Tag: Israel

The Tomb of my Savior

I grew up going to church on Good Friday to observe The Stations of the Cross. The Stations of the Cross is a Catholic devotion depicting the passion of Jesus from condemnation to crucifixion. On my March 2020 pilgrimage to Israel with my church, I was not surprised that the exact location of His death burial and resurrection were disputed, but I was surprised to learn that there are actually two separate sites commemorating these events. Walking the Via Dolorosa (Jesus’s route to Golgotha), in Jerusalem, was surreal. It starts where Jesus was condemned by Pontius Pilot in what is now the Muslim section of the city, and ends in what is now the Christian section of the city in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The streets were crowded and lined with merchants, which seemed distracting to me, but tradition tells that the streets were also lined with people on the day that Jesus carried His cross.

In 326 AD Queen Helena, the mother Constantine, visited the Holy Land to preserve the sites important to Christianity and to identify the site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. She located a site that she believed fulfilled the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion. Ten years later Constantine built a church on the site. That church was destroyed and rebuilt two times and is now the site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

  • Church of the Holy Sepulchre
  • The slab on which the body of Jesus is thought to have been prepared for burial
  • Ornate structure built over the site some believe to be the burial site of Jesus
  • Beautiful dome in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Although the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was long accepted as the location of Christ’s death and resurrection, in 1842, another site was identified as more closely adhering to the Gospel accounts of Golgotha (the place of the skull).

The Garden Tomb is outside of the city, near a rocky slope bearing a likeness to a human skull.

  • Can you see the “skull” on this hill?

This hill is close to Jerusalem, yet outside of its walls. Hebrews 13:12 holds that “Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates.” John 19:41 reads, “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”. An ancient wine press was discovered near the tomb, which indicates that there once was a garden at this site.

“Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone over the entrance of the tomb and went away.” Matthew 27:59-60.

  • You can clearly see the stone trough where a large stone could be rolled over the entrance
  • Can you see the cross etched into the stone outside the entrance of the tomb?

Mark 15:43 reveals that Joseph of Armathea was a member of the Sanhedrin. Matthew 27:57 tells us that Joseph was a rich man. A rich man was likely to have a large tomb, very much like The Garden Tomb.

The Garden Tomb was peaceful. Serene. I could clearly see the skull in the side of the hill and I understand how the Scriptures line up with this being the very place where Jesus was crucified, died, was buried and rose again. Having been to both The Garden Tomb and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, I found it much easier to pray, be still, and draw near to a Jesus at The Garden Tomb. And that is, ultimately, the goal.

Our group wrapped up the day reading Scripture and taking Holy Communion.

  • Holy Communion at The Garden Tomb
  • Our group photo in Israel

Writing this article reminded me how much I enjoyed The Garden Tomb and how much I’d like to go back. My friend, Karen, was my roommate on this trip. It was Karen’s second trip to The Holy Land. Before we left I couldn’t understand why she want to go to Israel two years in a row-now I understand!

If you are considering a trip to The Holy Land, I’d love to talk with you about it. If you’ve already been to The Holy Land, I’d love to talk with you about it. Or if you’d just like to talk about Jesus or The Holy Land please contact me!

Where Jesus Walked


I had long wanted to visit Israel. The obstacles are formidable-danger, distance, and dollars, to name a few. There always seems to be turmoil between Israel and Palestine. Bombs bursting in air never seemed like a vacation to me. Truth be told, my fear always won out.

In 2019, Steve Holdaway, pastor at Lifespring Church in Bellevue, Nebraska, announced that he would be leading a tour to The Holy Land in February 2020. No second guessing myself; I’m in! This time it is Faith over Fear! My overwhelming objective was to walk where Jesus walked. I mean my-bare-feet-on-the-ground where my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ walked on Earth 2000 years ago. And I did it!

Of course, we know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and spent the majority of his 33 or so years on Earth in what we now know as Israel. Scripture records many places where Jesus was known to have spent time, but many of those places are fairly large. For example, Luke 22:39 records that Jesus and his disciples went to the Mount of Olives following The Last Supper. Matthew 26:36-56 records that Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. The Mount of Olives is still, to this very day, the Mount of Olives. And the Garden of Gethsemane is still the Garden of Gethsemane. However, they are both fairly large tracts of land. Although I believe that Jesus was there, today no one can be certain ‘exactly’ where Jesus stood on the mount or in the garden. Contrast that to the very narrow road that connects the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane. This road has always been the road and is most certainly the way Jesus walked between the two, many times. I was honored to walk this road barefoot.

  • View from the Mount of Olives
  • Garden of Gethsemane
  • Road between the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane

The beautiful gold dome that shines brightly in many pictures of Jerusalem is known as the Dome of the Rock. The Muslims captured Jerusalem in 639 and built The Dome of the Rock on top of the Temple Mount. The Muslims regard it as one of their three most holy places. Non-Muslims are not allowed in the Dome of the Rock. However, the Western Wall, otherwise known as the Wailing Wall, is open to the public. The Western Wall is a part of the wall Herod built around the west side of the temple. Non-Muslims come here to pray because it is the closest that they are allowed to get to the site of the Holy of Holies on the Temple Mount. The Southern Steps were the main entrance to the Temple Mount at the time of Jesus. Jesus walked these steps many, many times.

Luke 2:41-52 records that Jesus visited the temple for the Festival of the Passover with his parents at age 12. After finding that Jesus had not returned home with them, his parents returned to Jerusalem and found Jesus teaching in the temple courts. When questioned by this parents, he replied, “Didn’t you know that I would be in my Father’s house?” This same passage records that Jesus’ parents, Joseph and Mary, “made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem every Passover.” Although the Torah only required men to attend, one can assume that Mary and Joseph took their children to Jerusalem with them every year.

The Apostle John wrote that Jesus appeared at the temple courts “where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.” (John 8:2)

In Luke 19:45-46, the Apostle Luke states, “When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. “It is written,” he said to them, “My house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers.”

The Bible records many, many more occasions when Jesus went to the temple. The Southern Steps were the entry way to the Temple Mount. Although they are over 2000 years old, and some have been repaired, a good many of the steps are the original steps where we can be certain Jesus, walked, sat, and taught. I was thrilled to walk barefoot, sit, and learn more about Jesus on these very steps!

  • The Southern Steps to the Temple Mount
  • My bare feet on the Southern Steps

As a Christian, I am not bound to live under the laws God gave the Jewish people in the Old Testament, one of which required pilgrimages to Jerusalem. Because of the life, death and resurrection of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I live by His grace. And he is so, so good to me!

I am forever thankful for the opportunity to learn more about the State of Israel, the people of Israel, and life of Jesus as he walked this Earth.

One serious thing I learned: The Jewish people are very deliberate about living out the laws of their religion.

One fun fact: Camels are very tall.

One “good to know”: Israelis do not drink iced tea!

The Significance of Caesarea Philippi

Caesarea Philippi

In anticipation of my pilgrimage to Israel, I hadn’t expected Caesarea Philippi to be one of my favorite places. But it was; I was struck by it’s unique beauty. Israel is full of unexpected natural beauty: the Dead Sea (who would have thought?), the Jordan River, the Judean desert, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Sea of Galilee, to name just a few.

The allure of the terrain wasn’t at all on my mind before I arrived in Israel. I had most been looking forward to actually walking where my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ had walked on earth over 2,ooo years ago. And I did that! This picture shows me on the southern steps of the Temple Mount. The Bible records that Jesus taught from these very steps:

Now that I’m remembering that moment, I’m getting chills! I guess that will be my next article!

Twenty five miles north of the Sea of Galilee, at the base of Mt. Hermon, we arrived in Caesarea Philippi and I was immediately attracted to my surroundings: the waterfall and the large cave at the top, the intricate carvings in the immense rock, the sounds of the rushing water, and the overall serenity of the place.

This enticing place was not always peaceful, though. Between 200 and 300 BC this area was used to worship the half-man half-goat god of Pan. The cave was referred to as the “gates of hell” because infants were sacrificed there to the god of Pan. We get our word “panic” from this reference. Yikes. That is certainly a dark past. So why is this spot on our Christian tour of Israel?

The Gospel of Mathew records Caesarea Philippi as the place where God revealed the divinity of Jesus to the Apostle Peter. Mathew 16:13-18: When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and still others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you”, he asked, “who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

Wow, that was huge! God spoke directly to Peter. And then Jesus changed Peter’s name and gave him the keys of the church! No wonder I was drawn to this place! Scripture describes many times when God changes a person’s name to signify that God has a new mission or a new identity for that person. I wonder what Peter was thinking that day! I wake up most mornings knowing exactly what I plan to do that day. Most days I’m pretty close, but some days end up being total surprises. I’m guessing that Peter was pretty surprised in Caesarea Philippi.

The waterfall that originates at Caesarea Philippi flows into the Jordan River. I purchased an empty bottle from the gift shop and filled it with water from this river. My mom is Catholic and I knew it would be a good gift for her. I always remember seeing little bottles of holy water in my parents’ and grandparents’ homes.

Back on the tour bus, on our way to the next stop, I look over the pictures I just took on my phone and ponder what next big mission God has in store for me.

Mystery of the Dead Sea Scrolls

The Dead Sea. Who knew it was so beautiful?

Have you ever come to a time in your life when you wish you would have paid better attention in History class, or Geography? February 2020 was one of those times for me. I traveled to Israel with a group from my church. (I didn’t know I was going to have to ride a camel!)

2020 Lifespring Church Pilgrimage to Israel, together with our tour guide, Johnny

Oh, man, I saw so much and learned so much on that trip. (Including that the Mediterranean diet is short on french fries!) I have to admit that I had never even heard of Qumran, the Bedouin, or the Essenes. I had, of course, heard of the Dead Sea Scrolls, but I didn’t know that they are ancient fragments of the Old Testament, thought to have been written between 150 B.C. and 70 A.D. by the Essenes. The Essenes were a small group of devout Jews who lived in Qumran, northwest of the Dead Sea, and dedicated themselves to copying Scripture.

Our tour guide, Johnny, in the Scribes’ Room, telling us about the Essenes
  • This poor goat looks lost
  • A cave in Qumran where some of the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered

In 1946, while tending his livestock in the desert near Qumran, a Bedouin teenager threw a stone into a cave and heard something shatter. The Bedouin people are Arabs, traditionally desert nomads in what is now referred to as the Middle East. Preferring to conserve their historic way of life, they still maintain their own communities, religious beliefs, and style of dress. They work their land and raise livestock-mainly sheep, goats and camels. I can only imagine the day-to-day life of herding livestock in the desert, so hearing that shattering sound in the cave had to have piqued the interest of the teenage boy. A mystery! Solving the mystery of the shattering sound in the cave had to have ignited an exciting and irresistible quest. Then to find that it was just an old clay jar full of broken tablets. Ahhh…boring. Poor kid! I’m sure he was hoping for something really good, not realizing that he had just stumbled upon the greatest archeological find of the 20th century, and arguably the most significant find in of all of history.

Replicas of the clay jars in which the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered

Within ten years, thousands of additional fragments were discovered. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain fragments of all of the Old Testament books of the Bible except Esther and Nehemiah. The Book of Isaiah was found in its entirety. The scrolls also contain previously unknown hymns, prayers, and other glimpses into the lives of the early Jewish people, including the time period when Jesus Christ walked the earth.

Despite what may have been a disappointing find to the Bedouin teen, the Dead Sea Scrolls are priceless. Careful study of the scrolls have proven that the Bible I read today is essentially word-for-word what was copied by the Essenes. The great care they took to preserve and protect these scrolls, for what turned out to be over 2000 years, shows that they believed them to be the inspired World of God.

More caves in Qumran where some of the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered

Today, you can see many of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, or in the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C. National Geographic has also published many of the scrolls online.

The Shrine of the Book, Israel Museum, Jerusalem

I am blessed to have seen parts of the Dead Sea Scrolls up close and personal at the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem. And I’m forever grateful to everyone who played even a small part in preserving and presenting the Word of God to me in any of its forms.

My friend, Susan, and I overlooking the Dead Sea. I’m thankful for the beautiful Christian walk she models. Oh, plus, she’s fun!

I would consider it a privilege to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with you. Please contact me if you’d like to chat.