UNEXPECTED JESUS

ERIC RIVERA

How the Resurrected Christ Finds Us, Meets Us, Heals Us

Unexpected Jesus: How the Resurrected Christ Finds Us, Meets Us, Heals Us

Copyright 2022 Eric Rivera

Lexham Press, 1313 Commercial St., Bellingham, WA 98225

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Print ISBN 9781683596547

Digital ISBN 9781683596554

Library of Congress Control Number 2022937324

Lexham Editorial: Deborah Keiser, Allisyn Ma, Katie French

Cover Design: Joshua Hunt, Brittany Schrock

For Erikah,

whose tenacious faith points me

to the resurrected presence and power of Jesus.

And for Keziah, Lukas, and Levi, our treasures.

Contents

Chapter 1

The Resurrected Jesus Meets Us in Our Mess

Chapter 2

When We Are Weeping: Jesus Comforts Us

Chapter 3

In Our Hopelessness: Jesus Lights Our Heart

Chapter 4

During Times of Doubt: Jesus Shows the Way

Chapter 5

During Times of Powerlessness: Jesus Carries Us

Chapter 6

When You Make Mistakes: Jesus Forgives

Chapter 7

At the End: Jesus Completes the Story

Chapter 8

When Crisis Comes: Jesus Speaks

Study and Reflection

Acknowledgments

1

The Resurrected Jesus Meets Us in Our Mess

Why do you seek the living among the dead?

Luke 24:5

I sat in Starbucks, near our church building in Chicago, just before Easter. I was planning out my preaching calendar while reading through Jesus’s resurrection appearances in the Bible. As I read, I was struck by an observation I believe the Spirit opened my eyes to see. When Jesus reveals himself to various individuals or groups of followers after raising from the dead, he includes in his conversation with them the same technique he had used throughout his earthly ministry—a question. Those questions revealed something about people’s heart condition—their mess—while at the same time infusing them with the hope that only God can give.

Great teachers can capture our attention and imagination with skilled storytelling, making the complex clear and palatable. Their words have a significant effect on our lives, lingering in our heads for hours, days, and even years. If this is true of great teachers, what can be said of the greatest teacher—the Master Teacher? Jesus ...

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About Unexpected Jesus: How the Resurrected Christ Finds Us, Meets Us, Heals Us

“When I needed him, God showed up”

Jesus shows up where we least expect him—to Mary Magdalene in the garden, to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, to Thomas when he is full of insecurity. Just as the resurrected Jesus surprised his disciples, he also surprises us today, showing up in the midst of our sorrows, uncertainties, and joys.

In Unexpected Jesus, pastor Eric Rivera examines Jesus’s appearances after his resurrection to show us how Jesus meets us today. Eric shares his own stories of God showing up amid financial uncertainty, pregnancy loss, a grim medical diagnosis within his family, and the unrest and uncertainty of 2020. Eric’s insights will encourage readers as they look to meet God in their own times of uncertainty.

The same Jesus who was present with his followers meets us in our mess today. When we feel confused or abandoned, Jesus finds us. When he arrives, the master teacher meets us with questions and guides us into a revelation of who he is. And as we walk with him, he heals us and is faithful in his promise to be with us always.

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Table of Contents