He truly is not here; he has risen, just like he said!

There’s really nothing quite like it.

First, it’s a quiet trickle that grows into a stream until there is a flood of people from all the corners of the globe gathered in the Easter pre-dawn at the now-empty Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, Israel, to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago. There is an air of excited expectancy as people crowd together, trying to get closer to the entrance of the garden. Old friends greet each other and new friendships are formed. Somewhere in the crush, someone starts a song and everyone joins in.

My first Easter morning in Jerusalem was unforgettable. We were traveling with a group of young adults and none of us had much money, so we walked (or ran, in their case). It was still dark as I heard their feet scurrying along the stone street toward the Garden Tomb. In an instant, it was as if we were running through the pages of the Bible along with Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James) and Salome as they hurried through Jerusalem streets, intent on their mission. Jesus had been buried hastily in a nearby borrowed tomb belonging to a rich man. They hadn’t had time to properly wrap his body or add the spices, so the women were on their way to prepare him for a proper burial.

And just like the women, upon entering the garden along with thousands of other worshippers, we found the tomb empty. The rest of the garden, however, wasn’t. Every available bit of real estate was filled with seating for the crowd surging in behind us. Soon, even the standing room was taken. People from every continent gathered together to sing praise to God and declare to the heavens that Jesus is alive! That first service of the day was followed by multiple services throughout that Easter day in many different languages.

I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing Easter sunrise at the Garden Tomb a number of times since, and every time it never ceases to amaze me. Generally, my group visits the Garden Tomb several days before Easter so we can experience it without the huge crowd that will most certainly be there Easter morning. I am always struck with the great diversity of ethnic groups visiting from Africa, India, South America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Russia, the U.S., Canada and even Alaska. All line up at the entrance to the tomb, waiting their turn to go in and see the place where Jesus possibly laid, however briefly. And thousands of times a day, these people from all the corners of the earth emerge from that tomb and say the same thing to their friends: “He’s not here! He’s risen!”

As with many of the historical sites of antiquity, there is some discussion as to the actual location of Jesus’ tomb. Another possibility is found within the Church of the Holy Sepulcher inside the Old City of Jerusalem. Regardless of the location, from those who brave the long lines of people who’ve come from all over the earth to look inside the empty tomb, the response is still the same: “He is not here! He is risen!”

How amazing it is! From a small group of dedicated followers, the truth of Jesus, his death, burial and resurrection has spread literally to the very ends of the Earth. From the ends of the planet, representatives of these people groups travel to visit the empty tomb. And on Easter morning, their voices join as one singing praise and celebrating Jesus — Asian voices, African voices, Indian voices, European voices, South and North American voices and once again this year, our Alaskan voices. And somehow, probably through the miracle of technology, all those voices know the same songs and can sing with their whole heart. It is an experience like no other!

And just as amazing, besides those at the garden tomb, millions of people will be meeting all over the face of the earth this Easter morning, proclaiming the awesome resurrection of Jesus Christ. The good news that “death has been swallowed up in victory” (Isaiah 25:8, I Corinthians 15:54) has indeed been passed around the world. And I, along with others from around the world, will once again be privileged to be at the empty tomb on Easter morning at sunrise to witness the fact that “he is not here! He is risen!”

And though our voices may sound a little different from each other, there will be no difference in the hearts of the diverse worshippers. We will all be focused on the one who brought us life by his victory over death. As it says in 1 Corinthians 15:57: “Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Kathy Conn is a member of Northgate Alaska and is secretary for Valley Pastors Prayer Network.

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