EASTER!

The Journey to Joy: Christ In you, the Hope of Glory

Over the past few Sunday’s we have journeyed with Jesus and His circle of followers to Jerusalem. From Jesus’ birth He knew of only one destination - Jerusalem. As Jesus was traveling towards Jerusalem some religious leaders warned Him to avoid the area ruled by Herod.

Herod, confused and uncertain about Jesus’ identity, had killed John the Baptist. Now, this Jesus was stirring up crowds with a similar message. (Herod’s solution to most of the challenges he faced as ‘king’ was murder.)

Jesus affirmed that He must go to Jerusalem:

Luke 13:33 HCSB

Yet I must travel today, tomorrow, and the next day, because it is not possible for a prophet to perish outside of Jerusalem!

For Jesus the entrance to joy lay through death - death on a cross. Jesus had shared with His disciples that He was heading for Jerusalem and that He would be killed and raised on the 3rd day.

They did not understand. They could not comprehend how the Messiah, the Only and Only Son of God could die. They could not understand how one person could atone for sin. And as to Jesus’ claim of being raised from the dead. Simply impossible.

What Things?

Two people traveling home on the day after the Passover Week finished are talking over all that had occurred. Try and imagine what you might have been discussing after a week such as these Jesus followers had?

One of Jesus’ earliest followers had betrayed Him, leading chief priests, officers of the temple, and elders to a secluded spot where Jesus could be arrested.

Jesus was taken to the high priests’ home, the council chambers of the Sanhedrin, and finally to Pilate, the Roman governor of the province. Before pronouncing judgment, Pilate sent Jesus to Herod who was a quasi-ruler of Galilee who happened to be in Jerusalem. Herod hoped for some miraculous sign, but Jesus said nothing and did nothing. Herod’s soldiers mocked Jesus and led Him away back to Pilate, where Jesus was condemned to death, even though Pilate could find no fault in Him.

On Friday afternoon, Jesus was executed on a cross among two other criminals. Shortly before sundown on Friday, before Sabbath began, Jesus’ body was laid in a borrowed tomb.

Traveling back to their home in Emmaus, some seven miles from Jerusalem these travelers had much to discuss.

As they walked someone joined them. It was not unusual for Jews who had attended Passover feasts in Jerusalem to travel in groups, so a stranger joining these two was normal.

This newcomer simply asked,

Luke 24:17 HCSB

Then He asked them, “What is this dispute that you’re having with each other as you are walking?” And they stopped walking and looked discouraged.

This question literally stopped them in their tracks.

How could anyone who had been in Jerusalem not know of the events of the past couple of days?

Concerning Jesus of Nazareth…

Look with me at their explanation of this ‘Jesus of Nazareth:’

Luke 24:19 (HCSB)

“ a Prophet powerful in action and speech before God and all the people,”

A ‘prophet’ is one who speaks on behalf of another. Sometime after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, prophecy became associated with ‘telling the future.’

The Jews recognized ‘prophets’ as those who spoke with the authority of God. Not only did Cleopas and his companion acknowledge Jesus as one who spoke on behalf of God, they had heard and seen powerful acts done by this Jesus. Perhaps they had seen Him clear the Temple.

The answer Cleopas gives to the newcomer’s question recognizes that most people - including Jesus’ closest followers - really had no way of understanding who Jesus was.

Earlier on His journey, Jesus paused to ask His disciples…

“Who do the crowds say that I am?”

The disciples answer with a summary of what others had been saying:

John the Baptist, back from the dead;

Elijah, raised from the dead;

one of the prophets of old that has risen.

Very few people understood who this Jesus that Cleopas and his fellow traveler were discussing. In writing and broadcasting there is a tactic known as ‘burying the lead!’ Cleopas and his companion buried the lead but their next observation was perplexing:

Luke 24:22–24 (HCSB)

Moreover, some women from our group astounded us. They arrived early at the tomb, and when they didn’t find His body, they came and reported that they had seen a vision of angels who said He was alive.

Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they didn’t see Him.”

The headline in this account should been ‘some angels said He was alive.’

Several factors help us understand the confusion:

a. The Messiah was understood to be a figure ushering in the end of the world, the end of the age. Though Jesus was asked, He never claimed to be the beginning of the end of time.

b. The Messiah was anticipated to