The Easter Difference – Hope Restored

The Easter Difference – Hope Restored takes us down the windy path to Emmaus.  Walk with Jesus as he opens the Scripture and burns his way into your heart by the power of his Spirit.

It’s Easter Sunday, but it’s not the crack of dawn.  The tomb has been open all day.  That’s old news.  Peter and John were there.  Everyone has heard the report from the women who saw the angels saying something about Jesus rising from the dead, but that didn’t make any sense.  It’s nearing evening and two of Jesus’ disciples are walking to their home from Jerusalem to Emmaus, about a seven-mile walk.

The conversation must have been a sad one.  These two weren’t part of the twelve disciples, but they were devout followers of Jesus; they must have been if they came to see him in Jerusalem for the Passover Feast.  They had expected great things of Jesus, but nothing happened.  The Holy Spirit hasn’t recorded for us the exact words of these two as they walked, but we do know that it was an active and animated discourse as they both slung ideas back and forth trying to figure out what went wrong.  The topics were probably something like this…

• They had hoped he would get rid of the Romans and the oppressive taxes.
• They had hoped Jesus would bring peace to their land.
• They had hoped that Jesus would set Jerusalem straight – the Jewish leaders were corrupt.

Yes, even the high priest position was bought and sold in smoky back room deals.  Jesus could’ve fixed so many things, but then he died.  He didn’t just die.  Those corrupt leaders hatched a plot using one of Jesus’ own disciples to have him arrested, tried, and then executed between two thieves.  How could things have gone so wrong so quickly?

15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.

17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

19 “What things?” he asked.

To hear Jesus’ answer and the reason for your Easter hope watch this week’s message taken from Luke 24, The Easter Difference – Hope Restored.