Together Again

## Introduction

The last ten days of Jesus's life has been at best difficult. A hero's welcome coming into the city. Hours of teaching and confronting. With every confrontation Jesus spoke with such authority. His popularity among the common folk was growing with each day. But the religious leaders—now that is another story. You would think that after one or two times of being exposed for what they really are that they would go away. But they just kept coming after him. They kept hoping to catch him in a slip of the tongue or an action which would allow them to arrest him. But nothing happened except that they continued to be embarrassed as their traps fell onto them. With all the excitement, there is the reality that Jesus is marching toward death. The disciples perceive that something great is about to happen. They believe that Jesus has come to Jerusalem for one purpose only and that is to overthrow the Roman authority and reestablish the throne of David. Expectations are high.

But they are dashed on a Thursday night when Jesus is arrested. After a series of trials, the sentence is handed down. Jesus is to be crucified. It is a long walk to the place of the skull. And as Jesus is nailed to that crossbeam and pulled atop the supporting beam the sky grows dark. And as the sky is dark so are the emotions of all who believed in him and have watched him die. Hopes and dreams die with him. With the piercing of his skin, the hopes of a new beginning are pierced. With Jesus's last breath, the last breath of hope is extinguished. With the stone rolled in front of the tomb trapping the body of Jesus so their dreams are trapped with him. Their dreams are as cold and lifeless as the cold and lifeless body of Jesus.

Don't jump ahead yet. We know more of the story is coming, but they didn't. Just for a moment allow their sense of despair, confusion, and hopelessness touch you. Just for a moment remember a time when you thought things were hopeless. Remember the despair. Now you may understand what they were feeling and what they experiencing. And now maybe you can understand when the women returned from the tomb to announce that it was empty, that skepticism was the first reaction. Don't be too hard on those disciples for not believing. They had seen him die and they had seen him buried. They weren't prepared for a resurrection.

Only Luke records the event in our text this morning. It is uniquely Luke's story to relate the dramatic changes which take place in the lives of two disciples on their way to Emmaus. But as we study this story today, we will be reminded that walking by faith means trusting in that which we cannot see. These two disciples had to see to believe. Blessed are those who believe without seeing.

## The Story

Cleopas and a friend have left Jerusalem and are on their way to their home in Emmaus. They shuffle with the walk of one who carries a great burden. Hopelessness means we walk with our eyes down and our feet just shuffle along. There is no spring in your step when your dream dies. Someone joins them. They do not know him. He asks why they are so sad. Their sadness turns to surprise. They cannot imagine that this person can't know about Jesus and what has happened to him. So they explain that Jesus was killed. Look at verse 21, "we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel." Hopes dashed in one ugly moment. They go on to explain that they have even this morning heard a story that the tomb was empty. That truth was even verified by others, but "they did not see him."

So what more can be done. We saw him die and death is final. The tomb may be empty but no one has seen Jesus alive. So we are on our way home. In verse 25, Jesus rebukes them for their lack of faith. And with great care Jesus explains what the Scriptures say about Jesus and his death and his resurrection. The two are overwhelmed with this stranger's words. In fact, they ask him to join them for the evening meal at their home. Jesus sits down, takes bread, breaks it, gave thanks, and began to give it to them. At once their eyes are opened and they recognize Jesus. While he disappears from their sight, they replay the last couple of hours of their walk and they realize they must return to Jerusalem and tell the others what they have experienced.

Why does Luke include this story? It is an eyewitness account of two lesser known disciples seeing and eating with Jesus. Remember Luke is writing to believers but he is writing to convince them that their faith is not misplaced. All would have expected Jesus to appear to the eleven, but here is a story of two lesser known disciples who see Jesus. Such an eyewitness account would have been further proof of the resurrection.

## Application

But what are we to understand from this story? Assuming that we believe in the resurrection already, what does an eyewitness account have to say to us. First, think about something. Cleopas and his friend knew Jesus had died. They knew he had been buried. In fact, verse 21 "we had hoped he would redeem Israel." Then add the words, "but he wasn't." But here's the kicker. They had heard that the tomb was empty, but they were hopeless as they walked home. Why? "We had hoped…" Jesus didn't meet their expectations. In our walk with Jesus we expect certain things to happen. Maybe we expect for the good to always win. Maybe we expect for our trials and troubles to be a little less invasive. Maybe we expect few disappointments. What happens when Jesus doesn't meet our expectations? Do we leave the journey because the unexpected happens? That is what these two disciples are doing. They are leaving Jerusalem because Jesus didn't meet their expectations. Look at verses 22 and 23. These are not outsiders. The report about the empty tomb was made to them as well as the other disciples. They even heard that the angels told the women that Jesus is alive, but they do not believe it. Jesus let them down.

Haven't you felt that way? Unmet expectations bring disappointment. It would fair to say that is what these two disciples are feeling and you have felt the sting of disappointment as well. When things didn't work out the way you thought they would and you believed that your walk with Jesus was to keep all the bad away, then disappointment sets in.

Sometimes we want both. We want a bird that sing and dance. The older I get the more I am surprised by the goodness of God. The older I get the more I think "why does anything good ever happen." With the sin in my life and the sin in the lives of those who surround me and the sin in this world, how in the world does anything good ever get through.

What if those disciples had focused on the possibilities rather than defeat. Their sight was limited to only what they could see. And what they saw was too small and too limited. Don't take your eyes off of the possibilities. Just because God's plans do not fit our ideas doesn't mean God isn't doing something great and wonderful.

Second, Luke has had a subtheme running through his writing about seeing. Notice in 4:18 that Jesus's first sermon contains the words that he came to proclaim "recovery of sight for the blind." Then in 7:19-22, John the Baptizer sends some of his disciples to Jesus to ask if He is the Messiah. Jesus answers in verse 22 that they are to go back and report what they have seen and heard specifically that the blind receive sight. Then in 10:23 as Jesus is sending out 72 on a mission campaign, he offers a prayer of blessing upon them and proclaims to them "blessed are the eyes that see what you see." This idea of seeing is important to Luke. As Jesus sits to eat with these disciples "their eyes were opened." That is what the resurrection does. It allows us to see things clearly. For Christians the resurrection is a window into the plans of God. Death is not final. God will bring life. Now we see clearly.

For us as Christians, the resurrection is a powerful demonstration of the power of God. It represents God's intention of giving us life. The resurrection says to us that this life cannot destroy what God is planning. The worst things are never the last things.

The disciples eyes were not opened until they shared a meal together. 24:30 has definite overtones to the Lord's Supper. The exact same wording is used in 22:19 when the supper is instituted with the disciples. It is at the supper that our eyes are opened and we see a bit more clearly who Jesus is, the mighty power of God at work, and our response to that in faith. Let's take the supper together now.

Luke uses this story to build the faith of the reader. Hopelessness is turned to hope with the resurrection. Failure gives way to victory. Faith gives way to sight. The worst things are never the last things.

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