He is Risen!

Today we went as a group (all 82 of us) to the Garden Tomb. This place is considered to be the burial site of Christ. Some believe that the name Golgotha, the place in the Bible where Christ is crucified, describes a hill next to the Garden Tomb site.

Regardless of whether or not this is the exact site of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection it was a marvelous experience. I looked out at the rocky formation where Christ may have died on the cross and felt an indescribable sense of gratitude for the sacrifice given in my behalf. I cannot begin to imagine the magnitude of His suffering.

I felt a powerful affirmation as I looked within the empty tomb that my Savior lives. I know that on the third day he arose from the tomb as He promised his disciples. 

The whole group stayed in the gardens for about an hour singing hymns. The area was full of tourists and pilgrims. A small crowd of people we didn’t know joined in our singing and/or listened to us. We have many musically talented individuals (I am not one of them) and I think we sounded heavenly. I felt a triumphant surge of joy as we sang He is Risen!

Golgotha in Hebrew means “skull”. Christ was not crucified on a “green hill far away”. No, it is far more likely that He was crucified in a busy area of the city where people could see transgressors receiving their punishments. Can you spot the skull in the cliff? Two eye holes and a nose... the mouth is now gone due to creation of bus station.

Outside of the tomb.

So that is my thought for today. Have joy for He is risen!