Image © missio Aachen.

The tomb is empty—but the story is still unfolding in us. With Revelation’s vision and André Kamba Luesa’s radiant painting of the Risen Christ, this session invites you to witness resurrection as both cosmic and personal. Come celebrate new life—and discover what Christ is raising within you.

Revelation 1:13-18

Use this guide for prayer and contemplation. Read slowly, pausing as needed for silence and reflection.

Opening

Settle into a comfortable posture. Let your shoulders soften. Unclench your jaw. Rest your hands.

Take a slow breath in. And a slow breath out.

God of life, meet you here.

Reflection on Contemplative Prayer

There is perhaps no greater moment in Christian faith than the resurrection of Christ. In it we hear a timeless truth: nothing in life or death can separate you from the love of God.

Sometimes resurrection comes quietly—like Jesus speaking your name in a garden. And sometimes resurrection comes in power—Christ taking the keys of death and the grave, opening what we thought was sealed, proclaiming victory over what we fear.

As you listen and look today, you do not need to strain to understand. Receive the words and the image as a place to meet God.

Listen.

Pay attention to the words, phrases, and images that draw you. Notice what stirs in you as the risen Christ is described.

Scripture

Revelation 1:13–18 (Common English Bible)

He wore a robe that stretched down to his feet, and he had a gold sash around his chest. His head and hair shone with light, and his eyes were like a fiery flame. His feet were like fine brass that has been purified in a furnace, and his voice sounded like rushing water. He held seven stars in his right hand, and from his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword. His appearance was like the sun shining with all its power.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. But he put his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid. I am the first and the last, and the living one. I was dead, but look—now I’m alive forever and always, and I have the keys of death and the grave.”

Holy Spirit, breathe through these words. Let the living Christ come near—not only in description, but in presence.

Artwork for Prayerful Reflection

The Resurrection — André Kamba Luesa

As you gaze on this painting, notice the centrality of Christ, and the crowds gathered on every side.

See Christ bounding over the abyss, using the cross like a pole vault—death cleared, the pit conquered, the passage opened from death to life. Let the warm reds, oranges, and yellows speak joy into you. The Son rises with the sun—its orb like a halo behind his head. (from: “Vaulting the Abyss” by Victoria Emily Jones, Art & Theology (April 5, 2024))

Reflection Questions

As you imagine Christ in this manner—risen in power—what stirs in you first?

What emotions rise as you hear, “Don’t be afraid,” spoken to you?

Which word, phrase, or image from Revelation stays with you, asking for your attention?

As you look at the painting, where do you notice echoes of what you heard in Scripture?

Where do your reactions to the painting and your reactions to the Scripture meet—and where do they feel different?

If you place yourself in the crowd—standing and cheering—what gratitude wants to rise in you today?

What part of your life feels like dry bones right now, and what kind of life do you long for Christ to breathe into it?

As you hold the words “I have the keys of death and the grave,” what locked place in you comes to mind?

What do you sense God inviting you to do with what you have been hearing and seeing?

When you tell Christ your fears and hesitations about that invitation, what do you notice in his response?

Closing

Risen Christ, strengthen us to do every good thing you call us to. Give us resurrection power for the task before us, and let your Holy Spirit sustain us with all we need. Amen.

Nothing in heaven and earth can separate you from the great love of God and Jesus Christ.