If you were to ask most Christians to point to where Jesus is located now, they would point up. They would say He is in heaven, co-ruling His creation with the Father. But did you know Jesus no longer has the limitations of a man on earth who can only be in one place at a time. And He is not just in heaven. Ephesians 4:10, “He who descended [speaking of Christ who descended to earth, then into the grave and Hades] is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.” Now that He’s ascended He can fill all things.

When Jesus was raised from the dead He immediately began to reveal some amazing things about His presence now.

Luke 24 tells about about two believers walking the road from Jerusalem to Emmas on the afternoon of the day Jesus’ tomb was found empty. As they walked they were discussing all the recent events regarding Jesus, and another man on the road was eavesdropping on their conversation. This stranger interjected himself, and asked them what they were talking about. They were surprised somebody in the area could be unaware of the things that had happened. They told this man about Jesus, and how they were hoping He was the promised one, the Messiah and redeemer of Israel. But their hopes were crushed three days ago when He was put to death on a cross. But just that morning His tomb was found empty, and there are women claiming to have seen angels who told them He’s risen.

Then to the astonishment of these two guys, this stranger proceeded to explain to them how all these events were forecasted in the ancient Scriptures; that of course these things have happened because it’s what the Scriptures said would happen. The Messiah had to die and then be raised. They were in awe at what He was revealing to them. It says their hearts were burning as He explained the Scriptures to them.

They neared the place where the two guys were going to lodge for the night, and they so wanted to visit more with their new friend, they invited him to stay the night and have dinner with them. When they were at the table together, this man took the bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them, and at that moment, it says their eyes were opened to recognize their guest, that it was Jesus Himself they’d been visiting with, without realizing it. Then it says He vanished from their sight.

I believe those two guys are the ones referred to in Mark 16:12, which is speaking of events that followed Jesus’ resurrection. Mark 16:12 says “After these things He appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country.” That would explain why they didn’t recognize Him. He appeared to them in another form.

I’ve wondered, why did the Lord come to them like that, with a different appearance? I don’t believe it was just to play a joke on them. I believe it was to teach them something about His presence, that now He can be present without the physical appearance they were used to. And “vanishing from their sight,” suggests He can be present even without any visible form at all. He’s no longer limited to a flesh and blood body like before.

Another important question to ponder about that account, why did Jesus wait until the moment of sharing bread with them to make His presence known? Was that just incidental, or purposeful? The language Luke uses to describe what Jesus did at the table, that He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them, is the same language used for what Jesus did at the table with His disciples the night before His death, when He instituted what we call the Lord’s Supper. Luke seems to want us to make a connection between the two events. I believe the Lord waited until that precise moment to confirm and emphasize that this sharing bread together thing in remembrance of Him, that He commanded us to do, is no insignificant thing. This isn’t just a symbol or formality. This is an act of obedience that Jesus responds to with blessing. It is truly a sacred moment and a means of grace.

There is a promise God made to the people of Israel through Moses that applies to the Lord’s Supper.

Exodus 20:24, “An altar of earth you shall make for Me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause My name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you.” Underline or take notice in that verse of the phrases “peace offerings” and “My name to be remembered“. Both of those have parallels with the Lord’s Supper.

Part of communing with God with peace offerings back then was that the worshiper and his family would actually eat part of the sacrifice. The blood would be poured out at the altar and certain fat portions and organs would be burned on the altar. But the meat would be spared. Some would go to the priests as compensation for their service. The rest would go to the man who brought the offering, and he and his family would have a meal with it in the presence of God. Participation in the meal made you a sharer in the grace and benefits that were obtained by the sacrifice. The apostle Paul drew the parallel in I Corinthians 10:16-18 between those peace offering meals and the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is a sacrificial meal in which we’re considered to be partaking of Christ’s body and blood that was offered for us. And it’s a means of receiving more of the grace and help we need that Christ’s sacrifice obtained for us.

So in Exodus 20:24 what is said about peace offerings has relevance to the Lord’s Supper. And also notice the phrase, “My name to be remembered.” Jesus told us to take of the bread and the cup in remembrance of Him.

So what did God promise the Israelites regarding those occasions when they would gather for worship, peace offerings and to remember His name? He promised to come to them and bless them.

We’re going to share in the Lord’s Supper together here in just a bit. Do you realize according to the promise of God, that He’s here in this room? That He’s come here to bless us?

Some other promises about His presence:

Matthew 18:20, Jesus said, “where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Are we not at least three gathered in His name here? Gathered to worship Him, to learn from Him, to build up one another on His behalf? So He promised He would join us here.

Psalm 22:3, God is “enthroned on the praises of Israel.” It sounds like our praise is a seat on which He sits. Psalm 145:18, “The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.” James 4:8, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”

Revelation, chapters 1 and 2, in the visions the apostle John received, Jesus is pictured as walking among the seven golden lampstands, which represent the seven churches the book of Revelation was originally addressed to. The risen Lord Jesus walks among His churches, the good ones and the bad ones, even the spiritually dead churches like the church at Sardis, and the lukewarm churches like the one in Laodecia. He walks among them all.

So according to His word He’s supposed to be here with us.

Have you seen Him yet? Have you detected His presence in this room? I know you haven’t didn’t see a 33-year-old middle-eastern man with a beard in a robe and sandals. But that’s not the form He has to come in now. He can come even without any visible form.

Clarification

Now, to clarify something, these promises about God and Jesus coming to us, drawing near to us, being in our midst when we draw near in worship or gather in His name, does not mean He’s not present at other times. God is omnipresent. There’s a sense in which you can’t escape His presence. And Jesus told His disciples before He ascended to heaven, “behold. I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). So these promises about Him being present on certain occasions, I really believe are talking about times when His presence is more responsive to us, more engaging with us, more available to be noticed, realized, experienced. There’s a special presence at certain times.

But too often we are like the two guys on the road to Emmaus, and we don’t realize who’s right next to us.

Though intellectually we agree with the doctrine that’s He’s present, we don’t really see that the King of Heaven, the One who made us, hung in our place, is in the room and looking at us and listening to us. We don’t really see it. There’s a difference between intellectually agreeing with the Biblical truth in your head, and knowing it’s reality in your heart.

There have been several occasions when I was acutely aware that He was in the room. Sometimes it has been when I’ve seen someone miraculously healed or delivered from a demon in His name. Or in some other very special moments in my life when I’ve experienced His Spirit in tangible ways. And the realization of His presence that I’ve had on those occasions is a whole different thing than just intellectually agreeing with the doctrine of His presence. You know what I’m saying? There’s believing it in your head. And then there’s knowing it in your heart.

And I have too easily allowed myself to lose the awareness I had on those occasions. I’ve allowed myself to get distracted, or become forgetful of the very clear indications He gave me that He’s right here. But I’m learning how to return to it, how to look at Him again and see Him, sense Him, know He’s right here. And I’m growing in living more of my daily life in the awareness of His presence.

It makes a world of difference if you really see that the glorious Lord Jesus is present.

It changes how you sing these songs. You don’t just sing along and try to hit all the right notes. You actually, from your heart, tell Him how you love Him and how you are so thankful for what He’s done for us. And when you know He’s in the room, suddenly anything is possible. Nothing is impossible when Jesus is here. Your faith that praying will make a difference greatly increases, and that when you lay your hands on someone as He’s taught us to, when you know He’s right beside you, your faith is greater that power and blessing will transfer to that person. And there are definitely behaviors and talk that you don’t engage in when you see He’s standing next to you. At home there are things you don’t watch on TV or listen to, if you absolutely know He’s sitting beside you. And it can free you from fear when you see the Lord of heaven and earth, who loves you, is truly right beside you.

And in my experience if I can renew my awareness of His presence it’s like turning on the pump of the well of living water that’s deep inside me. You know in John 4 Jesus said that His Spirit will be in you like a spring or well of water. But we’re responsible for drinking of the Spirit, and continually being filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18, “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled [or it could be translated keep on being filled] with the Spirit.” We are responsible for continuing to draw from that well inside us, for allowing the living water to flow and saturate us. And in my experience, regaining my awareness of His presence, seeing again the reality that He’s right here, is flipping the pump switch on. I can feel it. Sometimes there’s actual physical sensations I feel. Sometimes there’s a peace that comes, there’s a calming that comes.

I want to point one more Scripture related to being aware of His presence.

Psalm 16:8

Psalm 16 is a prophetic Psalm about Jesus’ relationship with the Father when He was a man on earth. The apostles quoted this Psalm as a prophecy about Christ (cf. Acts 2:25-31; 13:35). Psalm 16:8, “I have set the Lord always before Me.” Jesus set the Father always before Him. Now, God is always before us, because He is omnipresence. But when it says that Jesus set God always before Him, I believe it’s talking about His conscious awareness of God (cf. Acts 2:25). Jesus lived, all the time, mindful that His Father was right there with Him. He did not allow Himself to lose that awareness and become disconnected.

And He was our example. To really advance in our discipleship, we need to truly see the actual presence of God and Jesus right here with us and deep within us. And learn how to regain that awareness when we lose it in the noise and busyness of life.

So if you’re up for some participation…

Let’s take a few minutes to try to realize the reality He promised that He’s here in the room.

The placement of our hands can help direct the attention of our minds. So maybe you want to place your hands out, like this, where Jesus promised to be. Or place a hand on your midsection, because He said in John 7:38, “Out of your belly will flow rivers of living water.”

Some find it easier to focus on God and unseen things if they close their eyes. So perhaps you want to close your eyes.

Know that what we’re going here, seeking to connect with His presence, is a very good thing to be doing. Psalm 27:8, “You have said, ‘Seek My face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, LORD, do I seek.’” Psalm 105:4, “Seek His presence continually!” It pleases Him that we want to connect with His presence.

Now, think on the reasons why you know Jesus is alive and why you know He is trustworthy and therefore must be here as He promised. Think about your experiences that have made that evident. Think about how He’s freed you from things and changed you, if you’ve experienced that. If you’ve seen miracles in His name, remember those things. Think about the testimonies you’ve heard. Maybe remember the fact that 1st and 2dn century writings outside the Bible written by non-Christians also testify to this phenomenal man named Jesus. Jesus is no myth. He was undoubtedly a real historical person who has had more impact on this world than anyone ever. Maybe think about all those ancient prophecies written long before He was born and how He fulfilled Him. Maybe think on the abundant eyewitness testimony of Him alive from the dead, and how those original witnesses would not be quiet with their testimony through the extremes of persecution and even to their deaths. They knew He was alive and is Lord and with them. Remember your reasons for believing.

Now, hear again His promises, “In every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you.” “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I among them.”

And let me pray for us….