The Empty Tomb

Remember in this post {here} when I shared about the Church of the Holy Sepulchre... and how there is another location that claims to be "Golgatha" and the site of the empty tomb. This is it. Now whether or not this is the location of Christ's death, burial and resurrection, I do not know, but this is where I was able to visualize walking through the garden with the women, peering into the tomb and finding it empty. The guides at this site were respectful and the garden, peaceful. Quite the opposite in comparison to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the guides made known that a written prayer left in the tomb would quietly be removed because a prayer in this location is not any more effective... and bouquets of flowers or other tokens of respect should not be left, because we are NOT mourning the dead. While sitting here, singing in worship with our group, I was overwhelmed at the impact of Christ's resurrection and how He conquered the grave.

I do not want to cloud this post with ramblings or emotions, but instead Scripture. So, in some way, your heart will be comforted with the hope of eternal life... convicted by the truth of the resurrection... and overwhelmed with thankfulness for the Risen Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15

For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

Luke 23:50-56

Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.

The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it.

Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes.

But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

Matthew 27:62-66

The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. "Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first."

"Take a guard," Pilate answered.

"Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how."

So they went and made the tomb secure by putting

a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

Luke 24:1-8

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?

He is not here; he has risen!

Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ⁷'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' " Then they remembered his words.

John 11:25-26

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life;

he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,

and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.

Do you believe this?