“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 24:30-32).

Do you recognize the voice of your risen and ascended Lord? Do you know the heartburn that comes when the Lord is opening Scripture to you? The two followers of Jesus who have come to be known as the Emmaus disciples were unable to recognize their risen Savior when, on that first Easter, he appeared to them and began to untangle the momentousness of his suffering, death, and resurrection. 

After Jesus had handed out the dinner bread, they recognized him and identified what it was that confirmed for them that their visitor was their Lord: “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us?” In hindsight, they were able to recognize the burning in their souls that they normally felt as they learned from their Teacher and Master and Savior.

As you celebrate Christ’s resurrection, ask the Holy Spirit to give you new joy and understanding. Ask the Spirit to untangle for you the deep significance of the newness of life connected with Christ’s resurrection. What are some of the ways that Christ’s resurrection changes your life now and forever? Praise God for his indescribable gift!