Final Day in Jerusalem

Final day in Jerusalem:

Today is the day I finish my "Thoughts from a Holy Land Experience". It was the last day to eat from the buffet of fresh fruits, vegetables and breads. It was the last day to ride in the bus and laugh with some new-found friends, some old acquaintances, our bishop and her mom and a whole host of people with tons of pictures and souvenirs. It was the last day to hear the words, "One dolla, One dolla, Just One dolla". It was bittersweet. I was tired and actually needed the rest from being at home. But I was no where near ready to be finished with this Mountaintop Experience. Whether or not I was ready, though, the last day had arrived.

The Old City was our destination, the Temple Mount to begin with. We entered the Temple through the Dung Gate and saw where people would have come to have their ritual cleansings in baths called Mikvah baths. Then we walked the main road of the Temple. This is the road that all would walk at one time or another. Jesus surely would've walked across these stones at some point. From the road we were told to look up at the southwest corner of the Temple. It was the highest point and would be where Jesus was tempted by Satan to throw himself off from.

Then came a place that there is no doubt Jesus taught. It was the teaching steps where rabbis would come and teach whoever would listen. It was tradition that the rabbi could speak on these steps without being interrupted. The bible tells us that while there during that last week Jesus taught the people. This would have occurred right here on these steps. I could imagine Jesus teaching those things as I sat there listening.

It is on these steps that Jesus effectively closes out his public ministry. He speaks out against the scribes and Pharisees. They would no doubt have representatives there. But they may have heard themselves, for their offices were directly above these steps. Jesus may have been hardest on the Pharisees because he had the most in common with them. They saw people as supposing to live holy lives, kind of like our belief of the priesthood of all believers. He may have been most pained by them because he had the most hope for them. They just didn't practice what they preached.

We left the steps and went to one of the most famous modern day points of the Temple. We know it as the "Wailing Wall". But I found out that Jews see this as derogatory and ask that it be called the Western Wall. This is the section of the wall that was closest to the Temple itself. It was not as long as I imagined, but just as special a place to be. The men had to cover their heads again, and then we were separated from the women. They had a smaller section to the right where they could go. But before going to this special place, we had to go through metal detectors and even have our bags searched.

As I went to the wall itself, I prayed for peace. I prayed for my family. I prayed for my church. I prayed for God's will. I felt like this was a place that deserved respect and where my prayers were heard. There is an old saying that a prayer from the Holy Land is worth as much as 10,000 from anywhere else.

I was approached by a Jew while there and was told that he prayed for me and my family. I thought it a wonderful gesture, until I saw his hand stretched out asking for a donation for the "rabbi". Well, I wasn't going to let that bother me. I gave him a buck and asked to have my picture taken with him by the wall. :)

The Pool of Bethseda was next. This is where Jesus healed a man who had been crippled most all of his life and was not able to get into the pool. The belief was that at certain times the pool would stir and the first person in would be healed.

This was the northern wall in Jesus' time. A Roman Garrison was built onto the wall near here. They would build temples to worship their own gods. Esclepius was the god of healing, and the priest would throw a snake in the water and the first person in would be healed, according to the Roman beliefs. So the question was why were Jewish people, who believed in only one God, there hoping to be healed by this Roman god. Maybe because they were desperate, and desperate people sometimes do desperate things. And it's desperate people that Jesus seems to seek out.

After leaving the Pool of Bethseda we went on the Via Dolorosa. I learned that this is a walk of faith, not of history. I always believed that these were the footsteps of Jesus to the cross. But in actuality, they are simply a possible route. In the end we end up at Calvary, and that is what's important. At Calvary we enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and where Jesus died. It was a dark place. I guess that's appropriate. The thing I remember most about this place was the desire not to speak. It was as if it hurt to do so.

The traditional location of the tomb of Jesus is in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. A second possible site is just a short walk away. I guess it doesn't really matter which location (if either) is the real one. The most important thing is that the tomb was emptied.

On to our hotel for the last time and a 13 hour plane trip to Atlanta. What a trip! Michelle and I have already said that we're going back as soon as we can afford it. I encourage all who hear this to go as well. It is truly a pilgrimage that every Christian should experience.

In the love of Christ,
greg