‘Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also.’

1 Corinthians 15: 1-8

From his resurrection on Easter morning to his Ascension to heaven 40 days later, the risen Christ met His followers again and again - as a living Lord who seeks, restores, and sends.

The first glimmers of resurrection hope came as the women went to the tomb and found it empty, encountering the risen Jesus and hearing the angel’s good news (Matthew 28: 1-10; Mark 16: 1–8; Luke 24: 1–10; John 20: 1–18). Their fear turned to joy as they were sent to tell the others. How often does Christ meet us in our confusion, leading us toward hope?

That same day, Jesus walked alongside two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Their hearts were heavy, their hopes seemingly lost. Yet as He opened the Scriptures, their hearts began to burn within. They recognized Him in the breaking of the bread (Luke 24: 13–35). Christ is present with us in His Word and at His table, even when we do not yet perceive Him.