To Walk Where Jesus Walked

Our day began on the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemene, which both face the Eastern Gate of Jerusalem. The view was incredible and the Eastern Gate was where Jesus was taken into Jerusalem to be tried and crucified. Jesus spent a lot of time on the Mount of Olives, namely in the Garden of Gethsemene. During the Jewish religious festivals, around 2 million Jews flooded into the city of Jerusalem and since not all of them could stay in the city, many people “camped” on the Mount of Olives. Jesus was with his disciples for Passover and they were most likely “camping” on the Mount of Olives when Judas betrayed Him into the hands of the Jewish priests and leaders. There is a very clear view of the Eastern Gate from the Garden and since it was night, it would have been easy to see them coming with their lit torches. It was another surreal experience to stand in the same area that Jesus was before He was crucified. Just a side note…since olive trees don't have rings, it is hard to tell their age but they can live 1 to 2,000 years. If you are wondering if some of the olive trees were from the time of Jesus, the answer is no because the Romans cut down all the olive tress when Jerusalem fell in 70 AD. There is debate as to where the actual Garden is located but one thing we have learned over and over again on this trip is that it is not about the sacred stones, but about the sacred moments. We can get so wrapped up in the details that we miss the point. It does not really matter where the garden was exactly located, what matters is that Jesus was obedient, even to death. He replaced the whole Jewish system with His one perfect sacrifice; He suffered and bled so we could know Him.

We descended down the Mount of Olives and made our way up into Jerusalem. We stopped at a church called Saint Anne's and sang “How Great Thou Art” and the “Doxology.” Saint Anne's church has the 5th best acoustics in the world and the sound was absolutely amazing. It was a neat way to worship the Lord and get our hearts ready for the next few stops. We passed by the Pool of Bethesda which is where Jesus healed the paralyzed man in John 5. In this story, Jesus heals the man on the Sabbath and tells him to get up, pick up his mat and walk. The Jews were angry with the man because he was not supposed to carry his mat on the Sabbath; they got lost in the details and missed the miracle. How often do we do that? We focus on the small things and miss the work God is doing right in front of us. Jesus takes care of His people and we are His people! We had communion together in that spot and sang the Doxology again, which was a really neat experience.

After communion we walked the Via Dolorosa, which is the road that Jesus walked through the city on his way to the crucifixion. The Via Dolorosa is a very busy, crowded place filled with shops and vendors selling their goods…it was difficult to be reflective as we pushed our way through the crowds and tried to stay together. The Via Dolorosa ended at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where it was believed Jesus was crucified and died. We stood beneath the rock where Jesus was most likely crucified…another surreal experience.

From there we went to the Shrine of the Book, which was a beautiful exhibit featuring the Biblical scrolls found in the Qumran caves. They have many fragments and sections of the Hebrew Scriptures, but the most incredible exhibit was the complete scroll of the book of Isaiah. It was one of the most valuable archeological finds in history because it proves the accuracy and reliability of God’s Word. Outside the exhibit there was a large model of what Jerusalem may have looked like before it was destroyed in 70 AD. It was helpful to be able to see the whole city in order to get a better idea of how things were laid out and where we were going.

Finally, we were able to visit where it all began…to the city of Bethlehem. While this was not a part of our original itinerary, we were able to go there today. Bethlehem, which used to be a tiny city South of Jerusalem, is now a rather large city and in Palestinian territory. There is a large church that was built over the place that is believed to be the birthplace of Jesus. This Church is divided because there are three different denominations that are represented and control what happens inside. There were many shrines to venerate Mary and Jesus and it was packed with people who wanted to kiss the spot where Jesus was born and light candles and touch the holy places. For me, this is another example of humans focusing on the Holy place instead of on the Holy moment. I'm so grateful that Jesus was born in Bethlehem as the light of the world, but if I don’t get to stand directly in the place where he was born or see the exact place he was laid in the manger, it doesn’t change who He is. Once again I was challenged to not get lost in the details and instead, focus on who Jesus is, what He did for me, who I am in Him, and what He is doing through me…in the end, that is what really matters for all of us.

On our way out of Bethlehem we stopped at a place called Jonny’s Souvenirs, which is run by a Christian Palestinian family. When we came into the store, Jonny thanked us for coming and told us how encouraging it was for their faith to have fellow believers there and they served us mint tea and Arabic coffee. It is always amazing to me that no matter who we are or where we are from, we all share a bond that unities us as brothers and sisters in Christ...and we are family. This is only possible because of what Jesus did…He built His church and we are His church!

Pray for physical and mental strength as we enjoy our last day in Israel. Pray that God would give us an extra measure of energy so we can be strong to the end.

God Bless!