Readings for today: Matthew 27:32-66, Mark 15:21-47, Luke 23:26-56, John 19:17-42, Psalm 22
I will never forget the few minutes I got in the empty tomb. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is built over the place where Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus laid Jesus’ body to rest. I know there is some debate between the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Garden Tomb but for my money, I think it far more likely Jesus was laid to rest at the church. The Sabbath was approaching. The men simply didn’t have time to take his body down, prepare it as best they could, lay Him to rest, and get the tomb closed before the sun went down. The tomb had to be close to Golgotha.
When you enter the church, you have the opportunity to see where Jesus was crucified, where His body was anointed, and where He was laid to rest. Seeing all these spots grouped together makes a lot of sense when you think about it from a 1st century perspective. You then get in line to go into the tomb. You first enter an outer chamber where you can light a taper and say a prayer. You are then ushered into the inner sanctum where you can kneel in the tomb itself and lay your hand on the stone where His body lay. It’s a powerful, powerful experience to say the least. I found myself weeping as I prayed. Overwhelmed by God’s great love for me. Within a couple of minutes, a knock on the door signals the end of your time and you leave to make room for the next group of pilgrims to come in.
If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, it’s easy to breeze through these stories. We’ve heard them so many times and familiarity breeds contempt. We don’t take the time or make the time to linger in them a bit. Sit with the words. Feel the force of their power. Imagine ourselves in the story. This is why so many go to Israel. Once you’ve been there, you’ll never read the Bible the same way. It’s like moving from analog to digital. Black and white to color. SD to 4k HD surround sound. It’s truly amazing and I’d encourage anyone who can to go. If you cannot make the trip, do your best to take advantage of all the virtual tours that are offered online. Immerse yourself as much as possible in the experience. Let the power of the gospel speak to you in new and fresh ways and renew your love for Jesus.
Readings for tomorrow: Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20-21