Israel 2022 - Reflection #37 - Church of the Holy Sepulchre

 

Even after about eight weeks, it is hard to put into words my feelings about the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. This post is going to be relatively short. How can I express in words what the events that took place, here, mean to my life. Its been 50 years this summer since I gave my life to Christ as a twelve-year-old kid at a United Methodist Church Camp. This place brought back so many of those memories. Knowing Jesus, God's one and only Son, gave his life for me in a horrendous death, and rose again to defeat death is the only statement in my Faith that really matters. Paul virtually said the exact same thing:

...And if Christ has not been raised, then all

our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. And we apostles

would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised

Christ from the grave. '

1 Corinthians 15:14-15 https://my.bible.com/bible/116/1CO.15.14-15

When I stood in line waiting to enter the tomb, I kept thinking how amazing it is that I am here, ready to enter the tomb just like Mary and the disciples. 

'However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping,

he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went

home again, wondering what had happened. But the story sounded

like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. It was Mary

Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several

other women who told the apostles what had happened. So they

rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone

else—what had happened. Then they remembered that he had

said this. that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of

sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the

third day.” He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember

what he told you back in Galilee, The women were terrified and

bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why

are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? As

they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them,

clothed in dazzling robes. So they went in, but they didn’t find the

body of the Lord Jesus. They found that the stone had been rolled

away from the entrance. But very early on Sunday morning the

women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. ' Luke 24:1-12 https://my.bible.com/bible/116/LUK.24.1-12

Like the disciples, I have seen the risen savior. I have seen him active and working in my life. We do not serve a God that is dead, a god from the past, a god that does not care for us. We serve THE GOD, who loved us so much he gave his only Son so that we might live with him in paradise. In this wonderful church were constant reminders of God's love for us. 

Thank you Lord, for taking my sin upon yourself. I love you Lord and pray you will continue to use me for your glory. Amen. 

This is a slab of granite where it is believed Jesus had been laid inside the tomb.

The artwork and decor of this church are a feeble attempt to raise this place to the prominence it deserves. Everything is so well done and has meaning beyond anything I can explain completely 

Our group entering the tomb. Once inside we were able to pray. A single prayer, lasting only a few moments is just completely insufficient in Praising God for his perfect gift!

This place located very near the tomb of the risen Jesus is thought to be the final tomb of Joseph of Arimethea and gives a good indication of what Jesus tomb looked like. 

This is the spot where Jesus was crucified. I was surprised by how close it was to the tomb. However, it makes sense because the coming Sabbath would not have given much time for burial. People are kneeling to touch the rock where Jesus died on the cross. 

The rock at Golgotha, split by the earthquake upon Jesus' death on the cross.