Sin Unto Death and the Unpardonable Sin

What is the Unpardonable Sin?

Opponents of Jesus persistently disregarded, disrespected, and condemned him and his message.¹ He thus warned against and rebuked the sinful attitudes and behaviors of these hypocritical, evil-hearted, murderous antagonists.² As Jesus cast out demons “by the Spirit of God” (Matt. 12:28),³ he was falsely accused by hostile Pharisees of doing these supernatural works “by the ruler of the demons” (Matt. 9:34; 12:24). This prompted his stern response, “Truly I say to you, all the sins and the blasphemies will be forgiven the sons of men, as many as they may have blasphemed. But whoever may blaspheme against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness but is guilty of everlasting sin” (Mark 3:28-29; cf. Matt. 12:31-32; Luke 12:10).

The plural noun “blasphemies” (Mark 3:28) conveys the recurring actions of reviling with irreverence, slander, and hostility. The Greek aorist tense of the verbal form (v. 29; cf. Luke 12:10) indicates a state of mind as long as it lasts, characteristic of conscious and deliberate opposition. It involves not only what is spoken but a corrupt heart from which the malicious words proceed (Matt. 15:18-19; Mark 7:21-23). 

On this particular occasion the sinful mindset and speech that Christ condemns is the stubborn dismissal of the obvious working of God’s Spirit and attributing it to the power of Satan. It is not a mere slip of the tongue or unintentional lapse in judgment but is indicative of those who are constantly [present tense] against Christ (Matt. 12:30; Luke 11:23). It is essentially the defiant rejection of the will of God (Matt. 15:3-9; Luke 7:30) as revealed and confirmed by God’s Spirit (Luke 4:14-21; Acts 10:38).

Even though these hard-hearted critics ridiculed and rejected Christ and his teachings during his earthly ministry, they would be afforded another opportunity when the Spirit was sent to guide the apostles into all truth to proclaim to the world (John 14:25-26; 15:26-27; 16:12-15; Acts 2:1-38). However, the unrepentant continuance of a defiant heart, evil speech, and disobedient life would not and cannot be forgiven (cf. Acts 7:51; 1 Tim. 4:1-2; Titus 1:15-16).

What is “a Sin Unto Death” and “a Sin Not Unto Death”?

“If anyone should see his brother sinning a sin not unto death, he shall request and he shall give him life, to those sinning not unto death. There is a sin unto death; I do not say he should ask concerning that” (1 John 5:16-17). How does “a sin unto death” differ from “a sin not unto death”? 

Simply put, “a sin not unto death” is forgivable sin for which the Lord provides redemption, whereas “a sin unto death” is unforgiven (cf. 1:7-10; 2:1-2, 12). More specifically, in the context of 1 John, forgivable sin (not leading to death) pertains to Christians acknowledging Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God (4:15; 5:1-20), who walk in the light and confess sin (1:7-9), love God and keep his commandments (2:3-5; 3:22, 24; 5:2-3), hope and abide in him (3:3-6), do not habitually live in sin but practice righteousness (3:6-7; 5:18), listen to apostolic teaching (4:6), and love one another (3:11, 23; 4:7).

In contrast, unforgiven sin (leading to spiritual death) characterizes those about whom John is particularly concerned in this epistle, who deny Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God having come in the flesh (2:22-23; 4:2-3; 5:10), do not love but hate brethren (2:9-11; 3:14-15; 4:8), leave the church (2:19), deceive others (2:26), habitually practice lawlessness rather than righteousness (3:4, 10), and do not listen to apostolic teaching (4:6).

Conclusion

To avoid unforgiven sin leading to spiritual death, may we always have hearts submissive to God’s holy will, availing ourselves of the gracious provision he has made through the sacrifice of his Son. Despite our imperfections, a life of humble obedience to his word allows us to enjoy forgiveness, reconciliation, and eternal life (Heb. 5:8-9).

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:
     ¹ Matt. 9:11, 34; 12:2, 10, 14, 24, 38-39; 15:1-2; 16:1-4; 19:3; 22:15-18, 23-29, 34-35; 26:3-4, 47, 57-59, 66-68; 27:1, 12-13, 18, 20; Luke 11:53-54; 15:2; 16:14; John 7:32, 48; 8:13; 9:16; 11:57. 

     ² Matt. 12:30; 16:6-12; 23:1-36; Luke 11:23, 39-52. 

     ³ See also Matt. 9:8; Luke 3:22; 4:1, 14-19; 11:20; John 3:2; 5:36; Acts 2:22; 10:38. Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are the author’s own translation.

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Coin in a Fish’s Mouth

An intriguing episode during Christ's Galilean ministry is recounted in Matthew's

Gospel.

When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?” He said, “Yes.” And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?” Peter said to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.” (Matt. 17:24-27, NKJV)

Matthew is the only Gospel writer to include this unusual account. His Jewish audience would have been familiar with the customary temple tax. Otherwise, the story seems rather strange and out of place.

A Closer Look

Matthew was more than just a chronicler of historical information. Beyond his particular interest in financial matters as a former tax collector,¹ he was above all else a theologian and evangelist. Deeper spiritual truths are imbedded in his narratives. The story of Jesus is told, not in a neat chronological arrangement, but to fulfill this weightier purpose.

Note how the curious paragraph is prefaced in Matthew’s report: “Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.’ And they were exceedingly sorrowful” (Matt. 17:22-23).

The subsequent incident in Capernaum involved the annual levy (dídrachma) expected of all Jewish men 20 years of age and older for the ongoing maintenance and service of the Jerusalem temple.² Peter was approached by those who collected the customary tribute, asking if his “teacher” (didáskalos), not using the reverential title Rabbí,³ was compliant, to which he answered in the affirmative. More privately in “the house,” perhaps Peter’s own house, Jesus sees this as a teaching opportunity and employs the conventional method of rabbinical instruction by way of questioning.⁴

Amenability to Taxation

First-century Palestinian Jews were well aware of the Roman “duty” (télos) or “poll-tax” (kēnsos) enjoined on subjugated nations, of which the royal family was exempt. When the Lord says, “Then the sons are free,” does Peter recall having recently confessed to him, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16)? 

The Significance of the Temple

In the Jewish context, the sacred temple represented the very presence of God.⁵ But such a privileged state of affairs was conditional. The Lord had persistently warned of the grave consequence of rebellion and disobedience, namely separation from his holy presence, a promise that was kept.⁶  Nevertheless, after the temple was destroyed in the sixth century BC and then rebuilt seven decades later, it was prophesied that in the future the temple would once again be filled with God’s glory (Haggai 2:6-8; cf. Mal. 3:1). 

The Arrival of the Christ

When Jesus came to earth, he “tabernacled” among God’s people and revealed the glory of the heavenly Father (John 1:14-18). He was “God with us” (Matt. 1:23), much greater than the temple itself (Matt. 12:6-8). Whenever he entered its premises, the temple was once again filled with divine glory.⁷ Sadly, on multiple occasions it was in this very place that Jesus faced opposition, rejection, and expulsion.⁸

An Enacted Parable

Jesus instructed the former fisherman, even though he was in training to be a fisher of men (Matt. 4:19), to go catch a fish. Now Peter was accustomed to using nets to catch large numbers of fish (Luke 5:2-6), but only one was needed on this occasion and a single hook would do. It is doubtful that the fish and the coin were created for this purpose, so the miracle here seems to have been mainly one of providential foreknowledge. The coin in the fish’s mouth was a silver coin (statēr) worth twice as much as the dídrachma and thus sufficient to cover the temple tax for two people. In contrast to the multiplied thousands of fish Peter had caught on his own in the past, this was the only one capable of meeting the present need.

Lesson to Learn

Jesus, as the Son of God, was already one with the heavenly Father and technically not subject to a temple tax to gain access to his presence. He was the Son of the King, not a foreigner, and should have been exempt. Peter, on the other hand, was obliged to make this payment but was apparently unable to. Jesus then made provision for the full amount, for both himself, even though he did not owe it, and for Peter, because he could not pay it.

Having foretold of his betrayal, sacrificial death, and resurrection, Jesus enacted a parable that prefigures the rest of the gospel story. “He paid a debt he did not owe, I owed a debt I could not pay.”⁹

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes

     ¹ Matt. 17:24-27; 18:23-35; 20:1-16; 22:19; 26:15; 27:3-10; 28:11-15.

     ² See Ex. 30:13; 2 Chron. 24:6-9; Neh. 10:32. The dídrachma (double-drachmē) was Greek silver coinage equivalent to a Jewish half shekel.

     ³ See K. L. Moore, “The Education of Jesus the Rabbi,” Moore Perspective (8 Feb. 2017), <Link>.

     ⁴ Cf. Luke 2:46-47. According to the biblical record of Christ’s earthly ministry, he asked 307 questions and only directly answered three. See M. B. Copenhaver, Jesus is the Question (Nashville: Abingdon, 2014).

     ⁵ Ex. 40:34; Num. 7:89; 1 Kings 8:11; 2 Chron. 7:1; Ezek. 43:4-7.

     ⁶ 2 Chron. 7:19-22; Jer. 7:1-27; Hos. 9:12; Ezek. 10:4-18.

     ⁷ From his earliest days on earth (Luke 2:21-49) and throughout his public ministry (Matt. 21:12-16, 23; 24:1; 26:55; Mark 11:11, 15-17, 27; 12:35; 13:1; 14:49; Luke 19:45-48; 20:1; 21:37-38; 22:53; John 2:14-17; 5:14; 7:14, 28; 8:2, 20, 59; 10:23; 18:20).

     ⁸ Matt. 21:23, 46; Mark 11:27-28; 12:12-13; 20:1; John 8:59; 10:22, 31, 39.

     ⁹ Lyrics by Ellis J. Crum (1977).

Related Posts: Journey Thru Bible Lands: Israel (Part 3), Wise Men From the East

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What is meant by the ancient Jewish tradition of the Azazel on the annual Day of Atonement?

According to the Law of Moses, each year on the Day of Atonement the high priest was to obtain two young goats from the congregation of Israel and present them before Yahweh at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. He would then cast lots, one for Yahweh and the other for la-azazel (Lev. 16:8). The goat on which Yahweh’s lot fell was to be sacrificed as a sin offering, and the other goat, selected as la-azazel, signified atonement and was to be released into the wilderness (v. 10). After the appropriate sacrifices were made, the high priest was to lay his hands on the living goat’s head, confess all the sins of the people, then send the goat into the wilderness to represent Yahweh’s removal of the guilt of the people’s sins for another year (vv. 20-22). The released goat was thus regarded as la-azazel (v. 26). 

Commentary

The Hebrew expression la-azazel occurs in scripture only in Lev. 16:8, 10, 26. Its meaning is uncertain but does not identify a particular geographical location. It is variously rendered in standard English translations as “the scapegoat” (NASB, N/KJV, NIV), “an uninhabitable place” (CSB), or merely transliterated “Azazel” (ASV, ERV, ESV, N/RSV), the latter two options omitting the definite article. Contextually it implies a sense of removal and stands in contrast to Yahweh, whether applicable to the guilt or origin of sin, or the released goat symbolizing the removal of sin, or the desolate place to which the goat is released. Although we currently lack precision of meaning here, its usage in this section of scripture is reasonably clear.

Application

The old covenant rituals, sacrifices, and offerings were never intended to adequately deal with the sin problem or to completely remove the guilt of anyone’s sin (Heb. 10:4, 11). The “atonement” offered to ancient Israelites was in anticipation of what Jesus would eventually accomplish on the cross (Heb. 9:15). Rather than us having to repeat the la-azazel ritual every year (Heb. 10:1-3), Jesus has become the once-for-all-time sacrifice to offset the problem of sin (Heb. 7:27; 10:10, 12). Instead of the two goats of the annual Jewish atonement ceremony, the sacrifice of Jesus both propitiates and expiates, appeasing God’s wrath and atoning for our sins (Rom. 3:25; 5:9; Heb. 2:17; 8:12; 1 John 2:2; 4:10). Every first day of the week we commemorate Christ's atoning sacrifice with unleavened bread, representing his crucified body that bore our sins, and fruit of the vine, representing his blood that cleanses our sins (Matt. 26:26-29; Heb. 9:12-14, 22; 10:4; 1 Pet. 2:24).

--Kevin L. Moore

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The Name of Jerusalem

Disputed Etymology

The word Jerusalem is an anglicized transliteration of various forms of the Hebrew Yerushalaim and Syriac Ūrishlem, the etymology of which is disputed. In a predominantly oral culture, the pronunciation and phonetic spelling of words would naturally vary across multiple geographical regions and generations.

The place name was previously Salem, meaning “peaceful” (Gen. 14:18; Psa. 76:2). Seeing that the area was at one time inhabited by Canaanites (Josh. 10:1-5), one theory is that the designation was derived from the Canaanite deity Shalem (god of the sunset). But as far as documentary evidence is concerned, it was also called Jebus, due to the Jebusites who dwelt there (Josh. 18:28; 19:10; 1 Chron. 11:4),¹ so the name Jerusalem could be a combination of the two original monikers, Jebus + Salem.

In the context of promising an inheritance of peaceful rest and security (Deut. 12:10), God through Moses foretold of a particular place chosen to represent the Lord’s abiding presence and to serve as a centralized place of worship (vv. 6-26; cf. 14:23; 15:11-16). To the ancient Jews this was regarded as a possession of peace (cf. Psa. 122:1-9; Luke 19:41-42), thus yaresh (to “possess”) + shalom (“peace”) would be a fitting description.

Mount Moriah, one of the hills upon which the city was built, is where David erected an alter on the threshing floor purchased from Ornan the Jebusite and where Solomon later built the original temple (1 Chron. 21:18-28; 2 Chron. 3:1). Centuries earlier this is where Abraham was instructed to offer his son Isaac on an altar, and when the Lord provided a sacrificial ram, Abraham called the place Yahweh-yireh (Gen. 22:14a), a combination of God’s personal name + yireh (from the verbal rā’â), essentially meaning to “see.”² The expression, therefore, is literally “Yahweh sees,” though contextually he “sees [to it]” in the sense of providing (cf. vv. 8-13).³ The description was still familiar four centuries later in the time of Moses (“as it is said this day”), the inspired author who also recorded God’s promise of a specific place of worship and quiet rest in which the divine name would abide (Deut. 12:6-26). Accordingly, from a Jewish perspective, the name Jerusalem may very well carry the sense of Yahweh’s provision (yireh) of peace (shalom).

The City of David

After reigning in Hebron seven-and-a-half years, David captured and lived at the Jebusite fortress of Zion, around which Jerusalem was built and where he reigned another thirty-three years (2 Sam. 5:4-7; 1 Chron. 11:4-9). Prior to its extensive expansion, and in addition to his hometown of Bethlehem (Luke 2:4, 11), the new capital was called the City of David (2 Sam. 5:6-10; 6:10, 12, 16; 1 Kings 3:1; 8:1; 9:24; 11:27).

Zion

The southern mountain peak around which the city was built was Mount Zion, at one time separated from Mount Moriah (the Temple Mount) by the Tyropoeon Valley that was later filled. The name Zion came to be applied to the whole city (Psa. 51:18), to the tribe of Judah (Psa. 78:68), and even to the entire nation (Psa. 149:2), most often in prophetic and poetic literature. Depending on textual variation, the name occurs around 154 times in the Old Testament and only seven times in the New Testament.

Other Designations

Jerusalem was also referred to as “the city of God” (Psa. 46:4; 87:3), “the city of truth, the mountain of Yahweh of hosts, the holy mountain” (Zech. 8:2-3), and “the holy city” (Neh. 11:1, 18; Isa. 48:2; 52:1; Dan. 9:24; Matt. 4:5; 27:53). Prophetically it was called Hephzibah (“my delight is in her”) and “sought out, a city not forsaken” (Isa. 62:4, 12). 

In pronouncements of impending judgment, it was called “the Valley of Vision” (Isa. 22:1, 5), in contrast to its loftier mountainous environment, and Ariel (Isa. 29:1-7), a metonymy depicting the city as an “alter-hearth” [ariel] (cf. Ezek. 43:15-16) or perhaps a “lion [ari] of God [el].” After judgment the desolate city was sympathetically referred to as “the daughter of Zion” (Lam. 1:6; 2:1, 4, 8, 10, 18; 4:22), “the (virgin) daughter of Judah” (1:15; 2:2, 5, 13), and “the daughter of my people” (2:11; 3:48; 4:3, 6, 10).

Conclusion

While the name Jerusalem is shrouded in some degree of mystery, and a variety of other descriptive terms has been applied to the city, the church the Lord built here two millennia ago, having spread throughout the world, is now God’s dwelling place on earth and spiritual habitat of his people. “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven …” (Heb. 12:22-23a).

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ The Jebusites descended from Noah’s son Ham and grandson Canaan (Gen. 10:16) and inhabited the southern region of the land of Canaan.

     ² Francis Brown, ed., The New Brown–Driver–Briggs–Gesenius Hebrew and English Lexicon (Lafayette, IN: Associated Publishers and Authors, 1980): 906-908. Cf. also the Jubilee Bible 2000, and the marginal notes of ASV, ESV, NASB, NET, N/RSV.

     ³ Complete Jewish Bible and ISV footnote. The final words of Gen. 22:14 are somewhat ambiguous as to whether Yahweh “was seen” (LXX) or “is seen” (CJB) or “will be seen” (RSVn.). The tension between the active sense of Yahweh-yireh (“Yahweh sees”) and the passive sense of Yahweh yērā’eh (“Yahweh is seen”) allows for a fuller expression in that Yahweh is seen or revealed through what he provides, thus “it shall be seen” (KJV), or “it shall be provided” (ASV, ESV, NKJV).

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A Biblical Journey Through the Bible Lands: Israel (Part 10 of 10)

Mount of Olives 

Mount of Olives, Church of All Nations to the Left

East of Jerusalem’s Old City, across the Kidron Valley, is the 2.2 miles (3.5 km) mountain range called the Mount of Olives (or Olivet). With slopes once covered with olive groves, it stands between Jerusalem and the Judean Desert. The northern peak is Mount Scopus (a.k.a. Lookout Mountain), from which the armies of Alexander the Great and later the Romans ominously approached the soon-to-be-conquered city (Josephus, Ant. 11.8.5; Wars 2.19.4; 5.3.2, 5). The southern peak is Mount of Corruption, one of the idolatrous “high places” Solomon established that Josiah later destroyed (1 Kings 11:7; 2 Kings 23:13). Atop the main part of the ridge is now the predominately Arab neighborhood of At-Tur, where visitors can get one of the best panoramic views of Jerusalem. 

When Absalom instigated a rebellion against his father’s throne, David fled from Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley on his way to the Judean Desert, climbing to the top of the Mount of Olives to worship (2 Sam. 15:30-32). Leading up to the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in the 6th century BC, Ezekiel’s vision showed the glory of the LORD departing from the temple to the city’s eastern gate, continuing eastward to the Mount of Olives before withdrawing completely from the rebellious city (Ezek. 10:18-19; 11:23).

The village of Bethphage was on the northeastern slope, where Jesus began the approximately half-mile (900 m) triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matt. 21:1-10; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:29-41). Also nearby on the southeastern slope was the village of Bethany, less than 2 miles (3.2 km) from Jerusalem and home of Simon the leper and Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary, where Jesus visited and stayed on multiple occasions (Matt. 21:17; 26:6; Mark 11:11-12; 14:3; Luke 10:38-41; John 11:1, 18; 12:1).

As a place of solitude and prayer (Matt. 26:30; Mark 14:26), the Lord and his disciples frequented the Mount of Olives, spending the night as circumstances and weather conditions permitted (Luke 21:37; 22:39; John 8:1). From the Mount of Olives, overlooking Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, Christ wept for the city (Luke 19:41) and delivered the Olivet Discourse in view of the temple’s impending destruction (Matt. 24:3; Mark 13:3).

Mount of Olives Cemetery

It was on the Mount of Olives that Jesus spent much of the night in prayer and was betrayed and arrested prior to his death the following day (Luke 22:39-54). About six weeks later, having returned to the Mount of Olives as far as Bethany (Luke 24:60), the resurrected Christ ascended to heaven in the presence of his eleven remaining apostles (Acts 1:9-12).¹

The western slope of the mountain has been used as a burial ground for over three millennia, the oldest and largest Jewish cemetery in the world (roughly 150,000 graves). Orthodox Jews, still anticipating the first advent of the Messiah, believe the resurrection of the dead will begin here (cf. Zech. 14:3-5). At the southern end is the Silwan Necropolis, including stone-carved tombs of societal elites and high-ranking officials dating as far back as the 9th century BC.

Gethsemane

Although the exact location is now uncertain, there was a garden on the Mount of Olives called Gethsemane. Presumably a grove of olive trees, the Aramaic gat shemanim means “oil press.” This is the area where Jesus prayed and was arrested the night before his crucifixion (Matt. 26:30-56; Mark 14:26-50; John 18:1-12, 26).

A plausible site is adjacent to the Church of All Nations (a.k.a. Basilica of the Agony), built in 1924 over the rock believed to be the spot where Jesus prayed in agony the night of his betrayal and arrest. The fenced-in garden is approximately 12,916 square feet (1,200 sq. m), with eight very old olive trees dating back to the mid-12th century, all having descended from a single parent tree. Although the Romans cut down all the trees in the area during the AD 70 siege of Jerusalem, new olive trees begin as shoots from existing roots and the surviving olive trees in the garden potentially date back to the time of Christ.

Just over a hundred yards (100 m) northward is the Grotto of Gethsemane (a.k.a. Grotto of Betrayal), a cave believed to be where Jesus and his disciples customarily slept at night, including the evening of the betrayal. It has been used as a chapel since the 4th century.

Via Dolorosa and Church of the Holy Sepulcher

The Via Dolorosa (Latin, “Sorrowful Way” or “Way of Suffering”) is an approximately 656 yards (600 m) winding course through the narrow streets of Old Jerusalem, the traditional route Jesus was forced to walk on the way to his crucifixion. It begins at the Antonia Fortress, originally built by Herod the Great at the northwest corner of the Temple Mount, the traditional site of Pontius Pilate’s praetorium where Jesus was condemned to death (John 19:9, 13). It ends at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, originally built in the 4th century on the traditional site of the Lord’s crucifixion and nearby tomb of his burial, just north of the Old City’s first wall and west of its second wall. The route passes through busy, crowded markets and streets, much like it would have been in Jesus’ day.

Fourteen marked stations along the way commemorate particular points mentioned in scripture or tradition. Station 1 is the place Jesus was condemned by Pontius Pilate. Station 2 is where Jesus began carrying the cross after his severe beating. Station 3 marks the spot where he fell the first time under the weight to the cross. Station 4 is where his mother watched him pass by. Station 5 is the place Simon of Cyrene was compelled to help bear the cross. Station 6 is the location Catholics claim St. Veronica wiped the Lord’s face with a cloth. Station 7 marks the spot where Jesus fell a second time. Station 8 is where he consoled the weeping women of Jerusalem. Station 9 is where Jesus fell a third time. Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, station 10 is where he was stripped of his clothes. Station 11 marks the place Jesus was nailed to the cross. Station 12 is the Rock of Golgotha² where he died. Station 13 is a marble slab where his body was taken down from the cross. Station 14 is the tomb where he was buried. 

Church of the Holy Sepulcher

A stairway just inside the entrance of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher leads up to Golgotha, nearly 15 feet (4.5 m) above the ground floor. Atop the limestone rock is a Greek Orthodox altar, and the rock can be viewed through a glass casing on either side and can be touched through a hole in the floor beneath the altar. The extravagant iconographic decorations throughout the indoor site, in my opinion, are a major distraction from the horrific and somber events of two millennia ago.

At the center of the basilica on the ground floor is the oldest traditional site of the tomb where Jesus was buried and resurrected, now enclosed by a Byzantine Edicule (or Aedicula) shrine, most recently restored in 2017 with ongoing renovations. The tomb chamber is lined with marble and covered with iconography.

Golgotha Altar

Edicule Shrine

Garden Tomb 

According to the biblical record, Jesus was crucified near the city beyond its wall and buried in a nearby garden in a newly hewn-out rock tomb that had never been used (Matt. 27:60; John 19:20, 41-42; Heb. 13:12). Less than 2 miles (3.1 km) from the oldest traditional site, just north of the Old City’s second wall, is the Garden Tomb, promoted as another possible location of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Discovered in the 19th century, the site has a rock-hewn tomb near an ancient water cistern and winepress, indicative of what used to be a garden. Also nearby is a rock ledge that allegedly resembled in the distant past the face of a human skull and has been called Skull Hill or Gordon’s Calvary (after Charles G. Gordon who made the discovery and identification).

The Garden Tomb Association maintaining the site advertise it as only a possible location of Christ’s crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, though some enthusiastic tour guides seem quite convinced of its authenticity. The tomb, however, has been dated at least seven centuries before Christ, hardly “a new tomb” according to the biblical account. Moreover, the crumbling rock ledge that may have resembled the face of a skull a century ago would have significantly eroded and altered in appearance over two millennia.

Nevertheless, in contrast to the overtly ornamented, crowded, and commercialized site within the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the premises of the Garden Tomb are much more tranquil and better preserve the natural environment. While it is probably not the actual location, it does give a better feel for what the real place may have been like.

Reflections

Where David fled from his enemies, Jesus faced his enemies. Where Solomon reserved a place for false gods, Jesus worshiped the heavenly Father. Where religious conflict and division have proliferated for centuries, Jesus prayed that what he accomplished here would engender faith and unity (John 17:20-23). Fallible human reasoning has persistently stood in God’s way and cannot possibly get us to where we need to be without the gracious intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ. May we humbly embrace the Way, the Truth, and the Life as we carefully follow in his steps, not in disputable geographical locations but along the demanding path to our eternal home. “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (1 John 2:6). We don’t have to walk where he walked to walk as he walked.

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ Zechariah 14:4 reads, “And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives …” (NKJV). Based on this 6th century BC prophecy, it is commonly believed that Jesus will someday return to the Mount of Olives. However, applying this text to the second coming of Christ is to ignore its symbolic (apocalyptic) nature, its historical context, and its fulfillment not long after Christ’s first coming. See K. L. Moore, “The Day of the Lord,” Moore Perspective (01 Feb. 2014), <Link>.

     ² Only the Jewish writers Matthew, Mark, and John employ the Aramaic expression Golgotha (Matt. 27:33; Mark 15:22; John 19:17), while the non-Jewish writer Luke uses the Greek term chraníon (“skull”) (Luke 23:33), although its Latin counterpart calvaria has produced the popular designation Calvary (Douay-Rheims, N/KJV). Traditionally the place of the Lord’s crucifixion has been conceived of as a hill, but biblically it is merely called a “place” (tópos) in a more generic sense that may suggest a broader area or region.

Related Posts: Jordan Part 1, Jordan Part 2, Palestinian West Bank, Israel Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9   

 

Additional Information: Jerusalem 101 

 

Image credits:

Mount of Olives <https://www.elal.com/magazine/en/portfolio-items/travel/jerusalem/mount-of-olives/>

Jewish Cemetery <https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g293983-d558594-Reviews-The_Jewish_Cemetery-Jerusalem_Jerusalem_District.html>

Gethsemane <https://waynestiles.com/blog/the-garden-of-gethsemane-still-a-place-of-prayer-weeping>

Via Dolorosa <https://www.seetheholyland.net/via-dolorosa/>

Church of Holy Sepulchre <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Holy_Sepulchre>

Golgatha Altar <https://www.catholicbridge.com/catholic/where-is-golgotha.php>

Edicule Shrine <https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/new-tests-at-church-of-holy-sepulchre-in-jerusalem-reveal-secrets-of-jesus-s-grave-gf8cgr929>

Garden Tomb <https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-asia/garden-tomb-0014144>