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Israel Journal Day 5
March 1, 2010
Day 5: Jerusalem
This morning I wake up in Jerusalem and I begin my day doing my devotions in #612 King Solomon Hotel. Pretty amazing as I look out of my window at the view I have of the old city of Jerusalem.
I spent time reading from Mark 11 where Jesus comes into Jerusalem just as Teresa and I are preparing to as well. Jesus enters and leaves Jerusalem 3 separate times, the 1st time Jesus just looks around and then leaves. It’s like Jesus is scouting out the place – quite possibility seeing things that are a big problem to him. Not sure but could it be that Jesus is so worked up inside with what he sees that is wrong in the temple that he cursed the fig tree as he left the temple? 2nd time Jesus heads straight for the temple and turns it upside-down – staying around all day and into the evening and then leaving for the night just outside of Jerusalem.
This is a model of the temple as it would have appeared during the time of Jesus.
3rd time the authorities are ready for Jesus and they confront him directly in several different ways. Jesus’ responses to these interactions leave me with a big grin on my face as Jesus handles these authorities with such cheeky confidence. It almost seems that Jesus was picking a fight – so clear on his mission and so clear in his tactics. My prayer today is that Teresa and I will be able to experience the power of Jesus as we walk through this city!
A little about Jerusalem.. it is the most famous city in the world. It’s located in the Judean Hills of Israel, with the Hinnom and Kidron valleys as part of its borders. Its elevation is 2600 feet above sea level. Earliest mention of Jerusalem can apparently be found in Egyptian texts dating back to the 19th century BC. Jerusalem is first mentioned in the Bible as Salem, or Shalem..
Gen 14:18 Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine.
This verse describes a meeting between Abraham and Melchizedek.
Jerusalem became the center of power for the land of Israel during the time of King David. David drove the Jebusites out of Jerusalem and named it the City of David.
2Sa 5:6 Then the king and his men advanced to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who lived in the land. The Jebusites said to David, “You cannot invade this place! Even the blind and the lame will turn you back, saying, ‘David cannot invade this place!’ ”
2Sa 5:7 But David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the city of David).
2Sa 5:9 So David lived in the fortress and called it the City of David.
He reigned there as King of Israel for 33 years, after reigning his first 7 years in Hebron. After David, all of the kings of Judah reigned in Jerusalem. David’s son, Solomon, built the Temple in Jerusalem, which was later destroyed, rebuilt, and destroyed again.
This photo marks what they believe is the tomb of David.
The original site of Jerusalem, as it was during the days of David about 3000 years ago, is still sometimes called the City of David. It is south of the Temple Mount and is surrounded by hills.
Psa 125:2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, now and forevermore.
Constantine the Great sent his mother Helena to Israel in AD 326, and she became associated with Constantine’s building of the first great Christian churches. Today with 3 major religions centered in Jerusalem, Judaism, Islam, Christianity, it is the focal point of the world.
Jerusalem has been a city of war and take-over’s from way back 3300 B.C. Here is a timeline of occupants for the city of Jerusalem since then.
3300 BC – Canaanites
1006 BC – Israelites
586 BC – Babylonian
538 BC – Persian
332 BC – Hellenistic
63 BC – Roman
324 AD – Byzantine
638 AD – Muslim
1099 AD – Crusaders
1260 AD – Mamluk
1517 AD – Ottoman
1917 AD – British
1948 AD – State of Israel
I remember looking at this list and imagining all of this history and behind it all is destruction, brokenness, and death. This is a something that is becoming more apart of the story of this pilgrimage that I am on. It’s really very sad and I can understand with new understanding why it is that Jesus wept over the city and being at the place where he wept had quite an impact on me.
Luke 19:41 Now when Jesus approached and saw the city, he wept over it..
Mount of Olives
The Mount of Olives being just to the east of Jerusalem is one of the most revered places for Christians. On its slopes are the Garden of Gethsemane, Bethany and Bethpage. It is here that Jesus would have wept over the city that he would be looking out over, it is here that Jesus sometimes taught his disciples, it is here where he began his Palm Sunday entrance into Jerusalem, where he prayed and sweated drops of blood, where he was arrested, and where he rose up to Heaven.
Today the Mount of Olives is dotted with many churches, including the Church of Dominus Flevit which is where Jesus wept. This church is shaped like a teardrop.
As well, the Church of All Nations marks the place where Jesus would pray and be arrested before his crucifixion.
Mark 14:32–35 Then they went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James, and John with him, and became very troubled and distressed. He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to the point of death. Remain here and stay alert.” Going a little farther, he threw himself to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour would pass from him.
The Church of Mary Magdalene a Russian Orthodox church remembers the 1st person to see the resurrected Jesus. As well, the Chapel of the Ascension marks the rock from where Jesus left the earth and ascended to Heaven.
There is also the largest Jewish cemetery in the world located here.
Garden of Gethsemane
Gethsemane was the place where Jesus prayed shortly before being betrayed by Judas and arrested by the Romans. (Matthew 26). This olive tree dates back 2000 years and is believed was here at the time of Jesus.
From here we spent the rest of our day exploring the Old City of Jerusalem. One place I was really looking forward to seeing was the Upper Room where Jesus had the last supper with his disciples as well as where the Holy Spirit came powerfully onto the disciples at the birth of the church.
Acts 1:13 When they had entered Jerusalem, they went to the upstairs room where they were staying.
St. Peter’s in Gallicantu is built on top of the High Priest Caiphas’ House and is where Jesus was brought after he was betrayed by Judas. It is here we remember the 3 denials of Peter.
How painful that must have been for Jesus to have been not only betrayed by Judas but also by Peter. Relational betrayal is very painful especially for what it results in. the stairs that Jesus would have been led away on are still there today.
Via Dolorosa
The Via Dolorosa, also known as the Way of the Cross, is the path which Jesus walked while bearing the cross, from the place of judgment to Calvary.
It starts at the Church of Flagellation, (below) winds through the streets of Jerusalem into the Christian Quarter, and ends in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. There are 14 stations along the route, and each one marks an event that took place during Christ’s last walk before his crucifixion. Nine of these stations are actually along the Via Dolorosa and five are inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Here is the list of the 14 stations: with many of them marked in some way as shown in this 3rd station location.
1. Jesus is condemned to death.
2. Jesus receives the cross.
3. Jesus falls the first time.
4. Jesus meets his mother.
5. Simon is made to bear the cross.
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.
7. Jesus falls the second time.
8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem.
9. Jesus falls the third time.
10. Jesus is stripped of his garments.
11. Jesus is nailed to the cross.
12. Jesus dies on the cross.
13. Jesus is taken down from the cross.
14. Jesus is taken to the Sepulchre.
The church of the Holy Sepulchre marks the death and some believe the burial of Jesus. The tension between the Christians in large part comes down to which denomination is entitled to the ownership of these holy places? There is so much division in this country and the one group you would expect unity is with Christians but that is not the case at all. The ladder in the picture on the 2nd story was used to clean that window by one Christian denomination while another group thought it was theirs to clean.
The infighting became so bad that the Israeli government needed to intervene and took the keys away from the Christians and gave them to 2 Muslim families to control the opening and closing of this Christian church. The ladder is a reminder of this feuding. I just shake my head!
Garden tomb
The Garden Tomb is located just north of the Damascus Gate, outside the walls of Jerusalem. This site was discovered by a group of British Christians during the late 1800s. The Tomb looks like what people might typically envision as Christ’s tomb.
Also, there is a skull-shaped hill nearby, as indicated in the New Testament as Golgotha. This site is believed by some Christians to be the site of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Others believe that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the site of the tomb.
I think I am a bit overwhelmed by all of what I am reminded of what Jesus went through. The garden that Jesus came to before he died, and then having to make this big decision really hit me. It’s the place of rest but also of solitude. Everyone of us needs a place like this before we make big decisions. And the truth is Jesus offers that to each of us.
Our guide said to us today that we are not “tourists, we are pilgrims and everyone must come to Jerusalem because it’s our home.” He said, “Come back. We need you.”
Here was a prayer I came across that says it better than I..
God, help me to see beauty where there is brokenness.
to awaken to light where there is darkness.
to grasp hope where there is none.
to release love when I feel betrayed.
to transform pain rather than run from it.
to know my own sin rather than condescendingly judge others.
to be willing to die to give life.
to elegantly and release joy and hope in the midst of sorrow.
in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Israel Journal Day 4
February 27, 2010
Day 4: NAZARETH/BEIT SHAN/JERICHO
I find it pretty awesome to wake up and realize – Hey I’m right next to the Sea of Galilee where so much of the live of Jesus was spent! As I walk down to the restaurant for breakfast I can’t help but notice that on the side of most every hotel and house door that I can see is a “Mezuzah” which means “Guardian of the doorways of Israel.”
The placing of a mezuzah on the doors of a home or office protects the inhabitants – door posts are mentioned in the Old Testament.
Deut 6:9 Inscribe them on the doorframes of your houses and gates.
Nazareth
Today we went to Nazareth via Cana, where Jesus turned the water into wine (John 2). We didn’t stop in Cana but as we passed by I let myself imagine this festive event of all these people and how kind Jesus was to be sure that the host was not to be embarrassed in the shortage due to his poor planning. It gives me such a great picture of the person of Jesus – 1st miracle is wine!
We then visited an authentic reconstruction of a Nazareth village in the way it would have been from the time of Jesus. The picture of this 1st century building shows how the roof would have been constructed which shows the determination the 4 friends of the paralytic had in order to break through the roof in order to lower their friend to Jesus. (Mark 2)
Nazareth is a town in Galilee about 18 miles west of the southern tip of the Sea of Galilee. It was there the angel Gabriel came to the Virgin Mary and announced that she would give birth to Jesus which is marked by yet another church.
Luke 1:26–27 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.
From the 4th century onwards, churches were built on the sites located by Helena, Constantine’s mother, which were connected with Jesus, Joseph and the Virgin Mary. This one is called the Church of the Annunciation and was completed in 1969.
As Teresa and I were walking through this church I leaned over and kissed her cheek. Well how was I supposed to know you are not allowed to do that – ya I got in trouble, it wasn’t the 1st time this happened in Israel and it wouldn’t be the last! Stay tuned!!
Some time after the birth of Jesus, the family returned to Nazareth. Jesus grew up there while Joseph worked as a carpenter. This stairwell is believed to lead to the workshop of Joseph. I’m pretty sure that I was some sawdust on the floor
While in Nazareth we learned of the writings that the Jewish Rabbis would have used and the time periods of each. We were told that from the time the temple was destroyed up to the 5th century the 6 volume “Mishna” was to be followed. 2nd was the “Talmud” followed by 3rd the “Gomorra”. “The guide to the perplexed” is the 4th book, and the last book is “The set-up table”. At this point there is no other book which apparently accounts for the many divisions within the Jewish faith.
We then went to Beit Shan, an ancient city dating from the time of King Saul, and it is here that Saul and his sons were believed to be hung.
1Sa 31:10 They placed Saul’s armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and hung his corpse on the city wall of Beth Shan.
This city was discovered by a man who was digging the foundation for his home and while digging hit something that resulted in being the Amphitheatre.
Fortunately we have this amazing city to explore but unfortunately for this man he lost his home.
Jericho
Being that Jericho is controlled by the Palestinians and our Israeli guide did not take us through the city because of this. I am becoming uncomfortable with what it is that I am seeing in the Israeli Palestinian debate to which I’m sure my future journal entries will address. It just doesn’t look right in the way that the Israeli authorities are treating these people, but that being said, Jericho is about 15 miles northeast of Jerusalem. During the days of Jesus, the ancient site of Jericho was largely abandoned and there was a newer settlement to the south, which had been built by King Herod.
Jesus performed miracles here, including the healing of a blind man named Bartimaeus.
Mark 10:46 They came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the road.
Jericho is believed to be the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world. In ancient times, about 3400 years ago, Joshua sent two spies into the walled city, where they were aided by Rahab, the harlot.
Josh 2:1 Joshua son of Nun sent two spies out from Shittim secretly and instructed them: “Find out what you can about the land, especially Jericho.” They stopped at the house of a prostitute named Rahab and spent the night there.
Because of her assistance, she and her family were spared when the Israelites attacked the city. After seven days of circling the city with the Ark, the Israelite army shouted and the walls of the city came down. Jericho was the first major conquest by the Israelites after they crossed the Jordan and entered the promised land. It’s sad to me that after all of this great history that this city is under the rule of the Hemas and that Israeli people cannot enter it safely because of the risks associated with the unrest.
The story of my journey as a Pilgrim in this country is very eye-opening. I’ve had enough for one day, it’s time to call it a day.
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