A WALK TO REMEMBER

LUKE 24:13-35

Luke gives us a glimpse into some things taking place on the Sunday following the crucifixion that are not found in the other gospels. Luke was writing an account, of which he had apparently been commissioned by a wealthy man named Theophilus. In the first chapter of Luke’s writing, he details that he has taken the effort to get eyewitness accounts of Jesus’s life, death, burial, and resurrection so that Theophilus could know for certain what he had been taught was true. Both of Luke’s writings, his gospel account and the book of Acts are addressed to Theophilus.

While the other gospel writers tell of the resurrection and how the women went to the tomb to find it empty and were told by angels that Jesus was alive, only Luke shares details of this encounter between two disciples with a risen Jesus Christ.

There must come a time in your life when you have your own person encounter with the risen savior. You cannot rely on your parents, your grandparents, your siblings, or your friends’ encounter with Jesus Christ. You must meet him for yourself.

Drop yourself into this scene in your mind. (Opening Prayer)

This is the third day since the crucifixion of Jesus on a hill called Calvary. He had died on a Roman cross and placed in a borrowed tomb. Jesus used a borrowed tomb because He would not need it for long. Luke tells us that very early in the morning, on the third day, and Mary Magdalene out of whom Jesus had cast seven demons, Mary the mother of Jesus, Joanna who was one who helped fund Jesus’s ministry, and other women went to the tomb to put spices on the body of Jesus. But, when they arrived, the stone was removed from the tomb and Jesus was nowhere to be found. Angels come and ask them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” and remind them that Jesus had told them all that he would be killed and then would rise on the third day. The women left to go tell the disciples who were hiding out, afraid the Romans would find them and kill them next. Luke tells us that the disciples did not believe them but Peter ran to the tomb to see what was going on and found the cloths that had been wrapped around the body of Jesus but no body. He left still not certain what had happened.

Luke 24:13–16 NKJV

Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.

This is the same day that the women went to the tomb, only a few hours later. Two disciples, who were hiding in the house with the others when the women came have given up all hope and left Jerusalem.

They are walking the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus, a seven mile walk. Just a week earlier, they had entered the city with Jesus, a triumphal entrance with all the people waving palm branches and shouting “Hosanna, Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD.” That same crowd, a few days later were shouting, “Crucify him.” Now, we see these two disciples who entered Jerusalem with so much hope, now walking away from Jerusalem alone and confused.

And Jesus shows up and walks with them. he knew exactly where they were.

The Bible says “Jesus drew near”. He saw two of his followers hurting, doubting, and confused. He didn’t pull away from them. He did not just stand by and leave them in their condition. He drew near to them and walked with them. He knows right where you are on your road. He knows where you have been, what you have been through, and what you may still be struggling with today. And if you want to know Him, want to know who He truly is, He is ready to show up and reveal himself to you today.

Luke tells us that they did not recognize him. God had miraculously prevented them from knowing it was Jesus walking with them. I wonder how many times in our lives we are walking through some of the most difficult times and Jesus is walking right beside us and we never even know he’s there. Even when we feel far from God, He is never far from us. While I was living my life the way I thought I wanted, not even considering God, there were times I should have died but God was right there with his merciful hand on my life giving me another chance. And he has done the same for you. You may be in that same situation right now.

Then Jesus asks a question, actually he asks two questions. Have you ever felt like God was asking you a question? I promise He never asks a question because He doesn’t know the answer. He asks the question to make you consider and see if you know the answer. He wants you to take a look at yourself.

Luke 24:17 NKJV

And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?”

Luke 24:18 NKJV

Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?”

Luke 24:19 NKJV

And He said to them, “What things?” So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,

One of the greatest evidences that the Bible is real is that the writers give names for people. The New Testament was written while the people mentioned in it were still alive. Luke mentions Cleopas by name. If what he is about to share was not true, Cleopas could have easily come out and discredited Luke. But the fact the writer is confident enough to share the names of the people in his stories tells you it must be true.

Cleopas asks Jesus, “How do you not know that has happened in Jerusalem?” Basically, he is asking, “Have you been living under a rock the past week?” Everyone knows what has happened. How in the world could you not know.

Then Jesus asks, “What things?”

Cleopas gets the opportunity to preach the gospel, the death burial and resurrection to Jesus Christ, the gospel in the flesh. He has no clue who he is talking to, but can you imagine?

Luke 24:20–24 NKJV

and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.”

Can you hear the hopelessness in their voices? “We were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.” They went to Jerusalem expecting Jesus to rescue Israel from Roman rule. He had told them exactly what had to happen and that He would arise on the third day and now it is the third day, and even though the tomb is empty, they are struggling to believe that he rose from the grave.

It is easy to look back at the disciples and wonder, How could they not have believed him. How could they not know he had risen and was really alive? But put yourself in their place without the advantage of living outside of the situation and able to know the end of the story. You may not be convinced either. And there may even be some now that even though you have heard it told many times, you still are not sure it’s real. You still have doubts that it is all true.

These two disciples had doubts. They felt lost, hopeless, and abandoned. They probably even felt a little angry. They had placed all their hope in a Messiah to rescue them and now he is gone. And what does Jesus do, He walks right into the middle of their mess, their doubts, their fears and walks with them.

Jesus is not afraid of your questions. Jesus can handle your doubts, your fears, your anger, and your hopelessness. Jesus wants to meet your right where you are at. He is not asking you to have it all together or to have it all figured out. He will meet you where you are, and He will walk with you and reveal himself to you so that you can know Him for yourself.

Luke 24:25–26 NKJV

Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?”

Luke 24:27 NKJV

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

Jesus met them where they were. This was anywhere between a 4-8 hour walk. The road is still there today. And Jesus walked the whole way with them. He talked with them and listened to them. He cared about them so much he walked all day with them, revealing the truth about himself.

Can you imagine having Jesus Christ himself tell you all of the Bible and how it points to himself? His Holy Spirit will do just that if you desire to know. It does not matter how ling it takes, He just wants you to know Him.

Luke 24:28–29 NKJV

Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them.

Jesus will always go where he is invited. He has never turned down an invitation. You will never have to worry about inviting Jesus into your life, into your situation and hear him say, “no”. But he does not go where He is not invited. If they had not invited Him in, He would have kept walking and they would not have had him truly revealed to them.

Don’t let him pass by today without inviting Him in. Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

Luke 24:30–31 NKJV

Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

(ILLUSTRATION)

Jesus had broken bread with them before. He broke the bread on the shore of the sea when it was multiplied and over 5000 people were fed. He broke the bread at the Passover meal when he said, “This is my body broken for you.” Now, he breaks the bread and they see all that He has done for them and for all of humanity. They now know for themselves that He truly is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, the King of Glory.

Luke 24:32–35 NKJV

And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.

Did not our hearts burn within us?

Once they had this encounter with a risen savior, they could not help but tell everyone they knew.

INVITATION