Journey to Jerusalem
For this Season of Lent we will Journey to Jerusalem to have a better understanding of who Jesus is and the good news of his message. We will also discover the extraordinary place where he was born, did ministry, died and rose again. If you are a member of my congregations you have received a packet of information with brochures for each new site, as well as activities to do. If you wish to receive a packet, just let me know by sending me an email at revwaltp@gmail.com and I'll send one off to you. This space will be primarily to do a summary of each site and to list the websites/youtube videos that help bring the biblical story to life.
Stop #1 - Bethlehem
Our journey to Jerusalem, which will take us throughout Judea and Galilee, actually begins in Bethlehem, a small village six miles southwest of Jerusalem.
When the angels went away from them back into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “’Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us.’ So, they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and saw the baby lying in the manger… A week later, when the time came for the baby to be circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name which the angel had given him before he had been conceived.” (Luke 2:15,16,21)
Prior to the birth of Jesus, the importance of Bethlehem centered on the lives of Ruth, Jesse, and David. Bethlehem is the setting for most of Ruth’s story. She is an important part of David’s family tree. Jesse, David’s father, made his home in Bethlehem. There Samuel anointed David as the future king of Israel. Jesse was soon associated with an important symbol for the coming Messiah. The prophet Isaiah declared that “The royal line of David is like a tree that has been cut down; but just as new branches sprout from a stump, so a new king will arise from among David’s descendants.” (Isaiah 11:1) God’s Messiah was to be born into the family of David; in fact, Matthew begins his Gospel by showing Jesus’ position in the family tree of David and Abraham.
Pilgrims have been visiting the birthplace of Jesus since the second century. Early tradition identified a specific cave as the actual birthplace. In A.D. 339 the first church was built by Emperor Constantine over the cave. The present Church of the Nativity on that same sight dates from the time of Emperor Augustus (A.D. 527-565).
Visit the YouTube address below for a short video by Rick Steves about the Church of the Nativity and how Bethlehem has become a mix of Jewish, Christian, and Moslem peoples today.
Names are important. Every name has a meaning. What does Jesus' name mean? Can you list at least two more names that Jesus was called? What do those names mean?
What does your name mean?
Check out www.babynames.com
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