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Israel Study Tour with Orchard Hill Reformed Church
July 14-25, 2019
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Lamb of God
We are first introduced to the name, Amnos tou Theou, in the Gospels of John.
John the Baptist saw Jesus and exclaimed,
“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
John 1:29
A fitting reminder going into our final day and the perfect set-up to lead us into the culmination of our trip!
Mount of Olives
We started the day on this monumental sight. How fitting, the place of Jesus’ ascension to Heaven and the sight to which he will return!
His return is spoken of in great detail in the book of Zechariah. A verse that brings Joy to my heart is this,
“The LORD will be king of all the world. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.”
Zechariah 14:9
Rejoice! The day will come when our Lord returns victory in hand!
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.
Next, we moved to the Garden of Gethsemene. Here, we learned that it was the place Jesus cried and prayed before being arrested.
He experienced a great deal of agony here. During His agony as he prayed,
"His sweat was, as it were, great drops of blood falling down upon the ground"
Luke 22:44
For us! He endured this for us! He was arrested on that fateful night.
From there, we went to visit the Museum of Jerusalem, where we were given an overview of how old Jerusalem was built. We were able to see the Dead Sea scrolls! It was incredible, to see the oldest record, a testament to the Bible being the true word of God!
Up next? St Anne’s church. Wow, this was an incredible experience. We were able to stand center stage at this sight and sing at the top of our lungs our Praise to the Most High! Surreal is an understatement. I’m sure I can speak for others, it brought about chills!
Afterwards we visited the Pool of Bethesda. It is spoken about in the book of John. Here he performed many healing miracles! It was a unique place to do so because it was out of where one would typically think he’d be but Jesus always went where he was needed and here was no different!
Next, probably one of the most somberly moments of the entire trip: Via Delarosa.
Here, we walked what many biblical scholars consider the path of pain. The path that Jesus walked on the way to his Crucifixion. It was impactful to take the walk that our Lord and Savior did. Leading all the way to the Church of the Holy Sepluchure. Here we saw Calvary and his burial sight. Wow! The place believed to be where he took on our sin, for our salvation!
It was truly an amazing experience. We were able to walk, pray and mediate here. It really brought together the entire trip and what it means for our walk!
We ended the night by having a farewell dinner on a rooftop! It was absolutely perfect. Everyone spoke of their favorite and most impactful moments and we were able to end the trip in joyous fashion!
A trip sure to make waves for the rest of our days.
Praise the name of the Lord, the name above all names! We wait patiently for your return, oh Great Lamb of God!
Written by Andres Rodriguez
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