Shalom from Jerusalem this blessed Lord’s Day! It’s good to be in the Holy City of God on Shabbat! However, that means all Jewish sites are closed! So, what to do? Plenty!
We hopped on our bus at 8:00am and took off immediately to the Mount of Olives. So much happened here…and so much more will happen here in the future! Atop the Mount of Olives is a fantastic view of Temple Mounty across the Kidron Valley. A bit lower on the Mount, we find the Garden of Gethsemane and Dominus Flevit. It was on this mount, across the Kidron Valley from Temple Mount, that many Biblical narratives took place. Time and space do not allow for every important instance, but some have similar details. We focused there today.
2 Samuel 15 tells us about David’s wayward son, Absalom; Matthew 26: 47-56 tells us about Judas’ betrayal of Jesus; and Luke 19 tells us about Jesus’ wayward people, Israel. In each case, David and Jesus wept on the Mount of Olives. Absalom committed treason against his father, Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss, and Israel missed the time of their visitation. On the same night as Judas’ betrayal, Jesus also agonized (to the point of sweating drops of blood) while His disciples slept. Several Biblical accounts paint the Mount of Olives as a place of weeping.
Dominus Flevit is a tear-shaped structure commemorating such times of mourning. Also found there are ossuaries in which the bones of the dead were buried, inferring more weeping. The Garden of Gethsemane lies just down the hill from there. It is thought that Gethsemane may have been a common meeting area for Jesus and His disciples. Before modern technology, one way to connect was to plan to meet at a certain spot on a certain day and time. Sadly, Gethsemane happens to be where Jesus was betrayed and arrested prior to His crucifixion. BTW – there are great views of the Eastern Gate (Golden Gate) from the place designated as the Garden of Gethsemane.
(Click on pictures to see the full version.)
Today was Shabbat, so we attended a Messianic congregation in Jerusalem called House of Redemption (or Beit Geulah in Hebrew). Some Messianic congregations either conduct their services in English, or have a translator. Others do not particularly want to be disrupted every time a tour group comes. This one is “tourist friendly,” so we joined right in!
There is construction going on EVERYWHERE, it seems! No matter the towns we’ve been in, there are always buildings being built and cranes dotting the horizon. I believe it is Bible prophecy playing out! God’s Word tells us the Jews will be back in their land in the end times. Perhaps not every Jew in the world will make aliyah, but for the first time in modern history, there are more Jews in Israel than in the rest of the world. If Jews are coming home, there must be space for them to live! Thus, we see multi-story apartments going up in every city and town!
After lunch, we said goodbye (for the rest of the day) to our Israeli guide and we headed to Bethlehem. Why goodbye to Yoyakim? Bethlehem is Palestinian controlled and Israelis are not allowed in except by very special permit. But we picked up a great Armenian Christian guide who was just wonderful! He loves Jesus, shared Scriptural truth with us, and quoted the Lord’s prayer in the same language Jesus spoke it: Aramaic.
Bethlehem is situated in the West Bank, so things are very complicated. Though our Armenian guide is a Christian and loves Jesus, we have different perspectives on the Palestinians, though he did not push it. What we read or see on the news about Palestinians is typically negative. Unfortunately, there is a degree of reasonableness, but the reality is that Bethlehem has extremely high unemployment, very high cost of living, and almost no access (since October 7) to jobs outside the West Bank. Unlike Gaza, where food is trucked in by the multiple tons every day, Bethlehem has a legitimate poverty problem. Swarms of street vendors descend on every tour bus that arrives, wanting to sell their goods “at special price…just for you!” Most are common people just like you and me, wanting to provide for their families. Yet, if restrictions are loosened, Israelis are targeted by jihadists living among the people. It’s very complicated. How would anyone know who to allow into the country to work, and who should not be allowed in?
In Bethlehem, we saw the shepherd’s fields where they would have been “keeping their flocks by night” in preparation for Passover. This was the place where Passover lambs were purchased for sacrifice at the Temple. Isn’t it fitting that Jesus, our Passover Lamb, was born in Bethlehem, in a stable (actually a cave where shepherds kept sheep at night), and became the Great Shepherd! Our guide, George, was so passionate in sharing that narrative as we found shelter from the rain in one of those small caves.
Interestingly, in the chapel at the shepherd’s fields are these three murals on the walls. First is the angels appearing to very fearful shepherds. Second, the shepherds were invited to see the Christchild, and thirdly, the shepherds are no longer afraid, but are rejoicing with great joy!
We made a typical stop at an authentic olive wood carving shop before hustling off to visit Pastor Naim Khoury at First Baptist Church Bethlehem. FBC is an Arab-speaking Palestinian congregation. Pastor Khoury and his wife, Elvira, have been serving that congregation for over 45 years. Though they do it secretly due to endangered lives, many with Muslim backgrounds are coming to faith in Jesus! The numbers are difficult to quantify (due to the secrecy), but Pastor Khoury assures us we have many Palestinian brothers and sisters who love the Lord. It is quite amazing how God has sustained Pastor Khoury and his congregation. He has been shot more than once and their building has taken rockets hits throughout the years, yet God continues to provide for them. Pastor Khoury was blessed to see all his siblings (8 or 10, if I remember correctly) come to know Jesus. One just before he was taken from this earth. His is another amazing story of God’s sustaining power, grace and mercy, just like other pastors we have met.
It may have been a sloppy day outside, but it was a fulfilling day spiritually! We’re here in Jerusalem and there is so much more to see and do, but only 3 days left to do it! Rain is forecast for tomorrow as well, but our group is filled with troopers! We’ll press on! Tomorrow we hope to see the incredible City of David, including Hezekiah’s Water Tunnel, the Pool of Siloam, and Pilgrim’s Road. That dumps us out inside the Old City at the South Wall excavations. Then we’ll hit the Western Wall, including tunnels, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, some free time in the Old City to shop at the bazaars, then an evening meeting with Dr Seth Postell, a renown professor at ONE FOR ISRAEL’s Bible College. You don’t want to miss tomorrow’s adventures! See you back here!
