Last Sunday, we celebrated the wonderous resurrection of Jesus Christ at Easter. The resurrection changed everything. It was so unexpected, unprecedented, and momentous, it took time for the ramifications to sink in. In fact, by Sunday evening of that first Easter, many of Jesus’ Disciples were still trying to figure out what had happened. And for forty days, Jesus appeared numerous times to different groups on various occasions to confirm He really was alive and to teach what that means for the world.
Over the
next 8-weeks, I’m going to share some of the stories of Jesus’ appearances and
what they mean for us today. The first
is one of my favorites—the story of the Walk to Emmaus. …….
Luke 24:13-34
13 That same day two of Jesus’
followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles[c] from Jerusalem. 14 As
they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. 15 As
they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began
walking with them. 16 But God kept them
from recognizing him.
17 He asked them, “What are you
discussing so intently as you walk along?”
They
stopped short, sadness written across their faces. 18 Then
one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who
hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.”
19 “What things?” Jesus asked.
“The
things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a
prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of
God and all the people. 20 But our
leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to
death, and they crucified him. 21 We had
hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three
days ago.
22 “Then some women from our group of
his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an
amazing report. 23 They said his body
was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! 24 Some
of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the
women had said.”
25 Then Jesus said to them, “You
foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in
the Scriptures. 26 Wasn’t it clearly
predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before
entering his glory?” 27 Then Jesus took
them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all
the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
28 By this time they were nearing
Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, 29 but
they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went
home with them. 30 As they sat down to
eat,[d] he took the bread and blessed
it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. 31 Suddenly,
their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he
disappeared!
32 They said to each other, “Didn’t
our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the
Scriptures to us?” 33 And within the
hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven
disciples and the others who had gathered with them, 34 who
said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.[e]”
There is a great modern day 3-day spiritual retreat named after this story called "The Walk to Emmaus." I’ll be working as a chaplain on a the North Georgia Walk to Emmaus April 30-May 2.
If you are interested, I would be glad to talk with you about how you could attend WTE. It had a tremendous impact on my life when I attend in 1996.
Now, back to our Scripture lesson about the original Walk to Emmaus. It’s an incredible story.
And it teaches us at least 4 things about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It really happened.
The 2 Disciples left
Jerusalem to walk to Emmaus (about 7 miles—2-3 hours of walking). Why did they leave Jerusalem? Scripture doesn’t
say directly, but we can read some things between the lines. In verse 21, they said, “We had hoped he
was the Messiah…” That’s past tense—like
they aren’t sure they believe it anymore.
They were probably confused and overwhelmed. They’d heard the women’s stories, but it doesn’t seem like they believed Jesus
was really alive.
Verse 17 says they were sad; but they may have been afraid too. That would be a understandable. The authorities who killed Jesus were probably keen on stamping out his following too Anyone known publicly to follow Jesus could be in danger of reprisals. So, the thought was probably, “Let’s get away from Jerusalem to somewhere safer.”
But then, Jesus shows up. He’s not dead. He’s alive. They don’t recognize Him at first, but He’s alive! The first thing this story teaches us is Jesus really did rise from the dead. That’s important for so many reasons, but let me share 4.
- It proves Jesus is who He said He is. The resurrection confirms Jesus is the Son of God—not just a teacher or prophet. Jesus is immortal and has power over death.
- Second, it guarantees our forgiveness. The cross paid for sin, and the resurrection shows that payment was accepted.
- Third, it gives us hope of eternal life. Because He lives, we will live also—death is not the end.
- Fourth, it empowers our present life. The risen Christ is alive and active, giving us strength, purpose, and victory now.
The Resurrection was foretold in Scripture.
Another lesson from
the Walk to Emmaus teaches is: This
was God’s plan all along; it was foretold in Scripture. The death
and resurrection of the Messiah was a surprise to the Disciples (to everyone
really), but it was not a surprise to
God or His Son. The resurrection wasn’t a tragedy that got a positive spin. It was part of God’s plan all along. Scripture said it would happen. So, it validates that God’s Word is
trustworthy and true.
It proves Jesus is the promised Messiah. The fulfillment of prophecy connects Jesus directly to God’s promises to Israel—He is the One they were waiting for. The fact Jesus’ death and resurrection were foretold in Scripture shows God keeps His promises. We can trust Him to keep every promise He’s made to us too—including the promise of our resurrection.
When we don’t recognize Jesus, He helps us see.
A third thing the
Walk to Emmaus Story teaches us is: Jesus
helps us see Him. Jesus wants to be known. He wants us to
know He alive and He is with us. We often have trouble seeing it. We’re often too busy, overwhelmed, afraid, sad, angry, or lonely to see Jesus. But Jesus has ways to open our eyes.
Before you were ever thinking about God, He was already thinking of you. He puts people in your life and lead you into situations that help reveal Him to you and help you see Him.
We see also from this story that God uses Scripture to help us see Jesus. Scripture—rightly understood—is a powerful way we can understand Him.
Finally, we see that Holy Communion is a powerful way Jesus can open our eyes so we can see Him. In the story, it was when Jesus broke the bread of Holy Communion that they knew it was the risen Christ with them. The holy sacrament can open our eyes too.
Knowing Christ is with us empowers us.
A fourth lesson from our Scripture today is: Knowing the risen Christ is
with us empowers us. I want you to notice something. These 2
disciples walk 2-3 hours to get to Emmaus (possibly running away in fear and disillusionment). They had planned to spend the night in Emmaus. We know this because of what they said to Jesus before they recognized Him. They said, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” (verse 29). But after recognizing the risen Christ, they were empowered and emboldened to go
back to Jerusalem (even though it was already dark)! No fear of bandits on the road or authority figures who might try to do them in. They walked 2-3 hours back to Jerusalem in the dark!
One of the most powerful things Jesus did for me when I attended the spiritual retreat, The Walk to Emmaus, was open my eyes to Jesus presence every moment in my life. Before The Walk, I already knew about Jesus, that He was alive, that He was my Lord. But somehow, during my Walk, I realized and accepted deep down inside the true reality of His living presence with me. I can't explain it, but now walking with Christ through life is a very real and powerful experience. He really is alive and He is with me every day and it is empowering!
The same is true for you if you Jesus is your Lord. And really knowing it will empower you to live like you have nothing to lose.
The two disciples in our Scripture didn’t recognize Jesus at first.
Jesus walked with them a long time, but they didn’t know it was Him.
But then something changed. Scripture says, ‘their eyes were opened.’
I wonder how many of us are walking through life right now, and Jesus is with us, but we just don’t see Him clearly?
I want
you to consider for just a minute.
Think
about your life this past week.
Contemplate the moments you were too busy or felt overwhelmed.
Consider the times you were afraid or filled with worry.
Remember the moments you felt alone.
What if
Jesus was right there with you then and you didn’t recognize Him?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, just
like those disciples on the road to Emmaus, we don’t always see You.
But You are with us. Open our eyes to
Your presence, to Your truth, to Your work in our lives.
Help our hearts to burn within us again as we recognize You.
In Your name, we pray. Amen.
