Series: Threshold Moments: When Faith Meets the Unknown
When We Don't Recognize Jesus (The Gathering Worship)
May 11, 2025 | Rev. Michael Precht
Week 1 – May 11
Title: "When We Don’t Recognize Jesus"
Text: Luke 24:13-22 (The Road to Emmaus)
The road to Emmaus is a place of disappointment, doubt, and confusion. Two disciples walk away from Jerusalem, disoriented by the events of the crucifixion. They don’t yet recognize that Jesus is walking beside them. This passage speaks to those who feel lost in transition, disappointed that Jesus’ has not acted in ways they hoped or expected he would. There are many places where we might stumble on the road to Emmaus. The reminder of this sermon is that Jesus is present even when we don’t immediately perceive that He is there. How might we recognize Christ’s Presence with us, especially in the breaking of the bread and the Body of Christ?
Series Information
Life is full of liminal spaces—those in-between moments where we stand on the threshold of something new, yet we are not quite there. These are moments of transition, when faith is tested, and the presence of Christ may feel hidden, distant, or unclear, with days marked by uncertainty and waiting. The disciples found themselves in such spaces in those days following the resurrection. They had encounters with the risen Christ, yet they did not fully understand what was next. They were sometimes overjoyed, sometimes puzzled by his presence, and now he was preparing them for his departure.
During these four weeks, we will come alongside the disciples as they meet Jesus in these uncertain spaces—on the road, at the water’s edge, in a locked room, and in the moment of His ascension. Through these encounters, Jesus brings clarity, peace, and a deeper call to faith. As we reflect on these stories, we will discover how Jesus meets us in our own in-between moments, offering transformation, commissioning, and the promise of His Spirit as we step forward in faith. Each threshold moment is not an ending but a beginning—an opportunity to trust that even in the unknown, Jesus walks with us and empowers us to step forward with boldness into God’s unfolding plan.
