Lagos Christian Pilgrims Baptise At River Jordan, Ride On Sea Of Galilee, Return To Jordan…Set To Return To Lagos On New Year’s Day +Exclusive Photos
From BENJAMIN OMOIKE, NAZARETH, Israel
Lagos Christian Pilgrims presently on spiritual exercise in the holy lands of Jordan and Israel, in continuation of their pilgrimage, have visited other iconic and historical sites.
The pilgrims from the Centre of Excellence, representing a bulk of the first flight of this year’s pilgrimage exercise, are winding down on the programme, and getting set to return to Nigeria, on New Year’s Day, by the grace of God.
Part of holy sites visited included Mount Tabor. Besides the traditional place of the transfiguration of Christ and meeting of Moses and Elijah on the Mount, Tabor was mentioned several times in the Old Testament, as a spot where great events took place.
Mount Tabor, sometimes spelled Mount Thabor is a large hill of Biblical significance in Lower Galilee, northern Israel, at the eastern end of the Jezreel Valley, 18 kilometres (11 miles), west of the Sea of Galilee.
In the Hebrew Bible (Joshua, Judges), Mount Tabor is the site of the battle of Mount Tabor between the Israelite army under the leadership of Barak and the army of the Canaanite king of Hazor, Jabin, commanded by Sisera.
In Christian tradition, Mount Tabor is the site of the transfiguration of Jesus.
After the morning devotion on Monday, led by Revd. Dr. Dele Ajayi, of Chapel of Christ The Light Church, Alausa, Ikeja, pilgrims embarked on a spiritually enriching journey to the Mount of Beatitudes.
This is one of the key places on the path of Jesus in Galilee.
It was on this mountain that Jesus spoke the words of the Sermon on a Mount. Some scholars call it “The Constitution of the Kingdom.”
Pilgrims were taken to the Church of Multiplication, as well.This is the miraculous site where Jesus fed the multitudes with two fish and five loaves of bread.
This site holds a lot of significance for Christians, especially with regard to Jesus’ ability to perform miracles beyond human comprehension.
Capernaum, the City of Jesus, featuring St. Peter’s Church, built on the remains of Peter’s house where Jesus healed his mother-in-law, was yet another port of call.Prayers for divine and total healing were offered at this spot for the pilgrims, their families and the entire nation.
On getting to the iconic Sea of Galilee, pilgrims were taken on a soul-stirring boat ride (in a carnival-like atmosphere), with heavy praise, sermons, and prayer sessions on the water. The climax of the day’s event was Baptism at River Jordan, where Jesus Himself was baptised by John The Baptist.Some pilgrims experienced the joy of baptism in the refreshing waters of Jordan; for them, this was an unbelievable and life-changing experience.
The day’s exercise ended with an evening fellowship, with a word of exhortation and prayers by Revd. Dr. Dele Ajayi. The pilgrims are set to return to Amman, capital of Jordan, from where they are scheduled to return to Nigeria on Wednesday, January 1, 2025.