Blinded by Grief

Scripture

John 8:31–32 ESV

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

OH 245 = More About Jesus

CH 326 = Open My Eyes That I May See

Introduction

Focus on Luke 24:13-33

Context - Jesus crucified

The disciples are anxious and disappointed

Their anxiety made them blind to recognising Jesus

The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety—George Muller.

v. 14 - “talking with each other about all these things”

Where was their focus?

The words of others became more important than the word of Jesus

They were blinded by their feelings and lost sight of their faith

Eve, under the spell of feelings, became the instrument through which Adam fell. Through feelings Satan is still destroying or modifying the knowledge of God as revealed to man—Frank B. Phillips

v.15 - “Jesus himself drew near”

Just when I need Him, Jesus is near, Just when I falter, just when I fear; Ready to help me, ready to cheer—Wiliam C. Poole

v.19 - “What things?”

When God asks question be sure it’s a teachable moment

It’s God’s way of saying are we on the same page?

Adam Genesis 3:9

Elijah 1 Kings 19:9

Disciples Mark 8:27

v.27 - “And beginning with Moses”

45 min walk to the shops, but I forgot my wallet, so I had to walk back home and start from the beginning.

Jesus had been teaching the disciples for 3 years and he had to start from the beginning.

How many of you find yourself in a timeloop, keep repeating the same sin over and over again?

1 John 1:9 ESV

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

v.28 - “Stay with us”

News: dog stayed with dead owner

The most important thing a Christian can ask other than to be saved is “Lord, stay with me”

Genesis 28:15 ESV

15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

3. Abide (Gk. Menō) = one meaning of menō is be present

"Abide in me" is not a passive call but a conscious choice, making room in your heart daily for Christ, as He has already made room in His heart for you." - A.W. Tozer

v.31 - “Then their eyes were opened”

When Jesus first encountered these two disciples they were blind to His presence, but now they can see.

Are you blinded by grief? Are their things happening in your life that has made you to lose sight of Jesus?

Conclusion

In Christ's Presence, Our Eyes Are Opened

Brothers and sisters, like those disciples on the road to Emmaus, many of us walk through life with blinders on—focused on our circumstances, disappointments, and anxieties. We talk endlessly about our problems, analyze our failures, and in doing so, miss the presence of the very One who walks beside us.

But today, Jesus extends the same invitation to us that He offered those disciples: "Abide in my word." Not just hear it occasionally, not just acknowledge it, but dwell in it, make your home in it.

When we choose to abide in Christ's word, three transformations occur:

We become true disciples—not just believers by name, but followers by practice

We come to know the truth—not just intellectual facts, but living reality

We experience freedom—from anxiety, from blindness, from the bondage of our circumstances

The disciples' eyes were opened in the breaking of bread. Today, our eyes are opened in the breaking open of God's Word. When we abide there, we find that Jesus has been with us all along—through every trial, every disappointment, every moment of grief.

So I ask you today: Where are your eyes fixed? On your problems, or on your Savior? On your feelings, or on His faithfulness?

The invitation is clear: "Stay with us," they said to Jesus. But today, Jesus says to you, "Abide in Me." Make that conscious choice daily. Open your heart to Him, as He has opened His heart to you.

And as you do, I promise you this—your eyes will be opened, your heart will burn within you, and you will find that the truth you discover there will set you truly free.

Let us pray...