“The Presence of Jesus”

On the first Easter Sunday, two of the followers of Jesus were walking together along the road from Jerusalem to the town of Emmaus, a seven-mile journey. Jesus walked up to them, but they were kept form recognizing Him. Jesus asked them what they were talking about. So, they told Him they were discussing their time with Jesus and their hope that He was the Messiah. They also discussed His crucifixion. And, they told Him about how some of the women followers were saying that Jesus was alive. After this, Luke tells us in his gospel account of this appearance of Jesus on the road to Emmaus:

As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if He were going farther.  But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So He went in to stay with them. 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?” (Luke 24:28-32)

When I was serving as a pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollister, I worked with the local ministerial association to build a shelter for battered women and children. When it came time to name the facility, the Roman Catholic priest, Father Gary Byrne, said, “Wouldn’t it be great if the clients recognized they were in the presence of Jesus while they were here? Let’s call this place, ‘Emmaus House.’” That was over twenty years ago, and Emmaus House is still open and helping families who are struggling with domestic violence.

Wouldn’t it be great if GMPC was also known as an “Emmaus House”? When people come here, they are in the presence of Jesus. Jesus is with us during the worship services, the small groups, the youth groups, the Sunday School classes, Awana, the preschool, the choir rehearsals, and the many meetings.

I encourage you to help others to see Jesus in our midst through your loving acts of hospitality. When anyone leaves our facilities, it is my prayer that they will marvel at how their hearts were burning within them because they had just spent time with Jesus.

In Christ,

Pastor David