The Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the centre of Christianity and the most sacred site of Christendom, is a church within the Christian Quarter of Old City, Jerusalem. It is also called the Church of the Resurrection but was formerly known by its original Greek name: the Church of the Anastasis.
The church contains the two holiest sites in Christendom: the site where Jesus of Nazareth was crucified known as Calvary in Latin and Golgotha in Greek, and Jesus’s empty tomb, where he is said to have been buried and resurrected. Within the church proper are the last four (or, by some definitions, five) stations of the Via Dolorosa, representing the final episodes of Jesus’s Passion.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was originally built as ordered by the Roman emperor Constantine the Great and supervised by his mother, Helena, around the fourth century at the purported site of Jesus’s tomb. Since then, it has been a major Christian pilgrimage destination. Constantine the Great allowed Christian worship and eventually embraced and converted to Christianity himself. That facilitated a widespread massive conversion to Christianity within the Roman Empire.
With utmost reverence, I felt as if I were walking in another dimension as I entered the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is the centre of my faith: Christianity. I thought to myself, ‘This is it. This is the site where it all began.’
For centuries, Christian believers from all walks of life risked their lives just to pay homage to the place where Jesus Christ was crucified and resurrected. And this took place for me, for you, and for everybody who believes in him for the hope of salvation.
I was fortunate to have visited this place twice during my visit in Jerusalem. I spent several hours praying, contemplating, savouring the moment, looking at the beloved relics, and quietly strolling within the vicinity of the holiest place of the Christian faith. The Christian faith and its relation to the cross is best explained by John Stott in his book The Cross of Christ. It could shed light to those who are in search for the truth concerning its relevance. The core teaching of Christianity is that through the death and resurrection of Christ in a historic moment 2,000 years ago, there is hope for mankind. ‘Because I live, you also shall live’ (Jn. 14: 19). Without this fact, this faith is in vain.
1 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. (1 Cor. 15: 1–4 NIV)
To visit the Holy Sepulchre, it is recommend to go very early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid the huge crowds lining up. The venue cannot hold hundreds of people at the same time, so patience will be needed at popular times. Perhaps as early as 7 a.m. would be an ideal time to come to avoid flock of tourists. The church would be opened surprisingly by Muslims who have been the custodian of the key’ and doorkeeper of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at least since 1192 upon the appointment of Saladin.
I didn’t expect that there were many Arab Muslims within the Old City. I long held the thought that it’s inhabited mainly by Jewish people with Muslim and Christian as minority groups. Officially, there are four tradition-named residential quarters inside the Old City: Armenian, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim.
During the entire trip, I met and dealt mostly with Arab Muslims (at least according to them) who are restaurant or shop owners selling all sorts of crafts and antiques, mostly souvenir items. They were very helpful and fairly friendly. They recognised my identity as Filipino by calling me kabayan when trying to sell me something. Most likely, they are learning some Tagalog phrases from amongst the 30,000 Filipinos who are working and living in Israel, whose large majority are in Tel Aviv.
To me, Israel is an interesting place to visit not only because of its highly venerated religiosity and intriguing history but also because of the complexity of inhabitants. It’s a compelling place to witness the aftermath of hundreds of years of coexistence of people with contrasting cultural backgrounds who are trying to live harmoniously in this highly significant tiny piece of land. I just hope that peace will continue to prevail despite its inhabitants’ diverse cultures, as well as political and religious beliefs.
Here’s a summary of Genesis 22: 1–13. It is about a story of Abraham and how his faith is tested, as explained by Ravi Zacharias.
The Patriarch Abraham, 5,000 years ago, took his son up as an expression of his faith to offer his son to God as sacrifice in that Mountain of Moriah in Jerusalem. As the sword is about to come down, the Lord stop Abraham and God said, ‘I myself will provide’. True enough, in close proximity to Mount Moriah, 2,000 years ago, God kept his promise; and this time, he offered his own son, Jesus. The axe did not stop. It happened in a place called Calvary.
Ravi Zacharias profoundly added, ‘If you don’t believe and accept God’s Son He has provided for us, we will be offering our own sons and daughters in the battlefields of this world for position, fame, prestige, land and power.’
With all the present political unrest, though, some may believe that one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. As a traveller, I wish that understanding, respect, and ounce of tolerance towards one another’s belief, culture, and religion could hopefully lead to a beneficial coexistence. Let’s give peace a chance.
Shalom!
Salam!
Peace!
9 If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (Rom. 10: 9–10 NIV)
Here’s an excerpt from the book Who Made God? And Answers to Over 100 Other Tough Questions of Faith by Ravi Zacharias and Normal Geisler:
Did Jesus Rise from the Dead?
When Christians are asked to provide evidence that their beliefs are grounded in truth rather than legend or wishful thinking, they invariably point to the resurrection of Jesus. The reason, said J.I Packer, professor emeritus at Regent College, are numerous and critically important:
‘The Easter event, so they affirm, demonstrated Jesus’ deity; validate his teaching; attested the completion of this work of atonement for sin; confirms his present cosmic dominion and his coming reappearance as Judge; assures us that his personal pardon, presence, and power in people’s lives today is fact; and guarantees each believer’s own re-embodiment by Resurrection in the world to come.’
Early Accounts: The Trustworthy Testimony of History
The earliest report of Jesus’ resurrection goes back so close to the event itself that it cannot have been rendered unreliable by legendary development. In 1 Corinthians 15: 3–8, Paul records a critically important creed that was recited by the earliest Christians. It confirms ‘that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he as buried, that we was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.’
Scholars from a wide theological spectrum have dated this creed to within two to eight years of Jesus’ resurrection, when Paul received it in either Damascus or Jerusalem. Said resurrection expert Gary Habermas, ‘I would concur with scholars who believe Paul received this material three years after his conversion, when he took a trip to Jerusalem and… got it directly from the eyewitnesses Peter and James themselves.’
For more details about my travels to Israel / Palestine especially within and around Jerusalem, please check my book Inspired to Travel; Travel to Inspire – A Travel Memoir available on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble websites.
You may also check my other blog below:
