Whenever anyone asks me what my favorite city is, without hesitation, my answer is always Jerusalem. From a strictly travel perspective, there’s nowhere like it: the sights, sounds, smells, magnetic energy and overall celebration felt within the streets of this old city are all unmatched in my experience (it’s no surprise that everyone is fighting over it). But as a Christian, this city holds an even more special place in my heart that pretty much secures it a spot at the top of any ranking. Lets face it: life isn’t easy. Over the years, I’ve experienced heartbreak, betrayals, depression, anxiety, medical diagnoses, and financial struggles, and sometimes life seems as if it’s only trying to keep me down. But I have a Friend who will never betray me, who has proven over and over again that He will never leave me nor forsake me, who owns the cattle on a thousand hills and is constantly providing for me. And while I knew Him before visiting Jerusalem, visiting Jerusalem revealed Him in ways I didn’t expect. You see, when you read passages from the Bible while standing in the spot where these stories occurred, these stories almost come to life right in front of you. There are so many small details that we tend to skip over that bring on a whole new meaning when you’re there in person, and I’m going to try to share these experiences with you through this post. You can’t tell my story without mentioning Jerusalem because the story of Jerusalem is the story of Jesus. I’m an imperfect sinner who doesn’t deserve to be loved, but I’ve been changed, and I’m unconditionally loved by the One who created the world, and this is my Easter Story.
This story starts on a Friday night after an exhausting day of travel. My group had traveled from the Sea of Galilee to Caesarea to Nazareth and then to Jerusalem, but I was miserable the entire time. I really didn’t need to be out in public because I was very sick, but I didn’t have a choice because it was a moving day where my group would not only be changing hotels but would be changing cities too, so I couldn’t be left behind. That night was Friday night, the start of Shabbat, or the Sabbath, so almost all businesses were closed down, including doctors and pharmacies, since Jewish law requires that you rest on Shabbat. We got ahold of a Palestinian doctor to come to my hotel room, and she informed me that I had the flu. This was no surprise to me as I was extremely sick and felt awful. I was told I would have to skip the next day of the tour in order to recover. She gave me some medication, which I couldn’t read because the label was in Hebrew and Arabic, but I took it as she instructed me to. I was disappointed that I would have to miss the next day because the Garden Tomb was on the itinerary, and that’s the main site I was looking forward to visiting. It was very emotional as I called my family back home and told them what had happened before going to bed. But then when I woke up the next morning, it was as if a miracle had taken place. I wasn’t sick anymore! The symptoms that I had been feeling were all gone, and the trip leaders were shocked when they saw me because they could tell I was better just by looking at me. Then I was told that I would be able to participate in the tour that day!
After attending a Shabbat service at the Great Synagogue, we headed over to the Mount of Olives. This is a very historically significant site in the city. According to Luke 24, this was the last place Jesus stepped while on earth before ascending into heaven, and then according to Zechariah 14:4, this will also be the first place He steps when He returns someday. This was the location where Jesus started his triumphal entry on Palm Sunday as He was declared the King of the Jews. And it was also in this spot where He was betrayed only a week later in the Garden of Gethsemane. This garden is where Jesus prayed right before those who had previously worshiped Him turned on Him and offered Him to the Pharisees to be crucified. He was so burdened by what was about to take place that the Bible records He literally had sweatdrops of blood while praying here. Many of the olive trees in this garden date back to thousands of years ago and were likely present during this awful event. It was very heartbreaking to stand among the same trees that Jesus did when He prayed asking God to take this cup from Him. But it also shows how strong His love for us is. He knew what was about to happen to Him, and it troubled Him so much that He literally sweat blood as He was preparing for it, yet He chose to still go through with it in order to offer salvation to those of us that believe.
After leaving the Mount of Olives and then walking through the Old City of Jerusalem, we made one last stop for the day: the Garden Tomb. This is the most important site I have ever visited and the most important site I ever will visit. No place in the world means more to me than this site. In fact, no place has had a greater impact on the world and history as we know it than this very spot that I was standing in. Before touring the site, we took time to do communion as a reminder of what Jesus did for us in this spot. Then after participating in communion, we started our tour.
Right in front of me was a rock, or a hill, called Golgotha, also known as Calvary. In ancient times, a location was named either after the people that owned it or by its physical appearance. If a place had a notable landmark or anything that made it stand out from other sites, it would likely be named after that. The name “Golgotha” means “skull,” and that name likely came from the appearance of this rock because it looks like a skull. (“Calvary” is the Latin name for the same word). Mathew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, and John 19 all explain to us that Golgotha is where Jesus was taken to be crucified and that it was known locally as the place of the skull. While the rock has been through a lot of weathering over the last 2000 years, there’s still a visible skull-like appearance to it. And if it still looks like that today, then it would have been much more defined during this time. There are older pictures of this location that show an even more defined skull appearance to it. This is the location where Jesus, the perfect Son of God and Creator of the world, was crucified on a cross. This had to happen on Friday before sundown, according to local customs, because of the Jewish law requiring that no one works on Shabbat. It’s interesting how minor details like this add onto the already overwhelming evidence that the Bible is true. As not even 24 hours earlier, I had my own experience dealing with this Shabbat law when I was trying to find a doctor.
Oh Your love bled for me
Passion/David Crowder
Oh Your blood in crimson streams
Oh Your death is hell’s defeat
A cross meant to kill is my victory
“My Victory”
One thing that many people don’t realize is that Golgotha and the place where Jesus was buried were in the same location. For some reason, many people have in their minds that these are two separate places, but the tomb where He was buried was literally right next to the place where He was crucified. John 19:41-42 explains this to us:
KJV: “Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.”
ESV: “Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.”
This, along with the fact that it is located outside the city gates (Hebrews 13:12), gives further evidence that the Garden Tomb is the real, literal tomb where Jesus was buried. The above verse also mentions a garden, and in the area surrounding this skull-like rock, there is much evidence that this was once a garden. It includes many similarities to other gardens excavated from during that time period, with the most notable clues being the remnants of old wine presses and a cistern. And right in the center of this garden, within view of Golgotha, is a tomb. But what makes this tomb different than every other tomb in the world is that this one’s original occupant is no longer there.
When I first walked into the tomb, the experience was very surreal. There was no doubt in my mind that what took place here 2000 years ago was very real and that Jesus is alive. Etched into the door as I stepped over the threshold and into the tomb were the words the angel told Mary and Mary Magdalene when they first saw the empty tomb: “He is not here for He is risen!” Then on the inside of the tomb, there is a room where His body would have been placed. It was a decent-sized tomb originally designed to be used by a wealthy family, meaning it was likely built for Joseph of Arimathaea and his family to use. Then there was a symbol written over the place where His body was placed. This symbol was put there during the Byzantine Era when the Byzantines took control over Israel. It’s a cross with the initials of Jesus, along with the symbols for Alpha and Omega. The Byzantines also built a church in the courtyard in front of the tomb, though that was destroyed many years ago. Another thing to point out is that right outside the tomb is a trough that was used to roll a large stone over the entrance to seal it shut. Visiting the Garden Tomb was the highlight of all my travels, and I can never top it. I almost had to miss out on this experience because of the flu I had the night before. I have no doubt in my mind that God wanted me to be here and experience this place because He literally performed a miracle to get me here. Following this experience, my faith has never been stronger, and I’m so thankful for that. I really don’t have the words to explain how special this experience was. My parents visited three years later and came back with the same frustration: words just can’t explain what it’s like to physically visit this place, and it’s hard not being able to accurately explain it to others. What occurred here 2000 years ago has changed my life forever, and I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to see it for myself.
Death has died; love has won
Lacey Sturm
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Jesus Christ has overcome
He has risen from the dead!
“Mercy Tree”
What Jesus went through on the cross was the greatest act of love ever recorded in history. As humans, we have all sinned at some point in our lives, and because we’re not perfect, we can’t enter into heaven on our own (Romans 3:23). The very real alternative to heaven is hell. But Jesus, Who is the Lamb of God, Root of David, Passover Lamb, and the prophesied Messiah (Isaiah 53), sacrificed Himself on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin so that we don’t have to. Then three days later, He rose from the grave, conquering death, in order to offer us eternal life. Now we can go to heaven with Jesus because the penalty for our sin has been paid. All you have to do is believe in what He did for you on the cross (John 3:16). It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in your life: If you believe in Him, He will save you. You can’t do anything to save yourself: only God can do that, and all it takes is faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). I put my faith in Jesus when I was 10 years old, and ever since then I’ve had assurance that if I were to die, I’d go to heaven with Him. That’s why I’ve put such an emphasis on taking mission trips around the world over the past few years. What Jesus did on the cross has changed my life forever, and I want to tell as many people around the world about this good news as I possibly can! There are many religions out there, but John 14:6 explains to us that there’s only one true way to heaven, and that’s through Jesus. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” – John 5:24
If you’re like me, you may feel like you’re unworthy of having a relationship with a holy God who literally spoke the world into existence and has sovereign power over every tiny detail throughout the universe and time. You may feel like a broken, undeserving mess at times, but if I’m being honest with you, that’s what makes you exactly who Jesus is searching for. If you’re perfect, then congratulations: you don’t need saving! But if you’re like me, and you know you can never be perfect, then Jesus is desperately searching for you and wants to heal you. There is absolutely nothing we could do to earn our way into heaven, and we know it! We know our own hearts better than anyone else. But that’s exactly why Jesus came and sacrificed Himself on the cross. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice as the only perfect Lamb, everything has changed. And because of His resurrection, we know that He has power over death and can offer the same to us. Salvation is now offered to everyone freely, regardless of our past mistakes: Jesus’ love does not discriminate! One day, I will be in His presence, surrounded by those of every nation, language, skin color, and religious upbringing imaginable (Revelation 7:9), and we will all have one thing in common: our lives have been eternally transformed because of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. What happened in this garden 2000 years ago not only split time and history in two, but it also allowed for the impossible to take place: sinners from every walk of life gaining access to an eternity with a holy God. I have worshiped with believers in mud huts in small African villages, log cabins in remote Mongolian steppes, cinder block buildings in forgotten Amazonian tribes, and in some of the largest, most beautiful churches in America. I’ve worshiped on a dirt floor with those who haven’t seen their children in years after they had been abducted into human trafficking. I’ve worshiped with those who live in a pile of garbage on the side of the road that is routinely burned down by local authorities. I’ve worshiped with a former cocaine smuggler who was once high up in the ranks of Pablo Escobar’s most trusted men. I’ve worshiped with women and children who were physically abused by the one they thought they could rely on the most. I’ve worshiped in the shadow of a mosque with believers who were disowned by their families for simply putting their faith in Christ. I’ve worshiped with believers in a Communist country who have to strategically hide what they do to avoid potential life in prison. We may not have all been able to fully communicate with each other, but though cultures change, though language barriers exist, though hardships in life may differ drastically, and though wealth gaps are often glaringly obvious, the one thing that unites us all is that we are in need of hope and in need of a Savior, and His name is Jesus! Easter isn’t just another holiday for me as a Christian: it’s so much more because it represents everything I have built my life on. If it were not for Jesus’ resurrection, I would have no hope. But because of what He did for me on that hill called Calvary, I have a purpose, and my life has value because the King of the Universe literally sacrificed His own life so I could be with Him for eternity. He chose ME! He adopted me into His family, knowing everything about me. And He chose to love me as His own. And you can experience His unfailing love as well, if you’ll only trust in Him.
He shall return in robes of white,
Hillsong Worship
The blazing sun shall pierce the night,
And I will rise among the saints,
My gaze transfixed on Jesus’ face!
“O Praise the Name (Anástasis)”
Tyler's Travels 