Umm, the Tomb is Empty... (Kailah's Story)

It was a sunny spring day in Jerusalem, and I was leaning against a rusty metal rail on an overpass overlooking the city.

The sky was such a bright, clear blue that, even with my tinted sunglasses, I was squinting and blinking in the light. 

The late morning breeze cooled my face as I looked around at the short budding trees and small colorful blooms that grew outside the stone buildings of the ancient city.

We had arrived about a week before and spent a few days in Bethlehem, where we had performed and shared the incredible message of Jesus - many people had responded. 

Then we had spent several days exploring the sights of Israel - this morning my legs were already starting to feel heavy in the desert sun, and I knew that we had a full day ahead of us and an evening performance before I would be able to sleep again.

We had experienced some amazing things in the past week, but today, I was feeling emotionally drained and my eyelids were starting to droop. 

Honestly, I was really tired...
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“Alright, everybody!”

I turned and saw that our guide was waving his hand to call the tour group together.

“If you’ll follow me, we can make our way to our next stop: The Garden Tomb.”

I had visited this site ten years before, but I had only been seven years old, and the memories I had were faded. 

I did remember really liking it when I was younger, though, and I felt a small surge of excitement at the thought of visiting again.

As we stepped from the heat of the dusty street and through a weathered stone gate, we found ourselves in a different world - tall trees shielded us from the heat of the sun and we were greeted by the smells of fresh vegetation and flowering plants.

A guide from the site greeted us with a genuine smile and led us into the garden along a path lined with spring flowers in terra-cotta pots. As he went, he explained why many people believe this site to be the spot where Jesus’ body was placed after His death..

After several minutes, he took us to a shaded stone terrace overlooking a hillside where Jesus may have been crucified.  He gathered our group together and began to speak.

I’m not sure what I had been expecting, but as he shared a familiar message, I felt my heart begin to stir.

He explained to us that Jesus is the Son of God - that He came to earth, lived a perfect life, and died a horrible death to pay the price we all deserve to pay because of our sin. 

He told us that God is a REAL God who paid a REAL price for our forgiveness and reconnection with Himself.

And He explained that Jesus is NOT dead, but that on the third day after his crucifixion, He was raised to life.

As I heard these words, it was like a weight was being lifted from me.

He then gave an opportunity to publicly say ‘yes’ to Jesus and commit our lives to Him. 

And suddenly, I didn’t feel so tired. 

Instead, I felt refreshed, and I quickly realized that I wasn't the only one. 

I looked around and saw many members of our team rubbing their red-rimmed eyes.

This message is true and alive, and even though many members of our team (which included some very experienced evangelists) had either spoken or heard these words hundreds of times, I could see that every one of us was feeling energized and strengthened.

...And minutes later, when we entered the tomb itself, we were reminded of one very important fact.

The tomb is empty.

Easter is coming up, and we just wanted to remind you that God is real, and whatever you are struggling with today, whether you’ve never said, ‘yes’ to Jesus or whether you’ve followed Him for many years, Jesus is ALIVE and He loves you.

...And He is offering the opportunity to experience real life and freedom for whoever wants to receive it.

And this is why we do what we do - it's the truth that changes everything.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” - John 3:16

Happy Easter, friends and thank you for sharing the journey with us!

We're currently on lockdown quarantine in France, and during this time of worldwide upheaval and uncertainty, we are convinced that Jesus is STILL the answer.

We've had to reschedule many of our upcoming outreaches (Zambia, India, and Haiti) until later in the year, but we're still committed to the goal of reaching as many people as possible in every nation with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ - we're using this time to create new music and develop new strategies for reaching the world with the love of Jesus, and we're excited for the future.

Sierra and Zach recently sat down for an honest conversation about God’s heart for us in these challenging times - check out this quick clip from the conversation if you need a bit of encouragement today!

If you'd like to help us share the love of Jesus in 2020 with a tax-deductible monthly donation or one-time gift, simply click the link below for more information. We're deeply thankful for you, friends!