Go! And Keep Walking in Resurrection Power (Third Sunday After Easter)
Introduction:
Christ is risen — He is risen indeed!
Here we are — two full weeks after Resurrection Sunday.
The memory of Easter morning might be fading.
The family gatherings and school holidays have ended.
The Chocolate Easter eggs have all been eaten
Life, for many, has returned to "normal."
But listen carefully:
The resurrection of Jesus was never meant to be a once-a-year celebration — it is meant to be a once-for-all transformation!
Today's message is titled:
“Go! And Keep Walking in Resurrection Power.”
We are going to walk alongside two followers of Jesus, on a road of sadness, confusion, and doubt — and we will see how the risen Christ meets them, walks with them, and transforms them by His resurrection power.
Luke 24:13–16 (NLT): "That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. But God kept them from recognising him."
1. Resurrection Power Walks With Us Even When We Don't Recognise It
Notice the scene:
Two followers of Jesus — not part of the Twelve, but still devoted — are walking away from Jerusalem.
They are heartbroken.
They are confused.
Their hopes have been shattered.
Have you ever been there, friend?
You know the facts about Jesus, but your heart feels heavy, your spirit feels confused?
And then — Jesus Himself draws near.
But verse 16 says: "God kept them from recognising him."
Here is a great truth: even when we can't see Him clearly, even when our emotions cloud our eyes, He is still walking with us.
Think of a parent holding a child's hand in the dark — the child may not see the parent, but the parent never lets go.
If you are on a difficult road today — listen: The risen Jesus is walking with you even if you don't feel it yet!
2. Resurrection Power Opens Our Eyes to God's Truth
As they walk, Jesus speaks:
Luke 24:25–27 (NLT): "Then Jesus said to them, 'You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?' Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself."
Jesus doesn't just comfort them emotionally — He instructs them biblically.
He opens the Scriptures and shows them:
The Cross was not a failure — it was the fulfilment of prophecy.
The suffering was not the end — it was the path to glory.
The word "explaining" — diermeneuo (d?e?µ??e??) — means "to interpret thoroughly, to unfold meaning fully."
Jesus gives them a Bible study on the road!
John Stott once said: “We must allow the Word of God to confront us, disturb our security, undermine our complacency and overthrow our patterns of thought and behaviour.”
The resurrection demands we view all of life — suffering, hope, purpose — through the lens of Scripture.
John Stott’s words echo the very heart of what it means to be transformed by the living Word of God. Too often we approach Scripture looking for comfort, but not conviction—reassurance, but not repentance. Yet the Bible was not given to simply affirm us; it was given to confront us with truth, to disturb any false security we cling to, and to reshape us into the likeness of Christ. God’s Word is not passive—it is active, alive, and sharper than any two-edged sword. May we not resist its cutting edge, but embrace its sanctifying power, allowing it to overthrow the worldly patterns within us, that we might walk in holiness and truth.
Let me press in on this truth just a little deeper.
You see, those disciples on the road to Emmaus had all the right information — but they had the wrong interpretation. They knew Jesus had died. They had even heard the women say He had risen. But they didn’t believe it yet. Why? Because their understanding was clouded by their expectations. Their version of the Messiah didn’t include a cross. Their idea of victory didn’t include suffering.
And isn’t that just like us sometimes?
We want the blessing without the burden. We want the crown without the cross. We want the glory without the groaning.
But Jesus, in His love and mercy, comes alongside us and says: Let me show you the truth again — not your version of the story, but God’s eternal plan.
Friend, some of us need our eyes opened afresh to the Scriptures. Some of us have been walking with our heads down, reading headlines instead of God’s promises. Listening to the news instead of the Good News. Trusting in temporary comforts instead of eternal truths.
And Jesus says today, just as He said then: “Wasn’t it clearly predicted…?”
In other words — “You should have seen this coming!”
How many times do we forget what God has already said?
The problem isn’t that God is silent — the problem is often that we have stopped listening.
But the risen Jesus is the Word made flesh. He is the divine interpreter. He doesn’t just inform your mind — He transforms your understanding.
When He opens the Scriptures, you don’t just read the Word — the Word begins to read you.
And let me tell you: when Jesus opens your eyes through His Word, fear gives way to faith, despair turns into delight, and confusion becomes clarity.
Don’t settle for spiritual blindness when Jesus offers you resurrection sight!
Let me ask you today:
Are you letting the Word of God reshape your thinking? Are you letting Jesus retrain your heart? Are you still trying to make Jesus fit into your story — or are you letting Him show you that you are part of His?
Oh Church — we are resurrection people!
That means we must be Bible people.
Let the risen Christ lead you not by feelings, not by fads, but by His faithful Word.
Because only the truth can set you free — and only Jesus is the truth that saves.
3. Resurrection Power Rekindles Our Hearts
After Jesus finally reveals Himself — after breaking bread — He vanishes.
And then listen to what they say to each other:
Luke 24:32 (NLT): "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?'"
Burning hearts!
That’s what resurrection power produces!
Not cold, ritualistic religion.
Not shallow emotionalism.
But deep, living, burning passion for Christ!
Have you ever seen embers reignited into flame?
You stir them, you fan them — and suddenly they roar into life again.
That’s what Jesus does for weary hearts!
If your heart has grown cold, come back to Jesus today.
Let Him set your heart ablaze again!
4. Resurrection Power Sends Us Running With the Good News
What do the two disciples do next?
Luke 24:33–34 (NLT): "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, who said, 'The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.'"
They don't sit down and make a plan.
They don't wait until the morning.
They don't calculate the risks.
They RUN back to proclaim: JESUS IS ALIVE!
When you truly encounter the risen Jesus, you can't keep it to yourself.
Who do you need to tell this week that Jesus is alive?
Who needs to hear your testimony?
The resurrection was never meant to be bottled up — it is meant to be broadcast!
Gospel Presentation:
Friend, maybe today you feel like you are walking away from hope, just like those two followers on the road to Emmaus.
The Good News is this:
Jesus is drawing near to you today.
He wants to walk with you, open your eyes, rekindle your heart, and send you out with His resurrection power.
1 Peter 1:18–21 (NLT) reminds us: "For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver... It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God."
Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, you can be set free!
Romans 10:9 (NLT) promises: "If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Today can be the day you truly begin walking with Jesus!
Closing Challenge:
Believers —
Keep walking in resurrection power!
Keep your heart burning with passion for His Word!
Keep your feet running to share the Good News!
Because Christ lives, we live — and we walk, and we run, and we proclaim.
A candle does not exist for itself — it exists to give light.
You were lit by the fire of resurrection not just to glow, but to guide others home to Jesus.
Invitation to Response:
Let’s pray:
For renewed passion.
For open eyes to the truth.
For boldness to witness.
For hearts to come alive in Christ today.
So, today, let us not walk like those who have no hope—but like those who have encountered the risen Christ.
Go! and keep walking in resurrection power, not just on Sundays, but every day. Let every step you take be rooted in the truth of God’s Word, fuelled by the fire of the Holy Spirit, and directed by the love of the Saviour who walks beside you.
And when the road gets long or the path seems unclear, remember this: the One who conquered the grave is still walking with you, still speaking to you, still igniting your heart with purpose.
So go—walk boldly, live faithfully, and shine brightly—for Christ is risen indeed!
