Day 9 : Garden of Gethsemane

 This is a mini model of the Garden and the Sanctuary of Gethsemane.

Mark 14:32-45 (NIV)

Gethsemane

32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”
35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hourmight pass from him. 36 “Abba,[a] Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
39 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. 40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.
41 Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

Day 9 : The Garden Tomb

Luke 24: 1-12

Jesus Has Risen

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words.

9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves,and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

A mini model of the Garden Tomb

While the Via Dolorosa is mainly the view of the Catholic Church, the Protestants on the other hand believe that Jesus was buried in the Garden Tomb, which is set in a quiet enclosure just outside Damascus Gate.

It is believed that the nearby hillock with a broken cistern in its rocky face, bears resemblance to a skull which could be Golgotha.

The large Cistern found

In 1867, a first century rock-hewn tomb containing 

two chambers was discovered near the hill was 

discovered near the hill.

The evidence for a probable site of execution near 

to an exceptionally large cistern and a Herodian 

tomb seems to meet all the details mentioned 

in the Gospels, makes this present garden a center 

for Christian Meditation.

Listen to the explanation given by the Garden Tomb staff regarding the present site.

The site staff then led us to the most important place in the garden, THE EMPTY TOMB.

Our Pastors shared a soul searching message and conducted a very meaningful Holy Communion with us at the Garden Tomb. The song "Because He Lives" was so meaningful and awesome to all of us as we stood there in the very place where the angels said, 

"He is not here for HE IS RISEN!!!"

Day 8 : Zion Gate

Day 8 : The Shepherd's Field

Luke 2

The Shepherds and Angels

8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in highest heaven,
    and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

The Shepherd's Field was not what I had imagined it to be. I was looking out for sheep dotting the rolling hills with shepherd's tending to them but that was not to be. What I saw was a land dotted with houses and buildings. Time has changed the landscape of the Shepherd's Field.

On second thoughts, do I really expect "the fields where the shepherds lay" would still be there after 2,000 years? Before coming here and seeing this possibly the very land that the shepherd's back then 2,000 years ago were lying, I realised how little I actually put thought to what I read in the Bible.

Special notes added on 6 July 2014.

Today Ps Chew shared a very simple yet a very significant message in our Morning Worship Service in SIB KL. 

He titled his message : Seeing Jesus In The Ordinary.  (Click on Title for link to Ps Chew's sermon)

The Scripture Text was : Luke 2: 22-40

The Summary to his sermon was :

Jesus Presented in the Temple

22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”, 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
    you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31     which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel.”

33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him.34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.[e] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

Day 8 : Bethleham

Today we took a trip out of Jerusalem to Bethleham to visit the Birthplace of Jesus. It was an exciting journey as we were entering into the Palestinian quarters. Although I felt a bit of fear but because we were on a pilgrimage, the fear quickly turned to anticipation as we crossed the border check point.

These are photos of the borders

After a very quick and problem free custom check, we were on our way to the Church of the Nativity.

A humble entrance to the Church. 

Do you know why the Church entrance is so low?

We had to look down to pass through the entrance but when we lifted our heads, 

"WOW!!!" was on everyone's lips.

This is the spot where Jesus' manger was at 2,000 years ago

This building was built with "Bethleham stone" or limestone.

Only the rich could afford to build their house with limestone

My fellow lady pilgrims with the Tour Guide

Listen to the explanation about the Church of Nativity by the local Tour Guide

Day 8 : Ps Chris Choo's sharing on Abraham

This post contains the recording of Ps Chris Choo's morning devotion on what we can learn from the life of Abraham.

Genesis 22

Abraham Tested

22 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.
2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offeringon a mountain I will show you.”
3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”
6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”
“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.
“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.
9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of theLord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram[a] caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The LordWill Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring[b] all nations on earth will be blessed,[c] because you have obeyed me.”
19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.

During this sharing, Ps Chris taught us 3 Hebrew words : 

Hai na ni meaning Here I am (in a kneeling posture)

Ahava meaning Agape Love

Shabat meaning Worship

Part 1

Part 2

He concluded his sharing by asking us to remember an english word : FAT
Faithful
Available
Teachable

Day 7 : The Church of St' Anne in Bethesda

This Church is a must visit place for any aspiring singers. The acoustics here is so good it makes a frog's croaking sound angelic. I am very serious and if you don't believe me, listen to the SIB Pilgrims Choir below.