(Luke 24:13-35)
A Journey From Deep Despair To Exuberant Joy
The second group of people Jesus appeared to on His resurrection day, after having appeared to the women who had visited his empty tomb, were the two men going from Jerusalem to Emmaus.
They were discussing Christ’s crucifixion (Luke 24:14) and were very downcast and sad, Luke 24:17. While they were trying to figure out what it all meant and what was next, Christ joined them, though they recognized Him not, Luke 24:15-16.
He questioned them concerning what they were talking about that was accompanied by their low spirits, Luke 24:17. To them, however, it was unbelievable that he didn’t know the reason, considering the tumult there had been at Jerusalem over Christ’s crucifixion, Luke 24:18. But Christ continued to question them to tell him everything that was on their heart and mind, as if he knew nothing about their concerns, Luke 24:19a.
They opened up with him, declaring their concerns to be over Jesus of Nazareth, whom they declared to be “a prophet mighty in deed and word,” but to their despair, had been presented to the Romans for crucifixion by the Jewish chief priests and rulers. And to their consternation, they had been expecting him to deliver Israel out of her present troubles, Luke 24:19b-21a.
As for the teachings that, to them, alluded to Christ arising after 3 days, all they had were the unconfirmed reports of some women, which claimed to have seen “a vision of angels, which said that he was alive,” Luke 24:21-24.
Christ reproved them, “O fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?” Luke 24:25-26. He then patiently took the time, “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” Luke 24:27
As they arrived at Emmaus, they constrained him to abide with them and as they were eating with him, “their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.” Luke 24:31. After this fact, what was so outstanding to them was how their hearts had burned within them as he had opened up the scriptures to them on the way.
What can be said about all this is: they were sad and in despair because they knew only part of the story. AND they knew only part of the story, not because it wasn’t contained in the scriptures, nor because Christ hadn’t taught them, but because the part they knew was the only part they wanted to know. They wanted to know about Christ, the prophet mighty in deed and word, but they didn’t want to know about the sufferings of Christ.
But they found that the answers they needed to go from being overcome by despair, unto becoming more than a conqueror, existed with the acceptance of those things in God’s Word, that their own will and way didn’t really want to know. AMEN!
SHARING
