(Luke 24:13-35)
Hope will inspire you to persevere under the most difficult of circumstances. A sense of meaning will focus your mind and heart on the outcome, despite the present trials.By contrast, disappointment and despair will debilitate you. When disillusionment sets in, the heart goes into crisis mode.Cleopas and his friend were discussing Jesus when Jesus joined up with them on the road to Emmaus. Why Jesus didn’t reveal himself to them we’ll never know. But what is obvious is that their conversation educates us on the mindset of the average disciple following the discovery of the empty tomb.They were visibly sad and obviously disillusioned over the perceived demise of Jesus’ life and ministry. Verse 21 would rate as the saddest verse in the Bible—if true! Cleopas laments: “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” (Lk.24:21). If we learn anything from Jesus’ direct exchanges with people, it is this: Believers are supposed to know what is going on!Cleopas tells what he knows. He acknowledges the might and miracles of the prophet from Nazareth. He rightly accuses the chief priests and rulers of crucifying the Christ. But he admits confusion over the events at the empty tomb.Jesus wasn’t going to excuse them. They had all the information they needed. All the facts were before them. Faithful witnesses had seen the risen Christ. And, what’s more, the Prophets had spoken! He rebuked their lack of belief.It is by the Old Testament Law that we understand the purity of God and our weakness in meeting His requirements. It is by the prophets that we learn that the Christ would come, suffer, die, and be raised, in order to redeem us from sin. These men allowed their emotions to override the facts before them. Jesus brought truth to Cleopas and his friend the way that God continues to bring truth today—through His Word: “Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures” (Lk.24:27). Jesus revealed his true identity to them at dinner. But after he disappeared from their sight they confessed the moment when, and the reason why, their disillusionment left them: “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?”Faith is the victory! “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom.10:17).
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