Enthrone the Risen Lord at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

There is some debate over whether the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is truly where Jesus died and was buried. The Gospels clearly describe the death of Jesus Christ by Roman crucifixion and his burial by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. However, they do not tell us the precise location of his execution and burial. 

Those who argue for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as the place of Jesus' death and burial note that Christians were never fully dispersed from Jerusalem, so it's probable that they preserved the memory of where Jesus was executed and buried. Moreover, no other site was proposed prior to the nineteenth century, and excavations prove that the area had been an ancient cemetery.

The site was near the city, as described in John 19:20, at a time when the walls stood 500 feet to the south and 350 feet to the east. As such, it stood outside the city walls of Jesus' day. 

What matters?

Tomorrow, we'll visit the main alternative suggestions: Gordon's Calvary and the Garden Tomb. But one aspect that separates Christianity from many other faiths, however, is that it doesn't really matter. 

Muslims visit and venerate the burial place of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina; followers of Confucius visit his grave; but we cannot be sure where Jesus of Nazareth died and was raised back to life. And that's all right. 

Since Jesus rose from the grave, his tomb is empty. 

Early Christians did not venerate it because his body was not there. Unlike the tombs of other religious leaders, Jesus' grave contains no remains to visit. 

What matters most to us is not where he died, but the fact that he rose from the dead and is alive today, sitting enthroned in heaven and in the hearts of all who know him as Lord. 

A visit to Israel can be life-changing. To see and experience these sites is a spiritual experience all believers should attempt if they have the means to do so.

But a visit from our Lord is an experience that can change you for all eternity.

Does he sit on the throne of your heart today?

Photo: Light streaming in on the monument marking the traditional site of Christ’s tomb. © Denison Ministries