Give Thanks That He Is Alive!

In almost every home makeover show, the climactic moment comes when the host reveals the newly remodeled house to the owners. The neighborhood is the same, the address has not changed, but the house is completely transformed.

Two disciples had a life-changing reveal while sharing a meal with the resurrected Jesus. For hours, they did not know the true identity of the person they faced. At first they thought their guest was a clueless Jerusalem visitor (v. 17). Yet, they would soon learn it was none other than the resurrected Savior. Today’s text says they came to this realization immediately after Jesus broke bread, gave thanks, and began to give it to them.

Did they recognize Christ when they heard Him pray? Or was it perhaps the way He spoke? However, we can guess they realized it was the Lord when Jesus handed them the bread, and they saw His nail-scarred hands (v. 30). Luke tells us in verse 31, “Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him.”

Their response was as you would expect—they were amazed. When the two returned to Jerusalem, they found the other eleven disciples and gave thanks to the Lord, proclaiming that “the Lord has risen” (v. 34).

The resurrection of Jesus changed everything for those two disciples, and it changes everything for you and me too. The same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in us. Give thanks to the Lord because He is alive, just as He said. He lives in us, and one day we will be more fully alive than ever before.

Pray with Us

Let’s praise the Lord for the lessons in thankfulness we are learning this month. Let us give thanks from our hearts to the living, loving, powerful, and life-giving God. He is indeed alive, and He gives new life to His people!

BY Dr. Chris Rappazini

Dr. Chris Rappazini believes “the Bible is still relevant, leadership is essential, and the church’s best days are still ahead.” Chris is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, the University of Edinburgh, and Gonzaga University. He served as Associate Professor of Pastoral Studies at Moody Bible Institute. Chris and his wife, Ashley, and their children now reside in North Carolina.