Jerusalem
Faith

When we Visited Jerusalem

Ten years ago, my husband and I went on a tour of Israel with friends from our church. We went by bus from north to south and ended our travel in Jerusalem. In a previous blog I wrote about visiting the Church of St. Peter.

Bright pink flowers on a bougainvillea, along with tall trees, framed our view of a white stone church.  Our tour group was walking to the Church of St. Peter situated on a hillside, the eastern slope of Mt. Zion. Within an arch of the church, a large mural depicting Jesus welcomed us to the site. 

Just outside the church another part of the human story is shown. Four statues are gathered around a stone column: Peter, a Roman soldier, a serving maid, and a bystander.  At the top of the column a cock is crowing.

Peter was an avid follower of Jesus, yet he denied Christ. 

As I read through the Bible this year, I notice how the Bible records the truth about people of faith. They all sinned. Adam and Eve. Moses. King David. Peter. Paul.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

We need the forgiveness offered through Jesus, and we need a forgiving spirit towards others—especially our family members and church community.

We can see the steady growth of Peter’s faith as he acknowledged his sin and received forgiveness. In the letter that he wrote to churches throughout Asia Minor he gives encouragement that is good for us today. 

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 1 Peter 3: 8-9

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Carol is a follower of Jesus and a wife, mom & grandma. She worked for many years as a childbirth nurse and prenatal educator. She recently retired from clinical work. She has written articles for nursing journals and devotionals. Her novel, Aliisa's Letter, was published in 2010 and she is currently working on another project.

9 Comments on “When we Visited Jerusalem

  1. good reminder that I need to extend grace to others because we’ve all sinned and messed up.

    stopping by from FMF#18

  2. Thanks for sharing your photos it brings it all home. It must have been quite an experience and time of sober reflection as the reality of Jesus death was before you.

    1. Yes, it was. When we went inside the Church of St. Peter we were led to a “Sacred Pit” where it is believed Jesus was held for a period of time after his arrest.

  3. Kindness in love moves a heart more than being right. We were forgiven much and denied Him daily in so many little ways. The art of forgiveness begins with Jesus.

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