“A VOYAGE” OF DISCOVERY
One of the fascinating “journeys” of the Bible is the walk of the two disciples of Christ from Jerusalem to Emmaus (a 7-mile journey) on the Resurrection Sunday (Luke 24:13-35) which eventually culminated in a speedy U-turn. The journey which began with confusion and sorrow would end in rapturous joy. The reason? The “third party” who joined the journey made all the difference!
Invaluable seven lessons that this seven mile “Voyage of discovery” holds for us can be better understood and appreciated, if we study this subject under the following themes…
1.Concealment...
It is quite apparent from the Scripture account that the Good Lord concealed His identity (it is also said in Mark that now he appeared in another form-Mark 16:12) in order His disciples might more freely discourse with him and he with them. Oh how often, the good Lord seeks a heart-to-heart conversation with us, devoid of trappings of a Royal Court session, which is all strict protocol, without any vent whatsoever for expression of sentiments emanating from the depths of the heart. Have you ever wondered why the Book of Psalms with nearly 66% of its content displaying anxiety, fear and even doubts of God’s protection is placed in the Scriptures? In order to teach us a lesson that in time of trouble we can adopt “a no holds barred approach” by crying unto Him just as we are without putting on any mask of formality. More than anything the Good Lord wants us to approach Him just as we are with a baggage in which nothing is hidden.
2. Conversation...
Counseling experts (Boy, how much of proper counseling these two followers of Jesus needed) often underscore the importance of asking questions much in a way an expert Doctor does to elicit as much information as possible from the patient to arrive at a proper diagnosis of the ailment. We would see our Lord the Wonderful counselor (Isaiah 9:6) that He is posing questions to His confused disciples and listening patiently to what all was there in their heart. Is not communication as much about listening, as it is about talking? Have we His followers developed the art of posing questions and patient listening in our conversations with the common folks, especially in our personal evangelistic efforts?
Jesus’ simple questions (Luke 24:17,19)…were a means of inviting himself deeper into the conversation which had evidently continued for some little while after Jesus fell in step with them. Was not the first Divine question in the Scriptures "Where art thou?" also posed to trigger a conversation leading to confession about Adam’s fallen “state of affairs” (Genesis 3:9)?
3. Confusion...
Response of one of the two namely Cleopas (Luke 24:21) to Christ’s questions exposes the skewed understanding of the disciples’ about the real purpose behind Christ’s First advent and their errant expectations of Him. His First coming was all about saving Mankind from clutches of sin and NOT about saving Israel from the clutches of Roman oppression, as they so wrongly surmised. Yes in His Second Advent seven years after the rapture of the Church, would He deliver the Jews from a Revived Roman Empire (Read Anti-Christ’s persecution-Romans 11:26)! But First Coming it needs to be reiterated here was all for the purpose of reigning in the throne of man’s heart rather than from an earthly throne in Jerusalem.
While on the subject of priorities, it would also be perfectly in order to do some honest introspection at this stage. What is the purpose of us seeking Christ? Is it to secure freedom from financial, health or any social, worldly problems or to be redeemed first and foremost from the clutches of our Spiritual adversary-Satan? Truly, He would deliver us from World-related difficulties too but first we need to get our priorities right (Matt 6:33). Often, we hear some testimonies in our Churches of how the people have “accepted Christian faith” because the Lord has delivered them from a health or a financial crisis. That is indeed good. Without being critical of their faith, I intend to state here that the witness of a person whose faith is built on a rock (nothing less-Matt 7:24-27) would invariably be “I was a sinner and CHRIST SAVED ME FROM CLUTCHES OF SIN”. Financial or health problems may recur in a believer’s life but SALVATION EXPERIENCE IS ETERNAL (Romans 8:1)! The good Lord in His abundant love for us, would go to any extent to ensure, we safely reach the Heavenly Shores, even if it means making us swallow some very bitter pills of Divine chastisement (1 Cor 11:27-32).
4. Canon exposition...
With the confusion of the disciples’ coming to the fore, setting was picture perfect for Canon exposition by the Master. To align their minds with the Divine Sovereign Redemption plan, our Lord painstakingly exegits the prophecies concerning Himself right from the Books of Moses. While, He highlighted those OT prophecies, which spoke clearly about His humiliation before exaltation , it would not be out of context to present this allegorical poem at this stage symbolically portraying the Saviour in the OT Scriptures.
• In GENESIS, Jesus is the Ram at Abraham’s altar.
• In EXODUS, He is the Passover Lamb.
• In LEVITICUS, He is our High Priest.
• In NUMBERS, He is the Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night.
• In DEUTERONOMY, He’s the City of Refuge.
• In JOSHUA, He’s the Scarlet Thread out of Rahab’s Window.
• In JUDGES, He is our Judge.
• In RUTH, He is our Kinsman Redeemer.
• In I and II SAMUEL, He is our Trusted Prophet.
• In KINGS and CHRONICLES, He is our Reigning King.
• In EZRA, He is the Restorer of Worship.
• In NEHEMIAH, He is the Rebuilder of Brokenness.
• In ESTHER, He is the God of Providence.
• In JOB, He is our Redeemer Who Ever Lives.
• In PSALMS, He is My Shepherd and I Shall Not Want.
• In PROVERBS and ECCLESIATES, He is our Wisdom.
• In the SONG of SOLOMON, He is our Chiefest of Ten Thousand.
• In ISAIAH, He is the Man of Sorrows.
• In JEREMIAH and LAMENTATIONS, He is the Righteous Judge.
• In EZEKIEL, He is the Lord Who is Always There.
• In DANIEL, He is the Smiting Stone.
• In HOSEA, He is the God of Redeeming Love.
• In JOEL, He is the Hope of His People.
• In AMOS, He is the Righteous One.
• In OBADIAH, He is the Executor of Justice.
• In JONAH, He is the One Sent into the World by the Father.
• In MICAH, He is the God of My Salvation.
• In NAHUM, He is the Stronghold in the Day of Trouble.
• In HABAKKUK, He is the Restorer of Faith.
• In ZEPHANIAH, He is the Lord Mighty to Save.
• In HAGGAI, He is the Desire of All Nations.
• In ZECHARIAH, He is our Wall of Fire.
• In MALACHI, He is the Refiner and Purifier of all who come to Him.
In a nutshell, the Canon exposition, His two disciples’ were exposed to on the Road to Emmaus would have been qualitatively better than the ones’ offered in any Biblical seminary, for it came from the Writer of the Bible itself (II Tim 3:16/2 Peter 1:20-21). Any doubts on why we call their journey to Emmaus as a “Voyage of discovery”?
5. Conviction...
As Christ quoted the Bible, His words warmed their hearts, convicting them about the truthfulness of the Scripture and the uniqueness of its Expositor.
What is the advantage of using the Scriptures to drive home a point, the way Christ did, not only on the Road to Emmaus but several times in His earthly sojourn? Mind you, Scriptures are Divinely inspired (2 Tim 3:16), so they make our words at once authoritative leading to the conviction of our audience. As much as our Lord used the Scriptures as the Sword of the Spirit (Eph 6:17), both for purpose of offence or defence (Matt 4:1-11) in His First Advent, are we, too, using the Scriptures effectively in our Spiritual warfare? Mind you, it is one thing to have the Scriptures in hand and quite a different thing to handle them properly. Every one who has a tennis racquet in hand is not necessarily as adept at wielding it like a Roger Federer. Right? To play like Roger, we need to have the spirit of Roger within us. Similarly, to use the Scriptures the way Christ did, we need to have His Spirit indwelling us, and the Good News is that HE HAS PROMISED TO PLACE BOTH HIS WORD AND HIS SPIRIT WITHIN US (ISAIAH 59:21). Claim it in faith!
6. Communion...
Once the realization dawned upon the disciples that they were in the presence of SOMEONE SPECIAL, they sought His fellowship by inviting Him to their homes (Luke 24:28-29). It is As Christ quoted the Bible, His words warmed their hearts, convicting them about the truthfulness of the Scripture and the uniqueness of its Expositor.
It is pertinent to note, our God comes INTO OUR HOME (read our heart) only on INVITATION. He is not a gate-crashing God. Even in His cosmic war with Satan on whom the Creation would obey, He ensured absolutely a level playing field by providing a free choice of obedience to our First parents in the Garden of Eden. Couldn’t He have forcibly made them obey, by placing Cherubim with a flaming sword in front of the Forbidden tree? NO! HIS FAIR NATURE WOULD NOT PERMIT THAT!
It is also pertinent to note here that Christ became the cause of the two disciples’ (residing in different homes in Emmaus) breaking bread together that eveniing. If not for Him, they would not have supped together going back to their different homes in their village. Even after thousands of years is not unchanging Christ (Heb 13:8) bringing so many of us belonging to different “homes”, nationalities, backgrounds together for a time of common fellowship in HIM (Gal 3:28)?
7. Commission...
During dinner time, the moment He supernaturally disappears on they recognizing Him (some scholars say his nail scarred hands were a giveaway), they COULD NOT CONTAIN THE GOOD NEWS TO THEMSELVES THAT THEY HAD SEEN THE RISEN LORD. Though there was no verbal instruction from the Master to be a witness to His resurrection (atleast, not at that stage) they felt compelled in their spirits to go back to to Jerusalem to share the exciting news with their fellow disciples (Luke 24:32-33). Talk of fire spreading…
As Christians, do not we identify ourselves immediatelly with the step-by-step progressive experience of these 2 Emmaus village residents? Our journey in life too without Christ was marked by confusion dictated as it was by worldly priorities, then the Savior came along convicting us with the truths of the Scrioptures heralding His First advent (everything from His miraculous virgin birth to glorious ascention) leaving us pining for more of His fellowship. Like the disciples, we too invited Him into “our homes” and having enjoyed communing with Him, we too cannot contain the joys and the warmth (Luke 24:32) He brings into our lives and are excited to share them with everyone we know. Mind you, sharing the GOOD NEWS (GOSPEL) is an exercise which comes only at the end after fully experiencing and enjoying its redemptive power …HALLELUJAH!
(Suresh Manoharan)
www.jandsmministries.com
