“And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.” (Luke 24:24)
No matter how many times we read a passage it seems there is always new revelation. And so it is today.
This verse is taken from the passage of the two men from Emmaus – two disciples – who had witnessed the events surrounding the death and burial of Jesus. They were followers of Jesus’ teachings and knowledgeable in scripture – much like we are today. They had heard the teachings of the rabbis all their lives so they recognized the personage of Christ, yet their understanding was shallow. Good men who had placed their trust in Him.
We see them now going back home. They had hung around Jerusalem for a few days following the crucifixion, knowing the prophecies concerning His resurrection. By their conversation we learn they had been with the twelve (and others) because they knew of Mary’s encounter with the Risen Savior as well as Peter and John’s report of the empty grave. It is in their words we see the results of their misplaced faith and misunderstanding of Christ’s mission.
As Jesus came alongside them and overheard their discussion amongst themselves, He listened as they told of their hopes that He would deliver them from the hands of the Romans. They believed He was to be their Deliverer (after the foreshadowing vision of Moses). They, much like Peter did in the beginning, believed that He was to establish an earthly reign, an earthly kingdom. But they also expected something else I would like to address.
In our verse today is an unspoken expectation that we share with them all too often. Listen to their words again, “And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.” Speaking of Peter and John, these men of Emmaus told how Peter and John had gone to the grave to find Christ, yet found an empty tomb and a somber graveyard. Because that is where Mary found Him, they expected Jesus to stand by the grave and welcome His disciples as they came to see.
But what did Jesus tell Mary to say to them? In Mark 16:7 they were told: “But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.” They were told to go into Galilee and there they would see Jesus, yet we see Peter and John get up quickly and return to His grave! They expected Jesus to hover and remain in the place of the dead. But He is not the Lord of the dead – He is Lord of the living!
How many times do we receive good instruction (i.e. - go into Galilee…) yet follow what we think should be instead? We expect Jesus to stand around and wait for us, to confirm what we believe, or do what we think He ought, instead of listening and simply obeying His words. We haven’t changed so much since the Garden of Eden, have we? God gave Adam and Eve the entire world with the exception of partaking of the fruit of one tree – ONE TREE! Yet that one tree became their obsession. And their downfall.
Hear the words of these two disciples on the road to Emmaus today, my friend. In today’s vernacular we could say, “Well, I did what brother so-and-so did, but Jesus didn’t answer me the way He did him.” “I drove all the way to Brownsville for the revival, but when I got there it was ‘meh.’” I prayed the way I was taught, but God didn’t come through for me the way He did in the old days. It was only after Jesus had come to their home, shared a meal, then disappeared that they were able to discern that their hearts had been burning within them the entire time! They had literally eaten with the Master, yet they were so caught up in how He didn’t fulfill their desires and hopes that they didn’t recognize Him three feet away! How sad!
Listen, I know we all have beliefs that we’ve held onto since we were little. Some of us grew up in church and have heard all the stories, read all the popular scriptures, etc. We have been taught according to our individual denominations concerning certain portions of scripture. For example, for years it was taught that the Old Testament is irrelevant today – it is only dead, dusty history. Some still teach that miracles ended with the last apostle and are no longer present in our world today. Some teach that tongues were done away with when the printed Bible came into being. Some teach there will only be 144,000 in heaven. On and on our personal beliefs continue to divide us, to split the Bride of Christ into neat little packages.
Go back and read the words that were spoken to Mary in Mark 16: “You seek the living among the dead. He is not here, for He is risen.” Don’t go back looking in the last place Jesus spoke to you. Don’t go chasing after the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in some other place. Don’t expect Him to stop and wait for you when He must be about His Father’s business. In another place it is written, “Behold, I do a new thing…” The world is finished with dusty, dead religion. People don’t need another sermon series about dry theology and “right thinking.” The world needs Jesus and He is on the move!
Today I challenge you to check your heart – to sense that moving of the Spirit in your life. See if you are struggling against Him in some area. When Mary returned from the tomb with the words of Christ fresh on her lips, these two men didn’t believe her. Read the scripture – “It seemed to them like an idle tale.” When these two men from Emmaus literally walked along the road with Jesus and He was teaching them their hearts were burning within them – resisting what He was saying – because it was going against what their expectations were. He wasn’t acting “right.” Jesus is not a Baptist. Jesus is not a Lutheran. Jesus is not Catholic. Jesus isn’t even Pentecostal or Assembly of God (sorry to some of my friends). Jesus is Jesus. He is the Head. We are the body. We need to re-arrange our vision of the Body of Christ and begin finding our place within it. Let Him lead and we follow.
Go out today and look for Jesus in your world. He goes before you to prepare the way for you. He is setting the stage for you to spread His Word with others who are desparately seeking answers. He is preparing the hearts of those who will hear, then leading you into their paths. Go forth, my friend, in love and in joy. Be Jesus in the world.
Be blessed.
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