Pursuing Jesus in Israel

We head out early to the Temple Mount, which is venerated as a holy site for Judaism, Islam and Christianity. As we entered the Temple Mount we passed the Western Wall where the Jews come to offer their prayers. There was a multitude of sounds, including one group of men dancing and singing in a circle. Amazing. We came to a large flat area that was the site David originally purchased as a threshing floor. As a man of war, David was not permitted to build the temple. Solomon builds the first great temple. That temple was destroyed when other cultures overcame Israel. There were subsequent temples built, none of which were as grand as Solomon's temple. Herod the Great, who is known as a great builder, then builds a recreation of Solomon's temple. That process took over 60 years, and ultimately, that temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. when Rome destroyed Jerusalem.

Jim talked to us about how the temple worship worked, talking about the different courts where people (Gentiles, women, etcetera) were allowed. He showed us the court of women and the court of Treasury. He shared the dynamics of Islam building their temple here when they had control as a way of establishing a presence in this area venerating Moses and also as a way to communicate domination over Israel. This temple acts as the third most holy site, with Mecca and Medina being one and two. He referred us to the area where people that Jesus healed of leprosy would have come to be declared ritually clean, and where the lame man was healed by Peter and John. He also pointed out what was called The Gate Beautiful at the time of Jesus. Then we turned to view the path of Jesus triumphal entry from Bethany into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

We moved from the Temple Mount area into the streets of Jerusalem to the Lions' Gate, which was built in the 1500s after the crusades by an Arab leader, who also built some of the present Jerusalem wall, and then settled into the Church of St. Ann, who was Mary's mother, and was built during the Crusades in the 1200s. This church celebrates the healing of the lame man, who had been at the pool for 38 years hoping to be healed (John 5:1-16). Michael read from the passage and led us in a short time of worship. Jim then led us in a discussion of the various pools in this area and their function to give us context for this healing. Jim noted that the man's consequence for not being being in the pool first after the water was stirred would have been drowning since he was paralyzed. Jim wondered where the people were that brought him there every day. They must not have stayed to help him in. I ponder what it means for me to be a friend in a way that really matters with those I know who are in need.

We then walked down an area called the Via Delarosa, where Catholics have established the tradition of the Stations of the Cross, commemorating Jesus' path where he carried His cross to be crucified, and then entered the area of the Western Wall, which is a sacred site with high security. We came on a day when many young Jews were taking their bar mitzvah, so there was a very celebratory atmosphere. The bottom part of the wall dates back to Jesus' time, and the upper part dates to the 1500s. Watching the young people and their families coming to celebrate this momentous occasion in their spiritual journey was very touching and challenging, particularly when I think of so many in our culture having no spiritual context in which to live their lives.

We then moved outside the City to the Southern Wall. Jim reviewed how the wall had changed over the years and pointed out the area where Jesus, Joseph and Mary would have entered the City. The area contained ritual purification baths for persons like Mary, who would have needed to avail herself of them since she had given birth. Jim noted as an observant Jew, Jesus and His family would have traveled here two or three times a year to come to the temple. The age of 30 was seen as the age of authority, (maturity) which is the age a person could become a Rabbi. Jim also noted that this was the site where Peter delivered his sermon in Acts 2 and Stephen delivered his challenge to the religious leaders before being taken and stoned in Acts 7, becoming the first Christian martyr. We moved around to another side of the Western Wall where excavation found the streets of original Jerusalem, which is much lower than today. There he explained how massive stones (60 feet long) were used to interlock and build the wall.

We find ourselves at the Holy Church of the Sepulchre, which is a site that "tradition" marks as the place of Jesus' crucifixion and burial. We visited a tomb that was "like" the one Jesus might have been buried in. We also went into the Grotto of the Cross, where tradition holds pieces of Jesus' cross was found, and viewed a rock slab that "tradition" holds to be the place where Jesus' body was partially prepared for burial, requiring the women to return on the third day to finish the preparations, but of course, Jesus had risen.

Our next stop after lunch was at St. Peter's In Gallicantu (The place that the cock crowed). There is a church there, and the site commemorates the arrest of Jesus and His trial before the High Priest Caiaphas.

Our last stop was another first century tomb that was like the one described in the Gospels. Michael read the account from John 20:1-18. He noted that it wasn't until Mary heard Jesus say her name that she recognized Him, and Michael emphasized that all those who know Him will have the hope of the empty tomb before then as they look to their resurrection.

Tonight after dinner our group will meet to reflect on the trip and have communion together.

Father, thank You for the great gift this trip has been in our lives. We are grateful that it has drawn us closer to Your heart through a deeper understanding of how to understand Your Word within the context that it was originally given. We rejoice that You loved us so much and that You preserved Your Word through the centuries so we can learn of You, just as You called us to do in Matthew 11:28-30 - "Come to me, all you, who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”