Saturday in the Word | Getting to Know Jesus

Well friends, it’s Easter weekend and we’ve come to the final stop of phase one of our Simple Bible Reading Plan journey. Before we launch into phase two of this plan, we’ll spend a few Saturdays exploring some of the hard sayings of Jesus and the Apostle Paul.

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Read Luke 24 here.

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Everything comes to this. If Luke 24 isn’t true, then Jesus is simply a beloved teacher with a compelling story who met a tragic end.

But Luke 24 is true, so it changes everything.

The Surprise of the Empty Tomb

The women came expecting to see death in the body of Jesus. They brought spices to adorn Him and mask the smell. They came to finish what grief had started. But instead of a body, they encountered a question:

“Why do you seek the living among the dead?”

It’s a question that still echoes.

We look for Jesus in dead places like our old assumptions, aged religious routines, and secondhand faith.

And Heaven keeps asking us,
“Why are you looking for Him there?”

Jesus is not where He was.

Indeed, Jesus is alive!

The Slow Awakening (Road to Emmaus)

Two disciples walked away from hope and everything they thought Jesus was going to be. Yet, Jesus walked with them, unrecognized.

That’s important because it means you and I can be walking with Jesus and not even know it.

The men talked as they tried to make sense of their disappointment. Jesus chose not to interrupt them right away. He listened. Then He reinterpreted everything they thought they knew by revealing the truth to them.

“Did Not Our Hearts Burn?”

It wasn’t the miracle that opened their eyes. It was the breaking of bread. Simple. Ordinary. Familiar.

And suddenly, they saw Him. Then He was gone.

And they said:

“Did not our hearts burn within us…?”

That’s how many people come to know Jesus. Not through spectacle. But through a quiet, burning recognition.

Something in me knows this is true.

From Fear to Witness

The disciples were still hiding. Still unsure. Still afraid. Even after hearing the reports. Then Jesus stood among them and said:

“Peace to you.”

Not correction.
Not frustration.
Not “Why didn’t you believe?”

Peace.

He showed them His scars.

Resurrection doesn’t erase suffering. It redeems it.

And then Jesus did something profound:

“He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.”

They had information before. Now they had understanding.

What It Means to Know Jesus

To know Jesus is not just to know what He said. It is to encounter Him in our confusion. Knowing Jesus means recognizing Him in the ordinary as we feel our hearts awakened to truth. To know Jesus is to receive peace where fear once lived.

He sends us out as a witness, not just a student. From tomb → to road → to table → to understanding → to mission.

That’s the journey.

The Invitation

The final picture is not of confusion, but of worship. No more doubt, only joy. Not of ending, but of beginning.

They returned to Jerusalem “with great joy.”

That’s how you know you’ve begun to truly know Jesus.

All your questions may not be gone, but something deeper than answers has taken root.

Joy.
Peace.
Clarity.
Purpose.

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, ¹² training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, ¹³ waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Titus 2:11-14 ESV

Final Reflection

In an attempt to get to know Jesus, we’ve walked through the Gospels and witnessed His compassion, authority, and sacrifice. We’ve received His teaching and experienced His victory.

The question is no longer just:

“Who is Jesus?”

Now it becomes:

“What will you do with the One who is alive?”

Be salty, stay lit.

Rainer Bantau —The Devotional Guy™

#bgbg2#BibleGateway 

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