Easter is different for me this year, because for the first time in my life, I can actually picture the places where the events of Holy Week and Easter took place. This past year, I got to be part of a group visiting the Holy Land for the first time. We got to see the places, remember the events, and have the Bible come to life before our very eyes. It was life-changing.
One of the most meaningful experiences our group shared in the Holy Land happened at The Garden Tomb. In this pristine and peaceful environment, we celebrated – perhaps more poignantly than ever before – that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. Our Savior lives, and because He lives, everything is ultimately going to be alright for everyone who trusts and follows Jesus.
In his Gospel, the Apostle John gives us the detail that Jesus was crucified near a garden containing a new tomb. The Garden Tomb site certainly seems to fit that description. Most Christians have historically agreed that the site of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial, and resurrection is marked by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre inside Old Jerusalem, but many people have been intrigued by this site just north of the Damascus Gate as a possible alternative since the mid-nineteenth century.
The Garden Tomb Association welcomes visitors to the site with these words: “This garden has been carefully maintained as a place of Christian worship, witness, and reflection on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. Many believe this to be the garden in which Jesus of Nazareth was buried and where he rose from the dead… We make no dogmatic claims about the historical authenticity of this site but desire to preserve it as a place of worship and as a visual reminder of the Messiah’s sacrifice and victory.”
One Holy Land scholar expresses his sentiment about The Garden Tomb in this way: “My head tells me the events happened at the other site [i.e., The Church of the Holy Sepulchre], but my heart helps me understand those events more clearly here [at The Garden Tomb]” (Charles Dyer, Experiencing the Land of the Book, 493). I tend to agree.
The Garden Tomb Association organizes volunteers from around the world who come to tend the garden and guide groups through the site, and the volunteers are incredibly well-trained and view their work as ministry. They are all very warm and welcoming, and they take their jobs very seriously. The volunteers cultivate, not only a beautiful garden, but also a truly peaceful, worshipful atmosphere for every visitor.
Our volunteer guide was a diminutive woman from Scotland named Alison Laing, and she was one of the most beautiful people we met on our trip. Her soft, soothing voice was only enhanced by her delicate Scottish accent, and she wept as she described to us the horrible death our Savior died to pay the price for our sin. Her love for Jesus and for people was radiant, and we were all touched by her gentle ministry to us.
On their website, the Garden Tomb Association gives the following description that characterizes the heart of their ministry centered around this tomb: “For over 120 years, the Garden Tomb has shared the story of the Messiah’s crucifixion and resurrection with countless visitors from across the globe. Some believe that this garden is the setting of those gospel events. However, the question as to whether this is the same tomb in which the Messiah was buried is ultimately unimportant. What is important is that visitors to this garden have an encounter with the living Messiah today. This is our prayer and ministry” (gardentomb.com).
For our group, The Garden Tomb was a special, sacred space where we were definitely stirred by the Spirit of our Risen Savior. We were moved to affirm yet again, “Christ is risen; He is risen indeed!” After everyone had a chance to enter the Tomb, our group gathered in a pavilion overlooking the empty tomb to hear the biblical story of Jesus’ Resurrection, to share in the Lord’s Supper, and to sing of our Lord’s victory over death.
The Garden Tomb quickly became one of my favorite sites in and around Jerusalem. There was a beauty there that went beyond the perfectly manicured landscape and the tranquil atmosphere. It was the beauty of a settled spirit that knows that because Jesus lives, everything else will be alright in the end. Because Jesus lives, eternal hope is available to everyone who places their faith in Him. Because Jesus is alive, hope is alive – forever – and if you’re in Christ, hope is alive for you. Whether or not you ever get to visit The Garden Tomb this side of Heaven, our prayer for you is that you likewise would have a powerful encounter with Jesus, the Messiah, who left the tomb and lives today. Happy Easter!
-by Dr. Jeff Reynolds, First Baptist Church
