Luke 24:13-35
Why the two disciples were going to Emmaus we are not sure but we can reasonably assume that they were familiar with the place. It provided some sort of safe haven, a place to try to make sense of what was happening; a place to process. We all need such places don’t we.
It was here that Jesus the stranger, who seemed to have all the answers, became Jesus their recognizable Lord who was the answer.
What was happening to these disciples is the same thing that needs to happen to us, time and time again. They had been with Jesus ; seen the miracles and heard the teaching. And then came a seemingly rapid descent into disillusion and despair because events did not take the direction they thought they should. They had been trying to fit Jesus into their plans, their pattern of thinking. The confusion was only compounded by the initial reports from the tomb.
What these two disciples needed was a fresh encounter with God and his kingdom. Something supernatural, unexpected, attention grabbing, completely out of their experience, something that could be absorbed by the senses and yet something that touched the core of their being.
This was going to be a process. Jesus the consummate disciple maker, sees the need, comes alongside, teaches, shares life, brings revelation.
Resurrection is not just an act of bringing back to life, it is transformative. Jesus’ body wasn’t just alive from the dead, it was a new body and different kind of body endued with divine power and life. Not bound by the limitations of this World.
But what does the resurrection mean for us now ? A hope for eternal life, a precursor to Pentecost, and a revelation of the supernatural dimension of the Kingdom of Heaven? The Living God still comes to us, when we share communion, read the Bible, pray, give him our praise and worship. The good news is that in this account from Emmaus Jesus did not wait for these disciples to work it all out but he came to them and helped them gain understanding and then he gave them revelation. Jesus himself is the answer we seek.
This Kingdom of heaven is the dynamic realm of heaven at work among us. We need resurrection thinking. Jesus changed everything by his resurrection. Exploding the fear of the grave and uncertainty of our last breath with the promise of new life and heralding in the Age of the Holy Spirit and the church. He proved through the resurrection that he had overcome all the power of sin and the fear of death, this is available to us too. The disciples needed a fresh encounter with the risen Christ. In fact they had more after they returned to Jerusalem. You and I need an encounter with the living word of God to change our perspectives and doubts.
As we read this story, Jesus invites us to be part of His story. It’s bigger than you think; it’s more powerful in its ability to bring change. Expect the miraculous, listen for God to speak to you and get ready to embrace the fact that his ways are higher than yours.
PRAYER: Lord you come to us now and proclaim the truth of your resurrection once more. In all our struggles, needs and questions give us resurrection thinking. May your promises and your Living Word be resurrected in us afresh to your praise and Glory. We ask that you resurrect the priorities of our lives, our ways of reaching the lost, the way we do church. Resurrect the promise to us, that you will do more than all we ask or imagine. Amen.