Day 04 - Mount of Olives, Mt. Zion, Jewish Quarter, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Shabbat of a Lifetime

When your feet are throbbing by 4pm and your step count is over 10,000, you know it’s been a good day on tour! To be in Jerusalem all day is a privilege; to be there on a Friday as Jewish families prepare for Shabbat gives an interesting perspective.

After another great breakfast (I’m still thinking about the pan au chocolate pastry), we boarded the bus and drove to the Mount Olives. We did not do a devotion or the Shema beforehand as we have done each day. We waited to do those two things as we overlooked the Eastern Gate and the Dome of the Rock. Although we arrived early by 8:15am, crowds were pouring off tourist buses at the Jerusalem overlook. Our group had a few moments alone there before others clamored for space. Rich shared today’s devotion from John 12 when Jesus shared a meal with (recently resurrected) Lazarus and family. It was Passover, which was a remembrance of their deliverance from bondage in Egypt. At this time, they were in bondage once again – this time to Rome – and wanted more deliverance! They waved their palm fronds (a flag of freedom) as Christ entered the city (from east to west, as conquerors do), shouting HOSANNA (God save us)!! But Jesus and His Father had a MUCH bigger plan in mind: to deliver us from sin and death.

The Mount of Olives is the setting for several key events in the life of Jesus. He passed through the Mount of Olives as He made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem in fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
    Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
    righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9, ESV)

Jesus came to the Mount of Olives after the Last Supper to pray. Gethsemane means “olive press.” It’s here, at the place of pressing, that Jesus began to feel the heavy weight of what was soon to come. Jesus was betrayed by Judas and arrested by here.

We found a quiet part of the garden where Pastor Adam could share and then we could each take communion and spend a few moments alone in prayer.

We spent the rest of the morning and the early part of the afternoon walking the streets of Jerusalem in the 90+ degree heat, clinging to shade when we could get it. We visited the traditional site of the Last Supper (which is actually a church built to commemorate the event). We walked the first-century Cardo (the main street running north to south). We went from the Muslim Quarter to the Jewish Quarter to the Christian Quarter. We stopped at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and then ate lunch outside the Jaffa Gate.

The streets were crowded with so many tourists as well as families shopping for the evening meal. Every street was lined with shops selling every kind of souvenir you could imagine, freshly squeezed pomegranate juice, dried nuts and fruits, and middle-eastern spices which left a savory aroma in the air.

Afterwards we were given the choice between free time in Jerusalem or to go back to the hotel and relax. Whichever we chose, each group enjoyed themselves and prepared for Shabbat dinner.

Shabbat dinner was a night we will never forget! Our bus driver, Meir and trip leader Rich drove us all to a Jewish family's home. These brave souls welcomed all 27 of us into their home! As soon as we all got into the door, we got a huge suprise - this was our guide Ronen's home! He and his gracious wife Sharon and their son Itamar welcomed us and began to share their shabbat dinner traditions. We enjoyed a beautiful meal with many courses, as well as fresh challah bread and wine. Ronen shared the Hebrew prayers of blessing over those items. Then we had various salads, hummus and tahini dips, lentil soup, St. Peter's fish (a type of tilapia), braised chicken and rice pilaf. After the meal we went outdoors for some fresh air and then had watermelon and cake. What a lovely evening!

We are starting to really gel as a family of sorts and shared some very memorable moments at our first and very special Shabbat meal. As we have said throughout the week, it’s not so much about the Place as it is about a Person. Because Christ has delivered us, we are free to be friends and enjoy the rich fellowship of believers who were strangers a few days ago!

Shabbot Shalom from Israel.