Newsletter April 2023 Part 2
The presence of the risen Lord
In Luke 24:13-35, we read of two men who were walking from Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus. They had been disciples of Jesus, but their faith had just suffered a huge blow. Their teacher, whom they had believed to be the Messiah, had been arrested and sentenced to death as a false prophet. Then, however, three days later, they had heard from other disciples that His body was no longer in the grave where it had been laid. One of the women, Mary, even claimed to have seen Him alive and spoken to Him. Could it really be true that Jesus had risen from the dead as He had foretold? Or was it simply a figment of a desperate woman’s imagination?
The two men were confused. And as they discussed the matter between them, they were suddenly joined by another man, who asked them about their conversation and the reason for their sadness. When they explained what had happened and what they had heard, the stranger began to expound to them the Scriptures, showing that the Messiah, their Saviour, had to die and rise again from the dead. They were so captivated by what He said to them, that they would not let Him go further, but insisted that He stay with them for the night. And when they sat down to eat, He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them, as He had done with the twelve on the night when He was betrayed. And immediately their eyes were opened and they recognised Jesus.
How can we encounter the risen Lord? How can we experience His presence in our busy lives? By focusing our thoughts on Him; by reading His Word with an open heart and allowing Him to reveal its truth to us. And when He speaks to us, we must not simply shelve what we have learnt and return to our daily business. Like the two disciples in the account, we must ask Him to stay. Jesus will not force Himself into our lives; He waits to be invited. We must desire His presence above all else if we are to encounter Him, as these two disciples did.
As soon as they recognised Jesus, He vanished from their sight. Yet now they were no longer left to speculate. Now they didn’t have to rely on rumours about Him. Now they knew for themselves: Jesus had truly risen. He was alive, and He had appeared to them. Now they had news to share. Their previous plans no longer mattered. All they wanted was to tell others, so they too could share in their joy. They immediately rushed back to Jerusalem and went to the house where the eleven were gathered, only to find that Jesus had meanwhile appeared to Simon Peter as well. And as they shared their own experience, Jesus suddenly stood in the midst of them all.
What about you? Have you had a true encounter with Jesus like these two men? Do you make time to read His Word and allow Him to speak to you through it? Do you seek Him with all your heart, putting everything else aside? Do you invite His presence to abide with you? Or do you merely depend on what you have heard in church, from the testimonies of others, or in Christian books or media?
Jesus wants to show Himself to you. Don’t miss the moment. Don’t let Him go on further; invite Him to abide with you. He is looking for those who want His presence more than anything else. They will know Him and be able to speak to others about Him from their own personal experience. And as they do so, He will be there, right in the midst. Are you such a one?
Pastor Konrad