Easter in the Holy Land

When I look back on my Jerusalem experience, the past two weeks will be my most cherished memory! We had the opportunity to spend 11 days in Galilee studying Christ's life and ministry. We walked the streets of Nazareth where he was raised, sailed the same sea he walked upon, and stood on the mountains where he preached. It was such a wonderful experience not only to learn about his divinity but also his humanity. Before becoming a Savior and Redeemer, he was a child, a carpenter and a friend. 

The Mount of Beatitudes. 

The northern hills of Galilee.

Mount Arbel.

The shores of Capernaum. 

My favorite moments on field trips were the quiet moments when we studied and pondered individually. So many phrases and verses of the New Testament touched my heart in a way they had not done before. Especially this one: "And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered... and he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole" (Luke 6:6-10) 

That phrase: restored whole spoke to me. That is the way I've experienced His grace. I fall short all the time, in many categories. I catch myself feeling incomplete spiritually when I put school, social media, or personal interests before the more important things. But every single time I turn to Him, every time I open my scriptures, every time I kneel, every time I walk away from church with renewed commitment, he restores me whole. And it's in those moments when I realize what was missing.

Mount Precipice.

Sailing on the Sea of Galilee.

When Christ and his disciples were caught in a storm on the Sea of Galilee they cried: "Master carest thou not that we perish?" (Mark 4:38) It hit me: How many times in my life have I said the same thing? Lord, do you see me down here struggling? How long are you going to wait to send help? I am sure that Jesus did not fall asleep on accident. He knew perfectly well that there was a storm raging.  He knew that they were scared. He was going to calm the storm -- that was for sure. But it was in his own timing. Sometimes he comes immediately, sometimes it's not until the fourth watch. I get to decide if I will have faith until He comes.

Tiberias.

Mount of Transfiguration.

Nazareth.

Basilica of the Annunciation.

Luke 1:31 "And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS." I felt so much love for Mary as we read the account of the Annunciation. In my professor's words: It's hard to imagine someone with less power than Mary. She was a girl, a jew, of a poor family from Nazareth (which at the time was only a hamlet of 300-400 people). By getting pregnant out of wedlock, Mary was risking having a stigma against her the rest of her life. Everyone would notice. Everyone would judge. She was only about 14 years old. Just as a 14 year old boy in Palmyra brought forth The Restoration, a 14 year old girl in Nazareth brought forth the redemption. She was God's chosen vessel to bear his Only Begotten Son; what a humbling and intimidating calling that must have been.

Hiking with the crew! 

The port city of Akko on the Mediterranean with the one and only -- Dr. Huff! 

Third-wheeling with my favorite couple ;)

Exploring ancient ruins in the rain at Chorazin.

FIELD TRIP FATIGUE.

Cause: 14 hour days, non-stop walking and extensive bus rides. 

Symptoms: falling asleep in atypical locations, occasional murmuring and delirium.

Examples:

Jordan River.

They had the scriptural accounts of Christ's baptism on the walls in several different languages -- my favorite pictured above. (READ IT, it's so funny).

Canoeing with my girls!

The Sabbath.

Our beautiful resort at Ein Gev.

Lest you all think this was our spring break... we had classes and took midterms too :)

The Baha'i gardens at Haifa.

Tiberias.

Bet She'an. 

My new favorite painting from Magdala. 

One of the first Mormon missionaries in Palestine.

The beautiful Mediterranean. 

Roman Aqueduct in Caesarea Maritima
(also worst day on planet earth to wear a dress because HOLY WIND)

I feel so blessed for the time we spent on holy ground in Galilee. 

What a spiritually filling and physically exhausting week and a half! 

Also shoutout to my Teva's for this tan line.

And we made it back to Jerusalem just in time for the Easter celebrations! 

Everything is in full bloom and it is gorgeous.

On Thursday night we walked to the Garden of Gethsemane (the only time we're allowed to be in the Kidron Valley at night) to remember Christ's suffering and his betrayal.

We crammed into the Church of All Nations with hundreds of Christian pilgrims from all over the world to experience a mass in 10 different languages. The music was by far my favorite part! 

Then we walked in the pouring rain from the Garden to Caiaphas' house in the City of David where Christ would have been put on trial by the Sanhedrin. There in the darkness, soaking wet, we sang "I Stand All Amazed". I wish I could've paused that moment; the rain seemed to deepen our reverence for what happened on that sacred night. 

And then it was Easter Sunday!

We left at 5:30am to walk to the Garden Tomb for a sunrise service. There were over a thousand people there -- we sang, prayed, and rejoiced (accompanied by a Christian rock band)! It was so joyful and enthusiastic, the perfect Easter morning.

Jesus Christ, Resurrection

I'm studying the titles of Jesus Christ in the Topical Guide for my New Testament project. The more I study about the Resurrection, the more incredible the miracle of it becomes and the more touching its implication for humanity. 

I came across an interesting pattern in the verses where Christ tells his disciples of his coming death and Resurrection. Every time he announces what's going to happen, they either refuse to believe it or simply don't understand what he means.

Matthew 16:21-22: "From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples how that he must go unto Jerusalem... and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee." 

Mark 9:31: "For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him... and he shall rise the third day. But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him."

Luke 18:31-34 "Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished... And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things and this saying was hid from them."

I wonder why they couldn't understand.. Could they not grasp the concept of Resurrection? Did they doubt its plausibility? Could they not bear the thought of Christ subjecting himself to pain and death after demonstrating powerful miracles all his life? Whatever the reason, they didn't get it. They simply didn't know what he meant when he said he would rise again on the third day. 

But I am so grateful to be among those who do get it. I know that Christ was resurrected. I know that he broke the impenetrable bands of death so that you and I will not be bound forever by the same bands. I wish I could have been Mary Magdalene that morning. I wish I could've felt the joy she undoubtedly felt when she realized that all was not lost-- that he had come back and that he lived to continue to be her Friend and her God. 

For others, their recognition of the resurrected Christ was not immediate. It wasn't until after they had heard him speak, touched his wounds, and watched him eat that they knew that it was him (Luke 24). In both the apostle's and Mary Magdalene's case, I believe that the Holy Ghost played a main role. I am grateful for my own testimony, acquired through feelings from the Holy Ghost, that Jesus is the resurrected Christ. Although I haven't touched the prints in his hands and feet, I have felt peace and surety that confirms his reality to me. That soft witness was as recent as this morning at the Garden Tomb. 

I love Joseph B Wirthlin's words: "I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death-- Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come. No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come... The Resurrection transformed the lives of those who witnessed it. Should it not transform ours?"

I know that my Redeemer lives! Happy Easter from the Holy Land.