Resurrection Is Still Happening: New Life from Brokenness

The Emmaus narrative frames Easter as the start of something new rather than a return to what once was. Two disciples walk away from Jerusalem crushed by the collapse of their hopes, and their words, “we had hoped,” expose how easily grief redirects trajectories. The risen Christ walks alongside them, but their senses remain tuned to loss; resurrection has already occurred, yet recognition lags. Jesus listens to broken stories before interpreting them, revealing that resurrection does not resuscitate the past but rewrites the future. Resurrection does not restore the old life; it issues a fresh story threaded through new possibilities.

Everyday examples make this clear: a man who lost long-term employment discovered vocation and meaning in serving others, and a child’s instinctive compassion at a Passion play shows how innocence reacts against unjust suffering. Those reactions raise honest questions about present pain—wars, disease, and violence—that resurrection does not instantly erase. Instead, resurrection guarantees that such evils do not have the final word. The Bible’s promise shapes patient, persistent hope: God will make all things new even while the world remains broken for a season.

The sermon leans on the Japanese art of Kintsugi to illustrate how God treats brokenness. Cracks do not vanish; they receive gold, and the object becomes more beautiful for having been mended. The Emmaus travelers recognize Christ in the breaking of bread, a sacramental moment that turns confession into clarity and prompts them to run back to Jerusalem with eager testimony. Communion extends an open invitation: all are welcome at the table as a present enactment of Easter’s ongoing work.

The overall claim insists that Easter is not a one-time event confined to history but a present reality that can be missed or embraced. When resurrection finally registers, grief converts into movement toward hope. The worst thing never proves to be the last thing; God persists in creating life from what appeared finished. Believers receive both a comfort and a summons: to notice the living hope walking beside them, to participate in the repair of broken things, and to share the news that the story continues.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Resurrection begins a new story Resurrection does not rewind life to a previous state but launches a fresh narrative shaped by God’s creative purpose. Where loss feels final, new opportunities and callings can emerge that reframe identity and mission. Expect contours of the future that differ from the past, and orient life toward faithful participation in God’s ongoing work. [47:05]
• 2. Resurrection is not resuscitation Resurrection transforms reality rather than merely restoring former functioning; it changes the kind of life that follows suffering. This means grief and trauma do not simply vanish, but God reweaves meaning into scars and memories. Allow sorrow to testify while trusting God to produce qualitatively new life beyond mere recovery. [42:06]
• 3. God makes beauty from brokenness Brokenness does not mark the final aesthetic; God fills fractures with something precious, turning scars into beauty. The Kintsugi image reframes mending as enhancement, calling the faithful to see value where damage once seemed irredeemable. Embrace repair as sacred work and expect renewed wholeness that honors history, not erases it. [48:00]
• 4. Recognize Christ in ordinary moments The risen Christ often appears in ordinary acts—listening, blessing, breaking bread—and recognition can dawn suddenly in small encounters. Paying attention to presence within daily routines trains eyes to perceive resurrection already at work. Look for sacramental flashes that turn explanation into encounter and prompt a willing return to community with renewed hope. [49:00]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [04:16] - Holy Humor Sunday announced
• [05:45] - Flowers for the cross ritual
• [25:25] - Offering and prayer
• [36:47] - Emmaus begins: “we had hoped”
• [40:42] - Could resurrection be now?
• [42:06] - Resurrection vs. resuscitation
• [48:00] - Kintsugi: beauty from brokenness
• [49:00] - Recognition in the breaking of bread
• [49:34] - Running back with hope

1. What were the two disciples discussing as they walked to Emmaus, and what specific phrase did they use to describe their emotional state? [37:32]
2. According to the sermon, what is the key difference between resurrection and resuscitation? [42:06]
3. How did the disciples finally recognize the risen Christ, and what was their immediate reaction afterward? [49:00] [49:34]

1. The disciples' hope had collapsed, leading them to walk away from Jerusalem. Why do people often feel the need to physically or emotionally retreat from places of deep disappointment?
2. Jesus listened to the disciples' "broken stories" before interpreting them. What does this tell us about God's approach to our own grief and confusion?
3. The sermon uses the Japanese art of Kintsugi as an illustration. How does this image change the way we might view our own past hurts and brokenness?

1. The disciples said, "we had hoped." What is a "we had hoped" situation in your own life—a place where a dream collapsed or a hope was deferred?
2. Resurrection means God is writing a new story, not rewinding to the old one. Where in your life are you perhaps clinging to a past chapter, and what might it look like to open yourself up to the new story God wants to write?
3. The story of the man who lost his job shows how God can bring new purpose from loss. [43:08] Can you identify a time when an ending in your life became a surprising beginning? How did that experience shape your understanding of God's work?
4. The child's reaction at the Passion play was an instinctive move against injustice. [44:16] When you see suffering or injustice in the world today, what is your gut reaction? How can that reaction be channeled into hopeful, resurrection-shaped action?
5. The disciples recognized Jesus in the breaking of bread. What are the "ordinary moments" in your daily routine—like sharing a meal, a conversation, or a walk—where you could become more attentive to Christ's presence with you?
6. The sermon claims that when resurrection becomes real, we "start running back to God filled with hope." [50:24] What would it look like for you to "run back" toward a situation or relationship you've been walking away from?
7. The promise of Easter is that the worst thing is never the last thing. What current pain or challenge feels final to you right now? How can you hold onto the hope that God is still at work in it?