Day 9

Mount of Olives, the Way of the Cross, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and the Garden Tomb

Date: November 1

The Mount of Olives

View of the Mount of Olives

View of Jerusalem from Mount of Olives

Jesus will come back to the Mount of Olives

Come Lord Jesus, Come

The Mount of Olives is amazing because this is the location that Jesus will arrive at when He comes back.

The Closed Eastern Gate and the Coming Messiah

When you stand on the Mount of Olives and look toward Jerusalem, your eyes fall directly on the Eastern Gate—sealed shut for centuries. Many wonder why this gate is closed and what it means biblically.

Ezekiel gives us the answer:

Ezekiel 44:1–3 (ESV)
Then he brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces east. And it was shut. And the LORD said to me, “This gate shall remain shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered by it. Therefore it shall remain shut. Only the prince may sit in it to eat bread before the LORD. He shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gate, and shall go out by the same way.”

For centuries, Jewish and Christian interpreters have connected this “shut gate” with the expectation that the Messiah—the Prince—will come from the east and enter Jerusalem in triumph.

Today, the gate known as the Golden Gate or Gate of Mercy remains sealed. Muslims under the Ottoman Empire closed it in the 1500s, and an Islamic cemetery was placed in front of it—traditionally believed to block the Messiah’s entry.

But Scripture assures us that no gate, wall, or human effort can hinder God’s purposes. The “Prince” will come in His time, through His gate, in His glory.

The Way of the Cross

This is the entrance to the Church of the Condemnation in Jerusalem. It marks the traditional place where Jesus was condemned by Pontius Pilate before beginning His walk to the cross. This spot is actually the starting point of the Via Dolorosa—the Way of the Cross. From here, we traced the path Jesus took through the Old City all the way to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where His crucifixion and resurrection are remembered.

Painting of Jesus and Roman Soldiers

In this painting of Jesus, notice how the Roman soldier is portrayed as being nice to Jesus. This does not accurately portray the Bible’s description of the Romans being actively and willingly involved in the crucifixion of the Lord.

Acts 4:23—28

“When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, “ ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’— for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.”

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher

This is the entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

This site has one of the oldest traditions of being the place where Jesus was crucified, buried, and rose again. When Emperor Hadrian rebuilt Jerusalem in the second century, he covered this area and built a pagan temple over it—ironically preserving the location remembered by early Christians.

When Constantine legalized Christianity, his mother Helena removed Hadrian’s temple and uncovered the tomb beneath it. A church was then built here in the 4th century. Today the Church of the Holy Sepulchre still marks the place Christians have long honored as the scene of Jesus’s death and resurrection.

Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

As we walked around, we saw people from many different Christian traditions praying and showing reverence for the sacredness of this place. Watching this, I was reminded of the long church debate over the veneration of icons. Some believers have seen veneration as an expression of devotion that ultimately points their hearts toward God. Others, however, feel it comes uncomfortably close to honoring images or objects made by human hands—something Scripture repeatedly identifies as idolatry.

The Garden Tomb

The Garden Tomb in Jerusalem is often suggested as the site of Jesus’s burial and resurrection. While its exact historic authenticity is debated, several features make it a compelling place for reflection:

A Garden Setting: The tomb is set in a quiet garden, matching Gospel descriptions of a burial near a garden.
A Hill Shaped Like a Skull: Nearby rock formations resemble a skull, connecting visually to “Golgotha,” the “place of the skull.”
Rock-Cut Tomb: The tomb itself is carved from solid rock, with features reminiscent of first-century tombs.
Outside the City Walls: Like the biblical account, it sits outside the ancient walls of Jerusalem.
Simple and Authentic-Looking: Its style reflects an early tomb, giving visitors a vivid sense of the environment where Jesus was laid to rest.

Today, the Garden Tomb offers a peaceful setting for prayer, reflection, and remembering the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

A Replica of the tomb stone

Old picture preserving skull likeness on the cliff

Can you see the two wholes in the center that resemble the yes of a skull? Imagine how much more this would have looked like a skull 2,000 years ago. Could this be "Golgotha," the place of the skull where Jesus was crucified?

A Hill Once Resembling a Skull

Nearby rock formations once resembled a skull, connecting visually to “Golgotha,” the “place of the skull,” though today erosion has softened this appearance.

Inside the tomb

He is not here, He is Risen!

Nearing the Finish Line

Jesus was born from a virgin because He is the eternal Son of God and became man so that He could live the perfect life that we could not live and to die the death that we could not die. He died to satisfy God's wrath toward sinners. He gave us His robes of righteousness and wore our robes of filthy sin on the cross. He then rose from the third day defeating sin and death once and for all. He now sits at the Father's right hand in heaven and will one day rapture His church and after 7 years of tribulation He will return to save His people Israel and set up His kingdom on earth for 1,000 years. It was a blessing to be able to visit the Bible locations connected to these very truths.

These are also truths that I have the opportunity to teach at churches and Bible studies throughout out the greater DC and Baltimore area. As I teach these truths, I will also be inviting Christians to take this gospel message with me to the Jewish people. Before I can do this full time, I am in need of ministry partners. Your monthly gift of $25, $50, $100 or more will help me launch and grow this important ministry to local churches and to God's people Israel. Let’s bring the gospel to the lost together.

Partner with the Overholtzers

As a Field Representative, my income is dependent—by faith—on God’s provision as He leads His people to pray and financially give. To launch into full-time ministry, I need to raise my budget of $95,500, which includes my salary, benefits, and ministry expenses per year.

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