We're coming down the homestretch for our trip (the last two full days). We are headed to Bethphage, which is the area where the colt upon which no one had ever sat was obtained by two of Jesus' disciples (Luke 19:28-35). We pass the Mount of Olives and the Kidron Valley and have views of the old Jerusalem wall. From an overlook we observe the road (path) that Jesus would have taken on his way into Jerusalem. Jim enters into a discussion of what it means to have an active faith. He used Jesus observing the fig tree that wasn't bearing fruit as a comparison to the religious leaders and Jesus saying if you have faith, you can move this mountain, to illustrate what Jesus wanted His hearers to understand. It is not that we will move physical mountains, but rather, if we act according to God's will, we will bear fruit for the kingdom of God. We then looked out over the Rift Valley, which is the largest fault line in the world. Jim noted we were looking out over an area that was the road between Jerusalem and Jericho. Here is where Jim refers to the parable of the Good Samaritan, and that this parable challenges us to determine if we are willing to set aside our comfort, convenience and prejudice to help another and bear good fruit.
Jim then took us to several different spots on the Mount of Olives where we viewed ancient tombs and talked about the burial of Jesus and why it was important for the women to come on the third day, because the body was seen to formally enter into the decay process on the fourth day, and the Bible indicates Jesus body would not decay. Jesus' resurrection was obviously different from Lazarus, because Lazarus would one day die again. Jesus' resurrection was to a resurrected body and was forever. We are able to rejoice in this reality since it will be our reality too!
We also visited several different observation points and churches. At one spot Michael led us in worship, commenting on the miracle where Jesus healed a lame man and all the people remarked how remarkable the healing was. Let us all ponder the remarkable ways Jesus has healed us.
We had a lovely opportunity to go to our bus driver, Kanal's, home for coffee and cake served by him and his wife. Kamal is a Palestinian Christian, and he has helped to make this trip amazing. I forgot to take his picture. I'll have a picture in tomorrow's blog. 🙂
Our final stop of the morning was the Garden of Gethsemane where there is also a church commemorating the place where Jesus took His disciples following the Last Supper, and the place where He overcame the temptation to avoid the cross.
Our final stop was at the national Israeli museum that also housed an exhibit called the Shrine of the Book, which housed the Dead Sea Scrolls. It also had a scale exhibit of what Jerusalem looked like during biblical times. The larger museum had an archeological wing that we spent time in talking about various discoveries that affirmed the Bible.
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| Jerusalem on the way to Bethphage |
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| First century tomb and stone |
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| Entrance to first century tomb |
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| First century tomb |
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| Michael leading worship in Bethphage church |
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| Maria in Kanal's house |
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| Kamal's wife |
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| An ossuary (containers for bones) |
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| Garden of Gethsemane |
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| Gethsemane Church |
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| Entrance to the Garden |
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| Outside of Gethsemane Church |
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Scale model of Old Jerusalem
(About the size of a football field) |
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| Info on Old Jerusalem scale model |
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