Luke 24
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” Then they remembered His words. When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. Luke 24:1-9 NIV
“Why do you look for the living among the dead?” (verse 5). This is an excellent question for each of us to ask ourselves every day. We have a God who is eternal and is very active in our daily lives. He lives and reigns in the hearts of all His people, including you and I. Jesus Himself said “I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades” (Revelation 1:18). We should always be on the lookout for the ways in which He shows up in our everyday lives. In order to acknowledge Him throughout the day and to appreciate His close presence, we should be sure to pray (short or long prayers both work fine), study the Bible (have a devoted time for this each day), praise Him (Thank you Lord for helping me yet again! You are amazing!), ask Him for help (Lord I need your assistance in this situation again), and worship Him (belt out those hymns and worship songs in your car or when you are doing dishes). We will not even notice Him if we attribute our blessings to coincidence, luck, a good decision we made, etc. We must remember that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17). He has risen! He is here with us always! Hallelujah!
Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus Himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing Him. He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked Him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” “What things?” He asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed Him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified Him; but we had hoped that He was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find His body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said He was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.” He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter His glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself. As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if He were going farther. But they urged Him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So He went in to stay with them. When He was at the table with them, He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, and He disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when He broke the bread. Luke 24:13-35 NIV
We can learn five important things from the story of these followers of Jesus as they travelled on the road to Emmaus.
1. We should not focus on our disappointments and problems. These believers had lost their hope for a savior because Jesus was crucified. What they did not understand was that His death was the key to their hope. Unfortunately, they were so preoccupied with their misery that they failed to recognize that Jesus was right next to them and even having a conversation with them! What are you focused on today? “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2).
2. We should stay connected to other believers, especially in difficult times. These men were headed in the wrong direction, away from their group of followers of Jesus. During trials, we need others to lean on, talk to, get advice from, and obtain help from. That is why we all need to make sure that we have a small group of godly friends that we can rely on in times of need. We should also meet together regularly to talk about God and strengthen each other in our faith: “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25).
3. When we are walking with Jesus, He will give us wisdom and knowledge about what is written in the Scriptures. “They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’” (verse 32). The more time you spend with God and study His Word, the more connected you will be to your Heavenly Father. This closeness will bring you peace, comfort, and joy, but will also make it easier to understand and apply what is written in The Bible.
4. We should urge Jesus to stay with us (see verses 28-29). He is not going to force His way into our lives, so we need to make the effort to spend time with Him. In this story, Jesus was going to keep walking, but these two men “urged Him strongly” to stay with them. Just as He listened to these two believers, there is also a promise for us that He will stay with us if we ask Him to: “Come near to God and He will come near to you…” (James 4:8).
5. We need to tell others about the great things that God has done for us and revealed to us (see verses 33-35). These men did not delay, but went to spread the word “at once.” They recognized how important it was to share their experience and proclaim the incredible news about Jesus being alive! What has God done for you or revealed to you? Who can you tell today?