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Luke 24:36b-48

Learning To Be A Witness For Jesus

April 14, 2024

Third Sunday of Easter

Lectionary Year B

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ASK (a.k.a The On-Ramp)

Good morning!
So, I've decided that I'm going to have lunch, here, today. I've brought it with me.
Before I eat it, I thought I’d let you guess at what I'm going to have.
I'll give you a few clues, first.
[Hold up two pieces of bread] -- Can you tell me what I'm holding?
That's right - two pieces of bread.
[Hold up a container or stick of butter / margarine] -- And now what am I holding?
Yep -- right again! So with these two ingredients / things, what type of lunch could I have? (a butter sandwich, maybe)
A butter sandwich is a good idea, actually! But I just realized that I forgot to show you the other piece of food that I have. Sorry about that. I was so excited about the butter...
[Hold up a slice/chunk of cheese] -- Can you tell me what I'm holding now?
Right again! Cheese!
NOW what kind of lunch could I make with these three ingredients? (a cheese sandwich!)
So...should I put the butter on the inside or the outside of the bread? [pause for answers...then...]
Wait-wait-wait! I did it again and forgot to show you ONE last thing.
[Hold up frying pan] -- Can you tell me what I'm holding up now?
That's right, a frying pan! And pretending that I had a stove, with these four things, NOW what do you think I could make for lunch? (wait for the answer of "Grilled Cheese Sandwich")
Yes, that’s exactly what I’m going to have for lunch – a grilled cheese sandwich!

TELL (a.k.a. The Freeway)

When we make something that has more than one type of food in it, we call it a recipe.
Every time I showed you more of the things that were in my recipe, the better able you were to tell me and the rest of the congregation what I was going to have for lunch.
We see a similar thing happen with the disciples in today's scripture story.
Jesus is resurrected but the disciples haven’t seen enough of the Resurrected Jesus to understand what it all means.
So Jesus helps them see more in today’s story.
First, Jesus helped them remember who he was. He showed them his scars and then ate with them (they had fish instead of grilled cheese sandwiches).
Then, Jesus talked to them about other scripture stories to help them think about what was currently happening.
Then, Jesus talked to them about forgiveness and turning their attention to God (the fancy word for that is “repentance”).
After all of that, Jesus then tells them, "Now that you understand and see what I’ve been telling you, you can go tell others" (“be witnesses”).

SHARE the Good News (a.k.a. The Destination)

So, remember how you had to see all the ingredients I had for lunch before you really knew what I was going to have for lunch?
Jesus had to do the same thing with the disciples. He had to help them see how everything fit together before they could clearly tell others what they knew about Jesus.
And guess what? IT WORKED!
The disciples went out and shared with the people around them what they had learned and seen with Jesus.
Which is one reason why, 2000 years later, we're still telling stories about Jesus and talking to each other about what Jesus taught.
And, the more we learn about Jesus from the stories, the more like the disciples we can be – just like they did, we will be able to share and talk about those stories of Jesus with each other and the people around us.

And that is the good news for today: Let’s pray.

CLOSING Prayer

This is a repeat-after-me prayer.

Dear God,

Thank you for the disciples...

...who shared everything...

...they saw and learned...

...from following Jesus.

Please help us...

...to do the same.

Thank you and Amen

Originally posted April 12, 2015

Updated on March 22, 2021

Written and edited by Nathanael Vissia

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Supplies: Two slices of bread, a stick or container of butter / margarine, a chunk or slice of cheese, and a frying pan

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