JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Exploration, today’s Reason To Believe is the city of Jerusalem.

In the headlines, it is the subject of controversy today. In the Bible, it is described as the holy city. Jerusalem means “City of Peace.”

According to Ezekiel 5:5, the LORD says, “This is Jerusalem, which I have set in the center of the nations, with countries all around her.”

Jerusalem is the city where the temple stood as a place of worship.

Jerusalem is the city where Jesus entered to present Himself as a gentle king, riding on a donkey.

Jerusalem is the city where Jesus was tried and condemned to death. He would die just outside the holy city as a sacrifice for our sins.

Jerusalem is the place where the Holy Spirit came in power on the early church.

Jerusalem was the launching point for the Gospel to spread around the world.

And according to Jeremiah 3:17, Jerusalem will be called “The Throne of the LORD.”

The significant events surrounding the city of Jerusalem reveals that God’s redemptive plan is central to our hope for lasting peace and is a reason to believe in God’s good news.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com