He’s not here; He is risen. Standing in the tomb where some believe Jesus was laid after the crucifixion and finding it empty was the highlight of my recent trip to Israel, as it has been the times before that I’ve visited there.  Partaking of the Lord’s Supper in an alcove at the Garden tomb took on a special significance, as I reflected on the pain, insults and suffering our Lord endured for me.

Our group had walked down the Via Dolorosa, retracing the steps our Savior had walked during his last days, which renewed our sense of what he had endured for us. I was even more astonished as I reflected on one of my favorite verses – Hebrews 12:2 – ….for the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. What joy might that be? Could it be the joy of drawing people to Him and saving them from their sins?

If so, He found joy when a seventy-three- year- old man, who was with us, gave his life to Him when we sailed the Sea of Galilee. During our Sunday night service in our hotel, we each shared a highlight of the trip. This gentleman shared his experience: When we were on the Sea of Galilee, I listened to the accounts of Jesus’ experiences there and then looked down into the water.  There I saw the face of Jesus.  It was then I realized it was time for me to do something.  When we got back to the hotel, I found Bro. Mike (Dr. Mike Goforth) and he told me what I needed to do to receive Christ.  I did, and I can’t tell you what a weight has been lifted.

Bro Mike then shared a short devotion based on places we had visited. He told this illustration that a previous guide had shared with him after he questioned why the Dead Sea had no life in it: You see, Mt. Hermon shares as it gives melted snow to the Jordan River to feed it; then the Jordan flows into the Sea of Galilee giving it life.  The Sea of Galilee then gives off water to over 200 tributaries, including feeding the Dead Sea.  There the giving stops – the Dead Sea doesn’t give water to any other place; therefore, minerals and salt collect and no life can exist in it. Then Bro Mike asked, “Do you want to be a Sea of Galilee Christian or a Dead Sea one?”

Every place we visited seemed to be someone’s favorite – the Mount of Olives, Gethsemane, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Capernaum, Mount of Beatitudes, the Dead Sea, the Jordan River, where many renewed their baptism, Joppa, Jericho, and many more.  I will tell you this – Israel is hilly.  All seventy-seven miles we walked during our days there were either up steps or down steps. And yes, my arthritic knees almost rebelled, but I couldn’t complain because I realized how many miles Jesus must have walked going from city to city, and besides that, we had a charming ninety-one-year-old lady with us who made every step and never complained.  In fact, she entertained us with her humorous weather forecast and her song she had written on a previous trip, where all their group saw for days were pine trees. Her lyrics were “Pine trees, pine trees” repeated many times. The second and third verses were all the same two words.

I suppose the other funny things that occurred will have to wait until another article – our strange roll calls, snoring stories, underwear falling out of suitcases as the TSA officer prowled them, people going into the wrong gender restrooms, our people buying out the Alabama Roll Tide shop in old Jerusalem, and they just kept happening. Humor, inspiration, tears, and laughter filled our days in the Holy Land.  What a blessing to make this pilgrimage!