For millions of Christians, Jerusalem is a place encountered through the pages of Scripture. But when Sheila Walsh finally stepped onto its ancient streets, biblical history suddenly became something she could see, touch and experience.
“All my life, I’ve longed to visit Israel,” Walsh said at the beginning of a TBN Biblical Archaeology episode documenting her journey. “I could only imagine what a fantastic experience that would be to actually walk where Jesus walked.”
That longing became reality as Walsh entered Jerusalem’s Old City with guide Mati Shoshani, eventually making her way to one of the most significant locations in biblical history: the Western Wall.
Shoshani explained that the wall supported the Temple Mount during the time of Herod and described Jerusalem as the place where the biblical story repeatedly converges. It is a city associated with David and Solomon, the temples and, ultimately, the ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
But another encounter gave Walsh an even more tangible connection to the world of the Bible.
Inside an antiquities shop, Walsh was shown a fragile Herodian-era pottery vessel from approximately the time of Christ. The ancient container, she was told, was similar to the type that could have been used to hold perfume or anointing oil.
For Walsh, the artifact immediately brought Scripture’s pages to life.
She later pointed to John 12, where Mary takes costly perfume and anoints the feet of Jesus. Walsh reflected on the enormous sacrifice represented by Mary’s decision, describing the valuable perfume as something that could have represented her future security.
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Yet after encountering Jesus, Walsh said, He became her future.
That is where this journey through ancient Jerusalem becomes much more than biblical tourism.
Standing against the backdrop of the city, Walsh reflected on Christ’s lament over Jerusalem in Matthew 23, when Jesus compared His desire to gather Jerusalem’s children to a hen gathering chicks beneath her wings. Walsh connected the passage to a childhood story about a mother hen that died shielding six chicks from a devastating farm fire.
This imagery pointed directly to the gospel: Christ gave His life so that humanity could be saved.
But Walsh didn’t stop with the invitation to salvation. She issued a challenge that cuts straight through comfortable Christianity.
She warned against treating faith as merely making a decision for Christ, occasionally attending church and owning a Bible.
“No, that’s not what Jesus looks for,” Walsh said. “He wants you and me to be all-in.”
“Jesus came to make disciples,” she continued, calling believers to live “all-in 24/7 serving Jesus.”
Perhaps that is the most powerful reminder found among Jerusalem’s ancient stones. The places are real. The history is real. The biblical world was populated by real people who had to decide what they would do when confronted with the truth of God.
Thousands of years later, the question remains the same.
Jesus isn’t looking for spectators who merely admire the story. He is calling disciples willing to surrender everything and follow Him, wholeheartedly, all in.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
