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by Sandy Shaw
We come to this final section in the Gospel of Luke. We are in Chapter 24 and at verse 13. Jesus Christ is risen and alive, and it is mid-afternoon on Resurrection Day. A lot has been going on. These past two weeks have been fairly traumatic for everyone and we have looked at the events in some detail.
Two disciples of Jesus are walking the seven miles or from Jerusalem to Emmaus.
They appear to have so much to say to each other. They have been in Jerusalem and they had seen Jesus Christ crucified, and now they think it is all over. Do you ever think that?
Do you ever go through a period or a season when you just think that all you have worked for and all your various spiritual experiences are just all over and everything is in the past? Have we not all been there at some time or another?
We all need this relevant living Word. Jesus is risen from the dead, and their hearts are exceedingly sad. They are so disappointed. Up until now the disciples have called it all nonsense! They accused the women who had been to the tomb as being delirious or fevered. They have had too much sun, or the emotion has got to these women!
Not very far along the road and third Man joins them and it is Jesus, but they have no idea Who it is.
It is possible to have Jesus this close and this near, and not know it.
They did not expect to meet Jesus. They knew Jesus was dead, and they assumed He would remain dead. Dead men don't rise. They are still blind. They cannot see who has come alongside them, and Jesus is so close and so near. Does this not happen frequently today? Jesus approaches and many miss Him for various reasons.
They are so sad. They had lost Jesus. It is always sad when you lose someone you really love. Jesus was only in His early 30's. Perhaps they thought Jesus was going to be around for a long time. They got it so wrong. They are so burdened, and it shows. Faces reveal a lot.
Jesus asks then a question. "What are you discussing as you walk along the road together?"
Cleopas asks, "Are you the only one in Jerusalem who does not know what has been going on?"
“What things?”
“Concerning Jesus of Nazareth. He was a prophet powerful in word and deed. Our leaders handed Him over to be killed. They did it. They crucified Him. We thought He was the One Who was going to redeem Israel. This all happened three days ago.”
Read the conversation. Share it with your people in detail. Feed them with these spiritual truths.
Their precious Jesus was gone. Their buoyant hopes had been dashed.
“O, He said something about being killed at the hands of sinful men, and the elders of the people.
Yes, He said something along these lines, and even mentioned something about rising three days later, but His time is up. It is now the third day. We have seen no sign of Him. But - but - do you know this? Some women amazed us this morning. Some whom we know went to the tomb where they laid Him, and they came and told us that they had seen angels, and the angels said that Jesus was risen and alive. Some others went. They too saw the tomb empty, BUT HIM THEY DID NOT SEE!
They are so disappointed, upset, perhaps even angry? That comes over from the words used in the conversation. Do you ever become upset, or disappointed, or even angry when things go spiritually wrong? It is quite understandable.
They have left all to follow Jesus Christ. They had believed that Jesus was the ONE Who would rescue them and save them.
They believed that Jesus had the answer to all of men's problems and needs and sicknesses and pains and sins.
They had looked to Jesus and they felt let down. This is an honest and realistic book.
These are two broken dejected men, and the Bible does not try to hide this. Jesus interjects and takes over the conversation and resolves these various issues in a most wonderful way. He still does. Know that, and let your people know that.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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