Do You See Jesus?

Apr 11, 2023

Easter Sunday was just two days ago.

On Sunday, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary, the mother of James, and several others found an empty tomb when they went to place spices on the body of Jesus! He had risen from the dead!

Luke tells us that the same day the women found the empty tomb, two of Jesus’ followers walked towards Emmaus, grieving as they processed all that had taken place these last few weeks.

As they walked and talked, they noticed that there was a man walking with them. When he asked what they were talking about, they told him about Jesus, His ministry and their disappointment and grief over his death.

They had thought Jesus was the promised Messiah, only to see His ministry end in his crucifixion.

As they came to Emmaus, the men invited this stranger to spend the night with them since it was getting dark. Let’s pick it up in Luke 24:30-35.

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

- Luke 24:30-35

Think about it. It was when He broke the bread, representing His broken body they witnessed on the cross just days before, that their eyes were opened and they could see who this stranger really was: Jesus the Messiah.

I have to ask myself, “Are there times Jesus is right beside me and I fail to see Him?” I’m so wrapped up in talking about Him that I miss Him! How about you? It’s easy to do.

You quickly listen to, or read a devotional, throw up a prayer, and go about your day. We lose intimacy with God because we’re too busy just checking the boxes, accomplishing the tasks. So what does intimacy with God look like? According to dictionary.com, the definition of intimacy is:

“a close, familiar, and usually affectionate or loving personal relationship with another person or group.”

It means letting someone truly see you and seeing that person by spending time with them.

With Jesus, it's an intentional time to sit quietly and stop doing all of the talking. I know, that’s not easy to do! For me, I have so many thoughts going through my mind all of the time, it’s hard to stop and be still.

That is why I love sitting on my patio in the early morning. When it’s still dark, I can’t really see anything in front of me, but I can close my eyes in the darkness and listen. As I open the Scriptures and slowly read a passage and meditate on it, I see Jesus in the words on the page, I feel His presence with me, and I sense the Holy Spirit speaking to me.