Collect

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread:  Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

Acts 2:14, 36-41 . . . a summary of the preaching and other activities of the early Christian community in Jerusalem

Psalm 116:1-4,12-19 . . . The Offered Cup

1 Peter 1:17-23 . . . the price of Christian freedom from the old ways of futility has been paid with the sacrificial blood of Christ.  Although now we await the judgement of God the Father in awe, we have the faith and hope of people who have been born anew.

Luke 24:13-35. . . the story of how disciples were met by a stranger on the road to Emmaus.  That evening, as he breaks bread with them, they know the stranger to be Jesus.

Sermon

Rev. Dr. Kristin Adkins Whitesides, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church, Winchester, Virginia, says, “Sometimes we miss Easter or only just catch a glimpse of it before it is gone. We need more time to digest what has happened, to let it all sink in…and we aren’t the only ones.” In today’s passage from Luke, Cleopas and a friend were walking on the road to Emmaus, when a stranger eavesdropped on their conversation. It took time for them to realize who was walking with them. Listen as Adkins-Whitesides explains how they recognized Jesus and invites us to recognize how Jesus appears to us today as well.