Emmaus Road: Recognizing Christ in the Breaking of Bread

These men, in all their fields, in all the exhaustion, in all the walking, as the daylight was growing dim, they ran back another 10 seven to 10 miles, another three hours back to Jerusalem, taking in all the obstacles and taking in all the threats to do so. They pushed to the side and did it. They ran back to Jerusalem to tell the story of Christ. Another theologian puts it like this. The Christian message is never fully ours until we have shared it with someone else. And so, just to tell the good news that Jesus Easter's not over. It'll never be over. As we are the hands and feet of Jesus Christ, we are resurrection people We have this beautiful story that is for all people to go and to tell. [00:46:29] (86 seconds)  #ResurrectionMessengers

It was a nudge that they recognized as something, and they invited Christ to be at the table with them and it was in the breaking of the bread together that their eyes were opened and they knew So there's two things that we need to take away tonight. The first being that we need to be open to invite any and all to the table as we may never know the experience of the experience of someone someone else else that sees Christ in you. Second thing is when we open our minds and our hearts and our souls to see and know Christ more fully in our lives, even through the crazy days and all the emotions that we may ever feel, we have a duty to go and tell. [00:45:12] (78 seconds)  #InviteToTheTable

but often, that's what happens. Right? We look at this this whole day. Maybe we get up at 05:30, go to a 06:00 sunrise service, and then we spend all day with worship and all this great feeling and rejoicing and celebration. And then at 06:00 at night, it's like, okay. Well, that was good and dandy. It's time to get ready for tomorrow, the start of the week. And we look at this Sunday event as just that, a Sunday event, and we go on about our lives and but we need to learn something. Easter's more than just that. It's more than just that. Easter, friends, is our faith. [00:27:52] (45 seconds)  #EasterIsOurFaith

And Jesus, the man they haven't yet recognized to be Jesus, starts to walk ahead. And the men about to enter the home, a safe space for them, a space of food and rest. They have a holy spirit moment. A holy spirit moment. Something something must have nudged them just a little bit that this man needed to stay with them. It's late, been a long journey, night is coming, and and what do they do? They invite Jesus in to stay and to eat. What does this say to us? What does this say? It says that we too have daily opportunity to invite those around us to be present at the table with us. [00:41:44] (69 seconds)  #InviteJesusIn

We don't know how long they were walking with Jesus. Doesn't specifically say that, but it had to be some considerable time if you throw into account here that he begins talking about all of the prophets and the significance of what had to be done. Yet through this, they still did not recognize. Now it's what happened next that we need to place some focus tonight? Jesus doesn't force himself upon us. Jesus doesn't force himself upon us. God doesn't force our acceptance of god's grace upon us. We are offered opportunities. We are given free choice. [00:39:13] (71 seconds)  #GraceNotForce

these two folks, these two guys out doing their their walk, going home. I think they're us. They're us. What what do I mean by that? These two have set out to continue their life after the resurrection day. It happened. They experienced it. They learned about it from the women, and then went on home to the suburbs to go on about their life. Is that what we do? Probably so. Probably so. We go to church. We go to worship every week or we come here on Wednesdays. We get the story. It's it's told to us. We may experience something that challenges us or helps us maybe make a change in our lives, but I would reckon that sometimes we leave here going home to go on about our daily lives. [00:35:35] (84 seconds)  #FaithInTheEveryday

And we have to remember telling ourselves again and again that it didn't end with the tomb being rolled away and that being it. It's not just an experience we had. It is an experience we have had, can have, and will have again with the risen Christ right now in our lives. And so this passage helps us and reminds us of this that we are continuing to live as resurrection people. And there are two people in this passage that have an experience of the living Christ. This is the gospel of Luke chapter 24 verses 13 through 35. Might sound a little long, but there's a lot in here. We need to knee we need to see and read all of what's happening here. [00:29:41] (64 seconds)  #LivingResurrection

That's that's the whole thing. Without Easter, Jesus is a prophet. Without Easter, Jesus is a prophet. With Easter, Jesus is the savior. Last week, I told you about this quote from an author. I'm I'm bringing it back because it needs to keep being said, and I think I'm gonna make stickers. You can put it on the back of your car. It never hurts just to tell the good news that Jesus lives among us. And I wanna oh, crap. Yes, Jesus. Yes. I don't know. I share that again with you tonight because our scripture our scripture is about continuing this Easter story, about continuing telling the news, the good news. [00:28:37] (64 seconds)  #TellTheGoodNews

Without Easter, Jesus is a prophet. Without Easter, Jesus is a prophet. With Easter, Jesus is the savior. Last week, I told you about this quote from an author. I'm I'm bringing it back because it needs to keep being said, and I think I'm gonna make stickers. You can put it on the back of your car. It never hurts just to tell the good news that Jesus lives among us. [00:28:40] (31 seconds)