Wednesday · Jun 10
The Road To Emmaus
Two of Jesus’ followers talked about their experience in the last few weeks. First, Jesus entered Jerusalem and cleaned the temple. Then Jesus shared the Last Supper with them in the Upper Room. Jesus prayed in Gethsemane. Judas sold Jesus for money. Jesus was put on trial. The soldiers made fun of Jesus and beat Him. Jesus was nailed to the cross. The two followers remembered Jesus’ final words on the cross. Then Jesus stopped breathing. The afternoon sky became black. The temple curtain was ripped from top to bottom. Graves opened. The dead woke up. Jesus’ body was removed from the cross and put in the grave before Sabbath started. This experience was the biggest disappointment of the followers’ lives. They felt sad, discouraged, and confused. They didn’t understand that Jesus’ death was part of the most wonderful story of all time. As the two men walked on the road to Emmaus, Jesus came and walked with them.
Read the conversation in Luke 24:13–27 . Think about the two different views: (1) the followers and (2) Jesus.
The two followers ran to Jerusalem. They shared with the other followers the things that happened on the road ( Luke 24:33–35 ). Jesus came and stood in their group. When the followers saw Jesus, they were afraid. Look at the questions Jesus asks His followers: “ ‘Why are you troubled? Why do you doubt what you see?’ ” ( Luke 24:38, ERV ).
Jesus shares this same message with us today. Too often, we forget that Jesus walks next to us in our sufferings. Too often, we don’t see Him. Too often we forget that there’s much more to the story. Too often we feel sad and allow doubts into our hearts. We forget that Jesus holds our lives in His hands. Too often, we think we know better than Jesus does about what is really happening in our lives ( Luke 24:18 ).
The Bible gives good advice about what we, as Christians, can do when we suffer troubles and disappointments. Spend some time studying these verses: Romans 8:28; Philippians 4:4–13; James 1:2–4, 12; and 2 Corinthians 12:9, 10 . Write down three messages from these verses that you can share with someone who is suffering a disappointment or a hard time right now. (Remember 2 Corinthians 1:4 as you study and share.)