I recently went on my second pilgrimage to the Promised Land. My first pilgrimage was about 10 years ago.

I urge everyone to make this pilgrimage at least once in their life.

The words that come to my mind are “Come and see.”

These words appear again and again in the Scriptures.

For example, an angel said to the women who came to the tomb of Jesus early on the first day of the week: “Come and see where he lay.” (Matthew 28:6).

On my pilgrimage, I saw where Jesus lay. I knelt down. I touched the place where he lay. I kissed the place where he lay!

But of course, what’s noteworthy about this tomb is that it’s empty!

As the angel said to the women: “[Jesus] is not here; he has risen, just as he said.” (Matthew 28:6). “Remember how he told you . . .: “[I] must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.” (Luke 24:7).

No wonder immense crowds line up to get inside the tomb!

No wonder it’s almost impossible to get inside the tomb, as I did, to bow down to touch and kiss the place where Jesus rose from the dead!

Indeed, on my first pilgrimage, the crowds were so immense that our tour guide told us not even to try to get inside the tomb.

Fortunately, on my second pilgrimage there were far fewer people. I only had to wait in line for about 15 minutes.

Talk about a life-changing experience!

Talk about why a pilgrimage to the Promised Land brings Bible stories to life. Makes them real!

Transforming Psalm 22 from a cry of despair—asking “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”—into a cry of triumph:

You who fear the LORD, praise him! . . .

For he has not despised or scorned

     the suffering of the afflicted one;

he has not hidden his face from him

     but has listened to his cry for help.

(Psalm 22:1,23-24).

The LORD transformed—resurrected—the dead, disfigured body of his Suffering Servant so that:

All the ends of the earth

     will remember and turn to the LORD,

and all the families of the nations

     will bow down before him.

(Psalm 22:27).

The LORD transformed—resurrected—the dead, disfigured body of his Suffering Servant so that:

[Peoples] will beat their swords into plowshares

     and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not take up sword against nation,

     nor will they train for war anymore.

(Isaiah 2:4)

The LORD transformed—resurrected—the dead, disfigured body of his Suffering Servant so that I could write 20 years ago in my book Visions of the Church:

The truth of Easter is that Jesus rose from the dead. And although this historical fact seems impossible, it nevertheless is true.

How can it be? Because what is impossible for humans is possible for God.

The truth of Easter is that our sins are forgiven. On the Cross, Jesus bore the punishment for our sins. Now, instead of suffering eternal death, we can enjoy eternal life. And because our sins are forgiven by God and forgotten by God, we can forget what is behind and press on to what is ahead: “the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14 KJV).

The truth of Easter is that we need no longer fear death. We should weep at the tombs of those we love just as Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus. (John 11:35). However, we should not grieve like those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). For we believe that we shall meet again those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. We will laugh with them again. We will hug them again. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

The truth of Easter is that there is always hope. (Job 14:7). No matter how much it looks as if we have failed. No matter how much it looks as if evil has triumphed.

There is still hope.

Therefore, we must still keep the faith. (2 Timothy 4-7). We must still keep loving (Matthew 24:12-13).

Because, in God’s good time and in God’s good way, God will bring good from evil (Genesis 50:19-20; Exodus 7:3-5), healing from suffering (Job 42:1-6; Isaiah 53:4-5, 10-12), and life from death (Ezekiel 37:1-14; 1 Corinthians 15:12-26).

How?

Although this is impossible for humans, it is possible for God.

For “in all things God works for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28). Nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ.” Not “trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword” (Romans 8:35). “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For . . . neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,  neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39).

The Truth of Easter gives joy to the world—joy for all Humanity!

(Visions of the Church, at 169-170 (emphasis added)).

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT

What difference does it make to you that Jesus rose from the dead?

What difference does it make to peoples and nations that Jesus rose from the dead?

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For other blogs arising from my pilgrimage to the Promised Land, please read my blogs “The Immense, Towering Rock Overcomes the ‘Gates of Hell’”, “Moving the Temple Mount”, “Come and See the Promised Land: Desolations”, “Come and See the Promised Land: A Place of Abundance”, “Come and See the Promised Land: Where Jesus Stayed”, “Come and See the Promised Land: Jesus of Nazareth”, “Come and See the Promised Land: Jesus Weeping”, “Come and See the Promised Land: Jesus Praying”, “Come and See the Promised Land: The Crucifixion of Jesus”, and “Come and See the Promised Land: The Burial of Jesus, the Suffering Servant”.

For related ideas, please read the portions of my book Hoping in the LORD that discuss the arrest, trials, crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, pages 208-333.