Day 09 - Jerusalem: Mount of Olives, Gethsemane, Saint Anne's, Pool of Bethesda, Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Ramparts, Southern Steps, Farewell Dinner

On our incredible final day, we walked as closely as possible in the footsteps of Jesus during his final week leading up to the cross. The morning began at the Mount of Olives overlooking the Temple Mount and Jerusalem. It was stunning to consider that we were sitting in the place where Jesus last stood on this earth and the place where he will return. As we headed down the hillside, we found ourselves in the area of the Garden of Gethsemane. Here Jesus prayed for God’s will to be done as he awaited the arrival of his betrayer and the Roman troops that would arrest him. It stood out to me just how clearly he would’ve been able to see the soldiers with their torches coming for him just across the Kidron Valley, but he chose to stay… to deliver himself into their hands deliberately. As he had said, “No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.”

From Gethsemane we made our way into the Old City of Jerusalem. Passing through the Lion’s Gate we made our way to the Church of Saint Anne where we got to experience the incredible acoustics and sang two chillingly beautiful hymns. 

Next to the church, we found ourselves near the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus once healed a man next to the pool. The man had tried everything for 38 years, but discovered his hope was in the power of Jesus alone. 

Leaving the pool, we walked the traditional Via Dolorosa—the path Jesus carried his cross from his trial to the hill of Golgotha. Even if it’s not the actual path he walked, it was still moving to think of our Lord navigating these crowded narrow streets carry the weight of that cross on his beaten body. Soon after he would carry much more weight as he bore the sins of the world in his death. 
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre marks the spot that is the most likely place where the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection actually happened. Despite the crowd inside, we were able to explore where this world-changing event probably took place. The greatest thing about the tomb inside the church, wasn’t the beautiful building surrounding it, the ornate carvings, or the gold… but that the tomb was empty. 

To round out our study trip experience we walked our way around the ramparts of the city walls of Jerusalem reflecting on the significance of this place in God’s plan. Then we concluded on the southern steps of the Temple Mount. It may have been here that the Church was launched at Pentecost 2000 years ago and began to spread from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Now here we sat, having returned here from the ends of the earth after being changed by the Gospel that started here. We leave here now with a renewed mission to carry the light of Christ—burning brighter than ever—back home with us to declare the Good News of the Kingdom of God. 

Thank you to GTI for a fabulous trip!

Kyle Brewer