Final Day and Heading Home
This is my last installment for this journey. In a few hours we all will be heading home and the tour comes to an end. But the questions, the insights and the memories will last into eternity.
We began our morning at the Garden Tomb. Run by a British foundation, the Garden Tomb area was cited by British General Gordon as being the potential place of Jesus’ burial. It is located outside the city walls; by a rock formation that looked like a skull; along the Damascus Road; and has a tomb hewed out of the rock. We always tell people that while the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is historically probably accurate, the feel would be like here. Once we were guided through the garden and went into see the tomb, we retreated to a small chapel where we did a trip review and had communion together. The testimonies were memorable.
Next, the City of David. Yes Bethlehem is also called the City of David. That is where he was born. But this City of David was the 12 acre plot of ground located below the Temple Mount that was the Jebusite city that David conquered and decided to make his capital. We followed a parallel tunnel to Hezekiah’s water tunnel and made our way to the Pool of Siloam (Hebrew Shiloach).
Final stop: The house of Caiaphas the High Priest. It is called Peter en Gallicantu. We discussed the arrest and movements that night. The highlight of this stop was going down into the pit where Jesus was held and Pastor Jim reading Psalm 88 for us. I suggest you go get your Bible, think for a few minutes about what Jesus had already faced that night, and was now down in a dark pit, and then read Psalm 88. It caused silence and deep reflection.
Shopping, a final meal, and a short night will find us making our way home to loved ones and our “normal.” But life will never be normal again in the same way as the Spirit of Christ brings to mind all the places, stories and realities each time we open our Bible.
A special thanks to Nir for all his generosity, wisdom, knowledge, and care. Thanks to all the group for your cooperation, care of one another, and passion to learn. And most of all, thanks to our Heavenly Father for revealing Himself more to us each and every day.
Final glimpses into our journey:
We began our morning at the Garden Tomb. Run by a British foundation, the Garden Tomb area was cited by British General Gordon as being the potential place of Jesus’ burial. It is located outside the city walls; by a rock formation that looked like a skull; along the Damascus Road; and has a tomb hewed out of the rock. We always tell people that while the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is historically probably accurate, the feel would be like here. Once we were guided through the garden and went into see the tomb, we retreated to a small chapel where we did a trip review and had communion together. The testimonies were memorable.
Next, the City of David. Yes Bethlehem is also called the City of David. That is where he was born. But this City of David was the 12 acre plot of ground located below the Temple Mount that was the Jebusite city that David conquered and decided to make his capital. We followed a parallel tunnel to Hezekiah’s water tunnel and made our way to the Pool of Siloam (Hebrew Shiloach).
Final stop: The house of Caiaphas the High Priest. It is called Peter en Gallicantu. We discussed the arrest and movements that night. The highlight of this stop was going down into the pit where Jesus was held and Pastor Jim reading Psalm 88 for us. I suggest you go get your Bible, think for a few minutes about what Jesus had already faced that night, and was now down in a dark pit, and then read Psalm 88. It caused silence and deep reflection.
Shopping, a final meal, and a short night will find us making our way home to loved ones and our “normal.” But life will never be normal again in the same way as the Spirit of Christ brings to mind all the places, stories and realities each time we open our Bible.
A special thanks to Nir for all his generosity, wisdom, knowledge, and care. Thanks to all the group for your cooperation, care of one another, and passion to learn. And most of all, thanks to our Heavenly Father for revealing Himself more to us each and every day.
Final glimpses into our journey:
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