Israel - Day 7

Every day on this trip is powerful, but there are three days that are incredibly powerful.  The first was this past Sunday when we visited Capernaum and several locations around the Sea of Galilee, where most of Jesus ministry was.  The second will be this Friday when we walk the Via Dolorosa and visit the Garden Tomb where Jesus was laid.  And the third was today.

This morning we began by standing on the Mount of Olives.  There we gazed on Jerusalem, as Jesus did when he entered on Palm Sunday.  We stood at the spot where Jesus wept over the city as he entered it (Luke 19:41).  We took in the view of the vast city, and pictured how he saw it 2,000 years ago while realizing that He still cries over the city today.

.  Then we walked down the same path that Jesus took, and went to the Garden of Gethsemane

This was one of this absolute highlight moments for us - being in the same garden where Jesus was as he prayed the night before he was crucified.  We spent much time here reflecting individually and together.  It was a powerful, emotional time as we realized that Jesus walked this very garden with His disciples, knowing what was coming just a few hours away, and yet still He submit to His father's will.  I thought of those times when I have been in utter anguish, and I can picture Jesus at that moment, just collapsing against a tree (it was a rock in the bible, but the trees served the purpose here in the garden), and just crying out to Father God.  From the garden He could look up at the stars, at Jerusalem and at the temple where He taught and tried to show people the good news, and I imagine his heart was broken for the city and the people he loved so much.  After we each reflected, we had a time of worship together.

 From the Garden of Gethsemane we went to the house of Caiaphas, where Jesus was taken after he as arrested in the garden.  To get there we had to walk alongside the steps Jesus took.

 A church has been built over the house of Caiaphas.  Underneath, Jesus defended himself and spent the night before being sent to Pontius Pilate the next morning.  This spot was an eye opener.  We went down to the pit where Jesus was thought to have been held.  It was dark, cold, and probably stunk from human waste from the other prisoners before Jesus.  It was probably about 20 feet deep, and the only way in and out was to be lowered down/up through a hole in the ceiling.

Not only that, the person - in this case Jesus - remained standing and was tied around their chest and shoulders to be lowered up and down.  I can only imagine what Jesus was thinking this long night He spent along in a dark, damp, smelly pit, the night before he knew he was to die.

From there it was on to a double site - the Upper Room, found over King David's Tomb.  Why did I post a boring picture of a building below?  It's to show the interesting mix and spiritual warfare found throughout Israel, and specifically Jerusalem.  The bottom level of this building is where the Tomb of King David is found.  The second level is the Upper Room.  The top level is a mosque.

This is what they suppose is King David's Tomb...well, half of it.  There is a men's and a women's side.  This picture is obviously from the men's.

Then it was into the Upper Room.  This is actually a church from the Byzantine Era, if I remember correctly.  But in this room we read of the last supper, and then we had another powerful moment.  It was during the last supper that Jesus also washed the disciples feet.  Glen Sye, with LIFE, brought a towel with him to wash the feet of one lady in our group in the Upper Room, as we all watched emotionally.

Finally, we ended our day at the pools of Bethseda where Jesus healed man who had been crippled for 38 years (John 5).  At this point too, we had a powerful time of prayer (I told you, it was an amazing day!)  Here we brought up prayer requests and prayed for each other, believing that the same God who healed that crippled man 2,000 years ago could also heal us, our loved ones, and our world today.

This day was unbelievable.  We essentially travelled the last hours of Jesus' life before he was crucified, walking the same steps he took.  We also walked along the Via Dolorosa several times as we strolled  through the old city of Jerusalem in the city walls.  To see all these sites made me see and understand the crucifixion as I never had before.  I have a new appreciation for the love, grace, mercy, and compassion of Christ.