There’s a classic storytelling trope called “the reveal”. In it, the hero is finally made aware of a dangerous plot, a missing link or that the one they fancied was standing in front of them all along, asking to be loved. The hero has a choice at that moment. Either ignore this news or adapt and respond to this new reality. And more often than not, they dive into the new, allowing it to change everything about their present and their future.


 

This moment takes place with two men on their way to Emmaus in Luke 24:13-35. They’ve heard the news of Jesus’ death. While walking, Jesus appears and walks with him, but they don’t know his true identity. As the walk ends and they sit for a shared meal, Luke writes, “…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?’” (30-32). The result of this revelation is that they go from recapping the story among each other to running back to Jerusalem to declare that Jesus was (and is) alive (33-35)!


 

In 2021, we are much like these men. As resurrected people, we’ve each experienced the reveal – Jesus is “God with us, come to show us God’s love, save us from sin, set up God’s kingdom, and shut down religion, so we can share in God’s life.”(B. Cavey) and our lives have been forever altered by that truth. We can’t deny it. We can either ignore it or dive into the new and if you’re here, chances are you’ve chosen to dive in – each of us in our unique voices & personality – to tell the story of Jesus all while that story changes us to become more like him.