Hearts On Fire

Hearts on Fire

Luke 24:13-35

Good Morning, He is Risen!

Today we celebrate the most important event that ever happened within Christianity; the Resurrection of Christ.

Even though we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ; there were some present there that day, who were hopeless because they believed, their dreams died, when Jesus died.

Someone has said, “Living without passion, positive expectations, or enthusiasm can become painful. But feeling hopeless doesn’t have to be permanent.”

How can we go from hopelessness, to excitement?

If you have a Bible this morning, please open it to Luke 24 as we learn the only way to find true hope in a hopeless world.

Several things can lead to disappointment or hopelessness:

1. Lack of inspiration.

Not having a goal or motivation, or feeling powerless.

2. Not enjoying the journey.

Disappointment can occur when we’re so focused on a goal and we end up miserable during the process and neglecting other people or things in our lives.

3. Having the wrong goals. (Eggs in the wrong basket)

When we chase the wrong things, hoping they will fulfill us with peace and joy; soon we discover things, only leave us hopeless.

4. External expectations.

When someone or something does not meet our expectations, we can become disappointed or hopeless.

5. Mistreatment by others.

This can happen by being alienated by someone, having a disagreement, receiving criticism, being insulted, being falsely accused, or not receiving the respect we are due.

Many things can lead to disappointment and hopelessness, because there is not a single person or a thing in the entire world that can fill the God-shaped void within your life.

When we expect a spouse, another person, or any-thing to do what only the Lord can do, we will be disappointed or hopeless.

Today, we will see two men whose hearts were on fire as the Lord spoke to them, during their greatest disappointment in life.

I. Two hopeless friends.

Read Luke 24:13-17

Two disciples were heading for small village called Emmaus on Sunday, after celebrating the Passover holiday in Jerusalem.

This is probably the first chance they had to discuss all of things that happened over the Passover holiday.

What happened during this Passover that was so noteworthy?

Well, a week before His crucifixion, Jesus arrived in Bethany, six days before the Passover.

There, Jesus was anointed by a woman at a dinner party.

Matthew 26:6, And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper,

Matthew 26:7 a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. NKJV

Then Jesus rode on a colt of a donkey into Jerusalem, known as the “Triumphal entry” as prophesied in Zechariah 9:9.

The day Jesus rode into Jerusalem was also Lamb selection day within the Jewish religion; a day Jewish people would chose an unblemished lamb for their Passover Dinner celebration.

Jesus is the sinless, unblemished Lamb and we now know that He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Jesus and His Disciples prepared the Passover meal, as Jesus shared with them about His upcoming death. At the same time, Judas was revealed as the one who would betray Jesus.

After the meal, they went to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed and was in agony knowing what was awaiting Him;

Jesus was arrested, put on trial, endured beatings and finally, He was crucified.

Jesus gave up His Spirit at the time when the Passover lambs were being sacrificed, fulfilling more Old Testament Scriptures.

But then, on Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead!

These two men didn’t realize Jesus was alive; so, they are without hope and they are disappointed.

These men thought their teacher and leader was crucified and was dead.

In John 20, we read how Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb and found Jesus was not there, so they went and told the Disciples;

Before they went to tell the Disciples, Mary Magdalene didn’t believe Jesus had risen from the dead, so she was also hopeless.

John 20:15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?"

She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away." NKJV

Why didn’t Mary recognize Jesus?

Was it because she was crying, or maybe because it was dark, or was it because she did not expect Jesus to fulfill His promise?

Here in our narrative, these two disciples were heading to Emmaus and reasoning together about these events.

Jesus told His Disciples before these things happened, to go to Galilee; but, these men headed towards Emmaus instead; which we can see as an attempt to run away from their problems.