I Walked Where Jesus Walked, And It Changed Me Forever.
I finally understand why people who have been to the Holy Land say, “You’ll never be the same.” On October 31, 2017, I had the pleasure of accompanying BRIGHT-FM listeners on a trip to Israel. We sailed on the Sea of Galilee, walked the streets Jesus walked, visited the empty tomb in Jerusalem, and so much more.
Catch a glimpse of this amazing trip below, and learn how you can be a part of the next Holy Land Trip (supported by the CSB Holy Land Illustrated Bible from Holman Bibles)!
On this trip, our job for 10 days was to explore Jesus’ world.
We walked through His homeland, the land God loves and set apart for Himself.
We worshiped on the Sea of Galilee, the same sea where Jesus walked on water and He told the waves to be still. This was one of my favorite moments. The boat captains happened to be Christians and played worship music from Elvis to Matt Redman (you’ll hear Elvis in this clip – ha ha). Our captain, seeing that worship was happening, cut the engines and let us float on the sea while we worshiped. The normal 45 minute boat ride was allowed to extend to TWO HOURS. Incredible! The Lord gave us the gift of Himself in that time.
We sat on the steps at the Temple – the same steps where Jesus would have walked up and down as he went to the Temple to teach and pray.
We visited the Jordan River, where John the Baptist baptized Jesus.
We journeyed to the heart of Jerusalem as one of our last stops. During this time, we went to the Golden Gate, the eastern gate of the Temple wall. It’s believed that when Jesus made His triumphal entry, He came through this area, and when He returns, it will be through here. Interestingly, Suleiman the Magnificent, a sultan during the Ottoman Empire, sealed the area for the third and final time.
We spent time in what has long been believed to be the Garden of Gethsemane, the garden where Jesus prayed before being arrested. It was surreal to see these trees and know many of these trees were witnesses to the moment an angel ministered to Him in His distress.
We prayed on the steps of the church that oversees the garden. What an incredibly humbling experience. We reflected and remembered the significance of this place to Jesus. It was a place he often went to to pray to the Father. It was also the place where he sweat blood in prayer and was eventually betrayed.
As we left the area, our group was spontaneously moved to sing Casting Crown’s song, “Glorious Day.”
Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day
We spent time at The Garden Tomb, the area believed to be the burial site for Jesus.
We remembered the sacrifice that caused our Savior to spend a two days there, but rise on the third day. Praise God, we serve a risen Jesus!
You can see pictures from all of these moments below!
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As I take time to reflect on this trip, I remember how I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by His presence there. Even now, I think about all I saw and experienced, and I am deeply grateful for this opportunity. Experiencing Jesus’ culture, and getting a glimpse into His life, the land, and the people that He loved has made me love Him even more. It’s made what I’ve read about in the Bible come alive.
If you’re longing to experience this, we have great news. BRIGHT-FM is planning another Holy Land Tour and YOU are invited! The trip will be May 2, 2023 – May 11, 2023. Spots are limited though, so don’t wait and miss out on this incredible opportunity. You can find more details on our event page. I’ll be traveling with you, and I can’t wait to share in this journey together!
The Holy Land Tour, sponsored by the CSB Holy Land Illustrated Bible from Holman Bibles, with BRIGHT-FM.
