Footsteps of Jesus
Pilgrimage Testimony by Dn Tai Mern Yee
The 16th FEBC Pilgrimage comprising 40 brethren from 11 churches and five different countries took off from Singapore’s Changi Airport T1 the evening of 2nd September 2011 for a nine-day pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
The Lord’s presence and blessings were invoked with the reading of Psalm 121, and prayer led by Dn William Goh of New Life BPC. Twelve hours later, the group arrived safely in Istanbul, Turkey to begin the first leg of the journey.
After a “pit-stop” for a caffeine boost, the group embarked on a tour of the major sights of Turkey, one example being the Topkapi Palace. Very soon, the pilgrims were back at the airport to prepare for the flight to Tel Aviv, Israel—the Promised Land, a land of hills and valleys (Deut 11:11), and of milk and honey (Exod 3:8); the Holy Land, the focal point of our pilgrimage, as it has been for the last 15 pilgrimages.
Truly, as our Pastor Dr Jeffrey Khoo reminded us, the land is like an open classroom, and with the Bible in our hands, God’s Word makes the land come alive in 3D high definition. I shall endeavour to share with you some of the precious spiritual lessons we learned.
Jesus Our Lord Was Born for Us
Bethlehem, the “House of Bread” was the first city that kicked off our pilgrimage, and how apt the choice was, as this was the same city our Lord came to be born for us (Mic 5:2). Out of the house of bread comes the “Bread of Life”, of Whom if we partake and eat, we shall never hunger but have everlasting life.
The pilgrims also visited Nazareth, the city where the Lord spent His early years before His public ministry. In this city was a fulfilment of the prophecy concerning our Lord, that as a Nazarene; He was the Messianic Branch, and also of the city of Nazareth (Isa 11:1-2, Matt 2:23). Alas, this city was also the one that rejected the Lord and His teaching! Truly, the prophet has no honour in His own country, that even His own people from His own village despised Him (Isa 53:3, Luke 4:29).
Jesus Our Lord Lived a Perfect Life for Us
The areas around the Sea of Galilee were where the Lord called His disciples (Matt 4:12), taught the people, and also performed many of the miracles as recorded in the Gospels.
Again, our Lord providentially arranged that we stopped first at Yardenit, a place along the River Jordan where John the Baptist baptised our Lord, to fulfil all righteousness (Matt 3:15).
In Capernaum, Matthew the tax collector was called (Matt 9:9), Peter’s mother-in-law was healed (Mark 1:30-31), the Lord declared His deity by forgiving sins in the healing of the man sick of palsy, and who was lowered into the house where Jesus was via the roof (Mark 2:4-5).
In Banias, we walked through the woods of the natural park to Caesarea Philippi, where Peter declared our Lord to be the Christ, the Son of the Living God (Matt 16:13).
Jesus Our Lord Died on the Cross for Us
Visiting Jerusalem, the “City of Peace”, the city the Lord wept for (Luke 13:34) was a high point for the pilgrims. Walking into the city via the Lion’s Gate, the pilgrims walked where Jesus trod, carrying the Cross for us. Trudging through the narrow streets, we could only imagine how terrible it must have been, yet our Lord humbled Himself, and despised the shame, all for us!
At Caiaphas’ house, we saw where our Lord was mocked at and scourged (Matt 26:57-68), and where Peter denied Him three times before the cock crew twice (Matt 26:69-75).
Jesus Our Lord Rose from the Dead for Us
The final station of our Lord’s life on earth was at Golgotha, Skull Hill, where He was nailed to the Cross (Luke 23:33) and where He died after six hours of painful agony. It was there at the Garden Tomb where we remembered His death and Pastor led us in worship and the Lord’s Supper.
Our spirits were greatly uplifted as we beheld the empty tomb: “He is not here—for He is risen!” was inscribed on the plaque hanging over the door (Luke 24:1-6). Praise the Lord! He has won the victory over the grave for us, and we believe in a living Saviour!
Jesus Our Lord Will Come Back for Us
The final leg of our pilgrimage was to visit Megiddo, the stage where the final battle or WorldWar III would be fought (Rev 16:12-16). Megiddo, strategically located on the southern edge of the plain of the Jezreel valley was also the scene of many a past battle, but the one to come would surpass all previous in ferocity, in scale and impact. All previous wars are events in history, and the final one would end history.
Of course, our God is true to His promise, to His chosen people; in the time of their distress, and desperation, He would come through for them, returning the second time, standing on the Mount of Olives, defeating His enemies, and establishing His millennial rule on earth, Jerusalem as its capital.
Jesus Our Lord Is Always with Us
This pilgrimage has been a wonderful learning journey, as we look back at what the Lord and His people had gone through and done, the accounts recorded for us in the Word corroborated by the places we had seen. We also saw places where He would return and rule, which we were reminded to wait patiently for.
Looking at where we were the whole week, we saw how the Lord was with us, as we worshipped with our Palestinian brethren at Baraka BP Church’s 60th Anniversary as well as the evening service at the Shepherd’s Field, and when we celebrated with them at the Graduation service at Baraka Educational Centre.
No life nor limb was lost during the pilgrimage, and on our first night in Israel the Lord ensured that the bus suffered a flat tyre only after we reached our hotel in Bethlehem. Daily as we walked and visited the many places, they were, though busy, never overly crowded and we could enjoy our time of learning in the various places.
As Pastor reminded us when he led us in worship at the foot of Mt Hermon, “How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Ps 133). Though we were a 40-strong pilgrim band from 11 churches and five countries (Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia and Korea), from the very young to the not so young, the Lord saw to it that we enjoyed heavenly fellowship with one another!
Most of all, we thank the Lord for His Word that has made the land alive, as an FEBC student has aptly observed; and for our dear Pastor who, using the open classroom in the Holy Land, made it alive and lively to us, with a good number of outdoor teaching cum worship sessions, as well as morning and evening devotions, where we all sang, prayed, learnt from the Word, and testified for the Lord. Truly, the song “Footsteps of Jesus” reminded us that it is the “footprints of Jesus that make the pathway glow; we will follow the steps of Jesus where e’er they go.” All these, together define the essence of our 16th pilgrimage. How blessed it was! Praise the Lord!
