Why Visit Israel

By: Edward Cortez

 

We had just returned from an amazing tour in the Holy Land, the nation of Israel, last month. It was spiritually refreshing and profoundly impactful. Seeing for the fi rst time the lands of the Bible and walking in the footsteps of Jesus were awe-inspiring and frankly unbelievable! This is especially true when we rode a boat and sailed on the Sea of Galilee imagining the scene when Jesus walked on these very waters as he approached his frightened disciples. When we got to the Jordan River, I didn’t think twice and jumped at the opportunity to be baptized in the same river that Jesus was baptized in. Ten pastors got baptized that day! The feeling was exhilarating, and the experience was unforgettable.

When we were led to the Western Wall or the Wailing Wall, considered a very sacred place for the Jews since the actual Temple had been destroyed and the wall was part of the Old City of Jerusalem, we felt an overwhelming sense of God’s presence while we prayed and touched the wall. Then they led us to a tunnel that brought us to a point where we were standing at the closest proximity to the actual location of the Temple where the Holy of Holies was. The realization that we were this close to the Ark of the Covenant was profoundly spiritual and remarkable. We paused in deep refl ection and heartfelt prayer. The Garden of Gethsemane was another unforgettable place we visited. There you could still see the oak trees that date back to the time of Jesus some 2,000 years ago.

The Garden of Gethsemane still bears the sense of foreboding and the inner spiritual struggle that Jesus experienced while contemplating what he was about to go through – the agony of the cross and his being forsaken by the Father because he would carry the sins of the world. Next to the Garden of Gethsemane is the Church of all Nations, also known as Basilica of the Agony. Inside the Church is a section of the bedrock believed to be where Jesus prayed is enshrined. I moved closer to the bedrock, kneeled next to it, and laid my hand upon it. And then I uttered a prayer of renewed commitment and dedication to his call remembering the words of Jesus, “Not my will, but your will be done.”

My pilgrimage to Israel has been the dream and opportunity of a lifetime. The experience is spiritually transforming and something that I will treasure for life. Make it a point to visit Israel someday if you have not been there yet. Your visit will make your faith stronger, affi rm your belief in God, and establish the authenticity of the message of the Gospel – that yes, indeed, there was once a Man from Galilee who walked the dusty roads of Capernaum, Judea, and Samaria, lived amongst the people, healed the sick and raised the dead to life, and then willingly gave and sacrifi ced himself for our sins by dying on the cross.

How do I know that Jesus is who he claimed to be? Because I walked in his footsteps and saw the evidence myself. I went to his birthplace in Bethlehem and visited his town in Capernaum. And then I went to his tomb. The tomb is still empty. He has risen from the dead and he is coming back again!

“But these are recorded, so that you may have faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and so that, having this faith you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).