Good Friday in Jerusalem

It's the main event. Easter weekend in Jerusalem, the City of God, the Center of the World, sacred ground. Today my friends and I got up early to go down to the Garden Tomb for their Good Friday service. It was a beautiful day, perfect temperature, not a cloud in the sky. We walked through the gardens and got good seats in front of the pulpit situated just above the Tomb itself. The pastor talked about how we as Christians seem to save all of the celebration and happiness for Easter Sunday, when Good Friday should also be remembered and celebrated, not just mourned. He went on to say that Jesus defeated Satan and death on the cross, and that Easter Sunday puts the exclamation point on His sacrifice. Before and after the sermon, there were several readings from the Gospels and several hymns that we all sang together. We prayed for the peace of Jerusalem and for the Christians in the Middle East. We prayed for peace and for Christ's return. We prayed in gratitude for Christ's unbelievable love and mercy, and asked for forgiveness for our sins. When the service was over, we all went down to the Tomb to remember that Good Friday is merely the beginning, Easter is the Victory, and His return in triumph is the end. It was beyond amazing to be able to spend Good Friday in the city of Jerusalem, praying a couple of yards away from the hill of Golgotha and the Tomb. I felt humbled by the incredible sacrifice that took place here two thousand years ago, and in the end, all I could say is "Thank you". After the service concluded and we paid our respects at the Tomb, I went into the Old City to the Holy Sepulcher to see what the Catholics and Orthodox were doing to mark the day. Soldiers and security were everywhere, as religious holidays in Jerusalem have been used as an excuse by some in the past to spark violent protests against members of the other religions. As I was trying to make my way to the Sepulcher, soldiers and police were shutting down the streets surrounding it, wanting to restrict the flow of people in and out of the building to a tolerable amount. Normally, this would have caused a problem for me, but since this is Holy Week there is an abundance of tours going through the Old City. Today, all of them seemed intent on getting into the Holy Sepulcher, and the soldiers were letting most of them through. Because I didn't feel like waiting, I simply attached myself to a tour going in and got through into the church without any hassle. Inside were more soldiers and police, and monks from the various denominations and churches singing in Gregorian Chant and spreading more incense than usual. I followed the monks, wanting to listen to as much Gregorian Chant as possible, and tried to keep out of the way of all the tourists taking their Christmas Card family pictures. While the music was amazing as always, I found that I preferred the simpler, incense-free Garden Tomb style of worship as I walked through the Sepulcher. I left the Old City, hopped on the train, and made my way back to my apartment. I am so glad that I have the opportunity to be in Jerusalem for Good Friday and Easter on Sunday. This weekend will be one of the highlights of my life, and I can't wait to go back to the Tomb two days from now.