House of Hope Online

April 7, 2024

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One of the most amazing things about our Lord and Savior, Jesus, is that following His resurrection, He went right back to His life’s work, that is, teaching us to build our faith and to spread the word about salvation.  There is a wonderful passage in Luke 24 when He appeared to two men as they walked on the road to Emmaus and later to the eleven disciples and others.  There is much for us to glean from this passage as we walk our walk of faith, and I believe the Lord would have that as our focus today.

Luke 24:

 13 ¶ And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem.

 14 And they were conversing with each other about all these things which had taken place.

 15 And it came about that while they were conversing and discussing, Jesus Himself approached, and [began] traveling with them.

 16 But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him.

Lesson # 1:  Jesus will travel the road with us.  This was a seven-mile walk, no small task, and these men were troubled by the death of our Lord, and the fact that they had not yet seen Him.  The resurrected Jesus is willing to visit us in our trying times, and to walk with us in our struggles.

Lesson # 2: Verse 16 teaches us that, even when Jesus is with us, we may not recognize Him in our circumstances.  When you go through difficulties that try your faith, know that the Lord is walking with you even though you may not recognize Him or discern His presence.

Luke 24:

17 And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad.

 18 And one of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?”

 19 And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people,

 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him up to the sentence of death, and crucified Him.

 21 “But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened.

 22 “But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning,

 23 and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels, who said that He was alive.

 24 “And some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.”

 25 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!

 26 “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?”

 27 And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

 Lesson # 3:  Even when our faith is weak, He is willing to listen to us and to reason with us to build that faith.  He listened patiently in verses 19-24.  When they said, “…but Him they did not see,” Jesus convicted them of being “slow of heart to believe.”  And He reasoned with them in verse 26 when He said: “Was it not necessary for Christ to suffer these things…”  When your faith is weak, be willing to talk to Jesus about it in prayer and let Him reason with you.

Lesson # 4:  We need His revelation to understand the scriptures and biblical prophecy.  Verse 27 says He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the scriptures beginning with Moses and all the prophets.  Today, He continues to provide us with latter day revelation of the scriptures and end time prophecy.

Luke 24:

28 And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He would go farther.

 29 And they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is [getting] toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” And He went in to stay with them.

Lesson # 5:  If we ask Him into our heart and into our lives, He will stay with us.

Luke 24:

 30 And it came about that when He had reclined [at the table] with them, He took the bread and blessed [it,] and breaking [it,] He [began] giving [it] to them.

 31 And their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.

 32 And they said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?”

Lesson # 6:  Communion will open our eyes to recognize Him.  Eating the Bread of Life will open our eyes to spiritual discernment.  The men did not recognize Jesus in verse 16, but once they ate the bread, their eyes were opened in verse 31.

Lesson # 7:  Verse 32 shows that a visitation from Jesus will cause our hearts to burn within us for Him.  His words will bring life to us.  His revelation will warm our hearts and prevent hard-heartedness and cold-heartedness.  He will fill us with the same compassion that He has.  He will give us a heart that is soft and pliable before Him, a heart that is no longer slow to believe.

Luke 24:

33 And they arose that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them,

 34 saying, “The Lord has really risen, and has appeared to Simon.”

 35 And they [began] to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.

Lesson # 8:  Once He visits us, we cannot help but give testimony to others.  Verse 33 says the two men arose at that very hour and returned to Jerusalem.  They no longer cared that it was the end of the day.  They just had to go and tell others.  In verse 35, the two men from Emmaus began to relate their experience with Him to the eleven and the others gathered.

Luke 24:

 36 ¶ And while they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst.

 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit.

 38 And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?

 39 “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”

 40 [And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.]

41 And while they still could not believe [it] for joy and were marveling, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?”

 42 And they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish;

 43 and He took it and ate [it] before them.

Lesson # 9:  Fear comes from unbelief.  The eleven and the others were frightened by His presence, thinking He was a ghost.  They were troubled because they were doubting what He said, that He would arise.  Jesus said: “Why do doubts arise in your hearts?”  In verse 39, we learn He is willing to work with us to dispel our doubts and grow our faith.  He showed them His hands and feet, that they might believe.  He taught them a spirit does not have flesh and bones.  The body He showed them was a resurrected body.  Again, He works with us to strengthen our faith.

Luke 24:

44 Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

 45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,

 46 and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day;

 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

 48 “You are witnesses of these things.

 49 “And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

 50 ¶ And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.

 51 And it came about that while He was blessing them, He parted from them.

 52 And they returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

 53 and were continually in the temple, praising God. (NASB)

Lesson # 10:  All things written about Jesus in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.  In verse 44, Jesus is telling us to believe that He is coming again because that was written about by the Prophets.  In verse 45, He opened their minds to understand the scriptures.  For us, this means He will open our minds by the Holy Spirit, so we can understand end times prophecy and can look confidently ahead to His coming as Righteous Judge to establish His rule and reign over the earth.  Hallelujah!

Lesson # 11:  Repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem (verse 47).  This is to be our life’s work – to proclaim repentance for the forgiveness of sins in His name.  We begin in Jerusalem by supporting Israel in these end days.

Lesson # 12:  A visitation from the Lord, a revelation of His word, and an impartation of His guidance and purpose for our lives, will produce in us great joy (verse 52), and will lead us into continual praise (verse 53).  All glory to Jesus!

Let us pray.

Father God, thank You for the lessons learned on the road to Emmaus.  Encourage us and empower us by the Holy Spirit to relate our experiences with Jesus to others, that they might repent for the forgiveness of sins.  Lord, we pray for Israel and stand with her today and in the days ahead as Your will unfolds.  We praise our Lord Jesus with great joy in our hearts.  Amen.