Day 12: Mount of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, Pools of Bethesda, Garden Tomb, Via Dolorosa

We began the day at the Mount of Olives with a panoramic view of Jerusalem. David pointed out many sites of interest, both those we had visited and historical sites we wouldn’t be visiting but were helpful in understanding the geography and history of the area. The Mount of Olives is east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley. Jesus visited there several times in the week leading up to His crucifixion and that hill has been used as a Jewish cemetery for nearly 3 millenia. There were many street vendors there and we took a group picture on that overlook before beginning our walk down to the Garden of Gethsemane, the site where Jesus agonized in prayer before He was betrayed by Judas and arrested by the Sanhedrin.

It was a steep walk down to the Garden and many people were making that journey to this beautiful and meaningful place. Some of the oldest olive trees in the world are found there dating over 1,000 years. They might not be the original trees that were there at the time of Christ but they could have sprung up from the roots from old trees in that era. Olive trees are robust and are a symbol of peace, longevity and God’s promises. Many of the older trees in the garden had rotted out in the center over the centuries and continued to thrive. David shared that it is easy to plant an olive tree. Just take a twig and stick ⅔ of it in the ground. I am not a gardener but it caught my attention when David talked about how easily olive tree saplings can be grafted into an older tree. He linked it to us as Gentiles being grafted in. (See Romans 11:11-24)

We took time to reflect there and then walked to the Church of All Nations built nearby. This title recognizes that there were contributions from many nations but it is also called the “Basilica of Agony” commemorating Jesus’ agony in the garden. The ceiling of the church was painted a deep blue to represent the night sky beneath which Jesus prayed. To add to that effect are the violet-colored glass tiles and blue windows. This church is not quite 100 years old but rests on the foundations of 2 earlier churches.

We walked up from there to the Lion’s Gate entrance to the Old City. It was also called Stephen’s Gate, the traditional site of the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. That is up for debate but was interesting. It is the traditional site for the start of the Via Dolorosa, believed to be the route Jesus followed through the Old City of Jerusalem on His way to the cross.

We went on to the Pools of Bethesda. These are water storage reservoirs in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City. We took time to read John 5:1-9 that told the story of a man who had been lame for 38 years and had been waiting by the pools but could never get down the steps to get in the pool for healing. Extensive excavations have shown these to have been present during the time of Jesus’ ministry. When I saw the steep steps, I could imagine just how hopeless that man felt until his encounter with Jesus.

We then went into the Church of St. Anne’s nearby, which is the best preserved Crusader church in Jerusalem. It marks the site of Jesus’ grandparents (Mary’s parents, Anne & Joachim) and claims the birthplace of Mary. (The New Testament actually does not mention the birthplace of Mary) This church is especially known for its acoustics and people come from all over to sing in it. We enjoyed hearing another group singing in another language and then our group circled up under the dome to sing, “Holy, Holy, Holy”. A beautiful, worshipful experience for all of us as we listened and as we sang.

We then went on to the Garden Tomb. This was discovered in 1867 by Charles Gordon, a British General, who commented on how this place just outside of the city walls was like Calvary (Golgatha/Skull Hill) with a skull like formation. We got to listen to an explanation of why it had been thought to be the place of the crucifixion of Christ. It sounded very feasible but the speaker (a pastor) wisely emphasized that we don’t worship a location, only Christ. It was a fitting place for us to reflect on what Jesus did for us. We went on to see the tomb. We were encouraged by the guide there to prepare our hearts and lay our burdens down while in the tomb and let them be put to death, embracing renewed faith and freedom as we exited the tomb. The stone that was rolled away was nearby and after seeing the many gravestones on the Mount of Olives, we could rejoice that this tomb was empty. Hallelujah! A beautiful area of the garden was set up where Pastor Jim Beavers from our group led us in a communion service. Very meaningful!

To get to our next stop, we made our way to the rooftop of an area that was settled by Ethiopian monks. We passed through on our way (along with many other tour groups!) to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of the Resurrection). It is not the most beautiful church in the city, but is very important in its significance and history. Despite what we learned about the Garden Tomb location, for over 1,600 years, this church has represented the location where Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. I don’t feel like I was able to fully take it all in as it was wall-to-wall people there. Amidst the chaos I felt in the crowd, I thought of the many times Jesus was in a crowd and still able to care about those around Him. I took time to look at the many countries and beliefs that were represented. Those who saw it as a tourist site, those with nominal faith and those devout. I came away challenged to not focus on a location, but on remembering why all of these locations were built and preserved in the first place. Human attempts to say, “We remember and we are thankful”.

We followed the Via Dolorosa as we walked back to our hotel and David pointed out the 14 stations of the Cross. Though it is impossible to walk the exact path Jesus walked, as that would require digging up areas of the city to reach the street level of His time, the symbolism was touching, having been mapped out from centuries of Christian tradition.

So much more could be said about each of these locations but hopefully my update gives a taste of the significance of them.

After dinner we walked in the cool of the evening to Christ Church, the oldest Protestant Church in the Middle East for a Hymn Sing as a team. Shoresh’s offices are located in that compound as well. They have certainly done a great job of planning our tour. We got to see long-time friend, Ron Riesinger, who was there for a conference which was a nice surprise.

We sang many beautiful hymns and finished with “The Holy City” by Jeanette McDonald. We have several gifted musicians and singers in our group and so it was an unforgettable way to end our evening together.

If you aren't familiar with this hymn, check this out. https://youtu.be/7BM9E1hEVrg