The Road to Emmaus

The Road to Emmaus Luke 24:13-35 New Living Translation (NLT) 13 That same day two of Jesus followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. 16 But God kept them from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, "What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?" They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. 18 Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, "You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasnt heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days." 19 "What things?" Jesus asked. "The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth," they said. "He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. 20 But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. 21 We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago. 22 "Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. 23 They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! 24 Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said." 25 Then Jesus said to them, "You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. 26 Wasnt it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?" 27 Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, 29 but they begged him, "Stay the night with us, since it is getting late." So he went home with them. 30 As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. 31 Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared! 32 They said to each other, "Didnt our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?" 33 And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, 34 who said, "The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter." 35 Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread. This scripture takes place just after Christ's resurrection. Jerusalem, of course, has been in an uproar for several days now due to Jesus' triumphant entrance into the city, arrest by the jewish authorities, farcical trial, handing over to the Romans for scourging and crucifixion, and of course His glorious resurrection. Hardly a soul in the area hasn't heard of the goings on of the past few days. Everyone in all of the surrounding villages for miles would have heard of the story of Jesus of Nazareth. When the two disciples are approached by someone they believe to be a stranger, they're amazed that He isn't aware of all that has happened. How could anyone not have heard of all that had happened? Where has this stranger been all of this time? They don't realize that they are about to tell the gospel of their Lord to their Lord himself, because He has not revealed himself to them. This was just as was the case when mary Magdelene had found the tomb empty and had questioned Him, thinking He was the gardener. Without knowing His true identity, they shared His story during the seven mile long walk to the village of Emmaus, which is believed to have been located near the modern day city of Kubeibeh. The 'stranger' also shares and explains the scriptures with the two disciples as they walk along the road. As they finish their journey, our Lord tells them that He intends to travel on, but they insist on Him coming in for a meal and to stayon with them since night was approaching. Not until they had sat down at the table and Jesus took the bread, blessed it and broke it, did they see Him for who He really was. They saw Jesus, the resurrected Messiah for who He truly was as they we partaking of the Lord's supper with the Lord! After this revelation, they remember the feeling they had inside when they were walking and talking with the stranger. They remember how their hearts burned as He opened up the scriptures to them. On the journey to Emmaus, they had been walking with the Lord all along without even knowing it. How many times has this happened to us, His modern day disciples? How many times during your life have you been saved from being seriously injured in an accident, kept from hurting someone else when you did something terribly stupid, or been blessed somehow without knowing why? How many of you, like me, have done so much the worng way in your past, but God took you back in His arms and used you for His purpose anyway? How many of you don't even know how you made it long enough to be here reading or hearing this today because of the things you know you made it through to get this far in life? How many of you have been blessed with friends or family who have helped you through mistake after mistake and not turned you away? Why are we still here? God's grace, that's why! God's grace works in our lives in different ways. We can't do anything to earn His grace. It's something He gives us because of something He has seen in our hearts. God's grace is at work in our lives before we even know what it is. His grace was at work in our lives when we were lost and living wordly lives. That grace was what kept us from hurting ourselves or others when we were driving home from the club late at night when we had no business driving a car. It was at work when we were so depressed and thought life wasn't worth living, but something stopped us from ending it. It was there when we hit rock bottom with that addiction that almost killed us. It was there when we were hurt and betrayed and felt like we were all alone in this horrible world. It was at work when someone we hardly new witnessed to us about Christ or we picked up a bible nd read for the first time in forever. That same grace was that spark inside of us that made us take notice of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That spark that made us want to believe. It was that same grace that changed our heart and made it new once again when we were born again into God's people. It was there when we first believed the Christ died for our sins so that we may be saved. The same grace is at work in us now as we walk with God in our life, as we try to live life His way. It's that grace working in us as we read our bible, as we pray, as we fellowship with other believers, and as our faith bears fruit in our life and shines through so others may see it in us. Does this sound familiar to you? Do you identify with a small part of it, a large part of it, or almost all of it? How many of you have had God's grace at work in your life for much longer than you could have ever imagined? How many of you, like those two pilgrims on the walk to Emmaus, had been walking with the Lord in your midst and never even knew it? God bless you my friend, Pete.