Now the world pretty much has conveniently "forgotten" the meaning and the significance of Easter. It has turned into another occasion to sell specialized candy, cards, and yeah to put a theme of just paganism with an overgrown rabbit that carries around eggs and delivers them to kids. Granted, I guess if you are in the dentistry business, it is one of the holidays that brings in more patients (Easter and Halloween, both filled with lots of candy). So why had the world forgotten the meaning of Easter? Does it have to do with the fact that Satan, the ruler of this world, wanting the world to forget God and what he has done? Or about how Satan lost to God when Jesus died on the cross. From going from a high of killing God's only begotten Son to then losing it all in an instant and forever since making up ground, I think Satan has a good reason for people to forget what Easter is really about.
Last week I briefly talked about the start of the week leading up the crucifixion. So where dit the crucifixion occur exactly? Well they haven't been able to pinpoint the location exactly, but there is a place that most believe to be the site of the crucifixion outside of the Damascus Gate that leads into Jerusalem. In modern day, the site isn't very far from the growth of Jerusalem, but back in the day, it would have been further from the city proper. The cite is close to the crossroads of major trading routes, consistent with Roman tradition of wanting to make the crucifixion as public and humiliating as possible. The site also looks like it could be on a skull, which when Golgatha is translated, it is the place of the skull or Calvary.
The place of the skull, you can actually see the eyes and the nose of the skull, but the mouth of the skull is harder to see now with erosion and plant growth in the area. This might or might not be the location of the crucifixion, but it is a possible site. A location that would be heavily traveled by people coming into the city and also high up so that it can be seen from the city. It is also within walking distance of the city, so it would be in walking distance of the "sabbath" distance rule set forth by the Pharisees.
Now the cite of the tomb as some scholars think is actually quite close to the crucifixion site. With in the Garden Tomb complex, you can easily walk from the area of the tomb to the site of Golgatha. This lines up with the ease of being able to prepare Jesus' body on the Holy Day and being able to put it to rest before the end of the day. The close proximity of the tomb to the Golgatha makes perfect sense to us now. When you read in the gospels, it says that the tomb was hued out of rock.
The tomb that was discovered in the area indeed was hued out rock and would belong to a rich person. The doorway to the tomb is rather tall compared with other tombs. Those that could not afford a large entry of the tomb normally had about half the size for the entrance. The rock that was the door could not be found, but it would easily have to be at least six feet in diameter to cover the hole. Now, imagine, that in this case, the rock that would cover the tomb would also be carved out of the same rock that the tomb was in the location. There is a groove that the door would be fitted in that is in front of the door and would rest in that groove.
The recording of Peter and John stooping into the tomb would also fit, since you would have to stoop to go into the tomb. As you can see with me exiting the tomb, I have to duck or stoop somewhat and most of you know how tall I am. So, you it is reasonable to say that the Bible is correct in saying that Peter and John stooped when they went to the tomb. The layout of the tomb is pretty standard from what I understand. It would also have belong to someone on the wealth side because of the shear size of the tomb.
A possible location of where Jesus' body could have lain when in the tomb. It is easily wide enough for someone to be lain stretched out. Now when you read in the Gospels that two angels appeared at either end of where Jesus was laid, my pastor pointed out when we were there in Israel, that it was a representation of the Ark of the Covenant. That being in the way that the cherubim angels at the head and the foot of the Ark looking towards the middle, or where God would come down and meet the High Priest. I thought it was pretty interesting how God just ties in the Old Testament with the New Testament and how the Bible points to Jesus.
So Easter, the Resurrection, the importance of that Day to a Christian. Yes, it basically is the foundation of our faith. If Jesus did not die and rise from the grave, what do we have to live for? Absolutely nothing since it would mean we are condemned to an eternal death. But since Jesus did die and the tomb was found empty three days later, Jesus conquered the grave and now we have everlasting life through Him. We can come to the Father through Him and have a relationship with Him. It says in the Bible that the garment between the Holy of Holies was torn in two when Jesus died upon the cross. We can freely walk into the Holy of Holies because Jesus is our High Priest and He died for us, being the sacrifice that we needed to become pure. This is the time to remember the sacrifice that Jesus and God made for us so that we can come into a relationship with the Father.
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