Walk Where Jesus Walked—A TBN Special in Israel
Sunday, 21 May 2023
This set of sermon notes covers the main points of the sermon, Walk Where Jesus Walked—A TBN Special in Israel, preached by Pastor Prince. The sermon is part of a special Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) program and was aired at New Creation Church on Sunday, 21 May 2023.
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In this special interview recording with TBN, Pastor Prince, alongside host Matt Crouch, shares live from three beautiful locations in the city of Jerusalem.
Why Jerusalem? Because it’s a place that is dear to God’s heart! This very city is where King Solomon built a temple to honor the Lord. And in the very center of that temple is the Holy of Holies, where we would find the mercy seat (Heb. 9:3–4).
During old covenant times, the mercy seat was where the high priest would sprinkle the blood of the animal sacrifices. This is a foreshadowing of the blood our Lord Jesus would shed at the cross for the forgiveness of all our sins (Heb. 9:11–15). Because of His blood, God no longer judges us based on the standards of the law. Instead, we get to boldly approach the throne of grace and enjoy every favor and blessing of God (Heb. 4:16)!
This is why Jerusalem is such an important place: at the heart of this city is God’s grace and mercy for His children!
The first location Pastor Prince preached at was the Mount of Olives, which overlooks Mount Moriah. Mount Moriah is a significant location because it was where Abraham was asked to offer Isaac as a sacrifice to God. It was also where the first temple, the Temple of Solomon, was built.
The sacrifice of Isaac
In Genesis 22, we see God telling Abraham to bring Isaac to Mount Moriah and to offer him up as a burnt offering. Of all the mountains that God could have chosen, He specifically chose Mount Moriah. In Hebrew, Moriah means “God sees.” So what was it that God wanted Abraham to see on this mountain? His supernatural provision.
Just as Abraham was about to plunge his knife into Isaac, God stopped him and said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy. Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from Me your son, your only son.” Instead, God provided Abraham with a substitute for the burnt offering—a ram.
The ram is a picture of our Lord Jesus, who was offered up as the perfect sacrifice in our place. The thicket that trapped the ram by its horns is a picture of the crown of thorns that our Lord wore at the cross. This account of Abraham offering up Isaac is really a beautiful story of our heavenly Father’s love for us. Ever since mankind fell when Adam sinned, God already had it in His mind to send His beloved Son to redeem us. And it was on Mount Moriah, on a vantage point known as Calvary, that the Son of God gave His life for us.
The Temple Mount
Mount Moriah is also where the first temple was built. In the temple, we find the ark of the covenant, which represents the manifested presence of God. It was where His shekinah glory dwelt during the times of the old covenant.
The ark of the covenant is also a picture of our Lord Jesus. It is made of acacia wood, which represents His humanity, and overlaid with gold, which represents His deity. In it lay the stone tablets where the Ten Commandments were inscribed. These tablets symbolize man’s rebellion, failure, and inability to keep the holy standards of God’s law. But God covered these tablets with the mercy seat, and as long as the sacrificial blood was on the mercy seat, the people were accepted. God did not see them in their rebellion and sin.
Likewise, because Jesus our High Priest has sprinkled His own blood on the true mercy seat in heaven, the throne of grace (Heb. 9:11–15), when God looks at us today, He no longer sees us in our sins (Heb. 8:12, 10:17). He sees us righteous, washed whiter than snow by His Son’s blood. And we can now go boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Heb. 4:16). Mercy is us not receiving the judgment and punishment we deserve, while grace is us receiving all the blessings and favor we do not deserve.
At the cross, we were not only made righteous, but also holy (1 Cor. 1:30). True holiness with God is about the finished work of Jesus. The more we see Jesus in all His loveliness, beauties, glories, and excellencies, the more we see what He has done for us through His finished work, the more faith is stirred in us. And this faith is what purifies us (Acts 15:9) and empowers us to live lives holy and pleasing to God!
On the slopes of the Mount of Olives facing the Temple Mount, we will find the garden of Gethsemane, where the Passion of our Lord Jesus began.
Interestingly, “Gethsemane” means “oil press” in Greek. Just like how olives have to be pressed and crushed for us to extract oil, our Lord Jesus was also crushed at different points in His Passion so that today we can enjoy healing and wholeness.
When olives are pressed for oil in Israel, they usually go through three rounds of pressing. The first press gives us extra virgin olive oil, which is used in the Jewish temples for lighting. Oil from the second press is used for making ointment (for healing). And oil from the third press is used for making soap (cleansing). These typify the three crushings that our Lord Jesus went through for us.
The first crushing: to light up the Church
The first “pressing” of our Lord Jesus began in the garden of Gethsemane where He went through a dark time (Luke 22:53). The Bible tells us that He was in great agony as He contemplated the suffering He was about to endure at the cross—so much so that He prayed with strong cries and tears (Heb. 5:7), and suffered from hematidrosis, a condition that causes one to sweat blood (Luke 22:44).
Even though our Lord went through so much suffering, He made a decision that would forever change His destiny and ours:
“Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”
—Luke 22:42 NKJV
He chose not to abandon us and return to heaven. He chose to take the cup of suffering to redeem us and reconcile us with God. In the garden of Gethsemane, the Light of the world allowed Himself to be crushed so that we can come out of darkness and always walk in His light (1 Pet. 2:9). Even as the world gets darker and darker, for the children of God, we will always have light and our paths will continue to get brighter!
Not only did the Lord’s crushing in the garden give us light, but the redemptive quality of His blood that fell to the cursed ground also redeemed us from the curse of stress that came as a result of Adam’s fall (Gen. 3:19).
If you have been feeling stressed or depressed, know that the Lord has redeemed us from the curse of human toil, worries, and cares. He wore the crown on thorns so that today, we can have His peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7). As you walk through this valley, take heart in knowing that the Lord is with you (Ps. 23:4). He is your glory and the lifter of your head (Ps. 3:3). Keep looking to Him and you will begin to see your breakthroughs come to pass. Your worst days are behind you, beloved. The Lord has great things in store for you!
The second crushing: to heal us
The Lord was crushed a second time at the scourging post where He was scourged violently by the Roman soldiers.
Isaiah 53:5 (KJV) tells us that “he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” The word “bruised” here is actually translated from the Hebrew word for “crushed.” For us, our Lord did not just take a beating that caused some blue-black marks on His body. He was scourged to the point where His bones were exposed (Ps. 22:17, 129:3)!
If you are going through a health challenge today, know that our Lord Jesus is not just able, but that He is also willing to heal you and will surely heal you (Isa. 53:4). Beloved, He endured every beating, every scourge for your health and healing (Isa. 53:5). Your portion today is to freely receive it! Healing is not something you need to work for. It is something that the Lord Jesus has already purchased for you.
The third crushing: to cleanse us
As the olive is pressed a third time to yield its cleansing virtue, our Lord Jesus’ final crushing was at the cross, where He bore the full weight of God’s judgment and paid the price for our sins. His precious blood shed at Calvary has cleansed us from all our sins (Heb. 9:14, 1 John 1:7).
The last location Pastor Prince preached at was Mount Scopus, which overlooks the Judean Wilderness.
When we read the Bible, we see that many men of God (e.g. David, John the baptist, Elijah) spent time in the wilderness. Our Lord Jesus, too, was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the enemy (Matt. 4:1–2). Today, we think of the wilderness as a desert where nothing can grow and where times of challenge, also known as “wilderness experiences,” take place. Some people might even say of someone who is facing a trial that they are going through seasons of wilderness because of their mistakes and failures. But nothing could be further from the truth!
The Hebrew word for wilderness is “miḏbār.” It originates from the word “dāḇar,” which means “to speak,” and is often used to refer to speaking the Word of God. This points to the truth that even in the moments spent in the wilderness, we can find God’s Word! Just like how a tiny drop of rain in the desert can cause a large green pasture to grow, the Word of God can cause us to flourish in seemingly “dry” and challenging situations.
If you’re going through a challenging time, find strength as you receive and meditate on God’s Word. Know that the Lord will meet you where you are and that His Word will bring light and hope to you in this tough season. So no matter what you are facing today, turn to His Word, chew on it like how sheep would graze on the green pastures that spring up in the wilderness, and let the Lord make a way out for you (Isa. 43:19)!
Like rain in the wilderness that can cause large swathes of colorful wildflowers to sprout and grow in a once-barren landscape, God’s Word can bring life and breakthroughs in our difficult seasons.
Are you in a troubled season now? Perhaps you are facing challenges in your health or dealing with difficulties in your relationship with a loved one. Or it could be that the bills are piling up and you don’t know how you’re going to make ends meet or provide for your children in the future.
And in the midst of all your worries and anxieties, you are wondering, God, where are You? I need Your help!
My friend, the Lord is right there with you. He loves you greatly and has already given you the key to your turnaround.
As Pastor Prince has shared, the Lord will meet you at your point of need. So immerse yourself in His Word. Let it wash over you and water the dry places in your life. And before you know it, you will see new life bursting forth, just as the Lord has promised in Isaiah 43:19:
We hope these sermon notes blessed you! If they did, we encourage you to get the sermon and allow the Lord to speak to you personally as you watch or listen to it.
© Copyright JosephPrince.com 2023
These sermon notes were taken by volunteers during the service. They are not a verbatim representation of the sermon.
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