More about the Emmaus Road

How often we underestimate the power of God. Back to the story from Luke 24:13-35 NIV - On the Road to Emmaus. The travellers looked at the death of Jesus and were so disappointed. They’d put their hope in him as a prophet and as Messiah and He had died. Their hopes had died with Him.

There is a significant life experience lesson to learn from this. When we are in circumstances in our lives which tempt us to think that God has thrown us a curveball, that there is no hope, that we have been consigned to a misery that we do not deserve, that somehow God's plan has failed, we are exactly where these disciples were. ... They looked at these events, they looked at the death of the prophet and Messiah that they loved, and could not understand. In this very event which they see as the loss of hope, God has revealed His power in using it as His stratagem to display His glory.

And it is like that in our own lives. When we are tempted to say, “This is too hard. This is not how it's supposed to be. My plan would be better if I were in charge” we doubt the power of God. In this place of disappointment, we are needy and have no idea of the joy that He is capable of giving when we believe and trust. No rug can be pulled out from under you when your confidence is in the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. No circumstance can rob that from you. The beautiful thing in the Emmaus story is, these men got it! Jesus breaks bread, He prays, He gives them the loaf — suddenly their eyes are opened and they realize, “It's Jesus!” and He's gone. They recognize the power of Jesus: “Weren’t our hearts burning within us when He explained the Scriptures?!” When they get back to see the eleven, they say what? “The Lord has risen indeed!” They get it! They believe; they embrace the person of the Messiah, the cost of the redemption, and the power of the resurrection, and it changes their lives. What a beautiful story we share with the Emmaus travellers!

(adapted from: fpcjackson.org/resource-library )                                                             Carol Verbeek, Principal