Dear Family at Christ Community,

     On Easter Sunday, we will have the joy of celebrating the Lord’s Table at each of our in-person worship services. We will see in our text from Luke 24:1-35 how the risen Lord can only be seen through the illuminating grace of the Holy Spirit. Despite the disciples’ knowledge of Jesus’ words and Jesus explaining how God’s Word reveals Him, they still couldn’t see Him as the risen Lord. Gloriously, the Spirit chose the moment when Jesus serves the two disciples as host by breaking the bread and praying for God’s blessing to reveal the truth of the resurrection. This vision transforms them from confused doubters to bold witnesses for the power and beauty of the resurrection. Philip Graham Ryken in Luke: Volume 2:Chapters 13-24 calls for us to seek the same transformative vision of Jesus’ resurrection for God’s glory and the life of the world:

   "Have you seen Jesus in the preaching of the Word? Can you see Jesus in the breaking of the bread? If not, then ask God to open your eyes, for this is a prayer he loves to answer (see Ps. 146:8; Acts 9:18; Eph. 1:18). Then again, maybe you have seen Jesus before, but are having trouble seeing him lately. Sometimes the trials of life and our own unrepentant sin make it hard for us to see Jesus. If that is the case, the place we will see him again is in the Word and the sacrament, not in some other place. Do not miss the opportunity to see Jesus."

     Pray for the Holy Spirit to help you to see Jesus more clearly revealed throughout the various elements of the service. Pray for those who’ve yet to see Jesus to behold Him for the first time as they’re eternally redeemed in the finished work of Christ. Pray for those who are having trouble seeing Him in their various circumstances that the Spirit would grant them a fresh perspective of their reconciliation in Jesus. Come prepared to see Jesus as He will be revealed in the Word of God read, confessed, prayed, sung, preached, and reflected in the Lord’s Table this Easter Sunday as the Lord is risen indeed!

In Christ,
Cameron