Table Talk: Beyond the Road: Week 3

BEYOND THE ROAD: Eastertide Series

The Road invites us to walk with Jesus on his journey toward the cross and into the hope of resurrection. Along the way we watch the true King carry the weight of what is coming while never overlooking the people right in front of him. He shows us that the way into God’s kingdom is not through power or status, but through sacrificial love. From the triumph of Palm Sunday, to the sorrow of Good Friday, and culminating with the joy of Easter morning, we are carried through the full story of how the cross opens the way into God’s renewed world. But the story does not end at Easter. Jesus continues to step into fear, doubt, and failure, breathing peace, restoring hope, and calling us to follow him into the life of his kingdom.

Spiritual Practice: Fasting & Feasting

America loves to eat.  We talk about eating, share favorite restaurant recommendations, and post pictures of our meal on social media. Feasting is great! For the Christian, feasting is a way to celebrate God’s abundant blessings, especially when we share a beautiful meal with others.

However, the practice of feasting is even more impactful when we balance it with fasting. “Fasting communicates… that having regular food is less important to us than the freedom we desire in our spirit and in the Church. Fasting says, ‘I want you, Jesus, more than I want anything else’” (Anglican Diocese of the Upper Midwest). The Bible teaches that we are wholistic creatures–body, mind, and soul. Each of these parts impacts the others. When we choose to be physically hungry, we remind our souls of our spiritual hunger for God. We admit that we are finite creatures with limitations and remember that God is our ultimate Source of Life. In fasting, we take away something lesser in order to fill that desire with something better.

During this Easter series, we encourage you to try the paired practices of Fasting & Feasting. In the weeks leading up to Easter, begin or deepen your fasting practice. Take one step to abstain from food for a period of time. Maybe this is skipping lunch one day per week or maybe it’s fasting for a full 24 hour period, drinking only liquids. If fasting a meal is not feasible due to medical needs, an alternative practice is to abstain from meat, sweets, or a certain type of treat for a specified period. When Easter arrives, break the fast in a big way! Share several large meals with family and friends. Celebrate God’s abundant blessings in your lives, most especially the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Eastertide lasts for 50 days–10 days longer than Lent–so we encourage you to spread out the celebration and Keep the Feast!

Engaging with the Text

Read the listed passage individually or as a group. Use the questions below to explore the passage together. The conversation starters are typically applicational questions that can be used to further your discussion during mealtimes or other connection points throughout the week. 

• What stands out to you in this passage? (a word, phrase, image, or idea that caught your attention)

• What does this passage reveal about God? (His character, heart, actions, or promises)

• What questions does this passage raise for you? (anything confusing, challenging, or unresolved)

• What response does this passage invite from us? (a way of seeing, trusting, living, or hoping differently)

Prayer

Lord Jesus,

You are the King who walks with us on every road we travel.

In our fasting, remind our souls that You alone are the Source of Life.

In our feasting, fill our hearts with the joy of Your resurrection.

When the road is heavy with suffering, help us to serve as You served.

When we are blinded by our own needs, help us to see others as You see them.

And when we are lost in grief or doubt, meet us in the middle of our questions 

and call us by name once again.

We are Your people. Help us to follow you on the road of this life.

Amen.

SERMON SUMMARY  After the resurrection, Jesus gathers his disciples not just to reassure them, but to send them. Some worship, some doubt, and Jesus meets them all with authority and invitation. The road they have been walking with him now becomes the road they are called to walk into the world. He commissions them to go, to make disciples, and to carry his life and teaching to others, not in their own strength, but with the promise of his presence. This is the new kingdom reality: the story does not end with us being restored, but continues as we are sent. The risen Jesus is with us always, and the road now stretches forward as we join him in his renewing work in the world.

Passage: Matthew 28:16-20

Conversation Starters

Kids

• Name some things that are real even though we can't see them (like wind, love, or oxygen). How do we know they are there?

• When Thomas doubted, Jesus didn't get mad or tell him to leave. He said, "Come here and look." What does that tell us about how Jesus feels when we have questions?

Students

• Jesus created a safe space for Thomas to be skeptical. Do you feel like you have a safe space to ask questions when you are doubting? How can we make our relationships places where it’s okay to say, "I’m not sure I believe this"?

Adults

• Thomas’s doubt was vocalized. In what ways can being "honest about doubt" actually be a sign of a healthy, maturing faith rather than a failing one?

• Many people expect shame when they have questions about their faith. How does Jesus’s response to Thomas challenge the way the modern Church sometimes handles skeptics?