After Jesus was crucified, the disciples were confused and deeply in grief; even though Jesus told them this would happen, they still were not prepared. So on Sunday morning when the women came and told them that Jesus had raised from the dead it seemed like idle tales, some kind of nonsense to them. "However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again wondering what had happened." Luke 24: 12 NLT
Later that same day two of Jesus' followers were walking to the village of Emmaus. It was about 7 miles outside of Jerusalem. As they continued along the road, they were in an intense discussion about what had just happened. Then Jesus Himself came along side of them; though God kept them from recognizing who He was. "He asked them, 'What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?' They stopped short, sadness written across their faces." Luke 24: 17 NLT "You must be the only person who does not know all the things that has happened in Jerusalem in the last few days." "'What things?' Jesus asked." Luke 24: 19 NLT
They proceeded to tell Him about Jesus of Nazareth, who "was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and He was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. But our leading priests... handed Him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified Him. We had hoped He was the messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago." Luke 24: 20, 21 NLT Then they told Him about what the women said that morning and some of the men went to the tomb to see and the body was in fact gone.
By this time they were approaching Emmaus and they convinced Him to stay with them. As they sat down to eat, He broke the bread and blessed it. Suddenly, their eyes were opened and as they recognized Him, He vanished. Reflecting with each other they said, "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?" Luke 24: 32 NKJ
Their hearts burned within them as He opened the Scriptures for them. By His Spirit He opens the scriptures for us today. Our hearts burn within us, when He speaks to us. In each of these upcoming posts we will look at the 40 days that Jesus remained on the earth after His resurrection. What did He say that was most important for His disciples to remember? What He said to them is important for us now as well. I pray your heart will burn within you as well as He opens His word to you.
The disciples hoped that Jesus was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel from the Romans. So when the chief priests handed Him over to be condemned and crucified; not only were they grieved, but confused as well. Their faith in Him as Messiah was shaken. Jesus wanted them to know that "it was clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering His glory". So He took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets explaining from the Scriptures what they said would happen to Him. He wanted them to be confident and believe that He truly is the Messiah.
He wants us today to understand from the beginning of God's word, to the end, all of the things about Jesus; so we will be confident and believe that He is the Messiah who came, suffered and died for our sin and is yet to come again in power and great glory. John says in his gospel:
Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God,
and that by believing in Him you will have life by the power of His name."
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