Devotion #5: Once And For All

“And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” Acts 2:38 

“December 9, 2017 - Today we made our way to the Southern Steps of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The original southern steps to the first century Temple. The steps Jesus would have walked, sat, and taught. We sat on the steps and read from Acts 2, where Peter preached here in this very spot at Pentecost, and 3,000 people who came to the temple would have stopped to clean themselves in the ritual baths, or mikvehs as they are called in Hebrew (there were TONS of these around the steps, I even stood and sat in a few!). And instead of ritually getting clean, they heard Peter’s words and were cleansed once and for all by accepting Christ the Messiah. This was one of my favorite moments of the trip, maybe even my life. I mean, come on! How is this even real?!” 

There are some moments you never forget. This was one of them. I am blessed to have been to Israel twice, and trust me when I say that there is nothing that has blown my mind and emblazoned my heart more than some of the places I found myself on those trips. The Bible comes to life! When I look back on my travel journal entries, I can feel that initial excitement running through my veins. I remember on this first trip in December, our guide brought us to the above-mentioned Southern Steps and asked us to sit down. Being my first time, I really did not know the significance of where I was sitting. Then he opened his Bible, and in a moment, I was transported back in time.  

To set the framework, he read first from Deuteronomy 16:16, where the Israelites were commanded to make a pilgrimage to a central place of worship three times a year, “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God at the place that he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths.” During the first century, this place would have been the Temple in Jerusalem, and hundreds of thousands of Jews would have travelled from all over the ancient world to meet God in this special place for these very special feasts. They would travel in droves by foot, donkey, and camel, often for weeks on end, and yet the hardships of the journey were quickly forgotten as they approached Jerusalem. Soon, they would be able to worship the Lord just as He commanded! However, before they could ascend to the Temple Mount, they would need to cleanse themselves of not just the physical dirt that they acquired along the way, but also purify their minds and souls before they could meet with the Lord in the most holy of places. This is where the mikvehs came in. I have read that there are over 700 Jewish ritual baths that have been discovered so far throughout Israel. About 200 of them can be found in Jerusalem, and over 50 are located on the ascent to where the Temple once stood. These are the same mikvehs I walked down into on my first visit. To think about how many people (including the disciples and even Jesus Himself) submerged themselves in these baths throughout the centuries is incredible.  

Now, let us go back to those Southern Steps! Our guide opened to Acts chapter 2 and read verses 1-41. I encourage you to do the same right now. Here we find a great multitude of Jewish pilgrims who have traveled to Jerusalem for the required appearance at the Feast of Weeks, also known as Pentecost. However, instead of the usual walk up, cleanse, and be on their way, they found something else. It was here at this moment that God poured out His Holy Spirit on all believers for the first time. It was here where the Apostle Peter preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ, loudly proclaiming His death, burial, and resurrection. It was here that Peter called the multitude to repent, believe in Christ, and be baptized. It was here where 3,000 of those men and women were saved. It was here that the Church was born. Also, it was here, 2,000 years later, where I sat on those very same steps and wept with thanksgiving for all the Lord has done. The 3,000 who were saved at Pentecost were told to repent and be baptized. How fortunate that there were at least 50 built-in baptismals right where they stood!  

As I walked down and back up the steps of those ancient ritual baths, I was overcome with the thought of the new life we all walk into when we are born again. God, in His great love, chose to send His Son Jesus to reach out to us and offer us forgiveness and salvation. There is nothing more amazing than that. Our journeys all vary, and we all come from different places, but one thing is certain: we are all covered in the dirt of sin and shame, and there is no amount of ritual cleansing that will take care of it. However, the Lord in His kindness washes us clean, once and for all.