Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”
Luke 24:31-32 N.R.S.V.
Greetings to all God’s people at Baldwin Memorial United Methodist Church. Jesus Christ is Risen! Alleluia! The Lord is Risen, indeed. Alleluia! Easter is the most exciting day of the year for those who follow Jesus. The heart of the Gospel the Good News is the resurrection of Christ. The foundation of Christian experience is the resurrection of Jesus. But, the first Easter came as a surprise and a shock! To Jesus’ original Disciples the Master whom they had loved and followed for three years, whom they had left every one and everything to follow, the one who they believed was the Messiah, the one who would deliver Israel from the hated Roman occupiers, had suffered and died on a Roman Cross. He was dead and gone. Their hope, faith and joy shattered.
That is where we find the two Disciples found in the story in Luke Chapter 24. Two followers of Jesus are trudging down the Emmaus Road. They have been in Jerusalem and now with broken hearts are probably walking home to the village of Emmaus. It is Easter afternoon, one man is named Cleopas the other person is not named in the story. They have given up, quit; they slowly, painfully walk down the Emmaus Road. They had seen their teacher and friend suffer and die on a bloody Roman cross. One more Jew out of thousands butchered by the hated Romans. There were rumors that some of the women had gone to Jesus’ tomb early that morning and found it empty, seen suppose visions of angels claiming that Jesus was alive, but who could believe such nonsense. He was dead and gone. Disappointed, disillusioned, defeated, heart broken they walk the Emmaus Road to go home. They were going back to their old life; what was familiar, safe and secure. All hope was gone.
Can you imagine the scene? Can you see these two Disciples all bent over, eyes read and puffy from crying? Can you feel their pain? They walk in silence because words have failed them. Suddenly a stranger seemingly out of no where joins them walking down this lonely road. Hearing this story we know already it is the Risen Christ. Alleluia! But somehow they don’t seem to recognize their Master and friend. Maybe grief and tears had closed their eyes and memory? Maybe the Resurrection body is somehow different than our present bodies, like an acorn to an oak tree? Maybe God kept for some mysterious reason their eyes shut from truly seeing? They don’t know who this stranger is. But he walks with them on this painful journey. The stranger asks them, “What were you discussing with each other while you were walking along?” Cleopas answers this mysterious stranger, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days? Du-huh?
I always find amazing our Lord’s questions….. he asks, “What things?” Then Cleopas and his traveling partner go on to explain the things that had happened to Jesus of Nazareth in Jerusalem to the Risen Christ. Don’t you love the stories in the Bible? Here they are trying to explain to Jesus what happened to Jesus! Wow!
Risen Lord opens the Bible to them and teaches them about the suffering and rising Messiah. What a Bible study that must have been. They come to their home in Emmaus and urge him to stay the night. At dinner, the risen Lord took the bread, blessed and broke it and gave it to them suddenly by faith their eyes were open. He is Risen! Alleluia! They go from despair to hope, sorrow to joy, death to life! Now they go running back to Jerusalem shouting to others Jesus Christ is Risen! Alleluia! What amazing good news! This is the Gospel!
In a wonderful little devotional book for Lent by James W. Moore, “On the Road Again” he shares three things we can learn from the Road to Emmaus story.
1) Christ comes to us in a special way when we re hurting.
2) Christ has the power to heal our hearts.
3) Christ shares His resurrection with us.
In our darkest and most painful moments God comes to us. When our hope seems gone and all is despair Christ has the power to heal. Christ Jesus still opens the Bible to us and makes our hearts burn. Christ Jesus still makes Himself known in the breaking of the bread and sharing of the cup. Christ Jesus sends us to gather with other believers to celebrate joy of the Resurrection.
We joyfully proclaim together: Jesus Christ is Risen! Alleluia! The resurrection of Christ Jesus is our hope and assurance of our resurrection, eternal life and kingdom of God. Christ shares His resurrection with us. Alleluia!
May we joyfully celebrate our Lord’s resurrection this Easter and every day! He is Risen, Indeed. Alleluia! God Bless you all!
Your pastor and friend,
Phil Tocknell