The Garden Tomb

The first Sunday here in Jerusalem, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Garden Tomb.  This is a place I have heard about ever since I was little. Although we do not know for sure where the exact location of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection took place, this is one of the places that many people believe it could have happened.

 Honestly, it was not what I had expected at all.  You see these beautiful paintings and depictions of this sacred place, and you would imagine it to be in a place that is somewhat secluded, surrounded with olive trees, and nature.  The Garden Tomb did have olive trees, nature, and it was beautiful.  However it is embedded within civilization. There are roads, homes, and street vendors all around the walls surrounding the garden.  Right under Golgotha there is a bus station. It is so crazy. You are surrounded by people and the world.  However, when you enter the walls you are kind of taken out of the city as you hear and see people coming to visit a place they find sacred.

We had a tour guide, and he talked to us about the history.  He showed us what they think is Golgotha. Their reasoning behind it was interesting.  Golgotha and Calvary both mean skull.  The cliff that they showed us where they believe Christ was crucified looks like a skull.  Another reason was the area was really close to the main roads.  Romans really liked to crucify people near main roads so many people would see it.  It sounds gross, but they wanted these poor individuals to stand as examples of what happens to people who did not do what they liked. Christ’s cross also had a plaque on it that said “King of the Jews.”  It would only make sense to have it close enough to the roads so that people could read the plaque.

The tomb, itself was humble and small.  You had to bend down to get in, and there were two chambers you could go into. On the left is where you would prepare the body, and on the right is where you would lie the body down. 

The garden was filled with people who led different lives, had different religions, and belonged to different races. Yet we all had one thing in common- the fact that we love and believe in Jesus Christ. I do not know where the exact location of the place of Christ’s crucifixion, burial, and resurrection are.  However, I do know the truth and the reality that he did indeed die for us so that we can live again. I am so grateful for this. He lives! And because he lives, I can live again too!