April 17

 

We made our way again through the Old City to the Dome of the Rock.  The Dome is a famous Mosque located on Mt. Moriah in the Muslim quarter where apparently Abraham made ready to sacrifice his only son Isaac.  On our way through Jaffa Gate into the city a Jewish man abruptly and unexpectedly struck up a conversation with us and walked with us a ways, all the while attempting to convince us that “Jesus was nothing.  He lived like a Jew and he died like a Jew.  He is not the Messiah.  He is nothing, etc.”  How absolutely devastating!  Jesus came first to the Jews to seek and save the lost sheep of Israel, and yet He was largely rejected, and still is!  Leah patiently tried to get a word in edgewise but this man didn’t want to hear it.  “When the real messiah comes everyone will recognize him as the messiah.  Jesus deceived people.  The prophecies in the Old Testament are not about Jesus, they are about the Son of David.  You must keep the Law.  Salvation through grace is wrong because grace gives you license to sin.  Christianity was invented by Constantine.  Blah, blah, blah.”  SO SAD! The Jews are still waiting for their messiah, not knowing that He’s already come!  They say they believe in the Old Testament and yet they are completely blind to its Christological orientation and to its New Covenant revelations.  How can they be so blind?  This is heartbreaking.

            We went up to the Mount of Olives overlooking the city.  This is truly a spiritually heavy place.  It’s oppressive.  So much deception and confusion.  If not for my anchor on the Solid Rock my head would be spinning.

We took some pictures and descended.  We were extremely tired.  We had been walking for 3 hours +.  We trundled slowly toward the Garden Tomb (alleged empty tomb of Christ) near Golgotha.  We saw the Place of the Skull, rested in the garden, and surveyed the empty tomb (a magnificent reminder of our resurrected Lord).

Talking to the volunteer tour guides I realized that the Garden Tomb (operated independently by a Christian organization) is not only a ‘sacred’ site but also an outreach center.  As the guides lead the visitors from Golgotha through the garden to the tomb, history is explained and the Gospel is communicated.  After taking pictures, reflecting, and resting, we were about to leave but as we passed through one particular tour group the guide stopped me, shook my hand, and asked me if I wanted to stay a little longer to listen.  I agreed.  It was only after that I realized he didn’t want me to leave without first hearing a bit of the Gospel message.  Alongside an explanation of the ins and outs of ancient Jewish burial requirements and routine, this guy talked about the resurrection of Christ and the hope His resurrection brings to the entire world.  After tracing the streets of one of the world’s most noticeably dark and oppressed religious headquarters, this man’s passion for Jesus nearly moved me to tears of joy.  In fact, just being there near the tomb awakened in me an increased wonder and thankfulness for the immeasurable sacrifice and subsequent glorious resurrection of my infinitely precious Savior.  He is risen INDEED!