First Looks and Experiences of the Holy City
The Mt. of Olives sits across the Kidron Valley from the Eastern Gate of the Old City. It was on the top of this hill that we began our day, getting our first look at the Temple Mount and having Nir orient us to what we are seeing. The gold dome of the Dome of the Rock; The closed up Eastern Gate; the Southern Steps that Jesus and other pilgrims transversed to enter the Temple complex; the white dome of the Great Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter; the gray domes atop the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; the church steeple near the top of Mt. Zion; and over to our left, the house of Caiaphas. The pinnacle of the Temple was right across the valley from us on the southeast corner of the wall. This is where tradition holds that Satan tempted Jesus to jump off. The Lion Gate (or Shepherd’s Gate or Stephen Gate) was over to the right of the Eastern Gate. Below us lay the Church of All Nations in the Garden of Gethsemane; the gold tops of the Russian Church; and Dominus Flevit. We will visit down there soon.
Pastor Pat shared how the right hand can be used to understand the topography of all this (Mt. of Olives, Kidron Valley, Temple Mount, Cheesemaker Valley, Hinnom Valley and Mt. Zion) And he referred to Psalm 137 where it says that if I ever forget Jerusalem I should cut off my right hand.
Following some camel riding (and kissing), we made our way down the Palm Sunday trail, stopping part way down at the chapel of Dominus Flevit. Catholic tradition holds that it was in this area where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. (Luke 19:41). The chapel is in the form of a tear drop.
Traveling further down the hill, we entered the Garden of Gethsemane. The name means olive press. It was here that Jesus went to pray with His disciples after the Upper Room experience. He prayed and asked them to keep watch with Him. But exhausted, they slept. He prayed three different times, paralleling the three pressings of the olives. He gave His all that we may have all things. After seeing the trees and visiting the Church of All Nations where a rock is located that tradition holds is where He sweat drops of blood, we went into a private garden across the way. Here Pastor Ken gave a devotional about Jesus offering peace and then we took time to reflect and pray alone in the garden. We then came back together to share what the Lord had shown us and what we felt as we prayed.
Lunch was experienced at Ramat Rachel, a kibbutz located along the road to Bethlehem. This kibbutz was the closest point (about four miles) the Egyptians got to Jerusalem during the war of Independence. Along the way to lunch we stopped by to see and take pictures of the new American Embassy.
,
We ended our day with an always sobering visit to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum. As Nir explained, it is not really a museum but more of a memorial. The name means hand or place and a name. It is from Isaiah 56:4,5: I will give them a memorial and a name..... Nir guided us through this moving and sobering picture behind the tragedy of the Holocaust. Survivor testimonies and letters giving insight into the people who perpetrated the atrocities were spread throughout. Trees planted around the complex and exhibitions highlighted the many who helped to save the lives of the Jews during that time as well. These were the righteous ones. But many turned their heads.
Here are some pictures from our day:
Pastor Pat shared how the right hand can be used to understand the topography of all this (Mt. of Olives, Kidron Valley, Temple Mount, Cheesemaker Valley, Hinnom Valley and Mt. Zion) And he referred to Psalm 137 where it says that if I ever forget Jerusalem I should cut off my right hand.
Following some camel riding (and kissing), we made our way down the Palm Sunday trail, stopping part way down at the chapel of Dominus Flevit. Catholic tradition holds that it was in this area where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. (Luke 19:41). The chapel is in the form of a tear drop.
Traveling further down the hill, we entered the Garden of Gethsemane. The name means olive press. It was here that Jesus went to pray with His disciples after the Upper Room experience. He prayed and asked them to keep watch with Him. But exhausted, they slept. He prayed three different times, paralleling the three pressings of the olives. He gave His all that we may have all things. After seeing the trees and visiting the Church of All Nations where a rock is located that tradition holds is where He sweat drops of blood, we went into a private garden across the way. Here Pastor Ken gave a devotional about Jesus offering peace and then we took time to reflect and pray alone in the garden. We then came back together to share what the Lord had shown us and what we felt as we prayed.
Lunch was experienced at Ramat Rachel, a kibbutz located along the road to Bethlehem. This kibbutz was the closest point (about four miles) the Egyptians got to Jerusalem during the war of Independence. Along the way to lunch we stopped by to see and take pictures of the new American Embassy.
,
We ended our day with an always sobering visit to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum. As Nir explained, it is not really a museum but more of a memorial. The name means hand or place and a name. It is from Isaiah 56:4,5: I will give them a memorial and a name..... Nir guided us through this moving and sobering picture behind the tragedy of the Holocaust. Survivor testimonies and letters giving insight into the people who perpetrated the atrocities were spread throughout. Trees planted around the complex and exhibitions highlighted the many who helped to save the lives of the Jews during that time as well. These were the righteous ones. But many turned their heads.
Here are some pictures from our day:
Comments
Post a Comment