(Day 10 - 3/14) The Upper Room and Bethany

"Say to the owner of the house he enters, The teacher asks: Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"  He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.  Mark 14:14-15

It is hard to believe today ends our Spiritual pilgrimage in the Holy Land! Each day has brought many blessings for our group as we saw, heard, felt and read God's word along our journey.

 

Sculpture of Jerusalem in our hotel lobby

Our day began with a few hours of "free time", the first of the trip. Some of us walked the Old Jerusalem City Wall entering at the Jaffa Gate, one of seven gates The walls were built with blocks of grey stone measuring 2.5 miles in circumference varying from 30 to 60 feet in height, built in 1542 on the foundations of the Roman Aelia Capitolina and the Crusader city, some visited the Israeli Museum and others did last minute shopping. Meeting back at the hotel by noon we packed our suitcases on the bus and headed to The Upper Room which lies just outside the Dormition Abbey, also known as the Church of Hagia Maria Zion, behind the Franciscan house on Mt. Zion. It was built by the Crusaders in the 12th century on top of a much older structure dating back to the 1st century. We listened to scripture readings by Dickie and Lucy in Mark 14 and Acts 2  as we invisioned the twelve disciples eating that last Seder meal with Jesus, and He telling them that one of them would betray him. Jesus also established the rite of the Eucharist as well as appearing before the Apsotles after his Resurrection in this place.

 

Upper Room column with ancient symbol of Christ -- Pelican

The Tomb of King David is located beneath the Upper Room. After the Franciscan Frior's eviction this room was transformed into a mosque. It is one of the most visited places by those of the Jewish faith as well as Christians and Muslums.There is a massive stone tomb covered by a red cloth with the Star of David on it. Our group viewed the tomb separately, men on one side with their heads covered, women on the other, as is customary to the Jewish faith.

 

Church of Bethany - Mary, Martha and Lazarus

Two miles from Jerusalem, Bethany lies on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives which is in Palestinian controlled West Bank. A place Jesus liked to visit because it was the village of his beloved friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus. The village is built around the burial place of Lazarus. We entered the burial chamber from the street down a flight of 24 worn, uneven steps to a vestibule. There, more steps lead to the burial chamber. It is thought that Jesus stood in the vestibule to call Lazarus from the grave. "Lazarus come out!" John 11:43

Donna reading at Lazarus' tomb

As Donna read John 11 we were reminded that when Lazarus was dying his sisters sent for Jesus. But Jesus delayed his arrival for 4 days after Lazarus had been buried, "so that the Son of God may be glorified." John 11.  We continued walking down a steep hill to the Franciscan church of Mary and Martha. It had beautiful copies of frescoes depicting Lazarus wrapped in white cloths having risen, Mary and Martha with Jesus and many mosaics.

Quickly down the hill to the bus in pouring rain we went to the Garden Tomb north of the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. This is a favoured site by Protestant pilgrims where Jesus was buried and rose from the dead but it lacks authenticity. There are many correlations of things found in the garden to those in the Gospel. One being the skull-faced cliff was the hill of Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified. It's main advocate was British General Charles Gordon who in 1882 began the excavation.  Although there may be confusion or uncertainty of the exact location we are reminded by our guide that we worship our risen Savior not a place.

Garden Tomb

He is not here -- He is Risen

Gladys coming from tomb

After touring the garden and tomb, LuAnn found an indoor chapel not being used by the many other groups congregating outside in the frigid cold, rainy weather. A true blessing for us. We  had a meaningful service, received communion from LuAnn and Betty Ann and heard a beautiful performance of the Lords Prayer by members of our Hayes Barton Choir along with Alice that brought tears to our eyes.  As LuAnn said, "We have walked in the footsteps of Jesus, where he was born, where he taught, where he healed, where he was crucified, buried and resurrected. A holy place. A place where people all over the world come to be close to Jesus. We can see behind us as we look forward, in a new life with different people when we return home.

Choir singing The Lord's Prayer at Garden Tomb Communion

We will continue our spiritual journey, it doesn't end here because we have all been touched in some way by our experience of being God's pilgrims in the Holy Land.

Pray for Peace

We thank you for following our journey, praying us through it and loving us as brothers and sisters in Christ,

Angie Thompson