Did you see Jesus there, when ‘two or three’ of you were together?

By Dean Collins

How many times has Jesus been standing there and we missed him? I suspect far more than we can count. Our problem of noticing Jesus may not be that different from the same problem the disciples had. Of course, they had actually walked, fished, eaten, listened to, and prayed with Jesus before his crucifixion. But after the resurrection, like us, they sometimes got lost in their talk and didn’t realize Jesus was right there in the middle of the conversation!

Building confidence

In Luke’s final chapter of his Gospel, after two of the disciples had walked the Emmaus road with Jesus, the disciples were all together, talking about and trying to process the resurrection. Jesus appeared and said, “Peace to you!” Maybe the Lord chuckled as his disciples were startled and frightened thinking they had seen a ghost. But Jesus calmly responded to the group and asked them why they were troubled. And he pushed a little more, questioning them about the doubts that arose in their hearts.

Jesus showed them his hands and feet with their scars. Jesus wanted the disciples to have confidence it was him. He asked for something to eat to demonstrate he wasn’t a ghost but a fully alive person. And then he spoke to them explaining God’s plan all the way back to the Law of Moses. He reminded them of the predictions he made before his death, burial, and resurrection and that they were now his witnesses who had seen him and spoken with him once again. Their testimony has become our testimony.

In the middle

Earlier in the ministry of Jesus, he told the disciples and it was recorded for us: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them.”

• So did you notice him in the middle of yesterday’s conversation with your family as you sat around the table to pray?
• How about when you met with friends over coffee to discuss the burdens you were carrying? Didn’t you get together as brothers and sisters in Christ?
• What about when you met with some fellow believers at the office and prayed about work, life, and your next steps? Did you notice Him? He was there in the middle of the conversation.
• And honestly, what about this very moment as you read words I have prayed about and you are prayerfully considering? Where is Jesus now? He is right here, coming along with us to guide us, comfort us, strengthen us, and encourage us.

Seeing Jesus

We will not see the physical body of Jesus until we meet him in Heaven or when he returns to renew and restore all things. But he has given us his Spirit as well as his peace. John recorded all of these precious promises in John 14—17. He told us of the Comforter who would come. He told us of the peace that was ours. He told us of the place Jesus had prepared for us. And as we read in the last verses of Luke 24, he told us that we are now his witnesses to the world. We are the way that others will see the hands and feet of Jesus.

I saw Jesus today. I drove about an hour and thought I should have expected to see him. My mind was focused on memories of my recently deceased friend. I was thinking about and even praying for his wife, his children, and all their grandchildren. And when I arrived, I saw them, I hugged them all, and offered expressions of love and support. As I sat in the chapel with more than a hundred others who had come for the same reason, tears filled my eyes because I realized I saw Jesus in all of them.

Lord, it is embarrassing to admit that even as you go about doing the things you told us to do, we are often so busy with the tasks of helping and loving that we fail to notice you in the room. Help us to see your eyes when we look into the eyes of another. Help us to realize that we are touching you as we embrace another child of God. And help us to see that you have certainly not left us alone but left us in a community that bears your name and is filled with your Spirit. Use us today to maybe even startle them with the overwhelming love of Jesus. Amen.

Your time with God’s Word
‭‭Luke‬ ‭24‬:‭36‬-‭53‬; Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭20; John‬ ‭14‬:‭27; Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Photo by Helena Lopes at pexels.com
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