Today we studied both a great tragedy and the wonder of the Lord’s redemptive power. We examined the systematic annihilation of six million Jews in the Nazi genocide, God coming to earth in the form of a man to save His people from their sins, and the loving witness of Christians committed to the Biblically prophesied physical restoration and spiritual rebirth of the Jewish people. After breakfast, we enjoyed a tour of the Christ Church Heritage Centre to learn about CMJ’s 200-year history of ministry to the Jewish people. Next we travelled to Yad VaShem, the Israel Memorial Museum to the Holocaust. Here we examined the spiritual and theological roots of the most notorious genocide in history and the connection between the Church, Jesus and the Jewish people.  From here we took the short drive to Bethlehem, where we visited the Church of the Nativity, which marks the probable site of the birth of Jesus, and the “Shepherd’s Fields” where the angels heralded the advent of Messiah.

Roddy teaching us at the Heritage Center, Christ Church

Eating shwarmas at a Greek Orthodox Monastery

Yad Vashem courtyard

Julianne at Yad VaShem

The group in line to see the Church of the Nativity

Colin taking a break

Mark taking a break

Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, which marks the possible birth place of Jesus

Church of the Nativity – oldest continuously used church (rebuilt in 565 by Justinian after Constantine’s church was razed)