Passover Week

During our last week in Jerusalem we've been following the events and paths of Jesus during His last week of life. They have been powerful days. It seems like this entire semester has just been getting better and better with each passing day. With two days left, I think often about what I have learned here and what I am specifically going to change because of this experience. The list is long.

We went to Bethany and saw Lazarus's tomb. It was during this miracle that many decided now was the time to kill Jesus. Lazarus caused many people to believe in Jesus, and so many sought his life, too. Isn't it wonderul that we believe in Christ who is greater than any distress, even death itself?

We went to a church in Bethphage, and since we had experienced Palm Sunday the day before, I really liked this painting.

Then we went to Dominus Flevit, a church I have been to several times because I love it so much. It is where Christ wept over Jerusalem. We also went to the Upper Room on Mount Zion where Christ instituted the sacrament at Passover. We sang some sacrament hymns and a tour group came in while we were singing. They began filming us on their cameras and as we left a few had tears in their eyes. This has been happening at many of the sites and churches we've visited. Being Easter week, this is high tourist season, but I don't mind at all because of the opportunity we have to interact with so many people. Today in a church at Bethesda I suggested we sing "I know that My Redeemer Lives" and the tourists in front of us were deeply touched by it. We offered them our hymn books and they sang along. I loved it so much and wish I could share the great spirit we feel with more people.

Then we went to St. Peter in Gallicantu, a church that commemorates the time Peter denied Christ for the third time and the cock crew. We talked a lot about Peter and how we can only give the benefit of the doubt to a faithful follower of Christ like he was, since we don't know all the details.

Last night, after a full day of field-tripping in the heat, we came home and had an Upper Room experience. We had a Passover scene all set up, just like Peter, James and John set up a Passover in an upper room after being with Christ in similar April heat all day. We read the story of the Passover and of Christ's conviction, had some musical numbers and listened to some very strong testimonies. We had this diarama of the triclinium that was set up for the first sacrament. It was neat because it was actually Passover last night, so all the people in the city we were looking at were celebrating Passover in their own homes as we spoke.