The Last Day

It's funny, really, the way God works everything out; the way He makes His point and shows us how much He really does care about the intricacies of our lives. Is it any wonder that one of our brave and hardworking team members who struggles with knee problems made it through the entire trip, climbed mountains and hiked through all of the sites, just to have it give out on the very last day when we talked of Jesus' suffering and submission? Or that the men in our group lovingly carried her through the steep streets of Jerusalem, one after another, while we talked of Christ's sacrificial act for all people? Or that at our final stop, a replica of a tomb that Christ could have been buried in, displayed a sign that declared "HE IS NOT HERE FOR HE IS RISEN!" solidifying in our minds that our Savior is ALIVE and at work?

No, it's not a wonder at all. It's the way our God works. It's His kindness to us to confirm His presence. It's his tender, shepherding voice leading us to know Him more. What a privilege to serve and know a Holy God in such an intimate way.

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Our final day of touring and learning began at the City of David. Pastor Jim outlined Jesus' careful plans to save the spiritually "lame and blind" through setting aside a limited law and making way for a new, all-encompassing way to give abundant life. He also showed us how Jesus' received His authority by, again, replacing the old for something newer, better, and stronger. These arguments were all made stronger as we sat by the pool of Siloam after walking through the tunnels that run under the city and seeing where Hezekiah and the Canaanites set up their elaborate underground network.

After seeing these places, we went on a journey up Mount Zion toward St Peter's Church which was the site of Caiaphas' House in the New Testament. This is where Jesus was taken when He was arrested. We went down in the prison where Jesus would have been kept before trial and we read Psalm 88. As we read, emotion flooded all of us and we got to feel a little bit of what it must have felt like for Jesus. Alone. Abandoned. Death looming near.

When we emerged from the pit, Pastor Jim brought us to the precipice of Christian belief by explaining how important it is that Jesus is both fully human and fully God. It is this fact that we all have the chance to be delivered from sin. Through the perfect union of man and God in the person of Jesus Christ, He has won. The law has been broken. Death defeated. All this because God's elaborate plan worked! He has emerged victorious, able to bring life and salvation to ALL people. This was our final lesson from Pastor Jim and what a message it was! Jesus is the hinge on which all of Christianity turns and He is the single greatest miracle that God has ever performed. HALLELUJAH!

Our very last site, again, was the Garden Tomb. This was a site that replicated a tomb that Christ was laid in. A beautiful reminder that He is not there. He is Risen.

After our time out in the city of Jerusalem we all went back to our hotel, packed up, showered, and got ready to head to the airport. We said a long goodbye to Stephanie and Arika as they were heading back to France and Zambia (they have both arrived safely back to their families) and we took off to the airport to head back home to all of you, our loved ones.

Here are pictures from our last day:

Entering the City of David 

Ruins of David's city - Jerusalem 

Walking in the tunnels 

More tunnels 

Scott emerging from the tunnels 

The pool of Siloam where Jesus healed the man blind from birth 

Our long ascent 

A group shot and a short break from walking 

Stephanie bringing out her inner harpist! 

Being Jesus to each other! 

In the courtyard of St Peter's Church, the place where Caiaphas' house once stood 

Down in the pit where Jesus may have been kept 

Steve on the merry go round at lunchtime 

At the garden tomb 

Beautiful truth. 

Saying goodbye