Our “Footsteps of Jesus” pilgrimage (Sept 26-Oct 1, 2016) was an amazing way to see the places were Jesus walked in Jerusalem and Galilee. Every time we read the Bible we will not only have those places in mind, but we will also have Pastor Bob Rognlien’s thoughtful archeological, biblical, and spiritual reflections. He really is a subject matter expert in the life and times of Jesus, including the archaeological, historical and Biblical material. So whether you’re new to the Christian faith or have been a life-long Christian and student of the Bible, you can learn and be inspired by this pilgrimage.  (View of the Old City of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives)

If you would like to travel and pilgrimage to the Holy Land of Israel & Palestine, (or to Turkey and Greece for the Footsteps of Paul) simply go to: http://footsteps-experience.com/3dv8vf693euocznmlg8yne3r94p5vm

Pastor Bob Rognlien has been a mentor for me for over a decade.  (Here we are standing in the city of David) 

Not only did Pastor Bob provide us with an amazingly comprehensive spiral bound companion guide and journal, he also chronicled our adventure on Facebook each evening with commentary and pictures. I’ve compiled those posts (and a few of our own) as a jumping off point for our own reflections and pictures in our posts about our Footsteps experience.

Day Zero 

     We are here! So fun to be in Jerusalem as members of our group begin to arrive from all over the world! About half of us are here now, the other half will be here by Saturday night, and then The Footsteps of Jesus Experience begins! #footsteps (Bob Rognlien Facebook Post)

We absolutely loved our first morning in Jerusalem. We got to meet a few of our new friends who would be on the #footsteps experience with Pastor Bob Rognlien and Pam.

We went to the Israel Museum to see the Jerusalem Model. The model gave us a great overview of the city as it likely looked in the middle of the 1st Century before the Roman destruction of the Temple in 70 CE),

And saw the Shrine of the Book (which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls),

and many other New Testament artifacts such as examples of the stone water jars that would have been used when Jesus turned water into fine wine:

Day One on the Footsteps of Jesus Experience: About half our group arrived in Jerusalem early so we went to explore the mind-blowing biblical treasures of the Israel Museum while we waited for the rest to arrive. By dinnertime we had all gathered at our Guesthouse inside the walls of the Old City and then went out for an evening stroll to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Western Wall. And so the adventure begins…. #footsteps (Bob Rognlien Facebook Post)

The Lutheran Guesthouse on St. Mark street in the Old City of Jerusalem is a prime location for walking to all the Holy sites.  Here is the view from the Guest house:

 

The Western Wall

The Western Wall is small part of the western side of the Temple Mount that was expanded by Herod the Great. Jews pray here to this day because it is the closest place to the Holy of Holies where God’s Spirit was said to dwell in the Temple. Men pray on one side and women pray on the other.

 

 

The Dome of the Rock

The Dome of the Rock, one of the three Holiest places for Muslims in the world, currently sits where the Temple once stood. In fact, the “rock” inside may actually be the rock where God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac (supplying a ram instead, foreshadowing God supplying Jesus as the final sacrifice for us), AND be the spot where the temple “Holy of Holies” once stood. There is a cut out on the rock where the Ark of the Covenant may have once stood.

This complex religious history and the importance of the land and buildings makes the Temple Mount one of the most politically and religiously tense places in the world. Not only do Israeli Elite Police patrol the Temple Mount (armed to the teeth), but also Muslim security consisting of men with Walkie-Talkie’s who monitor the space for Christians and Jews, and making sure people are wearing “modesty wear.” (no shorts, women have to have shoulders, neck lines and knees covered.)

Later in the trip, when we visited the Temple Mount, we had an experience that we’d never forget. It is best summarized by our friend Ben Burdick:

     “While Bob was sharing with us some of the details of where parts of the first century temple were, this man (a Palestinian authority) walked up to our group and began listening. He then interjected and said “Lies! All lies! Stop lying! Why are you lying to them?! (Ryan: I remember him also saying: “There was nothing built here in the first and second centuries).” He and Bob then had a short interchange with the result that we moved on. But I stayed behind to watch this man. He was extremely agitated. He began talking very excitedly on his radio and shouted at another man and was pointing very angrily at our group. A little while later another Palestinian Authority approached us and asked if we were Jews. We told him we were tourists (Ryan: I remember Bob saying we were Christians). A few minutes later another uniformed man approached us and told us we had to leave and promptly escorted us out the gate. It is probably the closest to feeling persecuted I’ve ever felt.”

The Dome of the Rock is a beautiful building.   While it contains an inscription that affirms their belief that Jesus was a prophet, it is also a polemic against Christianity and Trinitarian theology:

     “…O people of the book, do not go beyond the bounds in your religion, nor say anything but the truth about God. The Messiah Jesus son of Mary, was only God’s messenger, His word that He committed to Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him. So believe in God and His messengers. Do not say ‘three’. Refrain, it is better for you. For God is one god. Glory be to Him – that He should have a son!…”

The Temple Mount

There has always been religious tension on the Temple Mount. I’m reminded that in the Israel Museum there is a stone inscription from the first century that gave a clear warning: “No foreigner shall enter within the forecourt and the balustrade around the sanctuary. Whoever is caught will have himself to blame for his subsequent death.” It was one of the warning signs around the temple that divided between those areas where only Jews were permitted.  Inscription fragment at the Israel Museum:

Later in the trip Pastor Bob sat with us to explain, from his perspective the complex religious and political history of this land up to present day. It was extremely helpful to us as we journeyed through a land that is claimed by Jews, Muslims and Christians as “Holy.”