Last Day of Israel- Gethsemane

Happy Shabbat!

Kind of different celebrating the Sabbath on a Saturday.

But when you are at the end of a long week with a 10 hour time difference
  in the Middle East, you have no clue what day it is anyway! 

This is probably the coolest "Sunday" service I will ever participate in.

Starting with an early morning devotional in the Garden of Gethsemane. 

We entered again before opening hours, so we had an extremely unique 

experience with just us inside.

Early morning time always has a calm, quiet feeling to it.

Add that to being in one of the most special locations known to millions

of people around the world, and it takes that peaceful feeling up 10 notches!

John had us read all 4 gospel accounts of the garden (so

unbelievably amazing to do while in the garden)
and look for similarities and differences.

When we bounce back and forth from accounts we merge everything together 

and miss important details. 

 When you read the gospels side by side, things pop out to you that you never

noticed before!

John points out that there seems to be 3 themes of Jesus in the accounts:

Healing Jesus, Saving Jesus and Loving Jesus.

Matthew and Mark focus on more a human Jesus.

They are the only gospels where Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss.

Christ stops Judas before the kiss in Luke, and there is no kiss in John.

Luke is the only account that speaks of an angel strengthening the Savior. 

This is what stood out to me the most!

Luke 22:43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 

Why in all my life of being a member of the church have I never heard about an angel

coming to comfort Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane?!!

I wonder why we don't talk about this more?

The angel coming to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary at the sepulcher 
is very prevalent in Jesus's resurrection story. 

Why is the angel coming to help Jesus through his suffering in Gethsemane before His
 crucifixion overlooked? 
I loved that this sparked some curiosity in me to read and search more about it!

Also in Luke do we read about about his sweat
were like great drops of blood falling to the ground

as he prayed in agony.
Only in Luke does Jesus heal the ear of the high priest after Peter cut it off. 

There is no suffering in John's account.
The soldiers fall back when Christ boldly declares his identity.

He is not betrayed but is completely in control of the situation.

He never needs help carrying the cross.

When everything in our lives seems out of control, we can turn to him, because he is fully in control.

Stephanie and I bought matching skirts at the market the day before. 

We walked to a church adjacent to Gethsemane, Church of All Nations.

I LOVED this church.

 We had just deep dived into the gospel accounts, and this church

had 3 BEAUTIFUL mosaics depicting what we had just discussed. 

The middle section was all about that sweet angel coming to comfort Christ!

I was reading more about it.

Of course we don't know who that angel was.

There was some speculation from a church authority who believes it was Michael, or Adam.

 

The Savior's atoning work in Gethsemane is directly linked to Adam's transgression,
which brought the fall of man. 

Who better than Adam to aid and assist the Savior during his time of extreme distress than he

whose actions had brought about mortality.

Who better to thank the Savior for paying the debt that his actions had introduced (sin and suffering), than Adam himself?

Such good food for thought!

 

The kiss of Judas

The arrest of Jesus. 

In front of the high altar is a flat outcrop of rock.

Long Christian tradition identifies this as the rock of agony where Jesus prayed. 

I loved that the ceiling evokes night-time.
The somber blue of a star studded night sky, the stars being
surrounded by olive branches. 

It was peaceful in this church.

I imagine even though it was such a painful and agonizing night for Jesus,

he felt peace in the garden.

We hustled to the BYU Jerusalem Center for Sacrament service!

John knew it would be busy and we would have to fight for seats in the main area overlooking

all of Jerusalem. Once it got full you had to go to the over flow area downstairs with no windows. 

We pulled up to many tour buses.

Luckily Stephanie and Travis were in the front of the bus with us stuck in the back

with a door not being able to open because it was too close to the curb. AGH!

That had NEVER happened our whole trip and of course when time mattered we were stuck!

They hurried off to get us seats while we waited patiently to get off. 

SUCCESS!!

They scored us awesome seats with a view like none other. 

Hello Jerusalem!!

 

I went exploring on the outside deck since we had 30 minutes before church started. 

So amazing to gaze out into that incredible land I now knew so much more about.

I spy Stephanie!!'

We held down our seats while Stephanie and Travis took a turn outside. 

It was Fast and Testimony meeting, and also the first week of the

new semester for students who were studying abroad. 

We had a drive to our next stop so John opened the mic up for anyone who would

like to share anything or bear their testimony.

It was a nice little way to share thoughts since our time together was coming to an end. 

Masada 

Can't say I had ever heard of it before. 

We went past the Dead Sea into the desert land for a while.

It really put in perspective how much Lehi and his family had to journey from Jerusalem to the

Red Sea as we followed some of that path!

I can't imagine how hot, dusty and desolate it was for them. 

Masada is a rugged natural palace/fortress built by King Herod.

It is up on a very tall plateau. 

You can hike up, but most opt for the cable car tram.

Up at the top looking out to the Dead Sea!

Even though it was mainly dirt, it sure had a beautiful view!

After Herod abandoned it, it was overtaken be refugees of the last Jewish revolt.

When the Roman Empire came and broke through their barrier they chose death over slavery and to not live in captivity. 

Last pictures with Josh and Carrie

It was hot, dusty and WINDY up there.

We didn't last long before getting back on the tram to head back to the buses.

John was just the best!

We feel like we are genuine friends with him and email him with questions

all of the time!

He juggled 50 people on a tour group with ease making sure everyone felt included

and that he could establish a connection with you some way, some how.

He has a gift of understanding and teaching the gospel to others in a fascinating 

and impactful way. 

We stopped briefly after Masada with the other bus to rearrange the groups.

Those going on to Jordan and Petra were going with Dirkmaat.

Those going to the airport home stayed with John.

I guess it didn't click we were leaving Stephanie and Travis!

Travis came back on the bus to give us a hug!

I'm pretty sure my emotions kicked in at that point.

Sad it was over.

Struck by the most incredible time we had experienced together. 
I gave Stephanie a quick hug with little words because I knew I would lose it if I did much else!

We wished them well on their next leg.

It was weird watching the 2 buses drive in opposite directions 

as we had all just spent every waking hour together the past 7 days!

We had a few hours back in Old Jerusalem before we made our way to the airport.

John took us to a place where we hands down had the BEST shawarma of the whole trip!

Casey and I wandered the streets one last time.
 Which we actually felt like we
 finally had the lay of the land  in those quarters! 

We popped into the Holy Sepulcher.

It never got old visiting in there. 

 Visited with the people in our group one last time.

Then on to the airport. 

Said our second round of goodbyes.

How I LOVED our group so much!!

We had a couple of hours until our 10 hour red eye flight back to Newark, NJ.

I constantly was checking the flight to make sure the open middle seat was still vacant. 

Which it was.

Until they canceled another flight and rebooked them onto ours last minute.

No more empty seat.

I think I had a tiny melt down.

Exhaustion crept up on me finally and I was wondering how I would survive

this flight sitting in one position.

Hot tears uncontrollably streamed down my cheeks.

I felt silly that I was crying over something like this after such an amazing trip.

Casey took one for the team and sat in the middle next to a teenage Orthodox

Jewish boy who didn't speak a lick of English.

I fortunately got my pillow and crashed face down on the pull out tray right

after take off and slept the next 8 hours. Solid.

I felt so bad because the second I opened my eyes the poor boy next to Casey

stood up wanting out to go to the bathroom!

He probably didn't know what to do and was close to peeing his pants!

After a few hour layer over, we made it home sweet home!!!

The Whitmers had taken such good care of our kids for us while we were gone.

We showered then went straight to church, lol!

Back to reality lickity split!

Recap in a nutshell -
 I heart Israel!

It is truly a Holy Land.

Jesus and his disciples lived, loved and taught there.

Israel oozes testimony of this.

I felt his spirit while there.

He loves each one of us.

We have both the Bible and the Book of Mormon that testify of Jesus

Christ and teach His gospel.
Each book supports the other's teachings.

There are no coincidences.

Hurrah for Israel!!

 

Holy Land- Day 6

We hustled over bright and early to the
  Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

This is the most holy of sites for most Christians. 

I mentioned in another post as to why it is so sacred.

There is no definite assurance on where Jesus died or was buried.

It was either here, at the Garden Tomb, or somewhere else.

Most recent statements from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

authorities say that if you want to feel what it must have felt like, go to the Garden Tomb.

If you want to go where it most likely occurred, go to the Holy Sepulcher. 

The line was minimal this early.

Maybe 30 minutes long .

John said to hurry and jump in line and he would talk to us while we waited.

He said there was still no guarantee we would get to see the tomb, as they

shut it down for no reason and sometimes don't reopen for an hour or longer.

John mentioned that out of the 12 tours he has done, only 1 other group has entered

the sepulcher. We were crossing our fingers big time!

I was so distracted watching the different rituals going on around the sepulcher 

that I didn't even hear a word John was saying!

Lots of incense and chanting.

So fascinating!

We were inching our way closer!

We were towards the back of our group.

Half were able to make it in.

John hurried to us and said push and shove because they were shutting the 

line down in 5 minutes.

People were starting to cut from a different direction but lucky for us

the sweet group behind us said they would block the people!

Bless!

The front of the Sepulcher. 

About to enter.

Pretty sure you weren't suppose to take pictures inside.

But I did!

Under the concrete slab is where the tomb was.

I was in a frenzy to take it all in.

My pictures aren't the best.

Even the tomb ceiling was ornate with dangling lighting. 

We went up the stairs to where the cross would have been stuck

in the ground for the crucifixion. 

We had already been here with Levi a couple of days before.

Interesting to see it all again with John.

Once again, a long line to kneel at an alter where the cross would have supposedly been. 

I loved the mosaic artwork and paintings on the ceilings. 

I loved walking through the Western Wall to get to our next location.

Today was the day before Shabbat.

We would come back later that night since many Jews mark the beginning of the celebration

at sundown Friday night in prayer at the wall. 

Even though it wasn't sundown yet,
 it was bustling with many coming in their best "robes" to pray at the wall. 

We stopped at these first century temple ruins 

right next to the Western Wall. 

You could see the broken arch and the giant
 pieces of temple remains from 2000 years ago!

Southern Steps.

These are the steps that Jesus of Nazareth and the other
 Jews of his era walked up to approach the Temple.

The stairs that lead to the double gate are intact and well preserved.

The steps that lead to the triple gate were mostly destroyed.  

You can kind of see where the gates had been filled in with darker stone. 

You can see the double and triple gates in the sketch below. 

Remember when we were on the temple mount to see the Dome of the Rock?

Those windows we were looking out were those rectangles!

With almost certainty they can say Jesus stepped on this stone we are standing

on to get inside the temple.

Neil Armstrong visited Israel and stated:

"I am more excited stepping on these stones than I was stepping on the moon."

I couldn't help but imagine the numerous people who came here faithfully to observe 

Passover and to fulfil their special offerings on the Sabbath day.  

Much like the Jews we saw going to the Western Wall earlier!

Passing more groups of Jewish people on their way to the Western Wall.

This group of boys were so cute!

The Hidden Gate

Presumably this gate led to Herod's Palace.
How many palaces did the man have?!
We understand that Pilate stayed in the Palace of Herod when he visited Jerusalem. 

This is where the trial of Jesus most likely would have taken place. 

John had us listen to a video about Barabbus. 

Barabuss thought it was the people who set him free.

In actuality it was the love of Heavenly Father.
 Just like He sets us, as sinners, all free.

Jesus was willing to pay the price and Barabbus was free.

Jesus also sets us free from our sin. 

 

The Garden Tomb

I was giddy entering!

Probably what I was anticipating the most to see on our trip!

Our group was assigned a tour guide.

He took us over to  Skull Hill.

It is named that because of placement of holes in the
 knoll of the mountain making it look like a skull.

Here is a picture of what it looked like before it turned into a bus depot!

Now the mountain is so worn the skull is eroded and no longer visible. 

There are so many contradicting theories as to why and where it happened.

(I wanted to know why they call it Calvary and Golgotha! 

Nobody had a good answer for me.)

The cross of Christ is often portrayed as having been "on a hill far away."

We even sing songs about it!

But the Romans crucified people on well traveled roads as an example, not in remote locations.

None of the gospels indicate that Jesus was crucified on a hill.

BUT, all four gospels say that Jesus was crucified at "the place of a skull".

Interesting!

Then we walked over to the Garden Tomb, where the Saviors body
was placed before his resurrection.

There was a calm, peaceful feeling here.

I see why our church authorities said to come here to feel

what it might have felt like.

The focus wasn't on ornate, gaudy shrines, statues, paintings and things. 
It was more simple and reverent. 

The inside of the empty tomb.

To the far left would have been where a body would lay. 

I haven't shown many pictures of the military.

Lots of guns in Jerusalem!

I never felt unsafe.

They are all basically kids who are required to sign up when they turn 18.

Men serve 3 years, women serve for 2 years. 

Our first big chunk of free time!

We were let loose back at the old city.

But we were HUNGRY!

John said he would take us to a place to get real pizza.

We were desperate for something normal, haha!

Especially after eating kosher for so long.

Cute snapshots along our way to food. 

Yafa Pizza, bless you for serving meat with cheese even in Old Jerusalem!

While we waited for the pizza to cook, we got ice cream bars:)

Pizza never tasted so good!

Then we went exploring and SHOPPING!!

Up and down and all around the different quarters we went!

John told us we could trust Ali Baba's.
Boy did they treat us like royalty, haha!

We loaded up on all the I heart Jerusalem goods for the kids!

We bought matching mosaics.

SO excited for Christmas now!

I saw a crown of thorns in a shop I wanted to buy for my Passover decorations. 

The shop owner started asking us questions.

Next thing we know we are following him across the street, paid a $5

entrance fee and were now being led on some kind of tour, lol!!

At first we thought we were just looking at some cool first century stones.

But THEN he told us these flagstones were thought to be those of Gabbatha, which 

John 19:13 describes as the location where Pontius Pilate had Jesus's trial. 

Outside is the Ecce Homo Arch.
By Christian tradition the arch was part of the praetorium, the Judgement hall of Jerusalem

in the first century. 

He said we could take off our shoes and walk the stones which Jesus also walked. 

The Ecce Homo Arch.
With Jesus underneath it!

So once again, 2 different locations believed to be where an event of Christ took place.

I thought it was interesting that we saw both the Hidden Gate and the arch on the same day!

We wanted to shop some more where the crown of thorns were.

I found an olive wood nativity that instantly sparked joy!
I wasn't even looking for one, but it spoke to me. 

We heard a bunch of commotion and saw that the procession
 to the Holy Sepulchre was going by. 

Little did we know that we were basically at the beginning of the Via Dolorosa,
which we had been trying to find! 

That is the start of the procession, so it helped us find our way!

This man walks it barefoot every week!

Via Dolorosa is the route Jesus would have taken on the way to his crucifixion. 

It is marked by fourteen Stations of the Cross.

9 of which are outside in the streets,

 with the last 5 inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. 

1) The place where Jesus was condemned to death;

(2) Jesus is made to bear his cross 

(3) Jesus falls for the first time;

(4) Jesus meets his mother. 

(5) Simon of Cyrene is made to bear the cross (Chapel of Simon of Cyrene);

(6) Veronica wipes Jesus’ face;

(7) Jesus falls for the second time;

(8) The women of Jerusalem weep over Jesus;

(9) Jesus falls for the third time;

(10) Jesus is stripped of his garments;

(11) Jesus is nailed to the cross;

(12) Jesus dies on the cross;

(13) Jesus is taken down from the cross; and

(14) Jesus is placed in the sepulchre.^[1

More ice cream bars while traveling the Via Dolorosa. 

We first met this group of American monks at the beginning of the procession.

They were walking with the procession group.

We are curious cats, so we asked where they were from, what sects they represented and such.

I think they were from Michigan and fully commit the rest of their lives to their religion.

The one in the robe was in training.

They will never marry.

What a commitment! 

They had just gotten to Israel that morning for a month long visit and for schooling. 

We would say our goodbyes, then ran into them again, where we would ask more questions!

So very interesting to learn about other religions. 

Taking in all the scenery.

While Stephanie was buying an olive tree bracelet for Olive, her daughter,

Travis got suited for his headwrap!

This guy was sure trying to make a sale!

It was getting to be dusk, so we made our way back to the Western Wall where our group

would meet up again.

I could have sat and watched people all night!!

Small groups of youth would gather.

I assume it would be much like mutual, or a youth activity gathering for our religion.

They would be SO excited to see more people from the group walk up and join them!

Always men segregated from women.

SO much singing and dancing!!

We walked up to this group of boys and were instantly swarmed.

"You from America?!"

When we replied back yes, it was like they had met a celebrity!

We asked them about their religion and such.

They asked us questions as well until they were summoned by their elder leader.

They started a dance with lots of chanting that turned into a huge circle of boys 

jumping up and down, even putting others on their shoulders!

Welcoming Shabbat is a BIG deal around here!

I thought it interesting that while some where merry as could be, others

were solemn, and literally weeping and wailing pressed against the wall. 

So many different versions of devotions.

And so many different versions of Judaism!

The Orthodox Jews had me MESMORIZED!

Actually, they still do.

I am sooooo intrigued by them.

From Niddah, to Shiva, to Rosh Hashanah, to Shabbos, to eating Kosher...

And people think my religion is strict!

We were bushed!!

Such a long but DELIGHTFUL day!

After dinner everyone was getting a kick of our dessert plates.

Casey all vanilla, and mine all chocolate!

Casey doesn't eat chocolate, so I take it upon myself to eat his

portions:)