This is a posting I came across some time ago, on one of my favourite passage in the Bible; The Road to Emmaus.
At the end of this article is a link to the original posting, by Joseph David. However, that site has been hack and is now discontinued. So I thought it is worth duplicating this for your good reading. .
Did a little googling and found that Joseph began blogging under Grace Forever Ministries. If you are interested in his postings, he now blogs under the blog name New Covenant 810. Read Hebrew 8:10 and you will understand the significance of the new name.
Enjoy!
The Revelation of the Risen Christ
One of my favourite accounts in the New Testament is found in Luke 24:13-32. It was when Jesus appeared to Cleopas and his friend on their way to Emmaus. I have read it many times and here is what I see in that passage. Incidentally, Emmaus means ‘warm springs’ and Cleopas means ‘son of a famous father’.
Emmaus is a small village about 7 miles (approx. 11km) from Jerusalem. Two men, who were obviously believers and had been saddened by the Lord’s death were walking towards Emmaus, when Jesus approached them. The two were probably residents of Emmaus, considering their invitation to Jesus to stay with them. Jesus did stay with them, and only after a long time since they met, did Jesus reveal Himself to them.
It is worth taking note that though they believed in the Lord (v21), they did not recognize Him when He walked with them. It is also interesting to note that Cleopas (son of a famous father) did not recognize The Son of The Famous Father.
What can we learn about Jesus from this passage? Five things:
- His Presence
- His Initiative
- His Perspective
- His Influence
- His Revelation
1. HIS PRESENCE – Jesus approached Cleopas and his companion when they were talking about Him (v14-15). When we centre our conversation around Christ and what He has done, Jesus manifests His presence there.
2. HIS INITIATIVE – Jesus approached them and started walking with them (v15). The Lord walked with them and listened to their account of what had happened and their expectations of Him. Obviously they sounded sad, disappointed as well as surprised as witnessing the empty tomb. In times of trouble and affliction, one of the areas in our lives that takes a beating is our faith in God. We may have heard the most eye-opening, revelatory sermons, but when we are subjected to difficult situations, we allow the situations to magnify themselves larger than the good reports we had heard. But there is still a good news – even in those situations, He comes to us and walks with us.
3. HIS PERSPECTIVE – Jesus diverted their attention from the problem to the will of God (v25-27). The biggest problem with human nature is that we tend to spend more time and energy on the problem than the solution. We major on what we have missed or lost rather than on what we have. On the contrary, the Lord sees only the solution. See how he did not sing to their tunes but spoke to them about what the prophets of old have foretold. He was showing them what the will of God was – that whatever happened to Jesus was planned by God. The question we need to ask when we face problems is what is God’s will in and for that situation. Some times God allows (not orchestrate) difficult situations to come by us, but we need to look beyond them and seek the Father’s will in order to carry on.
4. HIS INFLUENCE – Jesus brought warmth and comfort to them (v32). Notice what Cleopas and his companion commented on how they felt after they recognized Jesus. It also shows that it makes complete sense that only the Words of Jesus could produce such an impact in their lives. What started out to be a journey filled with disappointment and sadness ended in a personal revival in both of them.
5. HIS REVELATION – Jesus revealed Himself in a familiar way (v30-31). I have met some people who have claimed to have had encounters with the Lord, but apparently in strange ways. Of course the Lord is creative and can reveal Himself in many ways. Some have seen Him as a flash of light, some as a young man with flowing golden hair and so forth. But there were some who have claimed experiences which clearly seemed outrageous. One lady I knew claimed the Lord appeared as a python with a cross in its mouth. To be that was totally demonic. In this story however, we see that Jesus revealed Himself through the breaking of bread, which all his followers were familiar with. The revelation brought so much joy and a burst of faith in Cleopas and his companion that they went on spreading the news. Any encounter with Jesus produces love, joy, peace and faith. These are the hallmarks of His revelation.
The Lord is alive and He is revealing Himself to us in many ways. To reveal Himself is not based on how much we beg Him to; rather it is His initiative. And when He reveals Himself, let’s remember that He leaves a lasting impression that no money or loved one can provide.
Shalom!
Written by Joseph David
