ISRAEL-SHEPHERDS FIELD- BETHLEHEM- MOUNT OF OLIVES- GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE

ENTERING THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY BETHLEHEM

TODAY WE TRAVELED TO BETHLEHEM. IT WAS A PARTICULARLY COOL AND WINDY DAY SO WE BEGAN SHOPPING AT ONE OF THE FEW IF ONLY CHRISTIAN SHOPS IN PALESTINIAN CONTROLLED CITY OF DAVID. IT WAS A BIT UNSETTLING TO HAVE THE DOOR GUARDED AND LOCKED WHILE WE WERE SHOPPING. WE KEEP SEEING LARGE CONCRETE, RAZOR WIRE AND ELECTRIC FENCES DIVIDING DIFFERENT CITIES HERE. IT IS HEART BREAKING TO SEE THIS PARTICULARLY IN OUR DEAR TOWN OF BETHLEHEM.

CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY

OUR FIRST STOP AFTER SHOPPING WAS THE STAR OF THE NATIVITY CHURCH. WE TOUCHED THE PLACE OF JESUS' BIRTH AND THE MANGER WHICH IS ACTUALLY A CAVE. IT IS THE ONLY CHURCH NOT DESTROYED BY THE PALESTINIAN  INVASION. WHY? THEY SAW THE THREE WISEMEN ON THE ENTRANCE. THEY RECOGNIZED THEM AS FELLOW COUNTRYMEN AND LEFT THE CHURCH STANDING THOUGH DEFILED BY RIDING THEIR HORSES THROUGH IT. THE ENTRANCE IS NOW SUCH THAT YOU MUST STOOP TO ENTER. GETTING A HORSE THROUGH NOW WOULD BE LIKE THE CAMEL AND THE EYE.

BIRTH PLACE OF JESUS

MANGER OF JESUS

CHURCHES OF DIFFERENT FAITHS ARE BUILT ON TOP OF SEVERAL OF THESE ORIGNAL HOLY SIGHTS. HOW MANY TIMES WE HAVE HEARD, “THE PLACE WAS HIDDEN UNTIL…” THIS IS THE CASE OF THE CURCH OF THE NATIVITY IN BETHLEHEM. THE CHURCH IS SHARED BY DIFFERENT FAITHS. WHILE WE WERE PRESENT, DIFFERENT SERVICES WERE BEING HELD IN DIFFERENT PLACES WITHIN THE CHURCH. ONE WAS A BEAUTIFUL CATHOLIC MASS.




SERVICE OVERLOOKING THE SHEPHERDS FIELDS




WE THEN VISITED THE SHEPHERDS FIELD WHERE THE ANGELS ANNOUNCED THE ARRIVAL OF JESUS. OUR GROUP GATHERED AND WORSHIPED. OUR LEADER THOUGHT IT FITTING TO SING CHRISTMAS CAROLS. OBVIOUSLY WE WERE NOT AMONG THE ONLY ONES AS CHRISTMAS CAROLS RANG THROUGH THE HILLSIDE IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.

NEXT WE VISITED THE JEWISH TOMBS AND TOOK A VERY LONG WALK DOWN THE ROUTE JESUS TOOK ON PALM SUNDAY TO THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMENE. AT THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, TREES STILL STAND FROM WHEN JESUS WALKED. WE LEARNED THAT OLIVE TREES CAN LIVE AND PRODUCE FOR OVER 3000 YEARS. WE SEPARATED FOR PRIVATE WORSHIP AND PRAYER. IF YOU KNOW US, YOU WERE PRAYED FOR IN THE SAME GARDEN JESUS PRAYED, ALONE, TO BE DELIVERED FROM DEATH. IT IS A HUMBLING, PRECIOUS PLACE TO THANK JESUS FOR WHAT HE DID AND DOES FOR US!






AS FIT AS SOME OF US THOUGHT WE WERE, HIKING WHERE JESUS AND OTHERS WALKED HAS LEFT US WITH SORE LEGS. ANOTHER REMINDER OF HOW DIFFICULT TRAVEL WAS IN THOSE DAYS BEFORE MAN MADE PATHS AND AUTOMOBILES. REALLY, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT?




OVERLOOKING JEWISH TOMBS AND MT. OLIVE




WE VISITED THE UPPER ROOM, WHERE JESUS HAD HIS LAST MEAL WITH HIS DICIPLES BEFORE HIS BETRAYAL. THERE WAS A VERY LOVELY JEWISH WORSHIP IN PROGRESS IN THE ROOM. (A POINT WAS WELL MADE ON OUR PILGRIMAGE. WE CANNOT CLAIM TO KNOW THE EXACT PLACES OF EVERY PLACE JESUS PUT HIS FOOT ON THIS EARTH. IF WE KNEW EVERYTHING, WE MIGHT BE TEMPTED TO WORSHIP THOSE PLACES. IT IS MUCH THE CHARACTER OF OUR LORD TO AVOID THIS STUMBLING BLOCK FOR US. SOME PLACES HE WALKED ARE REASONBLY CERTAIN VERIFIABLE BY SCRIPTURE.)






OLIVE TREES IN THE MOUNT OF OLIVES






AS WE CONTINED OUR JOURNEY DOWN THIS HILLSIDE WE ENTERED THE HOUSE OF CAIPHAS. THE CAVE OR DUNGEON WAS WHERE JESUS WAS LOWERED INTO A DARK PIT OVER NIGHT AFTER HE HAD BEEN BEATEN AND FOUND GUILTY OF BLASPHEMY. I CANNOT IMAGINE THE AGONY OF BEING LOWERED INTO A DARK, WET AND COLD PIT AFTER BEING SO SERVERELY BEATEN. I AM SURE HE WAS COLD, HUNGRY, IN GREAT PAIN AND SADDNESS. WE WERE DRESSED COMFORTABLY IN WOOL JACKETS AND HATS.

THE COURTYARDS OVERLOOKED THE ENTIRE AREA. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL PANORAMIC SIGHT.THE EYE CAN SEE FROM THE POINT OF JESUS' ASCENSION INTO HEAVEN, POTTERS FIELD, AND EVEN THE WILDERNESS AND THE DEAD SEA. WE ARE REMINDED OF HOW EASILY KING DAVID COULD HAVE LOOKED OUT OVER THE LAND AND SEEN ANYONE.




BETHELEHEM

NOTICE THE  CONCRETE  'SEPARATION WALL'   WITH RAZOR WIRE AND ELECTRIC FENCE?




ONE THING WE NOTICED; CHILDREN ARE NOT OUT PLAYING. WE SAW VERY FEW PLAYGROUNDS AS WE ARE ACCUSTOMED TO IN OUR WORLD. AS WE LOOKED OUT OVER THE COUNTRYSIDE, WE COUD SEE CLEARLY THE ROOFTOPS OF THE HOUSES BELOW. THERE CHILDREN WERE PLAYING KICK BALL ON THE STONE ROOFS OF THEIR HOMES. WE WERE NERVOUS THEY MIGHT FALL BUT APPARENTLY IT IS JUST WHAT THEY ARE USE TO. A YOUNG MAN IN OUR GROUP SAT ON THE WALL WITH LEGS DANGLING OVER THE EDGE. I REMEMBERED THE STORY OF THE YOUNG MAN WHO DROPPED OFF TO SLEEP AND FELL TO THE STREET BELOW WHILE PAUL WAS TEACHING. I AM NOT A FAN OF HEIGHTS BUT IN THIS COUNTRY I BEST GET USE TO IT!








LOOKING UP FROM THE MOUNT OF OLVES/GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE




IT HAS BEEN A VERY LONG AND BEAUTFULLY GRATIFYING DAY. WE TRAVELED FROM SUNRISE TO SUNSET. DINNER WILL NOT BE UNTIL 8:00 P.M. TONIGHT. WE ARE GRATEFUL. AS HUNGRY AS WE ALL ARE, WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE A SHORT BREAK TO REST BEFORE OUR MEAL. THANK YOU JESUS!