Daily Bible Readings
Today’s Devotion by Tom Siderius
On the Road to Emmaus
As we read in Luke 24 today, we see an amazing record of what we call “encounter on the road to Emmaus”. On this way are two men who are walking perhaps to their homes or a stop on a longer journey. Remember that all the males of the nation were supposed to go to Jerusalem for the Passover which ended about this time. As they walk along, they discuss all the events that they have witnessed and heard at that time in Jerusalem. Jesus joins them in his resurrected body and walks with them along the way.
Luke 24:13-24(NLT) That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. 16 But God kept them from recognizing him.
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”
They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. 18 Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.”
19 “What things?” Jesus asked.
“The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. 20 But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. 21 We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.
22 “Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. 23 They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! 24 Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.”
Misunderstood Messiah
The recurring theme we see all through the gospel records is that the disciples and even the apostles have a difficult time understanding that the Messiah would be crucified, that he would be buried, and then resurrected after 3 days and 3 nights in the grave. All of them looked for a Messiah who would come and immediately establish the kingdom of God on earth as a triumphal king over Israel. He would kick out the Romans as the rulers and then establish his rule over all the Gentile nations. They understood parts of the Old Testament but did not understand all that God would call on the Messiah to do. Jesus takes them back to Moses and the prophets and goes through all the scriptures that they need to know to understand all the events they have witnessed.
Luke 24:25-27(NLT) Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. 26 Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” 27 Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
That would be the teaching to have to study out forever. Too bad Cleopas didn’t record Jesus on his cell phone for the rest of the world to hear and study, I don’t know what he was thinking. It is always amazing to me how Jesus is able to find all the threads of prophecy from the Old Testament and put them together in correct order and purpose at the right place and time. Jesus finds his Father’s will and follows the purposes that God has intended for him to do.
Why is the death and resurrection so hard for the Jews to discern?
Psalms 16:9-11(NLT) No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.
My body rests in safety.
10 For you will not leave my soul among the dead
or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
11 You will show me the way of life,
granting me the joy of your presence
and the pleasures of living with you forever.
The Psalm shows us that Jesus will not have his end in the grave, and the men on the road don’t understand this yet. Jesus proceeds to show them that the Messiah must die and then be resurrected. They just know that Jesus’ body is not found at the gravesite and wonder what all these things mean. Jesus shows them the resurrection and what that means from the Word. They have accepted Jesus as the coming Messiah but now they understand that he will get up again from the dead fulfilling God’s plan.
What did Jesus just teach them?
Deuteronomy 18:15-18(NKJV) The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, 16 according to all you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’
17 “And the LORD said to me: What they have spoken is good. 18 I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.
Jesus does the Word and will of the Father at every point in his life. This is so amazing to me when I read and try to understand it. For him to see all that he needed to do and then follow it all through is so humbling, so unsettling, that I almost can’t even read it without being condemned in my mind for how short I am of obedience. How does Jesus find the Father’s will and then do it so completely? When we say we want to follow Jesus, we bite off much more than we can chew or swallow.
John 5:37-39(NLT) And the Father who sent me has testified about me himself. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face, 38 and you do not have his message in your hearts, because you do not believe me—the one he sent to you.
39 “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!
Our walk of believing starts like the men on the road and then proceeds to realize the truth of scripture and the guidance that God gives us for our lives in His Word. Oh, what grace and mercy God has given us to make us part of His family. We don’t deserve it and can’t earn it in any way, only believe God that His Son is the way, the truth, and the life for us.
Reflection Questions
- Where do you find Jesus pointed to in the Scriptures? What Scriptures do you think Jesus used to teach Cleopas and the other Jesus follower?
- What does it look like to say you accept the Scriptures but not Jesus? What does it look like to say you follow Jesus but you don’t (regularly) look at the Scriptures? How can you more thoroughly do both?
- “How does Jesus find the Father’s will and then do it so completely?”
- What misunderstandings about Jesus continue today?
Prayer
Father God who created the heavens and the earth and all that is, we thank you this day for Your great love that You have loved us with. Help us to turn our hearts to Your Word and will for our lives. Thank you for giving us eternal life to come, and a life more abundant here on earth today. We thank you and praise You for the gift of Your Son who has made this all possible for us. We ask in Jesus name this day.
