Day Eight

 How time flies when you are busy.  Today is our final day in Israel. It begins and ends in a garden!

Waking a little early we quickly make our way to the Garden of Gethsemane, however, today instead of entering the crowd filled traditional site, our guide has arranged for us to enter a small gate and a private olive grove. As a lone group of 37, we read the account of Christ’s pray to His Father that “if it is possible let this cup pass from me .  .  . nevertheless, not my will but yours” (Matthew 26). We also read from Philippians 2. “He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross”.  Then we break up into solo or small groups and reflect on Christ’s willingness to die for us. 

After 20 minutes, we quietly leave the garden and rejoice the hustling bustling crowds of Jerusalem and make our way to the Jewish quarter. Destroyed by the Jordanians in 1948, it was recaptured by the Jews in 1967 and is now a modern city within an ancient city.  It bustles with kids going to school, mother’s finding some groceries and men with briefcases heading to work.  It was our opportunity to see the everyday life in the Jewish quarter. 

We also visited the Temple Institute with the preparations for the construction of a third temple. The golden menorah ($2 millions dollars worth of pure gold) as well as the priestly garments, sacrificial altars and all the musical instruments are ready to go. All they need is a Temple and the permission to built it on Temple mount. Hmmmmm. not sure the Moslems are ready for that. 

After a lunch amid the Jewish multitudes, we were off to the last Garden, a site called the Garden Tomb. In contrast to the church of the Holy Sepulcher (the traditional site of Christ’s death and burial) this is a quiet garden overlooking a skull like rock outcropping and next to it an empty tomb.  Tim led us in singing and after reading of Christ’s death and resurrection, we partook of the Lord’s supper.  A great way to end our time in Israel.

WiFi has been sketchy throughout the trip, so will post pictures later.