I have had the privilege of travelling to the Holy Land six times. I realize how fortunate I have been to have traveled to Israel all those times. Most people desire to go “walk where Jesus walked” but for one reason or the other they are never able to make the trip. But they read materials about such a trip and envision the privilege of being able to travel there. It is an awesome experience and I want to tell you about two places I have visited where I stood in awe at what I was viewing.
Bethlehem was a little humble village when Jesus was born there. It is anything but that today. The first few times I went to Bethlehem, there was no problem entering the city but today it is quite different. In the center of the town there is a town square with stores and shops all around the square. Just adjacent to the town square one will find the Church of the Nativity. This is where Jesus was born. The church is a Catholic church which is built above the crypt or cave where Jesus entered the world long ago. Many times, one of the major networks has presented a program from this church on Christmas Eve. One may have seen some of these programs in the past.
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- The Empty Tomb.
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- Western Wall.
Attached to this Catholic church there is an ancient Catholic church which was built by the Crusaders and it is actually above the crypt where the birth of Jesus took place. As I descended the steps which lead down to the “cave” where Jesus was born, I felt my heart racing as my mind recalled the scripture about this very place. Down in the cave there is a small “room” area which is at the most secluded portion of the cave complex. As I entered that “room” my attention was drawn to a brass star mounted in the floor. It is suppose to be the spot that God selected on the globe for Jesus to enter the world by being born to Mary and Joseph. Most scholars agree that this is probably the spot where His birth took place. Just a few feet away there is a manger cut into the wall of the crypt. The Bible says that they placed Jesus in a manger and wrapped him in swaddling clothes (Luke 2:11-12). And there it is…only a few feet away, the manger. It’s all there. Nothing much has changed. I still recall the whole crypt and I still remember how it made me feel as I stood there. The place where Jesus was born! I remember it well and will never forget it.
Another place that still sends chills up my spine when I think of my experience there in the garden where the tomb of Jesus is located. Our group had just arrived there and entered the garden through a small shop which is operated by a religious group. One can buy things which are related to the subject of the death and burial of Jesus. It is very tastefully administrated. After a brief visit in that little shop, we made our way into the garden. I was walking along looking at the beauty of the flowers and the many trees which are contained there. All of a sudden as I passed by a big bush I happened to look to my left and there it was!!
The empty tomb. Every hair on my body stood up. I had chills all over me. I know that my eyes looked like saucers because I could not take it all in quick enough. After we had the Lord’s Supper as a group, we went over to the tomb. Many of you have seen pictures of it but the reality of where one is standing is overwhelming. When I entered the tomb, I found it to be a small room cut in the rock of the cliff of a small mountain. Inside there is a protective grid which keeps people from going into the area where Jesus was laid. It is only a few feet away from the grid and one stands only about ten feet from the spot where he was buried. There are two places for a body to be buried. One on the left and one on the right just under the little window that is in the wall. You can see that window in any picture you might see of the tomb.
In those days the place for the body was flat until they wanted to put someone in the tomb. Then, they would carve the spot for the body to be laid in the shape of a human body lying on one’s back. It sloped and undulated like the shape of the back of a person. The slab on the right which is under the little window has been prepared for a body but the other one has not. In Luke 23:50-56, there is a recounting of the burial of Jesus. It says that he was “laid where never a man before had been laid.” And this tomb has only one of the slabs prepared. I believe that Jesus was the only person ever laid in this tomb.
As I stood there, I thought about the fact that in this very place, the power of God had intervened with death, defeated death, and brought Jesus back to life. He resurrected Him from the dead and in the process, He defeated death for every person who trusts in Christ for salvation. The thought that this very room was the place where God’s power brought Jesus back to life was mind boggling. When the people went to the tomb, they found that the stone which sealed the tomb had been rolled away by an angel. Many assume that the angel moved the stone so that Jesus could get out but that is not right. The angel moved the stone so that we mortals could get in and see that Jesus was already gone. He didn’t need a door to be open to get out. In His glorified body he could be anywhere at any time and there were no barriers to Him.
Yes, I could recount more places that I visited that were notable places in the ministry of Jesus but none more notable that the two I have just related to you. And, without the resurrection the birth of Jesus would lose its significance. He came here in Bethlehem. He died here outside Jerusalem’s Damascus Gate, and He was resurrected from a tomb only a short distance from where he was crucified for you and me. In the future I will relate some more about the Holy Land, but right now at Christmas time, it is important to remind ourselves of what God did for our redemption. It was all for you and me so that we could spend eternity with Him as we trust in Our Savior, Jesus Christ.
So, when next week arrives and we celebrate His Birth there in Bethlehem, let’s keep things in the proper perspective. Have a great time with your family but remember what God did for us in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior transcends everything else.
Merry Christmas from our family to yours,
Wm F. Harrell
