the story. These dead rocks are not just cool, spiritual sites. These dead rocks point us to Life Himself. Yes, the empty tomb is remarkable. Of course, the rocks of Calvary leave you in awe! But these holy sites are incredible first and foremost because they remind us that we, vessels of the Holy Spirit, are living stones that can carry the good news of the gospel.

Dead stones are only important because they remind us of the living ones.

As we look on these holy sites with awe and wonder, may we never forget that we are living stones, bearing witness to the world that the tomb is empty and it is finished! The depth of Christianity was born in these moments. The Passover, Jesus’ prayers in Gethsemane, his arrest and trial, the cross and the tomb – these are the moments that have shaped humanity and our faith forever. The most undeserving sinners were brought near by the blood of Christ. This, my friends, is the greatest story ever told.

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