Good Friday

Good Friday:  “As they led Jesus away, a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, happened to be coming in from the countryside. The soldiers seized him and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. A large crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women.” (Luke 23:26-27)

On our visit to Jerusalem in 2017 we had the opportunity to walk the Via Dolorosa, the way of suffering. It is the traditional route Jesus took from judgement before Pilate to the place of crucifixion, the place of his execution. No one knows the actual path he walked - the city of Jerusalem has been destroyed and rebuilt since then, changed hands in bloody wars, and archaeology has improved our understanding of how the city once looked when Jesus was there. And Luke’s brief description above of Jesus’ journey through the city is the most detailed one we have.

What did the streets look like on that day before the Sabbath, the day of the execution of the King of the Jews? Did it look like today’s lanes, crowded with markets, shoppers, pilgrims?  Luke said a crowd followed, but to those they passed by - what did they see? Just another execution procession that they may have seen before? Soldiers,  a man compelled to carry a cross, another beaten and barely able to carry himself along, weeping women and others following along. 

Did they understand what they were witnessing? The lamb of God was being led out past them, through their midst, to be a sacrifice for their sins, for the sins of the world. Did they look up, take notice, then return to their business briefly interrupted? 

I hope each day that I will not be unaware to the events surrounding me, events orchestrated by my Father to bring me closer to him.  I pray I will take notice to what in the world God is showing and doing for me.

Israel - Ascent 6/11/2017

On Sunday, we spent the day in the Temple Mount area.  It isn't easy to get up on the Temple Mount - heavy security, very limited hours - but it is something I've looked forward to for a long time.  And before we knew it, we are standing atop Mount Moriah.  Of course, it looks nothing like a mountain now, but it was here Abraham took Isaac to be sacrificed.  Here David sacrificed to stop the plague from devastating Jerusalem.  Here Solomon's Temple and the 2nd Temple once stood.  Jesus taught in these courtyards, and entered through the Golden Gate.  Peter healed the lame man and preached to many.

And in the place where multitudes have come to pray over thousands of years, we stood, too.

A short distance from the Temple Mount were beautiful gardens, a church with fine acoustics where we sang praises to God, and the remains of the pool where Jesus healed the man sick for thirty-eight years.  We left the old city through the gate Stephen was taken through when he was martyred.m

Later we prayed with others at Western Wall, the last remnants of the Temple Mount support walls from the time of Jesus, and walked on the same market streets and stones that the 1st century shoppers would have walked.

We lunched and shopped in the Jerusalem souks, dodging other shoppers, delivery carts, and overzealous shop owners.

A group of us went down to the old city of David and explored the Siloam pool tunnels.  One, possibly the tunnel Joab used to capture Jerusalem for David, the other built by King Hezekiah to ensure a steady water supply should the city be under siege. The waters of Siloam still flow quick and cool, and it felt  a bit like Indiana Jones wading through the ankle to knee deep water through the ancient tunnels.

But the highlight was ascending the southern steps of the Temple, steps built by King Herod, and almost certainly used by Jesus and Peter for going to the temple or teaching.  Walking up these ancient steps recalls the Psalms of Ascent (120-134), including, "I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”"

It was not hard to visualize Peter preach from these steps.  We worshipped here together today, broke bread and shared the Lord's Supper.  And I was honored to be able to read Peter's Pentecost sermon for our group.  A convicting message that concluded, “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” (Acts 2:36)

Israel - Walking where Jesus walked 6/10/2017

One year ago today was a day focusing on Jesus.  We spent the morning in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus spent his last night in prayer and agony.  We spent time near the same olive trees that may been young saplings when Jesus was there. 

We looked over the Holy City where Jesus may have wept over Jerusalem, and where David may have, too, when he fled from Absalom.

We listened to the Lord's Prayer in Hebrew, then Latin, then all together in English.

We meditated on Psalm 88 in the dungeon where Jesus may have been held the night of his trial, and the nearby courtyard where Peter denied knowing Jesus.  We saw the Roman road that Jesus may have traveled down on the way to Caiphas and to Pilate.

We walked the path Jesus walked from his scourging and mocking to his death.  We saw and knelt and touched the rock that held his cross.  We stooped low to see a portion of the stone that sealed his tomb, and touched the now empty slab that once held his body.  We listened to the chants, songs, and prayers of his followers, and made friends with Italians, Greeks, Mexicans, French, and Peruvians who also came to honor our Lord.

Other places try to claim they have the correct location, but just don't have the history, archaeology, or tradition behind them.

But while all the places are interesting and quite moving, it isn't most important exactly where Jesus suffered, walked, prayed, was jailed, was beaten, died, or was buried.  Most important is that the tomb is empty, and our Lord has conquered death, is risen and lives!

"Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead!" (Mark 16:6)