In Israel, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Messiah’s death and resurrection

On Sunday, Orthodox Christians in Jerusalem and around the world celebrated Pascha, the Feast of the Resurrection of the Lord.

Throughout the week leading up to Pascha, local Orthodox Christians, as well as pilgrims from around the world, partook in special services to commemorate the Last Supper, crucifixion, burial and resurrection.

While there were many services taking place throughout the week, the primary celebrations took place Thursday through Sunday.

On Thursday evening, services were held in commemoration of the institution of the Lord’s Supper, also known as Holy Communion or the Eucharist.

According to the Gospel accounts, Jesus established the new covenant on this night, as seen in this passage:

 “And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And likewise, the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood’” (Luke 22:19-20 ESV).

New Testament authors say this was to fulfill a prophecy of the prophet Jeremiah, who wrote the following centuries prior: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 31:31-32).

Throughout Christian history, the celebration of the Eucharist has been at the center of Christian worship. As the ancient Israelites were commanded by God to sacrifice and eat the Passover lamb, so Jesus inaugurated the new covenant on Passover by giving His body and blood for the world.

On Friday, Orthodox Christians held a procession in Jerusalem's Old City from where Jesus was held in prison to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where they commemorated His crucifixion and burial.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is a fourth-century church built over the traditional sites of Golgotha (where Jesus was crucified), as well as the Holy Tomb, where he was buried and resurrected.

On Saturday, the service of the Holy Fire took place. For over a thousand years, the Orthodox Patriarchs of Jerusalem have presided over a service, which the Orthodox believe to be an annual miracle.

Thousands of Orthodox Christians, as well as different groups, including Armenian, Coptic, and Ethiopian Christians, gather around the Holy Tomb in anticipation of the Holy Fire.

Many of the gathered Christians hold bundles of 33 candles, each candle representing a year of Christ’s life on earth.

Tightly packed around the tomb for hours before the service begins, Christians spontaneously chant, “Christ is risen! Truly he is risen!” in many different languages until the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem enters the tomb to pray and receive the Holy Fire.

Orthodox Christians believe that the fire miraculously appears over the stone where Jesus is said to have been laid, ignited by the power of the Holy Spirit as the Patriarch prays.

When the light is seen from within the Holy Tomb, the church erupts into cheering and chanting, and the fire is then spread from the Patriarch to Christians inside and outside the church.

It is subsequently carried to churches throughout Israel, and taken by airplane to Orthodox churches around the world.

Israeli police were present to provide security for the event, and to limit the number of people allowed to participate in the ancient ceremony. Firefighters and medical professionals from Magen David Adom (Israel’s Red Cross) were present in case of an emergency.

Orthodox Christians celebrated Pascha on Sunday to commemorate Jesus' resurrection, which, according to Christian teachings, occurred in fulfillment of a prophecy from Isaiah.

The prophecy states the Messiah will both die and be resurrected: while the Messiah’s generation “made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death” (Isaiah 53:9 ESV), yet “he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days” (Isaiah 53:10).

The prophecy also states that “he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

Pascha’s main service takes place late on Saturday through Sunday morning, concluding with a festive meal.

On Sunday afternoon, another unique service takes place at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

While the mother tongue of most Orthodox Christians in Israel is either Greek, Russian, or Arabic, the Gospel reading in this service is performed in many different languages, including Hebrew.

Orthodox clergy from around the world took turns reading the following passage, in which Jesus appears to His disciples after His resurrection:

“On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.’ And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.’ Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in His hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into His side, I will never believe’” (John 20:19-25).