Today was an emotional day.  We visited Bethany, where Jesus' friends Lazarus, Mary and Martha lived and where Jesus wept before raising Lazarus from the dead.  We then traced Jesus' steps from the Mount of Olives - where Jesus wept over Jerusalem and prophesied its forthcoming destruction:

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.  The days will come on you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.  They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." (Luke 19:41-44)

This was the view we had from this point:



Obviously the view is the same as it was 2,000 years ago, but nevertheless there was something quite breathtaking about the view we had.  It was also profoundly moving to realise that this city that has known so much conflict is still worth weeping over.

We then walked down to the Garden of Gethsemane, where the following happened:

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray."  He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch."

Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. 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.
Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!" (Mark 14:42-52)


As with many of the sites here, a church was erected over the place where Jesus was betrayed.  The original stone is still in view and it is honoured by worshippers.  It was very moving to recall all that Jesus went through both on that Thursday and Friday.  In that church, I had a real sense of being in a holy place, as I have in other places too.

What was so moving about this morning? It's partly because I was profoundly aware of being in holy places, where people have worshipped and made pilgrimages for centuries, but I guess the main thing was the reminder of Jesus' humanity.  He was a real man with real emotions - he laughed, cried, was angry and even cracked jokes.  He was someone of deep compassion who loved his friends, loved Jerusalem and loved its people - and he loves us too.  Today I was in those places where he expressed some of this emotion, and i followed in his footsteps where he prepared himself for his betrayal and death.  He knew what would be in store for him, but he did it anyway - now, that's amazing!  The good news was that his death was not the end of the story - but more of that later.