Resurrection Sunday

Despair turns to hope. Good Friday will eventually become Resurrection Sunday - the day that Christ resurrected from the grave. His resurrection is essential for our faith as believers because it is proof that He had overcome death. 1 Corinthians 15:20 (NIV) states, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Jesus’s resurrection shows us what will happen to us when He returns again. We, too, like Him, will be resurrected on that day. And what a glorious day it will be! Scripture teaches us that we will all be given new resurrected bodies that are incapable of death and disease. All of these are possible because of Christ’s resurrection!

I would like to now turn your attention to an object that is present in the resurrection accounts that you have just read - the bread. Bread was present and broken along the road to Emmaus. It was also present when Jesus prepared breakfast for His disciples along the sea of Tiberias (John 21:9). Why is bread so important that both John and Luke made sure it was mentioned in their resurrection accounts?

In Ancient Israel, it takes a lot of work to make bread. You couldn’t simply head down to a convenience store and pick up a loaf of bread. It had to be handmade. It involved harvesting the wheat, grinding it into flour, mixing it with water, kneading, and baking it in an oven. On the Sabbath, bread was always broken by hand because the usage of knives was prohibited on the Sabbath. Thus, the phrase “the breaking of bread” was coined. The breaking of bread has 2 significance.

Firstly, the breaking of bread is done within one’s family. The breaking of bread here celebrates companionship between the marital couple as well as the other family members. It represents an act of commitment and love to all those around the dining table.

Secondly, the breaking of bread, when done in a societal setting (with people outside of the family), signifies so much more than the sharing of food. It represents the act of love and reconciliation. The phrase, “the breaking of bread”, in its original language suggests the uniting of what is apart.

When Jesus broke bread with His disciples, it symbolised 2 things. Firstly, He is telling them that He is still committed to them because they are a part of His family. He is celebrating their relationship with them. Secondly, even though they all left Him and Peter denied Him, Jesus broke bread with them to let them know He forgives them and wants to reconcile them to Himself. That is why He went on to restore Peter shortly after because Peter was probably the disciple that was affected the most - He was the only one that denied Christ. Jesus was taking the initiative to unite them back together with Himself.

The resurrection accounts will not be complete without the breaking of bread. Once again, we see Jesus demonstrating what John said of Him - “He loved them to the end.” On this resurrection Sunday, as you celebrate the resurrection of Christ, perhaps it is time for you to break bread with someone that has a strained relationship with you. Perhaps it is time to put things right with the individual… to allow God to heal the wounds and write the next chapter of the relationship.

Jesus suffered and died on the cross so that we can be reconciled to God as well as to each other. This is your inheritance as a child of God! Take the initiative and be reconciled to those whom you have hurt or have hurt you. And allow God to resurrect that relationship on this resurrection Sunday!

Reflection

• What does the resurrection of Christ mean to you? What does it mean for your life?
• Recall the 3 individuals that you struggle to love (Day 19). How can you make things right with them?

Application

Never give up hope in seeking resurrection for your strained relationships. God is able to do exceedingly more than what we can ask or imagine. It may take a while, but He will empower us to “break bread” through His Holy Spirit.