WOW, The Holy Mount, In the footsteps of Jesus

This was our last day in Jerusalem, including incredible stops, but also sadness that we will be leaving early tomorrow.

The day began very early with my favorite site of the trip. We were allowed to enter the Rabbi’s tunnel, which is a recently unearthed (last 10 years) series of paths from the time of Christ that lead along the Western Wall of the temple, underneath the current ground level. It’s so hard to explain what we saw, but at one point our guide (and other scholars I trust) stated that on the other side of the wall we were within 20-30 feet of the Holy of Holies, containing the Ark of the Covenant.

Fabrecio teaching us in the Rabbi’s tunnel

Inside view of the Eastern Gate

I know it’s easy to think Indiana Jones, but this is the real deal. To stand in a spot so close to the Old Testament dwelling place of Yahweh, containing the Ark where His Glory resides, was AWESOME! It’s a privilege that is very hard to attain, but we were truly blessed to be able to make it. Unfortunately, due to the conflict between jews and muslims over the temple mount, they are unable to dig through the wall, but that day will come. For now, I’m amazed to know that we were that close to the holiest spot on earth!

Next we went up to the Temple Mount, currently controlled by the muslims, where they’ve built a mosque (al-aqsa) and the dome of the rock. I’ve been here before, and it saddens me to see the Temple Mount covered in this way, but to know we were walking on Mt. Zion where the Temple once stood (and Jesus walked) was a great moment.

Group photo on Temple Mount

From there we visited the pools of Bethesda, where Jesus healed a 38 year old paralytic. Our guide gave a great explanation of why this was one of Jesus’ most important miracles, symbolizing that salvation was now directly accessible through Christ!

After this we departed the mount and headed to the Hebrew University, where our driver Elias had prepared for us a wonderful local breakfast of bread, hummus, tomatoes, pickles, eggs and a special local form of oregano. It was awesome!

Next we visited the Garden of Gethsemane, which means oil press. This is certainly where Jesus went to pray the night He was betrayed. Some of the olive trees date back 2,300 years, which means they were present at the time of Christ. If was cool to stand in the olive grove and pray, while looking back across the Kidron Valley towards the Eastern Gates. This is significant because Jesus traveled that route, but more importantly because He will one day travel it again to reestablish His throne in Jerusalem!

Me and some Israeli soldiers

We ended the day by heading into the Old City of Jerusalem to visit Kind David’s tomb and the upper room (no proof it was the actual one, but definitely in the vicinity). We stood in the upper room and read John 14, reminding us that all of the Scriptures point to the centrality of Christ and the Good News! Fitting end to a wonderful time in Jerusalem.

Teaching in the Upper Room

We ended the day early, but tonight we will head out on our own to experience a little bit of the city. Lori and I have heard about a great italian restaurant, and we’re craving it!

Self-portrait taken of Lori and I at the Western (wailing) wall

Sunrise, favorite views, Son of Man, Empty Tomb

I woke up early, 3:30 a.m., ready for another incredible day. About 6:00 a.m. the sun rose over Jerusalem, what a beautiful city.

Sunrise over Jerusalem (viewed from the balcony of our room)

After breakfast we headed to Bethany, where Lazarus was raised from the dead. Our guide answered the questions about why Jesus waited 4 days (there’s a sermon coming ), what the relationship was between Jesus and the 3 in this story, as well as why this miracle was so important. From here, it was on to the Dead Sea, where we had an hour of fun.  At the southern end of Dead Sea, archaelogical digs have showed that the cities of Sodom and Ghomorra existed on the east and west banks of the dead sea, and that they were destroyed in a catastrophic sulfuric fire. Wonder why it’s so salty?

At Bethany as Fabrecio teaches about the resurrection of Lazarus

Some of the group floating on the Dead Sea

After an incredible lunch in Jericho (more pics later), we left and headed back to the Mount of Olives. It’s one of my favorite views on earth, as you stand on the mountain, looking across the kidron valley to the temple mount. The Eastern Gates were the scene of the triumphal entry, which in actuality was Jesus’ funeral procession.  Though the Eastern Gates are sealed right now, they will one day be opened again and Jesus will once again walk onto the temple mount victorious! As you look at the picture, the muslim “dome of the rock” stands over the temple from the time of Christ. You see why it’s the most contested piece of real estate on earth. Let us remember though that it already belongs to Yahweh!

Standing on the Mt. of Olives looking at the temple mount

We then visited Caiaphas’ house, where Jesus was wrongly tried, falsely accused, yet refused to defend Himself. He was also held there part of the night in a dungeon. Standing in the cell was a holy moment for me, and a great reminder of Jesus’ humanity, that He suffered so much on our account! Our guide gave us a brilliant account of all the laws that Caiaphas and the pharisees broke during this trial, even desecrating their own oaths of purity.

Lastly, we ended the day at the Garden Tomb, where protestants believe Jesus was buried. It’s such a beautiful spot, and moving to remember that our faith is based not on a dead Savior, but a risen one! We walked in the tomb, which is empty , and ended by taking communion near the tomb. We were all moved to remember the Lord’s death and resurrection right where it happened!

Leading communion at the Garden Tomb (it’s empty!)

Tomorrow is our last day in Jerusalem, and I’m pumped about some very special sites we’ll be visiting. God is doing such a huge work in the heart of Lori and I, it’s my prayer that following our journey will also encourage your faith! Blessing, Greg.

Sober Reality, Silent Night

We didn’t go to very many places today, but the depth of what we experienced was truly significant…

We began the morning at Yad Vashem, home of the holocaust museum. We were allotted two hours, but that was not nearly enough to take it in. This is my second time through this museum, but it was just as significant. Wandering through the pictures, remnants and videos of Hilter’s rise, his hatred for the Jewish people, the amazing unity behind his mission, and the blind eye the world turned, it was very disturbing (which is good). I’m amazed at how so many bought into the agenda of Hitler, and how deeply depraved the human heart can be.

Monument to Boris Korczak, who rescues hundreds of children during the holocaust

It is sobering to know that so much of the world turned a “blind eye” to the plight of the jewish people, and a reminder that we must always be vigilent against injustice. 11,000,000 people killed.  I was really touched by the children’s memorial, which remembers the 1.5 million children killed during the holocaust. As you enter the memorial you hear the names and ages of every child killed. As a father it was painful to listen to.

After this we visited a huge model of the city of Jerusalem. It brought great perspective to be able to walk around the model, seeing the size of the temple, the different walls and quarters of the city, and understading how life was lived in the time of Jesus.

It was then time to go to Bethlehem for lunch. Passing through security into the west bank was sobering; lots of guns everywhere. After lunch we visited the church of the nativity, where Jesus was born. It’s disappointing what religion has done to this site, as it’s all built over and reeks of incense. However, to sit the area where Jesus was born brought me to the remembrance of all my Lord has done for me.

Church of the Nativity

To end the day we visited the fields of Boaz and the shepherd’s fields. Very cool to sit on the hills and look back towards Bethlehem, with the same view the shepherds had the night Jesus was born. We read through Luke chapter 2 and sang “Silent Night”. It was a holy moment, one that will forever be emblazoned in our minds as we celebrate Christmas.

Falafell lunch in Bethlehem

Driving back to Jerusalem we got a great view of the gates of Jerusalem as well as the temple mount, where tomorrow we’ll visit. I’m whipped, so I’m off to bed! Shalom Alechem

Strategic Building, Holy Ground, Revolutionary Faith

Today was a transition day from Tiberias of Galilee south to Jerusalem. We were up and out early and covered a lot of ground…

We began by driving to Nazareth, the home of Jesus, then on to Meggido, a hill top fortress utilized by Solomon to control the region. It was cool to examine their gate system, which was well developed to protect the city. Also toured the stables that housed 40,000 horses and walked down into the cities water system, which also served as a secondary (emergency) exit to the city. Megiddo is on a hill (“Har” in Hebrew), which is where we get the term “Armegeddon”, which will happen in the valley at the base of Meggido (Revelation 6-7).

We then traveled a few miles to Mount Carmel, where Elijah called down fire from heaven to defeat the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah, killing them all in the valley below (1 Kings 18). Very cool spot on the top of the mountain, realizing Elijah’s incredible victory happened right there, and then to look out of the vally of Meggido and picture the final battle. I truly felt like I was standing on holy ground.

Teaching at Mt. Carmel

Elijah with his sword

We stopped for lunch and then moved on to Caesarea Maritima (by the sea), a major Roman port city used to control the area. This was a huge city, and digs have produced a wealth of knowledge regarding how this city worked. We toured the different aspects of the city, including the stadium used for chariot races and then sacrificing Christians, before ending in the ampitheater. This was very moving as I stood in the very spot the apostle Paul stood in chains and addressed the roman governors and a stadium of witnesses. Standing literally in the same spot, I read Paul’s incredible sermon from Acts 25-26, ending with his statement “I wish you would all become like me, except for the chains”. Paul was a sold out follower of Christ, and even facing a death sentence he preached the gospel. I pray for more boldness in my faith!

The race track for chariot races, later used to sacrifice Christians for sport

Reading Paul’s sermon at the ampitheater

From there it was on to Jerusalem. Driving up to the mountain and seeing the city is truly breathtaking, a reminder that we are walking where Jesus walked. The group is doing awesome, really growing closer to the Lord and each other. New friendships are being formed, and unity is strong, which is always a blessing on a trip like this. Pray for us as we spend the next days in the area of Jerusalem!

What A Day

Today was our last in the Galilee region, and man it was packed. It’s 7:00 pm and I’m ready to go to sleep. Here’s some highlights….

We started the day heading out on a boat on the Sea of Galilee. When we reached the center of the lake we read the Scriptures of Jesus calming the sea and walking on it. We had a great time of worship and even ended up dancing to some jewish music. Being on the sea of Galilee is one of my favorite sites in Israel, and the whole group agreed this was a special time.

From there we headed to Capernaum, where Jesus did His most extensive teaching and miracles, but also cursed the city for refusing to acknowledge Him. We spent time at the synagogue, toured Peter’s mother-in-law’s house, and reflected on all that Jesus did here.

Next it was the church of the beatitudes, where Jesus preached the Sermon on the mount. What a beautiful setting for the foundational teaching of Christ, reminding me of my favorite beatitude, “blessed are the peacemakers”. We also visited the church of the multiplication (where Jesus fed 5,000), and talked about many of Jesus’ miracles and their Biblical meaning.

For lunch we had St. Peter’s fish, which is a fish found only in the Sea of Galilee, and cooked with the head still on. It’s weird to eat something that’s staring at you, but it tasted great!

After lunch we saw the fishing boat dating from the time of Christ, this really helped me to picture what the disciples were sailing in when the storms hit.

The next stop was the Jordan river to baptize many in our group. What a special time to baptize people in the very place where Jesus Himself was baptized! As a special treat, we were there with a group of Nigerian Christians. A lot of our group hit it off with theirs, and even with the language barrier there was great fellowship over the celebration of baptism. I have to tell you, the exuberance of the Nigerians was encouraging, they know how to celebrate!

To end the day we headed up to a hilltop for a view of the entire region of Galilee as the sun set. Stunning views and a great way to top off our time in Galilee.

Tomorrow we head to Mt. Carmel, Meggido, Caesarea Maritime, Nazareth and Cana on our way to Jerusalem. Here’s some fun pics from today…

Sunrise in Tiberias

There’s not much better than waking up early and watching the sunrise over the Sea of Galilee while reading Scripture. I mean, really, Jesus walked straight across the water! Great start to the day, off to breakfast and then a full day.

Matthew 8:23-27 (NLT)
²³ Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples.
²⁴ Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.
²⁵ The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
²⁶ Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly all was calm.
²⁷ The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!”

Upper Galilee

Today was an amazing day, started early with breakfast and then off to upper Galilee, all the way to within 20 meters of Lebanon. Our guide, Fabrecio, is absolutely amazing. He’s one of the most brilliant people I’ve ever met, speaking 10 languages fluently, he’s a lawyer and also teaches at the Hebrew University. He’s also a believer in Christ, so his teaching of knowledge always connects the dots between Scripture and history/archaeology/religion.

Our first stop was at Tahor, a hilltop city with very advanced aqueducts and water systems. Located strategically, this was a major victory for Joshua as he conquered the promised land.

Walking down 60ft. into a well at Tahor

Our main stop today was at Caesarea Philippi, famous for being a place of pagan devil worship focused on the god “pan“, half goat-half man. Here they worshiped at the mouth of a cave called “the gates of hell“, where they believed spirits went back and forth from earth to Hades. It was the home of the most despicable worship practices, raping of woman, ritual sacrifice of men. Yet, this is where Jesus took His disciples, and declared “I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not conquer it”, Matthew 16:13-20.  Isn’t it interesting that Jesus went to a place that embodies “hell on earth”, and declared that He was building His Church. It’s a great reminder to us that we’re to take light to darkness and help lost people find their way to life through Christ. We’re to GO!

Welcome to the Gate of Hell

Shaun (one of our incredible kidzone volunteers) at the Gate of Hell

Our next stop was Mount Hermon, where in Matthew 17 Jesus took Peter, James and John up to the mountain top and was transfigured, also present were Elijah and Moses. Peter said, “let’s build a camp here”. Another reminder that Christians aren’t to just sit and bask in the presence of Jesus, but to take Him to the world. From here there’s an incredible view of Galilee, Lebanon, and the Golan heights near Syria. What an incredible spot on earth.

For lunch we stopped at a little restaurant, and ate both falafells and chicken kabobs, both were great (except a slight taste of lighter fluid on the chicken ).

After lunch we traveled to the Golan heights, one of the most disputed pieces of land on the planet. Looking at all the military equipment reminds us of Israel’s daily fight to exist as a nation.

Lastly, we visited the ruins of Chorazim, an entire village that’s been unearthed. Very cool to see how the houses were laid out, the synagogue for worship, and even a “cleansing bath” used for ritual cleansing of sin and preparation for worship. This gave us a great look at a typical small village from the time of Christ. This was also one of the 3 cities that Jesus cursed for their rejection of His teaching.

Hanging in Chorazim

Off to dinner and then bed. Tomorrow we’ll visit Capernaum, take a boat ride on the sea of Galilee, and I’ll be baptizing many of the group in the Jordan river.

In Israel

Yesterday was an travel day, we left our London hotel at 5:30 am for an 8:30 flight, landing in Tel Aviv, Israel at 3:30. It was nearly a 3 hour drive to our hotel in Tiberias. After checking in we ate dinner and strolled along the walkway around the sea. How cool! Bonus, I found Ice cream!

This morning we’re up and getting ready to tour sites around the sea of Galilee, I should have some cool stuff to post later.