THERE ARE TIMES IN OUR SPIRITUAL LIVES WHEN THERE WILL BE CONFUSION, AND THE WAY OUT OF IT IS NOT SIMPLY TO SAY THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE CONFUSED.
IT IS NOT A MATTER OF RIGHT AND WRONG, BUT A MATTER OF GOD TAKING US THROUGH A WAY THAT WE TEMPORARILY DO NOT UNDERSTAND.
JUST BECAUSE WE DON’T IMMEDIATELY UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION WE CANNOT ALLOW THESE TIMES OF CONFUSION TO MAKE US THINK JESUS IS NOT WITH US.
JUST BECAUSE WE DON’T IMMEDIATELY UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION WE CANNOT ALLOW THESE TIMES OF CONFUSION TO MAKE US THINK ALL IS LOST AND HOPELESS.
JUST BECAUSE WE DON’T IMMEDIATELY UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION WE CANNOT ALLOW THESE TIMES OF CONFUSION TO MAKE US FORGET ALL WE HAVE BEEN TAUGHT ABOUT JESUS CHRIST.
IF WE WILL NOT "SPIRITUALLY PANIC" AND BE STILL, WE WILL SOON FIND THAT IT IS ONLY BY GOING THROUGH THE SPIRITUAL CONFUSION THAT WE WILL COME TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT GOD IS TRYING TO TEACH US!
THE MEN ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS NEEDED TO TAKE THIS ADVICE TO HEART. INSTEAD OF BEING "STILL" THEY "SPIRITUALLY PANICKED" AND FORGOT ALL THEY KNEW.
SO, IMAGINE THEN HOW JESUS MUST HAVE FELT AS HE WALKED UP BEHIND THESE TWO DISCIPLES ON THEIR WAY TO EMMAUS AND HEARD WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT.
THESE TWO MEN WERE HAVING A PRETTY GOOD DEBATE ABOUT THE NEWS SURROUNDING THE TOMB THAT WAS FOUND EMPTY EARLIER THAT DAY.
THEY JUST DIDN’T GET IT! SEEING THE SADNESS WRITTEN ACROSS THEIR FACES JESUS ASKS THEM, “WHAT ARE YOU SO CONCERNED ABOUT?”
PICTURE JESUS ASKING SUCH A QUESTION. IT WOULD BE JUST LIKE SOMEONE COMING UP TO A COLLEGE BASKETBALL FAN AND ASKING, "ARE THE DUKE BLUE DEVILS A PRETTY GOOD BASKETBALL TEAM?”
WHAT ROCK DID YOU JUST CRAWL OUT FROM UNDER? I’M SURE THE TWO MEN WERE STUNNED! WITHOUT EVEN RECOGNIZING THAT IT WAS JESUS CLEOPAS REPLIED IN VERSE 18, “YOU MUST BE THE ONLY PERSON IN JERUSALEM WHO HASN’T HEARD ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED HERE THE LAST FEW DAYS.”
PROBABLY INTERESTED IN SEEING WHAT THEY KNEW, JESUS QUIZZED THEM BY ANSWERING THEIR QUESTION WITH A QUESTION, “WHAT THINGS?”
JUST LIKE A NEWS REPORTER BROADCASTING LIVE FROM THE SCENE, CLEOPAS DETAILS THE EVENTS OF THE PAST THREE DAYS. “THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO JESUS, THE MAN FROM NAZARETH.”
CLEOPAS GOES ON TO PAINT A VIVID PICTURE OF THE EVENTS THAT RECENTLY UNFOLDED. HE NOTES HOW JESUS DID WONDERFUL MIRACLES, WAS A MIGHTY TEACHER AND HIGHLY REGARDED BY THE PEOPLE.
HE EVEN HAD HIS FACTS DOWN STRAIGHT BY NOTING THAT IT WAS THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND RULERS WHO HANDED HIM OVER FOR DEATH BY CRUCIFIXION.
YOU COULD PROBABLY SEE A GRIN BEGIN TO CRACK FROM JESUS’ CONCERNED FACE; AS CLEOPAS STARTS TALKING ABOUT THE EMPTY TOMB. OH YES, THE EMPTY TOMB. I BET JESUS WAS PROBABLY WONDERING IF THEY WERE EVER GOING TO GET TO THAT!
JESUS COULD SENSE THE SURPRISE IN THEIR VOICE AS THEY TOLD HIM ABOUT THE WOMEN WHO WENT TO THE TOMB ON THE THIRD DAY AND FOUND IT EMPTY!
NOT ONLY DID THEY FIND AN EMPTY TOMB BUT THAT THE WOMEN HAD ALSO REPORTED TALKING WITH ANGELS WHO PROCLAIMED THAT JESUS WAS ALIVE!
AS IF TO ADD SOME CREDIBILITY TO THEIR STORY IN ORDER TO CONVINCE JESUS, THEY QUICKLY MENTIONED THAT OTHERS, INCLUDING PETER, HAD GONE TO THE TOMB AND FOUND OUT FOR THEMSELVES THAT THEY WERE RIGHT! THE BODY OF JESUS WAS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND!
THERE WAS NO BODY IN THE TOMB AND THE MEN HAD NO MEMORY WITHIN THEIR HEARTS OR MINDS OF WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AT THE TOMB. ALL THEY COULD THINK ABOUT WAS THAT THE BODY OF JESUS WAS GONE!
THE TWO DISCIPLES WERE BAFFLED BY WHAT HAD TAKEN PLACE. THE LAST THING THEY EXPECT AT THIS POINT WAS A RESURRECTION!
THEIR SAVIOR WASN’T DEAD, THEIR POLITICAL FIGURE WAS DEAD AS WAS THEIR HOPES OF RIDING HIS COAT TAILS INTO THE POLITICAL SYSTEM!
CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW THE SHORT MEMORY AND THE “WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME” ATTITUDE OF THESE TWO MEN MUST HAVE DISTURBED AND SADDENED JESUS?
AFTER ALL THEY HAD BEEN TAUGHT THROUGH THE WRITINGS OF THE PROPHETS AND AFTER ALL THAT JUST TRANSPIRED OVER THE PAST THREE DAYS THESE TWO DISCIPLES TOTALLY FORGOT EVERYTHING.
JESUS SAID IN VERSES 25-26, “YOU ARE SUCH FOOLISH PEOPLE! DO YOU FIND IT SO HARD TO BELIEVE ALL THAT THE PROPHETS WROTE IN THE SCRIPTURES?
WASN’T IT CLEARLY PREDICTED BY THE PROPHETS THAT THE MESSIAH WOULD HAVE TO SUFFER ALL THESE THINGS BEFORE ENTERING HIS TIME OF GLORY?”
JESUS THEN WENT ON QUOTING PASSAGES FROM THE WRITINGS OF MOSES AND ALL THE PROPHETS. NOT ONLY DID HE TELL THEM THE WORDS, BUT TOOK TIME TO EXPLAIN WHAT ALL THE SCRIPTURES HAD SAID ABOUT HIMSELF.
JESUS, IN HIS UNIQUE AND LOVING WAY TAUGHT THEM VERY VALUABLE LESSONS THAT DAY ALONG THE ROAD TO EMMAUS. JESUS IS STILL TEACHING THEM TO US TODAY!
JESUS TEACHES US THAT IN OUR TIMES OF CONFUSION AND DISMAY HE WILL TEACH US THE MEANINGS BEHIND THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN OUR LIVES AND THE LESSONS WE NEED TO LEARN FROM THEM.
JESUS WILL GIVE US THE ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND THE EVENTS THAT SURROUND OUR LIVES. EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS TO US, BOTH GOOD AND BAD WILL MAKE SENSE BECAUSE OF JESUS.
THE WHOLE SITUATION SEEMED TO THESE TWO MEN TO HAVE NO EXPLANATION. THEIR HOPES AND DREAMS WERE SHATTERED IN THE MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE CRUCIFIXION.
THEN JESUS CAME AND TALKED WITH THEM, AND THE MEANING OF LIFE BECAME ABSOLUTELY CLEAR AND THEIR DARKNESS TURNED TO LIGHT!
JESUS TEACHES US THAT IN OUR TIMES OF CONFUSION AND DISMAY HE WILL TEACH US THE MEANINGS BEHIND THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN OUR LIVES.
SECONDLY, JESUS TEACHES US THAT HE WILL NEVER FORCE HIMSELF UPON US. JESUS ATTEMPTS TO GO ON AHEAD AND DECLINE THE MEN’S OFFER TO SPEND THE NIGHT.
WHAT SEEMED TO BE A TURNDOWN ACTUALLY WAS A “PUT ON.” LOOKING AT THE WORDS JESUS USED IN THE ORIGINAL GREEK FORM SHOWS THAT JESUS WAS SIMPLY “TESTING” THEM TO SEE HOW THEY WOULD REACT.
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 ONLY PRETENDING TO WANT TO GO ON WITH HIS TRAVELS. THE MEN COULD HAVE SAID, “SUIT YOURSELF,” “MORE POWER TO YOU” OR “HAVE A SAFE TRIP,” BUT INSTEAD 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!
THIS SCENE REMINDS ME OF JESUS WORDS IN REVELATION 3:20, “BEHOLD, I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK. IF ANYONE HEARS MY VOICE AND OPENS THE DOOR, I WILL COME IN TO HIM AND DINE WITH HIM, AND HE WITH ME.”
JESUS WAITED FOR AN INVITATION FROM THE TWO MEN 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 WILL NEVER FORCE HIMSELF ON ANYONE!
THIRDLY, JESUS ALSO TEACHES US THAT WE CAN KNOW HIM IN THE ORDINARY, EVERYDAY THINGS. WHEN JESUS DINED WITH THE TWO MEN AND BROKE THE BREAD HE WAS NOT PERFORMING HOLY COMMUNION. JESUS WAS TEACHING THEM A LESSON ABOUT HIMSELF.
THIS LESSON IS TAUGHT AT AN ORDINARY MEAL IN AN ORDINARY HOUSE, WITH AN ORDINARY LOAF OF BREAD BEING DIVIDED. IT WAS DURING THIS ORDINARY TIME THAT THESE MEN TRULY RECOGNIZED JESUS!
BEYOND THE RECOGNITION OF THE NAIL SCARRED HANDS CAME THE REALITY THAT CHRIST WOULD BE WITH THEM ALWAYS. JESUS NOT ONLY MEETS US AT THE COMMUNION TABLE, BUT HE ALSO MEETS US AT THE DINNER TABLE.
IN OTHER WORDS, JESUS CHRIST IS NOT ONLY THE HOST IN HIS CHURCH, BUT HE IS ALSO THE GUEST IN EVERY HOME AND THE GUEST IN EVERY HEART AND LIFE OF THOSE WHO PLACE THEIR TRUST IN HIM.
THE CHRISTIAN LIVES ALWAYS AND EVERYWHERE IN A CHRIST-FILLED WORLD. JESUS TEACHES US THAT WE CAN KNOW HIM IN THE ORDINARY, EVERYDAY THINGS.
THE 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.
THE TWO MEN COULD NOT KEEP THEIR NEW-FOUND JOY TO THEMSELVES! THEY RAN TO JERUSALEM AND FOUND OTHERS WHO HAD ALREADY SHARED THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH THE RISEN CHRIST!
THE CHRISTIAN MESSAGE IS NEVER FULLY OURS UNTIL WE HAVE SHARED IT WITH SOMEONE ELSE! THE GLORY OF BEING A CHRISTIAN IS THAT WE CAN LIVE IN A FELLOWSHIP OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME EXPERIENCE WITH THE SAVIOR AS WE HAVE.
EACH OF US IS ONE OF A GREAT FELLOWSHIP OF PEOPLE WHO SHARE A COMMON EXPERIENCE AND A COMMON MEMORY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
JESUS TEACHING US FROM EMMAUS IS THAT WE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE AND RESPONSIBILITY TO SHARE THE JOY OF CHRIST IN OUR LIVES WITH OTHERS.
THEREFORE, IT IS OBVIOUS NOW THAT THE EMMAUS JOURNEY IS NOT JUST A PART OF THE EASTER STORY. YES, IT HAPPENED ON EASTER DAY, BUT IT MUST NOT STOP THERE. IT MUST CONTINUE ON IN OUR LIVES.
LET OUR LIVES BE AN EXTENSION OF THIS EASTER REALITY. THE LORD IS RISEN AND HE COMES BACK TO MEET US ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS.
THERE IS NO GREATER PRIVILEGE THAN KNOWING THE SON OF GOD! THROUGH THE STUDY OF SCRIPTURE, BEING DOWN ON OUR KNEES IN PRAYER WE CAN FIND OUR HEARTS BECOMING “STRANGELY WARMED.” WE CAN RECOGNIZE JESUS IN “THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD.”
NOW, HOW CAN WE KNOW ALL OF THESE THINGS AND NOT GO AND TELL OTHERS AND SHARE WITH THEM ALL THAT WE HAVE DISCOVERED ABOUT CHRIST?
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.
THE LORD IS RISEN AND HE COMES BACK TO MEET US ON OUR ROAD TO EMMAUS.
