Luke 24:13-35
April Memory Verse: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8 NIV
Read: Luke 24:13-35
We just celebrated the Resurrection, and today we read a story about some guys who experienced the Resurrection! But I think what happens in this story happens a lot still today.
These guys were in Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified. They hoped that Jesus was the Messiah, but they weren’t sure (v. 21a). They even heard about the resurrection from many people (v. 22-24), but yet they still had doubts. Why is that? Because their hearts had not recognized Jesus for who He really was.
But here is the beautiful part of the story: Jesus revealed Himself through God’s Word (v. 27). Jesus showed them that the Christ must suffer using the Old Testament, and it touched these guys hearts. (v. 32)
And here is where I think this story plays out in our lives: There might have been some people in your life who experienced Easter Sunday and they still do not recognize Jesus for who He is. They were there to hear about the crucifixion. They listened as words expressed the miracle of the resurrection. But yet, there was still no life change in their life. Why is that? Because their hearts had not recognized Jesus for who He really is.
What’s our job then? Share the Gospel with them. Use God’s Word to communicate who Jesus really is. If someone comes to Easter, then they most likely are open to hearing more about Jesus. It’s not often that people hear about Jesus for the first time and come into a relationship with Him. The guys on the Road to Emmaus experienced all of this and still had trouble believing. It might take time and the willingness to keep sharing with them, but that is what we are called to do.
Who do you need to talk this week about Jesus?
By: Brice Stockton
Read: Luke 24:13-35
We just celebrated the Resurrection, and today we read a story about some guys who experienced the Resurrection! But I think what happens in this story happens a lot still today.
These guys were in Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified. They hoped that Jesus was the Messiah, but they weren’t sure (v. 21a). They even heard about the resurrection from many people (v. 22-24), but yet they still had doubts. Why is that? Because their hearts had not recognized Jesus for who He really was.
But here is the beautiful part of the story: Jesus revealed Himself through God’s Word (v. 27). Jesus showed them that the Christ must suffer using the Old Testament, and it touched these guys hearts. (v. 32)
And here is where I think this story plays out in our lives: There might have been some people in your life who experienced Easter Sunday and they still do not recognize Jesus for who He is. They were there to hear about the crucifixion. They listened as words expressed the miracle of the resurrection. But yet, there was still no life change in their life. Why is that? Because their hearts had not recognized Jesus for who He really is.
What’s our job then? Share the Gospel with them. Use God’s Word to communicate who Jesus really is. If someone comes to Easter, then they most likely are open to hearing more about Jesus. It’s not often that people hear about Jesus for the first time and come into a relationship with Him. The guys on the Road to Emmaus experienced all of this and still had trouble believing. It might take time and the willingness to keep sharing with them, but that is what we are called to do.
Who do you need to talk this week about Jesus?
By: Brice Stockton
10 Comments
Is that a faint glimmer of hope in verse 21? "it is the third day since these things happened."
Love this Brice! Good word for Easter Monday!
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who can from the Father, full of grace & truth. John 1:14
These are two of my favorite verses in scripture. John chapter one boldly proclaims that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Word and the “Word became flesh”. How can we ever question the authority or accuracy of the Bible if we fully embrace this truth? Reading God’s Word and praying for the Holy Spirit to reveal deeper truths is the only way to live the Christian life God intended us the live. My prayer for this Easter Monday is that we will enter our respective mission fields (work, school, etc.) with the same zeal as those believers who saw Jesus within the first week of the resurrection. Glad to be on mission with all of you JumpStart readers.
Valuable insight as always Brice. Despite having read through the Bible and especially the New Testament this story never resonated with me for some reason. I guess the resurrection was so overwhelming that I checked out on the spiritual journey of these two men. Yes, we must continue to share the Gospel with our family and friends with boldness. I remember many years of thinking I was saved and had not opened my heart to who Jesus really is...It took Tim calling me out on my false sense of security before I was able to truly understand who Jesus is...then came freedom!
Thanks Brice. I’m praying for many solid follow up opportunities coming out of yesterday. Grateful for you and your heart. I hope you had a good birthday yesterday!
Thank you for this fresh perspective on an old-familiar passage!
Since I don’t/can’t really get out anymore, I think God would have me be more intentional with reaching out to all the medical people who visit our house to care for my paralyzed/spinally-injured mother-in-law. I’ll be praying for guidance in how to do so effectively.
Man, Bryce, you hit the nail on the head this morning for me. A friend of mine had come with me yesterday, and when he was asked afterwards what he thought, he just replied “It was church.” Initially I felt discouraged, as I had been hoping this weekend would open up his eyes.
Thank you for the encouragement and reminder that we are to continue to share the gospel diligently with friends like this! The Lord works on His own timeline and will bring glory to His name in ways that we could never have imagined, but even if God chooses not to draw him, He is just and sovereign. Pray for me that I will be bold and consistent in sharing the gospel until he sees Jesus for who He truly is.
Happy Birthday Brice!!!
I love the account of the Emmaus Road encounter. It's so fantastical, and so reflective of how God works in our lives in amazing and miraculous ways. He's such an AWESOME God! I pray that as believers we always retain a sense of wonder and awe as we ponder Him.
I think you point out something very important, Brice. Our timing is not God's timing. So often we think that just because someone doesn't get saved the first (or second or third) time they hear the gospel, then we should move on and focus on someone else. However, God knows what He is doing, so we should be faithful to share with those God has placed in our lives. I've said it before, and this is not original to me, but came from my time in Cru, "Success in evangelism is taking the initiative to share the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God." Let God worry about who accepts his free gift. It is just up to us to tell people about it. I invited my friend from work, Matt, to Easter service. He didn't come, but I will continue to pray for him and invite him and look for opportunities to share with him.
Really great message and discussion! I have become discouraged about evangelizing at work and I need to remember it’s all in Gods timing. I have invited people to church multiple times to no avail and even shared the gospel with some, yet nothing happens. Or so I think. This helped me to remember that God can do anything he wants and we may never see it in our lifetime but we need to keep being on mission.
Rachel,
I feel your pain. As our culture becomes more secular and we get closer to the Lord’s return, many have hardened hearts and refuse to let anyone rules their hearts other than themselves. Our job is to simply share the story of life thru Jesus and pray for the Holy Spirit to do the work. Thanks for sharing!