Dead Fish

YOUR ROAD TO EMMAUS - ACTIVITY

Have students create a map – their own “Road to Emmaus” showing where they are today and the destination they would like to reach someday. How will they get there? What steps will they take along the way? What potential detours or wrong turns do they see up ahead?

**Encourage students to consider the spiritual as well as the physical possibilities of this journey.**

MESSAGE

What’s the key to success in high school, in church, in life? Many people think the key is to fit in. Find out where everyone else is going, what everyone else is saying, what everyone else is doing and go there, say that, and do that too. If you are like everybody else, people will accept you. And if they accept you, then you’ll be happy and successful.

But what happens when what you believe flies in the face of what the majority believes? Do you change what you believe? Or do you just keep it to yourself and hope no one asks for your opinion? Or do you go against the grain, swim upstream, and stand up for what you believe?

It can be hard to talk about our faith, particularly when we are in a culture where many have a negative view of Christianity. For the next few weeks we’re going to talk about some of the criticism that people have about Christianity. And we’re going to look at ways that we can respond to those critics gently with love but also with boldness. Our goal is to get comfortable swimming upstream.

It can be hard to talk about our faith, particularly when we are in a culture where many have a negative view of Christianity. For the next few weeks we’re going to talk about some of the criticism that people have about Christianity. And we’re going to look at ways that we can respond to those critics gently with love but also with boldness. Our goal is to get comfortable swimming upstream.

Theme Verse

Proverbs 15:1 CSB

1 A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath.

A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath. Proverbs 15:1

Critics ask Christians, “How can you follow some guy who lived and died thousands of years ago?”

Critics ask Christians, “How can you follow some guy who lived and died thousands of years ago?”

That’s the problem with all religions, isn’t it? Some wise man or woman comes along and teaches people the way to live their lives. But eventually, that leader dies. Sometimes, their teaching dies out with them. Other times, their followers try to carry on the message. But in the end, what does it matter? No amount of great teaching is going to save you from dying. It can’t even save your leader from dying.

What makes Jesus Christ any different from Buddha or Mohammed or Joseph Smith?

If someone asked you that question, what would you say?

Luke 24:13-35

Luke 24:13-35

Luke 24:13–35 CSB

13 Now that same day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 Together they were discussing everything that had taken place. 15 And while they were discussing and arguing, Jesus himself came near and began to walk along with them. 16 But they were prevented from recognizing him. 17 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. 18 The one named Cleopas answered him, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that happened there in these days?” 19 “What things?” he asked them. So they said to him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet powerful in action and speech before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him. 21 But we were hoping that he was the one who was about to redeem Israel. Besides all this, it’s the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women from our group astounded us. They arrived early at the tomb, 23 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. 24 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.” 25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures. 28 They came near the village where they were going, and he gave the impression that he was going farther. 29 But they urged him, “Stay with us, because it’s almost evening, and now the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 It was as he reclined at the table with them that he took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, but he disappeared from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us?” 33 That very hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and those with them gathered together, 34 who said, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they began to describe what had happened on the road and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

The disciples were struggling with the same question that the critics still ask today. “We believed Jesus was the Savior of our people. How could we follow a man that died the way he did?”

Jesus’ death was shocking because He claimed to be the Son of God, the Savior of the World.

The disciples were struggling with the same question that the critics ask today. “We believed Jesus was the Savior of our people. How could we follow a man that died the way he did?” Jesus had not just been teaching a new religion or a new philosophy. Jesus had billed himself as the Son of God, as the Messiah of the world sent by the Father. He was the fulfillment of the law and the words of the prophets.

But what Jesus had been telling his disciples during his years of ministry with them – and what they didn’t understand until after it happened – was that the Son of God came to earth to die. That was the plan all along. Mankind is sinful, and no matter how good we try to act or how virtuous we think we are, our sin separates us from God. And our sin deserves death. Only perfection is up to God’s standard. That’s not a standard that we could ever attain. So God sent his son to attain it for us. Jesus lived the perfect life that we could not live. Even though He had done nothing to deserve death, Jesus suffered and died on a cross for us. His death paid the debt of our sins.

Mankind is sinful, and no matter how good we try to act or how virtuous we think we are, our sin separates us from God. And our sin deserves death. Only perfection is up to God’s standard. That’s not a standard that we could ever attain. So God sent His Son to attain it for us. Jesus lived the perfect life that we could not live. Even though He had done nothing to deserve death, Jesus suffered and died on a cross for us. His death paid the debt of our sins.

But what the disciples didn’t understand and the critics can’t see is that death was not the end of the plan. Jesus rose from the dead. It happened. Cleopas and the other disciple saw him on the road to Emmaus. The eleven inner circle disciples saw him when he appeared in the upper room. Hundreds of people saw him in the 40 days after he rose from the dead. They spoke with him, they touched him, they ate with him. He was real – not some heavenly apparition.

What the disciples didn’t understand and what critics can’t see is that death wasn’t the end. The resurrection was real. People spoke with Jesus, touched Him, and ate with Him.

Jesus was alive. Jesus is alive today. The Bible tells us that the death he died, he died once for all. And in His resurrection, He broke the power death and sin have over us. He is not some great teacher who we simply regard with detached appreciation. He is the risen Savior with whom we can have a vibrant and living relationship. We can receive his spirit into our hearts. We can walk with him down the roads of life. We can hear from him and learn from him. We can recognize his voice and his leading. We can invite others to meet Jesus too. Not a dead teacher, but the living God.

Jesus is more than just a dead teacher; He’s the risen Savior who wants to have a relationship with you.

Things to think about:

- If you found the secret to happiness, who would be the first person you told? - On a scale of 1 to 10, how comfortable are you talking with your friends about God? - What is the most challenging thing to believe about Christianity? - What are the biggest objections you hear from nonbelievers about Christianity? - How can you start and maintain a dialogue with someone who hates Christians? - What is your response to the criticism that Christians follow some dude who lived and died thousands of years ago?

If you found the secret to happiness, who would be the first person you told?

On a scale of 1 to 10, how comfortable are you talking with your friends about God?

What is the most challenging thing to believe about Christianity?

What are the biggest objections you hear from nonbelievers about Christianity?

How can you start and maintain a dialogue with someone who hates Christians?

What is your response to the criticism that Christians follow some dude who lived and died thousands of years ago?