Devotion 13 April 2026

When He (Jesus) was at the table with them, He took bread, gave thanks, broke it ---then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him.  Luke 24: 30-31a

READING: Luke 24: 13-23 + 27 + 30-31

The story of the two travelers (disciples) returning from Jerusalem to Emmaus and being joined by Jesus has always intrigue me.  They were obviously so absorbed about all the happenings in Jerusalem with the death of Jesus and His rising and disappearance from the tomb, that they did not recognize Him.  Jesus quietly reveals that the Christ had to suffer and die and then enter His glory.  He speaks of everything written about Him from Moses through the prophets.  They still did not recognize Him.  It was only after He took bread and broke it during the evening meal, as in the Last Supper, that they recognized Him.  Jesus then disappeared from them.  In the first letter of Peter’s he writes, “with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish, revealed for your sake. ---- Through Him you believed in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, so Your faith and hope are in God.” (1 Peter 1: 19, 20b, 21)

We too may journey along a road, initially without recognizing Jesus, to later recognizing who He truly is.  The disciple knew who Jesus was and what had happened to Him in Jerusalem, but they still did not recognize Him. This was probably because they still had preconceived ideas about what and who Jesus should be.  We today have heard about Jesus, we’ve read about Him and we claim to know Him, but would we recognize Him if He sat down next to us?  We have a version of Him in our own minds.  We need to ask Jesus to open our eyes and to reveal to us who He really is.

The story of Easter, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, is the very basis of our Christian faith.  It means life after death!  It means hope for a better life!  It means unspeakable joy and peace and love!  The stone was rolled away from the tomb so that the empty tomb could be visible to everyone.  It was the greatest evidence, historically, of the resurrection of Jesus Christ!  Jesus is alive today and this means good news to us.

Prayer

We thank You, Lord Jesus, for revealing the empty tomb and it’s truth, to us.  We praise You for Your resurrection from the dead and Your great love for us all.  Lord, we believe, help our unbelief.  Amen