Second Sunday after Easter (2025)

Luke 24:13-35

My Brothers and sisters in Christ, this lesson actually comes from the readings of Easter Evening and so we are transported back just a week to that night when Christ rose and caught most of the disciples offguard, and even from the account here these two disciples thought that the women were delirious when they came back to share the good news of salvation. Even after hearing the good news, the Gospel, they left the city in a sad state for there hearts and eyes had not yet been opened.

Too Good to Be True

They want this to be true.

They were followers of Jesus and knew and were distressed by the events that had taken place. In Jerusalem, and even though they had seen Jesus and heard him and were known to the disciples. The way they describe the women to translate that as amazed is polite, but the connotation is that they sound out of their mind. Because while Jesus had performed many miracles

Who would raise Him?

Jesus was a font of miracles and performed more than are even recorded in the Gospels. John admits this in His Gospel, that they don’t have a comprehensive list. But if the miracle worker is dead, who is going to work the miracles now? Who can save Jesus since he has died? So with heavy hearts

So they leave town.

Jerusalem was a dangerous place to stay. Especially, if the body of Jesus was now missing. Because did you anger Pilate, or maybe the Pharisees? Both? Do you want to stay on their turf, where they control everything and have people that they can call on to help them deal with problems? They head out of town to Emmaus about 2 hours away by foot. On their way Jesus joins them.

Their Eyes are Restrained

Like Mary, they didn’t recognize Him.

This is rather surprising from our perspective, but we have what is called here the divine passive, that is God is acting in this moment and keeps their eyes from recognizing him. Jesus tells his disciples that no one can come to him unless the Father draws them. Faith is the work of God,

Faith comes by hearing.

And hearing through the Word of Christ that is to say when the Word is proclaimed and points people to the Word. Throughout the Scriptures has continued to remind His people throughout the ages that it is about the Word, about listening to what God has said, even back to the Garden. We are to listen for it is the Word that is most important. So

Seeing is not believing.

How many witnessed Jesus’ miracles, and saw all that He had performed and yet they still rejected. The Pharisees knew that Lazarus had died, but he was walking around and they plotted to kill him. They watched Jesus heal a man’s withered arm before their eyes, made the lame walk, etc. They didn’t debate his miracles, but they denied what He said to them and they still sought to kill Him. So these men could not yet see, for the Word had to first work upon their hearts.

The Importance of the Word

Jesus points them to the Bible.

He doesn’t just reveal himself in that moment, for what would that accomplish without the teaching, if they didn’t understand that this is exactly what the Christ was supposed to endure, and so He started with Moses and the Prophets and taught them on their journey. He used the Scriptures because

The Scriptures are about Jesus.

This is the key to understanding and unlocking Holy Scripture, it isn’t a self-help book, it isn’t about having your best life, Jesus chastises the pharisees because it isn’t even about eternal life, the holy Scripture bears witness to Christ, to the Son of God who died for us to save us. This is why many can have the Scriptures and still misinterpret it because they go searching for something else in Holy Scripture instead of looking for Jesus. But what does this teach?

How is faith created and strengthened?

It is through the Word, that is what we rely upon, not a one of us is so strong that we can maintain the Christian faith by setting aside God’s Word. This is why the Word has been the central part of the Church service for centuries. For faith comes by hearing, and if we do not hear the Word, then How can the Holy Spirit work upon us? If we lack the Holy Spirit then we are cannot be Christians, that is why God gives the commandment that we honor the Sabbath day, that we might have a day to be in God’s Word. Now our text says,

Eyes Were Opened

Who opened their eyes?

This wasn’t speaking of their physical eyes, but the eyes of faith that recognize Jesus Christ. They saw their Lord, who had not only saved them on the Cross, but shared with them the Word again when they were in despair and thought that all was lost. So

If we have doubts, go to the Word

It will not do it magically on its own, Jesus didn’t just babble the Bible at them and expect faith to be created. We heed and listen to His word, and inwardly digest that. So what Christ did is he laid out for them everything that was in the Scriptures about him. That is the focus of the Church, it’s why we also avoid testimonials, even at Funerals, because it isn’t about you or me, it’s about Jesus who did all this for you and me. There’s an important difference there.

How important is the meal?

From the text quite important, there are several times after Jesus Resurrection that he has a meal with His disciples. Meals were about fellowship with one another, and these dear saints who had fallen into disbelief were restored through the preaching of the Word and Christ stays with them to partake of a meal. Now this

The Breaking of Bread

This isn’t the Lord’s Supper.

The breaking of bread does become synonymous later on in the church with the Lord’s Supper, but we don’t have the Words of Institution, wine, all we have is the breaking of bread, which they would they be familiar with from the other meals in His Ministry. But it...

It shows Jesus isn’t a ghost.

Ghosts don’t eat meals, and they have no need of bread or whatever other things the world might chase after. It reinforced for them the fact that this is not only Jesus who is before them, but the Scriptures are true, that the Christ suffered, died, and rose again that he might enter into His glory.

This sets the pattern for church.

We see this in the book of Acts where the Apostles follow this practice of reading the Scriptures, spending time in prayer, and then coming together around the the Sacrament. That has been the pattern of the Church for 2000 years. It’s one we still practice to this very day for the teaching of the Word, and being in fellowship with Christ is of the utmost importance.

So my Brothers and Sisters in Christ, let us continue this practice, that we may always gather together around the Word, and should we have doubts, instead of fleeing, let us examine the Word that we might see Jesus our Savior who died, rose, and ascended for our salvation that we might not give up but rather be reminded that Jesus joined us in this World to be our Savior, and that God is faithful to His Word. In Jesus name, Amen.