Third Sunday of Easter – April 19, 2026
“And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.” 
- Luke 24:31a -
Putting the Pieces Together
There is a story about a father that wanted to give his child something to do. He took a map of the U.S. out of the newspaper and tore it into pieces to see if his child could put the map back together. A few minutes later the child returned with it all taped back together. The father was amazed. “How did you do that so fast?” The child turned the page over. One the back was a picture of Jesus. “I just put Jesus together and everything fit into place.”
Ask any youth minister and they will tell you that Jesus is always the answer. It doesn’t matter what question you ask, the kids will always say “Jesus.” And they are right. Jesus is the answer. The problem is that sometimes we don’t know how to put all the pieces together. We don’t always recognize the presence of God in our ordinary circumstances. 
Two disciples were walking to Emmaus on the evening after the Resurrection, discussing the events surrounding Jesus’ death when a stranger joined them. They did not recognize that it was Jesus, and they were shocked to hear that He hadn’t heard what happened in Jerusalem. When they told him, Jesus put all the pieces of the puzzle together as He showed them the truth from the Bible. They wanted to know more, so invited Him to stay with them. Jesus broke the bread and then they saw Him. 
This is the pattern of worship that Jesus established for our lives of faith. It was not until Jesus put the pieces together that they could see Him clearly. Jesus commanded us to “Do this in remembrance of me,” because in the Word and Sacraments He reveals Himself to us again and again. We learn about how Jesus came to do so much for us as we hear the scriptures read and preached, and we experience the fulfillment of His promises in the water, bread, and wine of the Sacraments. Just like the two disciples from Emmaus, we are called to take what we have seen and experienced so that Jesus can put the pieces together for them, too.

Third Sunday of Easter – April 19, 2026
“And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.” 
- Luke 24:31a -
Putting the Pieces Together
There is a story about a father that wanted to give his child something to do. He took a map of the U.S. out of the newspaper and tore it into pieces to see if his child could put the map back together. A few minutes later the child returned with it all taped back together. The father was amazed. “How did you do that so fast?” The child turned the page over. One the back was a picture of Jesus. “I just put Jesus together and everything fit into place.”
Ask any youth minister and they will tell you that Jesus is always the answer. It doesn’t matter what question you ask, the kids will always say “Jesus.” And they are right. Jesus is the answer. The problem is that sometimes we don’t know how to put all the pieces together. We don’t always recognize the presence of God in our ordinary circumstances. 
Two disciples were walking to Emmaus on the evening after the Resurrection, discussing the events surrounding Jesus’ death when a stranger joined them. They did not recognize that it was Jesus, and they were shocked to hear that He hadn’t heard what happened in Jerusalem. When they told him, Jesus put all the pieces of the puzzle together as He showed them the truth from the Bible. They wanted to know more, so invited Him to stay with them. Jesus broke the bread and then they saw Him. 
This is the pattern of worship that Jesus established for our lives of faith. It was not until Jesus put the pieces together that they could see Him clearly. Jesus commanded us to “Do this in remembrance of me,” because in the Word and Sacraments He reveals Himself to us again and again. We learn about how Jesus came to do so much for us as we hear the scriptures read and preached, and we experience the fulfillment of His promises in the water, bread, and wine of the Sacraments. Just like the two disciples from Emmaus, we are called to take what we have seen and experienced so that Jesus can put the pieces together for them, too.