Beautiful People,

Jesus is near. After His crucifixion, two of Christ’s disciples journeyed to a village called Emmaus. The Road to Emmaus was marked with grief, sorrow, and pain for these disciples. Each step was an agonizing reminder of their grim reality that Christ was gone. His death ushered in a wave of unmet expectations and disappointment. As a campus family, we are on our Road to Emmaus; however, good news exists. As the disciples walked this road, Scripture says, “Jesus himself came up and walked along with them” (Luke 24:15, NIV). Christ was near, yet the disciples didn’t recognize Him; they were downcast. They became aware of His presence as He shared Scripture and broke bread. In times of pain and grief, Christ’s presence is difficult to recognize until He steps into our narratives and walks the road with us.

In times of pain, Christ directs our souls to Scripture, prayer, and community. This healing and restoration process helps us see that He is with us—Emmanuel, God with us! Christ’s desire is not only for us to recognize His active presence in our lives but also to ignite the flame of hope in our hearts. The more time we spend with Jesus in Scripture, prayer, and community, our hearts burn with hope. How do we do this on a practical level? Yami Bazan preached an excellent sermon last Sabbath with three practical steps conducive to recognizing Christ and igniting hope. The steps are:

1. Cultivate a deep, intentional listening of His word.
2. Reorient your identity on the Gospel.
3. Practice a surrendered posture of the heart that says to the Divine, “I trust YOU above all.”

As we walk this road, I pray that we allow the Holy Spirit to cultivate a heart that recognizes Jesus in every situation and circumstance so that we may live in hope. Take courage and hope, my dear friends; Jesus is near.