THE JOY OF THE EASTER STORY IS, ABOVE ALL ELSE, WHEN JESUS AROSE FROM THE DEAD. IN ADDITION TO THAT TRIUMPHANT VICTORY, JESUS MADE APPEARANCES NOT ONLY TO THE REMAINING DISCIPLES, BUT, ACCORDING TO 1 CORINTHIANS 15:6, TO 500 OTHER BELIEVERS WHO WITNESSED HIM ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
TUCKED IN BETWEEN ALL THESE WONDERFUL MOMENTS WITH JESUS IS ONE OF THE MOST BELOVED ACCOUNTS OUTSIDE THE EMPTY TOMB. THE ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS ON THE ROAD FROM JERUSALEM TO THE PLACE CALLED EMMAUS (IMMAH-OOSE).
ONLY THREE DAYS HAD PASSED SINCE THE CRUCIFIXION AS IT WAS THE GREATEST SPECTACLE OF ROMAN AUTHORITY IN SOME TIME. THE WHOLE WORLD SEEMED ABLAZE WITH CONVERSATION AT WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE WITH THIS MAN NAMED “JESUS.”
THE STORY NOW FOCUSES ON A MAN NAMED CLEOPAS (CLAY-AH-POSS) WHO APPEARS TO BE DOWNCAST AND CONFUSED. HE AND ANOTHER COMPANION ARE MAKING THEIR WAY DOWN THE ROAD, UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE THINGS THAT HAVE OCCURRED TO THEIR HOPEFUL “REDEEMER OF ISRAEL” WHO WAS EXECUTED YET, SEEN ALIVE AGAIN, BY THE WORD OF WOMEN AND TALK OF ANGELS.
THEY ARE SO BEWILDERED BY THE CONFUSING NEWS STORIES THAT THEY CAN’T EVEN RECOGNIZE JESUS AS HE DRAWS NEAR TO WALK WITH THEM. HE SEEMS LIKE JUST ANOTHER FOREIGNER VISITING JERUSALEM FOR THE PASSOVER. WHY DIDN’T THEY NOTICE?
ACTUALLY, THIS WAS BY GOD’S DESIGN IN PREPARING THEM FOR A SPIRITUAL ENCOUNTER THAT WAS TO COME. FOR NOW, THEY WERE BROKEN FROM THE NEWS ABOUT THE DEATH OF JESUS, BUT SOON JESUS WOULD REVEAL HIMSELF AND IT WOULD CHANGE THEIR LIVES.
THE FASCINATING PART OF THIS JOURNEY IS THEY OBVIOUSLY HAD THE “HEAD KNOWLEDGE” AS TO ANSWER JESUS ABOUT “THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO JESUS, THE MAN FROM NAZARETH….”
THEY GO ON IN VERSES 19-24, WITH EVERYTHING FROM IDENTIFYING JESUS, HIS CRUCIFIXION, AND THE ANGELS DECLARING JESUS WAS ALIVE. THERE WAS JUST ONE PROBLEM! IT WAS IN THEIR HEADS, BUT NOT VERY DEEPLY IN THEIR HEARTS. THEY DIDN’T REALLY BELIEVE IT NOR FULLY COMPREHEND IT.
JESUS HAD ONLY ONE RESPONSE! VERSE 25, “O FOOLISH ONES, AND SLOW OF HEART TO BELIEVE….” HE CALLED THEM FOOLS AND SAID THEY WERE SLOW! THE GOOD NEWS IS THIS IS NOT AN INSULT! THE BAD NEWS IS THAT IT IS NOT A COMPLIMENT, EITHER!
JESUS WAS NOT SPEAKING OF THE ENGLISH UNDERSTANDING OF “FOOL/FOOLISH” THAT MEANS “DUPED, UNWISE, SILLY OR LACKING SENSE OR JUDGMENT.”THE WORD LUKE USES HERE MEANS “LACKING IN UNDERSTANDING” OR EVEN “HOW DULL CAN YOU BE?”
JESUS IS CHIDING THEM FOR MISUNDERSTANDING ALL THE SCRIPTURES AND PROPHET’S PREDICTIONS CONCERNING THE MESSIAH. THEY FAILED TO PUT “TWO AND TWO TOGETHER” SO IN THEIR LACK OF COMPREHENSION, THEY DIDN’T MATCH ALL THE EVENTS UP WITH PROHPHECY AND SCRIPTURE. THEY MISSED IT!!
THEN, JESUS CALLED THEM “SLOW OF HEART” WHICH LITERALLY IMPLIES THEY LACKED A DEEPER AND MORE INTENSE DEVOTION TO GOD AND THE TRUTH. THEIR UNWILLINGNESS TO FULLY BELIEVE IN THEIR HEART LED THEM TO THEIR FAILURE OF UNDERSTANDING.
JESUS IS NOT ACCUSING THEM OF LACK OF INTELLIGENCE, BUT HELPING THEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY WERE TYRING TO PUT GOD IN A BOX AND MOLD JESUS INTO WHAT THEY WANTED HIM TO BE.
JESUS IS CALLING OUT THEIR STUBBORNESS FOR NOT ALLOWING THE TRUTH TO TAKE ROOT IN THE HEART TO PURSUADE THEM INTO BELIEVING. THEIR SHALLOWNESS OF HEART LEADS THEM TO DOUBT.
THE JOURNEY COMES TO AN END AS THE WEARY TRAVELERS ARE HOME, SO JESUS BIDS THEM A “GOOD NIGHT” AND APPEARS AS IF HE WILL JUST BE MOVING ON FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD.
WHAT SEEMED TO BE A TURNDOWN ACTUALLY WAS A “PUT ON.” LOOKING AT THE WORDS JESUS USED HERE INDICATES THAT JESUS WAS SIMPLY “TESTING” THEM TO SEE HOW THEY WOULD RESPOND.
VERSE 28 SAYS, “…HE INDICATED THAT HE WOULD HAVE GONE FARTHER.” THE WORD INDICATED MEANS “ACTED AS IF” HE WAS GOING TO JOURNEY ONWARD.
IN OTHER WORDS, JESUS WAS NOT GOING TO FORCE THE CONVERSATION, NOR WAS HE GOING TO FORCE HIMSELF ON THEM. JESUS WAITED TO BE INVITED. WOULD THEY? YES! IN FACT, THEY INSISTED UPON JESUS STAYING OVERNIGHT.
VERSE 29, SAYS, “THEY CONSTRAINED HIM SAYING ‘ABIDE WITH US….’” THE WORD “CONSTRAINED” MEANS TO “URGE STRONGLY.” THEY LITERALLY FORCED JESUS TO STAY!
JESUS WOULD HAVE GONE ON HAD THEY NOT URGED HIM TO STAY. THE LESSON OF THIS ENCOUNTER IS THAT GOD SEEKS ALL TO COME TO SALVATION, BUT HE WILL NEVER FORCE HIMSELF ON ANYONE. HE CREATED US WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY AND BLESSING OF HAVING OUR OWN FREE WILL.
JESUS SIMPLY KNOCKS; WE MUST CHOOSE TO OPEN OUR LIVES TO HIM. REVELATION 3:20, “LOOK! I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK. IF YOU HEAR MY VOICE AND OPEN THE DOOR, I WILL COME IN, AND WE WILL SHARE A MEAL TOGETHER AS FRIENDS.”
JESUS WAITED FOR THE INVITATION TO COME IN! WE CAN EITHER INVITE JESUS INTO OUR LIVES OR ALLOW HIM TO TRAVEL ON HIS WAY. THE CHOICE OF WHAT TO DO WITH JESUS IS STRICTLY UP TO US. JESUS NEVER FORCES HIMSELF ON ANYONE!
WHEN JESUS DINED WITH CLEOPAS AND HIS WIFE, BY BREAKING THE BREAD, HE WAS TEACHING THEM ABOUT HIMSELF DURING AN ORDINARY MEAL IN AN ORDINARY HOUSE, WITH AN ORDINARY LOAF OF BREAD. BUT, IT WAS DURING THIS ORDINARY TIME THAT THINGS “CLICKED” BACK TOGETHER. HEAD KNOWLEDGE WAS JOINED WITH THEIR HEART TO OPEN A LOVING ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS CHRIST.
THEY WERE NO LONGER FOOLISH AND SLOW OF HEART. THEIR MINDS AND HEARTS MERGED AND THEY TRULY OPENED THEIR EYES SPIRITUALLY AND RECOGNIZED JESUS!
BEYOND THE RECOGNITION OF THE NAIL SCARRED HANDS COMES THE REALITY THAT CHRIST WOULD BE WITH THEM ALWAYS. JESUS TEACHES US THAT WE CAN KNOW HIM IN ALL THINGS AND THE EVERYDAY THINGS IF WE WILL SIMPLY INVITE HIM TO JOIN US.
ONE FINAL LESSON I SEE JESUS TEACHING US FROM EMMAUS IS THAT WE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE AND RESPONSIBILITY TO SHARE THE JOY OF CHRIST IN OUR LIVES WITH OTHERS. SHARE THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD WHICH IS HOW YOU ENCOUNTERED AND RECEIVED JESUS!
JESUS DISAPPEARS AND IT BECOMES DECLARED IN VERSE 32, “DIDN’T OUR HEARTS BURN WITHIN US AS HE TALKED WITH US ON THE ROAD AND EXPLAINED THE SCRIPTURES TO US?” THEY COULDN’T KEEP THEIR NEW-FOUND JOY TO THEMSELVES!
THEY DIDN’T WAIT UNTIL MORNING. THEY GOT UP AND RETURNED TO JERUSALEM THAT NIGHT AND FOUND THE ELEVEN DISCIPLES WHO HAD ALREADY SHARED THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH THE RISEN CHRIST!
THAT IS IMPORTANT PART OF THIS STORY! WHY? THE CHRISTIAN MESSAGE IS NEVER FULLY OURS UNTIL WE HAVE SHARED IT WITH SOMEONE ELSE! YOUR FAITH IS NOT PRIVATE! THE GOSPEL MUST NEVER BE HOARDED, BUT HERALDED IN BOTH WORD AND DEED.
JESUS IS TEACHING US FROM EMMAUS THAT WE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE AND RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW AND ALSO SHARE THE JOY OF JESUS IN OUR LIVES THROUGH WORD AND DEED BEFORE OTHERS SO THAT THEY CAN DISCOVER JESUS AND COME TO FAITH .
THEREFORE, IT IS OBVIOUS NOW THAT THE WALK TO EMMAUS MUST CONTINUE ON IN OUR LIVES. THERE IS NO GREATER PRIVILEGE THAN TO INVITE JESUS INTO YOUR LIFE AND TO URGE HIM STRONGLY TO STAY WITH YOU ALWAYS.
DEVELOPING AND LIVING IN A LOVING, INTIMATE, AND PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP THAT AWAKENS YOUR LIFE, OPENS YOUR EYES, AND ENFLAMES YOUR HEART TO THE TRUTHS OF GOD’S LOVE. THERE CAN BE NO GREATER DECISION THAN INVITING JESUS INTO YOUR LIFE!
IT HAS BEEN SAID: UNLESS THE EYE CATCH FIRE, GOD WILL NOT BE SEEN. UNLESS THE EAR CATCH FIRE, GOD WILL NOT BE HEARD. UNLESS THE TONGUE CATCH FIRE, GOD WILL NOT BE NAMED. UNLESS THE HEART CATCH FIRE, GOD WILL NOT BE LOVED. UNLESS THE MIND CATCH FIRE, GOD WILL NOT BE KNOWN.
SIMPLY PUT: YOUR FAITH IS BOTH INTELLECTUAL AND PERSONAL. WHAT WE LEARN ABOUT FAITH IS LIVED OUT IN A SANCTIFIED LIFE. YOUR HEART AND MIND MUST BE FULLY SYNCRONIZED, THROUGH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, TO DEEPEN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS. EVERYTHING ABOUT US AND OUR FAITH MUST GET PERSONAL, BE PERSONAL, AND STAY PERSONAL! WE CANNOT AFFORD TO LIVE AS FOOLISH AND SLOW OF HEART ANY LONGER!
JESUS PATIENTLY, YET URGENTLY PLEADS WITH YOU TO TAKE ALL YOUR “HEAD KNOWLEDGE” AND PAIR IT WITH YOUR HEART TO MAKE IT PERSONAL AND REAL. THAT DECISION CAN BE RIGHT NOW.
EASTER DID NOT END AT SUNDOWN EASTER SUNDAY. IT JUST STARTED AND IT STRETCHES INTO THE REST OF OUR LIVES THROUGH GOD’S FULFILLED PROMISE OF THE RESURRECTION.
SO LET YOUR LIFE BE AN EXTENSION OF THIS EASTER REALITY. THE LORD IS RISEN! HE HAS RISEN INDEED! COME TO SALVATION IN JESUS. ALLOW JESUS CHRIST TO FULLY OPEN YOUR EYES, ENFLAME YOUR HEART WITH HIS PRESENSE AND LOVE, AND FILL YOU WITH NEWFOUND JOY TO SHARE THIS GREAT NEWS WITH OTHERS. AMEN!
