Finding the Risen Christ in Unexpected Places

Devotional

Day 1: The Unexpected Nature of Christ's Appearances

The first Easter was a day of profound shock and disorientation. Jesus’s followers were not waiting for a resurrection; they were grieving a devastating loss. Their surprise was not due to a lack of faith, but to the sheer, unprecedented nature of what God was doing. Jesus appeared to them in the most ordinary of places—a garden, a road, a room—disrupting their expectations and revealing Himself on His own terms. This reminds us that God’s work often comes in ways we do not anticipate, inviting us to release our preconceived notions of how and where He should act. [48:09]

And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” And they remembered his words.
Luke 24:2-8 (ESV)

Reflection: Where in your life are you currently holding a fixed expectation of how God should act, and how might His surprising presence this week invite you to see Him in a new way?

Day 2: Recognizing Jesus When He Calls Your Name

Recognition often came in a simple, personal moment. For Mary Magdalene, it was the intimate sound of her own name spoken by the risen Christ. In the midst of her grief and confusion, that familiar voice cut through everything, transforming her sorrow into joy. This illustrates how Jesus meets us personally and specifically, often in the moments we feel most lost. He knows us by name and speaks into our unique circumstances, calling us out of despair and into His presence. [50:05]

Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).
John 20:16 (ESV)

Reflection: In what area of your life do you most need to hear Jesus call your name today, and what might it look like to pause and listen for His voice in that specific place?

Day 3: Finding Christ in the Breaking of Bread

Revelation also came through shared, sacred practices. For the disciples on the road to Emmaus, their eyes were opened not in a grand theological debate, but in the simple, familiar act of Jesus breaking bread. This moment connects the resurrection to the ongoing life of the community, where Christ is made known in fellowship and around the table. It is a reminder that Jesus often reveals Himself through the tangible, everyday rhythms of life shared with others. [51:00]

When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.
Luke 24:30-31 (ESV)

Reflection: What is one routine or shared practice in your life—perhaps a meal, a conversation, or a daily task—that could become a place where you intentionally look for Christ’s presence this week?

Day 4: Christ Is Present in the Gathering of His People

The risen Christ is not a distant memory but a present reality, especially among His followers. He promised to be present where even two or three are gathered in His name. This means that in the faces of our brothers and sisters, in our shared worship and fellowship, we encounter Jesus Himself. The community of faith becomes the primary location where we see, welcome, and serve the living Christ. [51:22]

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.
Matthew 18:20 (ESV)

Reflection: As you reflect on your church community, who is one person in whom you have recently seen the character of Christ, and how can you express gratitude for that presence this week?

Day 5: Serving Christ by Serving Those in Need

Jesus explicitly identifies Himself with the vulnerable, the marginalized, and the hurting. To serve the “least of these”—those who are hungry, thirsty, lonely, or imprisoned—is to serve Christ directly. This shifts our perspective from merely looking for God to actively participating in His work of compassion in the world. Our calling is to recognize the face of Jesus in the faces of those who need our love and care. [52:21]

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
Matthew 25:40 (ESV)

Reflection: Who is one person in your neighborhood, workplace, or daily routine whom you might easily overlook, and what is one practical way you can serve Jesus by serving them?

Sermon Summary

Easter unfolds as a series of unexpected encounters that reframe how resurrection presence is perceived and pursued. The empty tomb provokes confusion, joy, and fear, and the early followers repeatedly fail to expect the risen Christ; their eyes open only in moments of intimate recognition—when a name is spoken, bread is broken, a voice offers peace, or a familiar miracle is recalled. These surprise appearances insist that resurrection life will not conform to prior expectations; it arrives in ordinary places and ordinary gestures, catching disciples off guard and inviting renewed attention.

Presence shows up within gathered community—where two or more meet in Jesus’ name—and also among the marginalized. Scripture places the risen One in the faces of neighbors, strangers, the hungry, the thirsty, the imprisoned, and the homeless; serving such people becomes a sacramental way to meet Christ. The practice of looking deliberately for Jesus moves from curiosity to vocation: the faithful are called to train senses, to listen for the master’s voice, and to recognize Christ when recognition flips grief into gladness or doubt into obedience.

Spiritual formation here centers on practical exercises: recall where Jesus has been seen in the recent week, offer thanks, and pray for the perceptiveness to find him in the week ahead. Such exercises cultivate attention and habit—discipleship that expects surprise. The resurrection sends people back into daily life not merely to believe but to bear witness through hospitality, mercy, and service. Announcements and communal rhythms reinforce this sending: calendars, volunteer opportunities, and gatherings become venues for encountering the risen Christ. A final blessing frames the community’s response as thoughtful, creative, and continual love, grounding mission in God’s beloved community and urging Christians to carry resurrection into ordinary streets, workplaces, and homes.

Key Takeaways

1. Resurrection appears where least expected The risen Christ shows up in moments that defy anticipation—at a tomb, along a road, in a garden, or across a meal. Expecting him reshapes how ordinary events are read: surprise becomes revelation, and confusion can become the doorway to recognition. Cultivating readiness to be surprised trains the heart to recognize resurrection presence amid daily life. [48:09]
2. Recognize Christ in community faces Presence dwells where people gather in Jesus’ name; familiar faces can hide divine nearness. Seeing Christ in others requires intentional attention and the humility to name the sacred within neighborly exchange. This practice turns ordinary fellowship into a spiritual discipline of mutual revelation. [51:22]
3. Serve the hungry and imprisoned Encountering Jesus often happens at the margins—among the hungry, thirsty, homeless, and imprisoned—so service becomes sacrament. Acts of mercy do not merely help; they disclose the face of Christ and make theological truth incarnational. Serving the least tests genuine faith and shapes communities of tangible grace. [52:21]
4. Practice seeking Jesus daily Deliberate exercises—recalling past sightings of Christ, offering thanks, and asking where to look next—form the muscle of recognition. Prayerful attention converts surprise into expectation and makes discipleship an active search rather than passive waiting. Regular practice deepens spiritual perception so encountering the risen One becomes more common, not rarer. [53:27]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[46:52] - Easter and surprises
[48:09] - Jesus appears unexpectedly
[50:05] - Stories of recognition
[51:22] - Christ present in community
[52:21] - Finding Jesus among the least
[53:27] - Practice: seeking Jesus in prayer
[54:35] - Commission to bear witness
[67:54] - Announcements and volunteers
[70:03] - Benediction and sending

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading: Matthew 18:20 (ESV) - For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.
Matthew 25:35-36, 40 (ESV) - For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me... Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.

Observation questions

According to Matthew 18:20, where is Jesus specifically present?
In the sermon, what were some of the specific, ordinary moments where the first disciples finally recognized the risen Jesus? [50:05]
Looking at Matthew 25:35-36, what specific actions does Jesus say constitute serving him?
What was the initial reaction of most of Jesus' followers when they discovered the empty tomb? [48:09]

Interpretation questions

Why do you think Jesus chose to appear in such ordinary, everyday settings (like a meal or a roadside) after his resurrection, rather than in a more public or dramatic way?
Jesus says that serving "the least of these" is the same as serving him. What does this tell us about God's perspective on status, power, and importance?
The disciples often failed to recognize Jesus at first. What might have been some of the reasons they didn't expect to see him, and how can that relate to our own expectations of God today? [49:23]
How does the promise of Jesus' presence in a gathered community (Matthew 18:20) change the way we view our time together in a small group?

Application questions

This week, where is one specific, ordinary place you could be more intentional about looking for Jesus' presence?
Jesus said we serve him when we serve those in need. Who is one person in your life—a neighbor, a stranger, someone hungry or lonely—that you could practically serve this week as an act of serving Christ?
Think about your past week. When was a moment you might have encountered Jesus, whether you recognized it at the time or not? [52:52]
The practice of looking for Jesus involves recalling past sightings and praying for perceptiveness. What is one way you could build this "recall and request" practice into your daily or weekly routine? [53:27]
How can our small group become a place where we help each other recognize and point out where we are seeing Jesus at work in our lives and our community? [51:22]
The resurrection sends us back into daily life. What is one ordinary part of your daily life—your workplace, your home, your commute—that you could see as a new mission field to bear witness to Christ's presence? [54:35]

Sermon Clips

34s

#JesusIsHere

“When Jesus shows up in the midst of them and says, peace, it is I, they heard their master's voice and recognized Jesus was there. And again, for the disciples when they were fishing and Jesus calls out to throw out their nets and they do, and the nets are full of fish, they are remembering that very first miracle that they had experienced and they realized that this was Jesus, that he was there. I'm not sure how much of these stories are Jesus trying to be sneaky and playing hide and seek with him. A lot of it, like I said, I think they just weren't expecting him, so they weren't looking.”

30s

#MarysWitness

“The only one from that morning who could say that they had actually seen Jesus was Mary. And they have to be honest because in ancient times her witness was suspect. The men would probably just write her off because she was a woman and didn't know what she was talking about. But that's I think part of why they were so surprised because they were not expecting to see Jesus. They didn't see him there because they weren't looking for him. They didn't expect Jesus to be risen from the dead, and even if he was, they didn't expect him to come into their midst.”

Ask a question about this sermon

UBC Baton Rouge This sermon · AI assistant

Where should I expect to find Jesus?

How do we recognize Jesus in others?

In what ways does serving reveal Christ?

Finding the Risen Christ in Unexpected Places

Devotional

Day 1: The Unexpected Nature of Christ's Appearances

Day 2: Recognizing Jesus When He Calls Your Name

Day 3: Finding Christ in the Breaking of Bread

Day 4: Christ Is Present in the Gathering of His People

Day 5: Serving Christ by Serving Those in Need

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Finding the Risen Christ in Unexpected Places

Share