On The Road To Emmaus

by Andy Cokayne 26 April 2020

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.' Today is the 2nd Sunday after Easter, and where we will think of the two disciples On the Road to Emmaus. You may find it helpful to have a bible to hand.

Our first hymn is 'See what a morning gloriously bright'

Our second hymn is 'How deep the Fathers love  for us'

The two disciples were on a journey, they were on the road, when Jesus met them. Life itself is a journey, and while we may not be travelling by car, train, bus, or plane, we are certainly on the move. This time gives us chance to prayerfully consider our journey with God. Which way are we going? Are we travelling in the right direction? Who is in the driving seat? Have we lost traction, and  going nowhere?                                

The disciples had something fundamentally wrong with their journey that day. They were heading in the wrong direction. Those that had seen events unfold during Passover were in Jerusalem, the apostles and the fellowship of Jesus followers were in Jerusalem, the support and mutual encouragement were in Jerusalem, and the two were heading away. 

We may say how foolish they were to leave Jerusalem, but how often in times of crisis do we turn our backs on Christian fellowship, saying "I need time to myself." or "I prefer to manage on my own, thanks." Even perhaps thinking that, to seek support from fellow believers is a sign of weakness. Yet God designed us for community and to share true fellowship, in deed our God is community himself, in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.       

The disciples started out on the journey depressed, we read in verse 17 "They stood still their faces downcast." But after they realised that it had been Jesus with them on their journey, we read in verse 32 "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the scriptures to us?"  They were so excited, that even though it was late, they rushed back the 7 miles to Jerusalem to tell the others.           

In verse 30 as Jesus sat at the table with them, he uses the same four verbs he had used at the Last Supper, which we considered on Maundy Thursday, and were the same as when he fed the 5,000 with the 5 loaves and 2 fish. We read He Took, Blessed, Broke, and Gave. With that their eyes were opened and they recognised Him, we read in verse 31.                                   

These disciples knew the tomb was empty, but didn't understand that Jesus had risen, and so they were filled with sadness. Despite the women's witness, that was verified by other disciples, and despite the biblical prophecies of this very event, they still did not believe. Today the resurrection still catches people by surprise. In spite of 2,000 years of evidence and witness, many people refuse to believe. What more will it take? For these disciples it took the living breathing Jesus in their midst. For many people today, it takes living breathing Christians in their midst. Are we one of those living breathing Christians, witnessing to our living Lord?                       

I pray that we are.                                                                                                 

​Our final hymn this morning is 'When we walk with the Lord'