03 June 2011

“The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre and two angels sitting thereon. Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.

“And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know now where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom sleekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.” John 20: 1-2, 13-16

Friday afternoons in Jerusalem are quiet, empty. Many of the shops, restaurants, and sites are closed. It is the perfect day to attend Christian sites, ones like the Holy Sepulchre, the Ecce Homo, and the Garden Tomb, the last of which I attended. The feeling in the Garden Tomb is difficult to describe. The atmosphere is peaceful and bright; the Spirit is strong and testifying. Upon entering the Garden, we were met by a receptionist who introduced us to John, our complimentary guide. We began overlooking a hill believed to be Golgotha, Calvary. When looking at the face of the hill, the face of a skull stares back at you. (For those of you who do not know, the meaning of the word Golgotha, or Calvary in Greek, means ‘skull’.) The exact location of Calvary is unknown, but the ability to visit a site believed to be the place of Christ’s death holds every bit as much importance as the real site. This information applies to the actual tomb as well. The Garden Tomb may not be the true place of Christ’s burial. However, it holds significance for the entire Christian world. The area around the tomb is clear, open, with a view of the tomb entrance all around. It was a nice place to sit and contemplate. I chose to read John’s account of the Resurrection, as stated above. The last twenty minutes were spent singing hymns: How Great Thou Art, I Stand All Amazed, Christ Is Risen, There Is A Green Hill Far Away. The Spirit was anything but weak. The warmth, the comfort immediately enveloped me. The words of a song written in the 1700s come to mind.

“He lives, my kind, wise heavenly friend. He lives and loves me to the end. He lives, and while he lives, I’ll sing. He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King. He lives and grants me daily breath. He lives, and I shall conquer death. He lives my mansion to prepare. He lives to bring me safely there.”

Jesus Christ lives. He atoned for the sins of the world in the Garden of Gethsemane; He died upon the cross at Calvary. He was laid in a tomb, and after three days, he raised from the dead as a glorified and resurrected being. Jesus Christ is our Lord, our Savior, our Redeemer, our Friend. His love for us is unwavering. He will never withdraw His hand from us. It is through Him, and only Him, that we can return and live with our Father in Heaven again; it is through Him, and only Him, that we can become perfected beings. He is our perfect example. He lives.

Rather than returning to the J.C. for dinner, I chose to get a falafel. It was delicious. Fresh falafel is one of, if not the best thing, that I have ever eaten since I have been here. The falafel balls were soft. The sauce was perfect. The pickles added just the right amount of flavor. It was the best ten shekels I have spent in the past month. Okay, maybe not the best ten shekels, but it was definitely worth it. A group of students is organizing a Jerusalem Dinner Club that will go out to dinner once a week for the remainder of our stay in Jerusalem. I am really excited for this. The food is one of the best ways to experience a foreign culture, after all.

This evening we were blessed to watch Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. I have not seen the Indiana Jones movies for many years. Can I just say that Harrison Ford is one of the most attractive men alive? The movie could have been awful and I still would have spent two hours staring at his gorgeous face. There really is nothing better than that. It was a fun experience, as are all Friday night movies. The Jerusalem Center Faculty really does do a wonderful job of choosing movies for Friday Movie Night. Next week we will be blessed to watch Indian Jones and the Last Crusade. I look forward to another two hours of action, archaeology, and Indiana Jones.

I failed to mention that we stopped at the Basilica of Saint Stephen on our way to the Garden Tomb. The chapel was beautiful with rows and rows of archways. It was well worth the ten minute delay to the Tomb. It was a very special day. I look forward to returning to the Garden Tomb again and continually remembering Christ’s sacrifice, Christ’s resurrection.