At Easter time, a pastor illustrated that God never leaves believers, especially when they are in weakness, valleys, or disappointments, using the story of the two disciples recognizing the resurrected Jesus on the road to Emmaus.
Pastor D, from a city church in East China, said, "Many times we may not feel the presence of the Lord, not because He is absent, but because He is not present in the way we expect."
The pastor shared the prophecy of Isaiah about 700 years before the birth of Christ, "He was pierced for our transgressions, and he was crushed for our iniquities." This prophecy appears three times, such as in Isaiah, in Matthew, when Jesus healed all the sick, and in the testimony of the Apostle Peter.
Pastor D urged believers to understand and accept the fact that He had already carried the full weight of their sins, saying that they could not arrive at the truth simply by repeating it.
The two disciples on the road to Emmaus recognized Jesus when He broke bread with them. Here, it didn’t happen in holy communion but at a meal. "God is not only present in gatherings, worship, and preaching but also in people’s six days of work and their interactions with family and children." Pastor D believed that God liked believers to interact with Him in many small things.
The pastor continued, "God, who does unexpected things, often deliberately breaks our expectations of Him. However, when we are in a lonely place, the Holy Spirit helps us know that God, who we think is hidden from sight, has never left us but is our help at all times."
After the two disciples recognized Jesus, He suddenly disappeared, with their hearts filled with fervor. They were no longer sad, discouraged, or hopeless after experiencing the appearance of Jesus.
After recognizing the Lord, the two disciples immediately returned to Jerusalem, back to the faith community. When disciples gathered together, Jesus stood among them, saying, "Peace be with you." Since Jesus forgave man's sins, sinners should learn to serve, embrace, and forgive one another with love. Pastor D said that Christians could find their true destiny in life when they were in a community. Therefore, he encouraged church members to find other believers who walk the heavenly path together in their cities.
Finally, the pastor stated that Christians have received from above the power of the Holy Spirit, who would always be with us.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
日前，华东一城市教会牧者D牧师在复活节这个特别的节日，通过两个回以马忤斯的门徒认出复活的耶稣讲到：上帝从未离开信徒，即使他们处于软弱，低谷或者失望之中。
D牧师说，“很多时候我们没感受到主的同在，不是祂不在，而是祂没按照我们期待的方式同在。”
牧师分享到耶稣来到地上大约700多年前以赛亚先知对于耶稣的预言：“他诚然担当我们的忧患，背负我们的痛苦。”这部分内容整本圣书中出现了三次，分别在以赛亚书中，福音书中耶稣治好了一切有病的人之后和使徒彼得的见证。
D牧师说，信徒要进入到这个经文的事实当中，知道自己所有的重担和罪孽都被祂背负和担当了；不是念多少遍就可以进入的。
回以马忤斯的两个门徒在与耶稣掰饼的时候认出了祂，这里的掰饼不是领圣餐，而是日常的吃饭。“上帝不仅在聚会、敬拜和讲道中，也在你一周6天的工作当中，在你和家人孩子相处当中。”D牧师认为，上帝首先操练的是在很多微小的事情上信徒与祂的互动。
D牧师继续说：“因为上帝很多时候会刻意打破我们对祂设定的期待，祂会做意料之外的事情。然而，在我们以为祂隐藏看不见的时候，在我们处在孤独境地之中时，圣灵会帮助我们知道,上帝从未离开我们，祂会做我们随时的帮助。”
当以马忤斯的两个门徒认出耶稣之后，耶稣忽然不见了；但他们心中依然充满了火热，不再悲伤、沮丧和绝望，因为他们经历了上帝的同行。
两个门徒认出主之后，立刻起身回到了耶路撒冷，回到了信仰的群体中。当门徒们聚集在一起的时候，耶稣亲自站在他们当中，说：“愿你们平安”。因着耶稣赦免了所有人的罪，所以有罪的人可以一起学习彼此服事，拥抱、爱和赦免。D牧师表示，我们能找到人生真正的命定是在一个群体当中的时候。因此，她鼓励我们，要在各自的城市找到与自己一起奔走属天道路的信徒。
最后，D牧师表示，如今，我们已经领受了从上面而来的能力——圣灵，祂会一直与我们同行。
华东一牧者复活节分享：上帝从未离开我们
At Easter time, a pastor illustrated that God never leaves believers, especially when they are in weakness, valleys, or disappointments, using the story of the two disciples recognizing the resurrected Jesus on the road to Emmaus.
Pastor D, from a city church in East China, said, "Many times we may not feel the presence of the Lord, not because He is absent, but because He is not present in the way we expect."
The pastor shared the prophecy of Isaiah about 700 years before the birth of Christ, "He was pierced for our transgressions, and he was crushed for our iniquities." This prophecy appears three times, such as in Isaiah, in Matthew, when Jesus healed all the sick, and in the testimony of the Apostle Peter.
Pastor D urged believers to understand and accept the fact that He had already carried the full weight of their sins, saying that they could not arrive at the truth simply by repeating it.
The two disciples on the road to Emmaus recognized Jesus when He broke bread with them. Here, it didn’t happen in holy communion but at a meal. "God is not only present in gatherings, worship, and preaching but also in people’s six days of work and their interactions with family and children." Pastor D believed that God liked believers to interact with Him in many small things.
The pastor continued, "God, who does unexpected things, often deliberately breaks our expectations of Him. However, when we are in a lonely place, the Holy Spirit helps us know that God, who we think is hidden from sight, has never left us but is our help at all times."
After the two disciples recognized Jesus, He suddenly disappeared, with their hearts filled with fervor. They were no longer sad, discouraged, or hopeless after experiencing the appearance of Jesus.
After recognizing the Lord, the two disciples immediately returned to Jerusalem, back to the faith community. When disciples gathered together, Jesus stood among them, saying, "Peace be with you." Since Jesus forgave man's sins, sinners should learn to serve, embrace, and forgive one another with love. Pastor D said that Christians could find their true destiny in life when they were in a community. Therefore, he encouraged church members to find other believers who walk the heavenly path together in their cities.
Finally, the pastor stated that Christians have received from above the power of the Holy Spirit, who would always be with us.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Easter: God Never Forsakes His People
