THE GARDEN TOMB

THE GARDEN TOMB
Tuesday, March 19, 2024 by RUTH WUWONG

Categories: devotional / GUEST AUTHORS / TUESDAY'S TREASURE

*not the actual tomb of Jesus

My husband (a retired pastor) and I served together at three different churches from 1987 to 2020. Throughout this period, I experienced many memorable moments, but one memory stands out as particularly delightful. In 2018, our church gave us a three-month sabbatical. A year before that, we prayed about how to spend the time, and the Lord gave us a surprising answer: why not go to the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem? They need volunteers.

Now, for those of you who haven’t been to the Garden Tomb, if you are to visit today, likely the volunteers there will share the following information with you.

“Although Christians in the world commemorate the death and the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth at many different locations, where you are standing is special, not because we claim to be THE burial place of Jesus, but because so many elements here seem to match the description in the Bible.”

You’ll then be guided to the platform to view Skull Hill (see the old picture taken in 1900) and your guide will explain why and how Jesus was likely crucified in this area.

Calvary was called Golgotha for a reason. During Jesus’ time, Golgotha meant skull in Aramaic. The location of the Garden Tomb adjacent to Skull Hill fits the description in the Gospels. Besides, the Romans always chose a site with lots of passersby to crucify criminals. They wanted to warn the public that anyone who conspired against the empire should consider the dire consequences. The main road to Damascus used to pass by Golgotha with heavy traffic. It would be an ideal site for the Romans.

When you visit Jerusalem, be sure to tour the Holy Sepulchre, the site recognized by the Catholic church as Jesus’ place of resurrection. According to historical records, after Constantine the Great converted to Christianity, he sent his mother Helena to Jerusalem to look for Christ’s tomb. Helena saw three crosses near the temple of Jupiter and Venus and believed she had found Calvary. Constantine ordered a church built at the site. When the old pagan structure was torn down, they found a rock-cut tomb. That’s how the Holy Sepulchre came about.

In my opinion, I prefer the Garden Tomb over the Holy Sepulchre. Yet, the most important thing is not about where the Lord was crucified but that the tomb is empty. His remains are not there because He has risen. Since He is alive, we can have a relationship with Him today.

Isn’t it remarkable that we had the opportunity to visit the very locations where Jesus Christ and His disciples once walked and lived? I took quite a few pictures while serving at the Garden Tomb and have made a bookmark to depict the main theme: “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.”

I’ve also written that experience into my book, Detour to Agape (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CD9P29GJ).

ABOUT RUTH WUWONG:

Dr. Wuwong (PhD in biochemistry, MBA in finance) has published 120+ scientific books and papers (under her legal name) and a few Christian fiction books (Love at the Garden Tomb, The Way We Forgive, Blazing China, and Detour to Agape, under R. F. Whong). She lives in the Midwest with her husband, a retired pastor. They served together at three churches from 1987 to 2020. Her grown son works in a nearby city.

She currently runs a small biotech company (www.vidasym.com) and has raised more than twenty million US dollars during the past few years for Vidasym.

In addition to her weekly newsletter and the platform (www.ruthforchrist.com), she’s active in several writers’ groups, including ACFW, Word Weavers, Facebook, and Goodreads. Through these connections, she plans newsletter/promotion swaps with others and has writers endorse her books, write forewords, and host her on guest blogs.

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