DAY 10 - Jerusalem (Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Sepulchre)

Of all my incorrect expectations about Israel, the Via Doloros was the biggest shock. I had always imagined a long, dusty road leading towards Calvary, located a distance outside of the city and removed from large groups of people or gathering areas. Our guide explained to us that the scenery had probably been the exact opposite – busy, bustling streets leading through a heavily populated and crowed part of town towards the place of crucifixion. Contrary to my 3^rd grade Sunday school imaginations, we were further informed that the crucifixion of Jesus had most likely not taken place “on a hill far away”. Jesus traveled through the heart of the city in plain view of the people, and was nailed to the cross in a more public area on flat ground, at the eye level of his beholders. We walked 12 feet below the buildings of Jerusalem to see the original street of the Via Dolorosa. Initially, I was a bit flustered to stand in what should be the most significant street in the world surrounded by commotion with mobs of people pushing past me. But I realized that this scene was a picture what Jesus was all about. In complete sinlessness, the creator of the universe became one of us so that he could stand in the midst of sinful people – souls in need of saving grace --  and with them brushing past Him, his offering of grace remained unaltered. 

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After two weeks of visiting places of such deep biblical significance, I was surprised that my first tearful moments came only in the last few minutes on Israeli soil. With our jet barreling down the runway towards takeoff, an unexpected mixture of emotions suddenly emerged and I cried as I watched the lights of Tel Aviv disappear below the clouds. I wondered if that final glimpse of Israel would be my last sight of the Holy Land before the coming of the new heaven and new earth. I dried my eyes and quietly began praying for the peace of Israel (Psalm 122:6).