I’m participating in some of the Physical Settings field studies again. I enjoy visiting these places over and over. It’s a good review. I don’t want to merely repeat what I previously wrote, so you can read about the last time I did this field study with JUC here. I just want to focus on one takeaway in this post. The key difference from last time is how the landscape is different in spring versus fall. Israel doesn’t get any rain over the summer so the terrain gets quite brown. On Mount Scopus (the northern end of the Mount of Olives […]
Tag Archives: Mount of Olives
Entering Jerusalem
I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.” Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem. Psalm 122:1-2 Today is Palm Sunday, remembering when Jesus entered Jerusalem. We entered a couple days ago by car, frenzied by the traffic and a malfunctioning GPS. Jesus entered much more gracefully and confidently on a colt. As I look around the city, I can point where the events of the week took place. This day kicks off 8 days of remembrance, similar to other 8 day festivals in the Biblical […]
Mount of Olives
To the east of the Old City of Jerusalem rises the Mount of Olives. When on top, you look down at the Old City, including the Temple Mount. The Temple was not built on the highest point in the area, interestingly enough. Separating Jerusalem from this hill is the Kidron Valley. Thousands of tombs are scattered around the hillside of the Mount of Olives. Tours often drop people off up top, but it isn’t too much of a walk up if you can handle the climb. Along the way, there’s some interesting places we stopped at. On the side of […]
And that’s Final
“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me–the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” The Apostle Paul speaking in Acts 20:24 Finals week has come and gone. All my papers are turned in. All my exams are completed. Things are packed for Egypt. The first students have packed up and flown home. More will soon follow. That hasn’t kept me from enjoying some time around Jerusalem or kicking back and relaxing around JUC. For instance, last Saturday I hiked […]
The Land of the Shepherd
He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his armsand carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. Isaiah 40:11 It was a very full and very fun weekend. I am falling in love with this land all over again. I’m hearing old lessons that I thought I understood, yet I am seeing them in a fresh light. If you stand in Jerusalem and look to the east, the Mount of Olives dominates the close, eastern horizon, rising above the city and blocking the view to what lay beyond. What is […]
Sunrise
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands….In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat. Psalm 19:1, 4-6 This morning, when most of you were starting to think about going to bed, I was waking up early to hike to see the sunrise. Leaving at 4:30 am (9:30 pm Eastern time), […]