But, today, there is a
historic shift taking place in the Christian world in the growth of a more
Bible-based Christianity. This segment of Christianity has its roots back
in the 16th century when the Bible began to be translated into the vernacular
languages. For the first time, Christian laypeople could read the
scriptures for themselves and study it in depth.
Jerusalem has been mentioned in the Bible too, just as it says in Psalms 122: 6, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.” The most significant sites to Christians have to be the Mount of Olives, Via Dolorosa, Gethsemane, Golgotha, the Garden Tomb and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. |
Christianity is a major faith
in Jerusalem. The Christian Quarter is situated in the north-western corner of
the Old City. Jerusalem has always
been significant to Christians because of the places there where Jesus
ministered and, most importantly, where he died and rose again. The significance of Christ’s death and
resurrection is something that every Christian admires and believes in. Christ
died to save our sins and give us eternal life, a thing that we give thanks to
in our masses today.
Unfortunately, throughout a lot of church history, while the Church held the Holy sites in Jerusalem to be sacred, they did not regard the Jewishness of Jerusalem to be revered. In fact, they had little regard for anything Jewish because they saw themselves as having replaced the Jewish people as the Chosen People - they were the spiritual Israel and they focused instead on the heavenly Jerusalem. |
The Mount of OlivesThe “Mount of Olives”, rising to the east of Jerusalem, separates the
Holy City from the Judean Desert which from here begins its descent to the Dead
Sea.
Jesus'
customary presence on the Mount has made it into one of the most cherished
places in Christianity. Luke, in particular, stressed Jesus' frequent visits to
the Mount of Olives, where he went to pass the night and to instruct his
disciples (Luke 22:39).
The principal Christian memories on the Mount of Olives refer to the following events in Jesus' life:
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Via Dolorosa
The Via
Dolorosa, literally “the sorrowful way,” is the traditional route in Jerusalem
which our Lord travelled on the day of His crucifixion from the judgment seat
of Pilate, also called the Praetorian (Matthew
27:2-26), to the place of His crucifixion on Mount Calvary.
The road is 600 meters long and it is located I the Old City of Jerusalem. References to his journey are in Luke 9: 20-26 and Mark 8: 31. The Bible does not specifically mention the Via Dolorosa. All we know from Scripture is that Jesus carried His cross from the Praetorian to the site on Mount Calvary where He was crucified. The scourging and physical pain the Lord Jesus suffered was minor in comparison to the pain caused by the real burden He was bearing—the burden of the sins of all believers. He bore our sins to the cross where He paid the penalty for them all. |
Gethsemane
Gethsemane
is a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, most famous as the
place where Jesus prayed and his disciples slept the night before Jesus'
crucifixion.
This garden is symbolism for God’s love of us. He said no to his only son, whom begged for mercy, for our benefit and the greater good and forgiveness of our sins. He loved us so much; he gave up his only son for us. Moreover, it is where Jesus had the last supper, where he was betrayed and most importantly, showed human emotion for the second and last time in his life; he cried and begged his father not to make him go through the suffering of crucifixion, something that proves to us today how like us our Lord is with us not only spiritually but by nature too. References to Gethsemane are John 18: 1, Matthew 26: 48. |
GolgothaGolgotha, according to the
Gospels, is a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where Jesus was
crucified. Golgotha has been mentioned in all 4 gospels but unfortunately, some
biblical scholars doubt that this is the place where Christ died.
It marks the location of where Jesus died and saved us from our sins, a moment where Christians everywhere know about and thank God for as without it, we would live our lives in sin and misery. Coming to this location strengthens our faith in God and reminds us why we love and thank him so. Golgotha is mentioned in Matthew 27: 32-46. |
Garden Tomb
The
Garden Tomb is a rock-cut tomb in Jerusalem which was unearthed in 1867 and has
subsequently been considered by some Christians to be the site of the burial
and resurrection of Jesus.
The Garden Tomb is where Mary Magdalene looked for Jesus’ body but instead met the Angels. They explained how he resurrected and how she should be rejoicing. Because f the events that took place here, we now have eternal life after death. Jesus was buried and resurrected here which is why the Garden Tomb matters to Christians so much. He stayed in this tomb for 3 days and 3 nights. References to the Garden tomb are in John 20: 1-10 and John 19: 41. |
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Church
of the Holy Sepulchre is a church within the Christian Quarter of the Old City
of Jerusalem. It is a few steps away from the Muristan.
It is said to have the most complicated structure ever and is the most visited pilgrimage location for Christians in Jerusalem. It is the holiest Christian site in the world. It stands on a site that is believed to encompass Golgotha where Jesus was crucified, and the tomb (sepulchre) where he was buried. Inside the church, there is a chapel for every denomination within Christianity. References to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre are in Mark 15: 22-46, Luke 23: 50-54 and John 19: 17-21. |