Day 4 Saturday 26 May -
Jerusalem
Saturday. That blessed day of rest and slumber. The 26th day of May. It was 45 years ago on this day that Miss
Penny Ruth Martin made her biggest mistake and I became the luckiest man on
earth. It is our anniversary. Penny will correct me if needs be but I think
this is the first time we have not been together on this day of
celebration. Remind me to shop for
something middle eastern for my bride.
Since Penny has not yet begun her anniversary day being some 8 hours
behind Israeli time, I guess I can sleep in.
But wait, the 5:30 hotel computer call awakens me. I expect a call from Dr. Anderson moments
after. His call was not until 6:15 and he
seemed a bit worried. It seems that the
computer skipped his room and he feared that no one else got a call. But the gang was all in the breakfast room on
time. I ate mostly fruit and hot tea and
a croissant. I miss my oatmeal.
Our
day started at 7:00 and the traffic leaving Bethlehem was rough. Our first stop was at the Mount of Olives
across the Kidron Valley from the old city of Jerusalem. The view across the
valley was spectacular.
From the Mount of
Olives looking west into the city the Muslim Mosque known as the Dome of the
Rock stands out to all who see the city.
It is an important place to Muslims, Christians and Jews.
Up close view
Here at the southeast corner of the city wall are ancient ruins not yet restored of one of the kings of Israel, David I think but don’t hold me to that story.
In
the Kidron Valley there are Jewish burial grounds. Like New Orleans the graves are above
ground. Rather than flowers, stones are
left by those visiting the graves. Some dead people are more important than
others if you go by the stone count.
Jesus
was likely looking at these graves from the temple grounds when he said:
Matthew
23:27 New
International Version (NIV)
27 “Woe to you, teachers of the
law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which
look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the
dead and everything unclean.
The
Eastern Gate that has been walled up since medieval times is important both to
Jews and Christians. Jews believe that
it is the gate prophesized to be the way the Messiah is to enter the temple
mound:
Ezekiel 44:1-3 New
International Version (NIV)
The
Priesthood Restored
44 Then the man brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary,
the one facing east, and it was shut. 2 The Lord said to me, “This gate is to remain shut. It must not be
opened; no one may enter through it. It is to remain shut because the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered through it. 3 The prince himself is the only one who may sit inside the gateway
to eat in the presence of the Lord. He is to enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out
the same way.”
Christians
also believe this but believe that this already happened when Jesus entered the
city through this gate on a donkey on Palm Sunday. They further believe that Jesus will return
and enter Jerusalem through the Eastern Gate.
(No, I have no idea what that man is doing on top of the wall.)
I
believe that Christ will return and that his kingdom will reign throughout the
world.
Elvin
does not look too sleep deprived since he got his noise cancelling head phones
working. He and my wife claim I
snore. That may be true but also true is
one of us is “rocking the hat” as the lady at the airline desk told me. Just saying.
The
Garden of Gethsemane is on the Mount of Olives.
Gethsemane means olive press.
These flowers and trees would not have been alive when Jesus came here
to pray. But as the place is described
as a garden I am confident that it would have looked something like this.
Matthew 26:36-56 New International
Version (NIV)
Gethsemane
36 Then Jesus went with his
disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here
while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons
of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with
sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
39 Going a little farther, he
fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is
possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you
will.”
40 Then he returned to his
disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with
me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into
temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 He went away a second time and
prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away
unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
43 When he came back, he again
found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time,
saying the same thing.
45 Then he returned to the
disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the
hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”
Jesus Arrested
47 While he was still speaking,
Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with
swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people.48 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss
is the man; arrest him.”49 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and
kissed him.
Then the men
stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. 51 With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew
it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
52 “Put your sword back in its
place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by
the sword. 53 Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put
at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must
happen in this way?”
55 In that hour Jesus said to the
crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and
clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and
you did not arrest me. 56 But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets
might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.
Over
the millennia a church (usually Catholic) has been constructed at every
important biblical site. This is no
different, the Garden Church houses the rock on which Jesus was said to have
been when he prayed, “My Father,
if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as
you will.”
A sign in
the Garden says this:
“O Jesus,
in deepest night and agony you spoke these words of trust and surrender to God
the Father in Gethsemane. In love and
gratitude I want to say in time of fear and distress, ‘My father I do not
understand now but I will trust you.’”
Here
is said rock. I do not know if this was
the rock but Jesus was somewhere very near hear when he prayed.
In
another chapel near the garden our group gathered and sang “His name is
wonderful.”
We
walked down in the valley passed the graves on a path similar to one that Jesus
would have been taken into the city to the palace of the high priest Caiaphas. We rode the bus back up the other side. Thank God for small mercies.
In
the dungeon of his palace was this place of torture and prison. This is where Jesus was scourged. Beaten nearly to death with a whip with many
small stones of bits of metal at the ends.
Most people died from the scourging.
This also was the prison where Peter was sent after the resurrection. Dr. Anderson told the story of the angel
coming and setting Peter free. Peter
went to the room where his friends were praying for his release and when the
servant told them that Peter was at the door they replied that in fact he was
in prison. Dr. A suggested that it was
like a Christian praying for rain and not bring an umbrella to the prayer
meeting.
The holes where ropes
would have tied the prisoner’s hands above his head are visible.
The holes in the floor
would have held salt water to be thrown on the bleeding body.
Near the palace of Caiaphas,
they discovered the steps leading to the house in the time of Jesus and these
are the very steps Jesus walked on as he was taken to trial.
We
started down the Via Dolorosa and saw a couple of the stations. One place that is not one of the traditional
stations is a relatively recent discovery of the place where the Roman guard
would have mocked and tortured Jesus.
The found a circle inscribed on the stone floor that is divided into
sections. The soldiers would cast lots
on to the circle to determine what tortures they would get to inflict. Crowning with thorns, giving a stick as a scepter
before taking it away, etc.
Today the Via Dolorosa is a street of commerce and
most people give no thought to the history.
This lady was selling mint leaves.
Mint in the lemonade was very popular. A leaf or two that gave a hint of
mint was not bad. When the mint was
ground into pepper sized flake and the lemonade had lots of it in it, the
lemonade went from not bad to barely tolerable.
Some tourist brought their cute kids.
One of the last stops of the day was the Garden
Tomb. You can read the story of this
place here: https://gardentomb.com/about
If you grew up in a Baptist Church and ever saw
a picture of the empty tomb of Jesus it was likely this place. Much of the circumstantial evidence leads me
to think this was the place. For Golgotha,
the place of the skull, is quiet near, which is also near the ancient
intersection of two Roman roads. Lots of
history tells us that Roman crucifixions were virtually always done at a place
where passing people could see and get the message of the power of Caesar. This place meets those standards.
This photo of the hill taken in the 1800s
clearly resembles a skull.
Some stone slides latter and today the hill
looks less skull like.
What is not in doubt is this was a burial
chamber form the first century and that early Christians marked this place with
a cross.
The stone trench where a round disk stone would
have been rolled to close the tomb is seen.
John tells us that the tomb was very near Golgotha. This tomb meets that criterion.
John 19:38-42 New International
Version (NIV)
The Burial of Jesus
38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea
asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but
secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission,
he came and took the body away. 39 He was accompanied by
Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus
brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.[a] 40 Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices,
in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in
the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the
tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
A brief video of the inside of the tomb.
The tomb of Jesus or not. This tomb and the one in the church are
empty. He is risen, indeed!
We
passed this clever establishment on the way back to the hotel. Tee Hee
A
wonderful day.
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