All good things come to an end and our first in a great while Return to Israel Tour was one of those good things! But not before seeing three final sites: a driveby of the US Embassy in Jerusalem, Emmaus and the Ayalon Institute.
Though Israel has been a reborn nation since 1948, and despite its capital being Jerusalem, there were no embassies in Jerusalem until President Trump finally fulfilled a promise made by every president since 1948: he moved the US Embassy to Jerusalem! I remember the day, and I remember what joy was experienced by both Israelis and Americans on that day. Today, we drove by the US Embassy and, though we were not allowed to get off the bus, they did allow us up into the circular driveway at the embassy entrance. From the bus, we saw the US Embassy seal and the engraved plaque on the building, commemorating the opening of the embassy. (No, Ambassador Huckabee did not come out to greet us!)
Next up, Emmaus, the Biblical site at which Jesus became very real to two of His followers. Following Jesus’ resurrection, you might expect there to be tremendous jubilation and rejoicing, yet Scripture paints a different picture! These two men had gotten word of the resurrection, but I’m not sure they quite “got it!”
Luke 24:1-27 records the account of discovering the empty tomb, and two disciples’ journey to Emmaus later that day as they left Jerusalem perhaps angry, sad, and confused. As they walked along the road, they reasoned with one another, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
Suddenly, Jesus appeared and asked, What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad? Not recognizing Him, one of them replied, Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened in these days?
Can you picture Jesus with a slight smirk asking, What things? Then, as they proceeded to tell Jesus about what happened to Jesus, I wonder if He snickered! (Yes, I believe Jesus had a sense of humor!)
But the reality was they had no faith that the Faithful One who told them He would die and rise again on the third day would actually pull it off! What was Jesus’ response in verses 25-27? Wow…they got a full “law and prophets” sermon, directly from the Risen Lord, expounding on things concerning Himself! In it, He made Himself known through the law and prophets!
Isn’t it interesting that Jesus taught what would supposedly be very familiar to Jewish people? Faithful Jews knew the law and the prophets inside out! They studied it thoroughly, yet it was only head knowledge. Jesus brought it down to heart level in teaching that the law was designed to illustrate the need for a Savior, and the prophets foretold the very event that now confused the disciples! Imagine if they had simply put their faith in God’s Word, rather than making the law and the prophets an academic exercise in understanding. Perhaps we could use the same faith challenge!
We’re not 100% certain that this is the place on the road to Emmaus that Jesus and his disciples had their encounter, but if not, it is representative of the location. As with most sites in Israel, other structures have been built on top of historic sites (sometimes multiple times). As it stands today, this location has many marks of the Byzentine (Roman Christian) period, built on top of what was there in Jesus’ day.
The Ayalon Institute was our last tour stop, and it was a very fascinating one. It helps answer the question of how the State of Israel was born. Specifically, it tells the story of how about 45 young people managed to produce over 4 million rounds of submachine gun ammunition in a secret underground facility right under the nose of the British! It is an amazing story and we were able to go into the underground facility to find out how they did it! (You can hear the story here as well!) This site was a huge hit, and a really fun way to end our tour! (Bonus content: two T-shirts that always draw attention…and a few laughs!)
Having completed our itinerary, it was now time to celebrate our Farewell Lunch together. We have become like family and each had the opportunity to share memorable moments with their tour mates. It was a precious time together before loading up and heading for the airport for final goodbyes.
For family and friends back home, thank you for sharing your loved ones with us for a few days! We’ve done our best to send them back home filled with the joy of walking where Jesus walked, but also having experienced new things most tour groups don’t experience. Ask them the stories and be ready to hear of the adventures they shared!
For a new set of family and friends who have just said goodbye to loved ones (or will do so in a day or two), welcome to our blog where you will be updated daily on the adventures that lie ahead. Next on the agenda is a 3-day extension in which we will roll up our sleeves and work alongside pastors and ministry leaders serving both Jews and Arabs in Israel. You are going to be amazed by the stories and how the Lord is using these servants to bless others. We’re so fortunate to be involved, if only for a short while. Stay tuned for those adventures.
While dropping off most tour guests, the three remaining for the service extension met three new guests coming in for the extension and the tour that follows! We have two more arriving after midnight, so we will meet them in the morning! Meanwhile, we took a walk through the beautiful Old City of Jaffa before feasting on a delicious dinner at our hotel!
(Acts 10 – we’ll be back to that story in Caesarea in a few days!)
We’ve got 3 exciting days of service, then will welcome our November 1 group for a another great tour, made up mostly of first timers! We’ve got a wonderful itinerary and we want to share the adventures with you! Stay tuned for daily updates!
