Shabbat Shalom, everyone! This is a Hebrew phrase that people say on the Sabbath, and it literally means "Sabbath Peace." No matter where you are in Israel on Shabbat, instead of the usual "Shalom!" greeting, you say "Shabbat Shalom." Today is going to be a relatively short blog, because in keeping with Sabbath, we did not do much today in the means of activities.
We started out the morning with a lecture on the politics of Israel, and then headed to the bus where we made a quick stop to see the Israeli Knesset (Parliament). We then headed over to the Garden Tomb, the area where most believed Christ was probably crucified and then buried.
Being able to see Golgotha was amazing. You look at the side of the cliff and can literally see the skull formation. However, something interesting I found out is that the orgins of the name "Golgotha" are disputed. It is said that this area used to be a Jewish excecution site, where they would throw people off the cliff and then stone them. So, some believe this hill got it's name from this story. But, some people also believe it gets it's name from the fact that there is literally a formation that looks like a skull in the side. I would have to do more research in order to give my personal opinion, but my initial reaction when I saw the hill was "oh look... it looks like a skull!" Anyway, another interesting thing I found out is how my perception of the crucifixion has been very wrong. I (as I'm sure many others) have always pictured Christ being crucified on top of Calvary, just like we see in movies, paintings, and statues. However, the Romans wanted to make examples of those they executed, so they made sure to place these people where everyone would see them. So, Christ was actually most likely crucified along the road that ran right next to Golgotha. Which, if you think of the Bible, it talks about how the Romans wrote "King of the Jews" and placed it on the cross for all to see. If He was put on top of the hill away from the road, only the people who would have taken time out of their day to climb the hill would have seen it. Being crucified along the road made sure nobody would miss the event. It was very sad to see this place, however very humbling at the same time. Unlike at the Holocaust museum, Christ's death did not occur because He was a victim. Christ's death occured because I am a sinner and He loves me so much that He never wants to be separated because of my wrongdoings. In a way, this made it harder than the Holocaust museum--because Christ's death was my fault. I don't think there will ever be a time where I truly understand the full extent of His amazing love, but today definately put me one step closer. Because regardless or not of whether Christ was crucified at the exact location I was looking at, He was crucified, and He died a horrible death just for me. Talk about convicting...
After seeing the hill, we wandered a little ways down a path that led to a tomb carved from the rock. Now, was this the actual tomb that Christ was buried in? Maybe, maybe not. It was still really neat to see an actual tomb though, and know that Christ was laid in something like it. However, the most important part for me was not trying to figure out if this was THE tomb. The most important detail was the fact that no matter what tomb Christ was buried in, we would never find Him there, for He is risen! Even if you could prove to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was Christ's tomb, that wouldn't be what touched me. What touches me is knowing that Christ is alive and will be coming again for me, because He loves me so much to have died for me. It doesn't matter the exact location of events, what matters is the fact that the events happened--and they happened for us.
We then went up into a quiet part of the grounds and took communion together. It was a wonderful experience, and I felt so close to the Lord. Taking communion is supposed to remind us of the blood that Christ spilled and how His body was broken just for us--and there was no better place to do it than at Calvary hill.
I want to leave you with a Bible verse tonight (or this afternoon for all of you at home!) It is 1 Peter 2:24: "Christ carried our sins in His body on the cross. He did this so that we would stop living for sin, and start living for what is right. By his wounds, you were healed." -ERV
Picture: Golgotha (top left. Look to the right and you can see the skull in the rock), Garden tomb grounds (top middle and top right), Garden Tomb (bottom middle & right), Communion (bottom left)
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