The empty tomb: encountering resurrection

Two sites in Jerusalem claim to be the place of Jesus' burial and resurrection: the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (accepted by Catholics, Orthodox, and many Protestants based on strong archaeological evidence) and the Garden Tomb (a peaceful garden favored by many evangelical Protestants for its serene atmosphere).

Visit both. The Holy Sepulchre is overwhelming — dark, ornate, crowded, ancient. It can feel chaotic. But kneel at the Stone of Anointing, touch the rock of Calvary, and enter the small tomb chamber, and the chaos falls away. You're in the place where death was defeated.

The Garden Tomb offers something different: a quiet garden, birdsong, an empty rock-cut tomb with the stone rolled away. The sign outside reads, "He is not here, for He is risen." Whether this is the actual site matters less than the truth it proclaims. Both places point to the same staggering reality — the tomb is empty.