Encountering the Risen Christ: Scripture, Suffering, Communion

Communion is the receiving of Christ's life together as a body, receiving his body, his blood as the body of Christ. This is a sacrament. In the Greek, it's called mysterion. It's a mystery. Why is it a mystery? Because, yes, it's crackers and juice, but when we consecrate it, it becomes something different. It's a mystery. I don't know. Can't explain it. I can't explain any science behind it. Can't explain anything else, but just that he said that's what it is, that we receive life. [01:02:24] (37 seconds)  #CommunionAsLife

Yet he appears to them resurrected and healed, but he keeps the wounds in his hands, in his feet, in his side. I find that very interesting. I think that the moment we forget the suffering that he went through is the moment we lose the absolute gratitude. I imagine Jesus I mean, he I don't think he lost the holes in his hands, his feet, his side. I think he will keep those for all eternity. He is the lamb that was slain at the foundation of the world. [00:41:36] (49 seconds)  #ResurrectedWithWounds

There's something different happens when you put yourself in the story. And obviously, we don't experience what he experienced, but when we see the suffering that he went through, it causes an encounter with him. And it gives us a gratitude that we wouldn't have if we didn't walk through that. Amen. It was the joy set before him that he endured the cross. Without the cross, there's not true joy. Without his suffering, there's not true joy of substance. [00:42:37] (46 seconds)  #SufferingToJoy

I think there's a tension there. Because sometimes suffering is not of the Lord. A lot of time well, most of the time, suffering is not. Actually, you know what? Suffering is not of the Lord. Anything any suffering you experience in this world is a result of sin and the fall. But the thing is sometimes the Lord will allow it in our lives because it is an avenue to encounter. Because when I'm in pain, I'm looking for some relief. I'm looking for somebody to help, and he's the only one that can actually help me. [00:45:05] (29 seconds)  #SufferingLeadsToEncounter

And they have an idea of the scriptures, but it takes him opening it up to them. See, we could open the Bible, and we can try and read the scriptures. But without his spirit, sometimes we just don't understand what we're reading. We need him. We need to encounter him in the scriptures. So they invite him in. Right? They invite him in. They still don't know who he is. But then get this. When he was at the table, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them, and their eyes were opened. [00:58:18] (45 seconds)  #SpiritOpensScripture

In this encounter with Christ that they had, they were walking away from Jerusalem. They were leaving in disappointment. And in sadness, they encounter Christ. And what happens next? It's the evening. They're everyone should be kinda settling in. Right? It's like, it's not really great to walk, you know, on a, wilderness road at night because there's predators. It's not a good idea. But what do they do? They don't stay there and say, we'll go back tomorrow. They turn immediately and they go back to Jerusalem. They find the 11 and everybody that's with them. And they told them Christ has risen. [01:03:17] (32 seconds)  #EncounterSparksWitness

We need community. We need we need people that we can be real with in our doubts, in our struggles. We need that. And it's really, really sad that some people think that they can't be that in church. This is that's the that's the best place to be that. This is not a, like, a courtroom where we're judging everybody. This is a hospital where we show up. We're like, I am sick in this area. I need help. Nobody shows up to the hospital and feels shame over being sick or broken. [01:06:22] (39 seconds)  #ChurchIsHospital

They go back even when it's risky because I'm sure they could kinda just hang out on the outskirts and be fine. But they go back to Jerusalem, the epicenter where all this happened, where they just crucified him. And they go back and they find the 11 that are hiding, and they join back with community. They encounter Christ in community. Guys, we need the church. There's like you can't do the Christian life alone. Sorry. You just can't. Firstly, because you have no accountability. You have nobody to tell you when you're being an idiot. [01:03:55] (35 seconds)  #ReturnToCommunity