The Week After Easter

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Luke 24:13-26The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a known fact that we fully believe as Christians. However, in the days following this miracle, some of the disciples were struggling to believe it.Luke 24 tells of two disciples on the road to Emmaus, who came face-to-face with Jesus Christ Himself, the week after Easter.This passage first describes the discouragement of their confused hearts.In verses Luke 24:19-24, we learn these disciples had heard the accounts of Jesus’ resurrection, yet they believed it to have been a misunderstanding. They were confused because they were looking for a political Messiah, and hoped Jesus would come and redeem Israel; yet Jesus had been crucified.Their misunderstanding led to disappointment; this led to doubt and discouragement. They did not yet understand that Calvary would lead to Easter, and Easter to Pentecost—when the Holy Spirit came and carried out what Jesus began.Second, this passage reveals the discovery of a challenged heart.“So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him” (Luke 24:15-16).These disciples were already believers, though they were backslidden and discouraged. Jesus sought them to claim and comfort them. Likewise, we love Jesus, because He first loved us.Adrian Rogers says, “If Jesus would seek us when we were just out-and-out sinners, surely He will seek us when we’re saved and away from Him.”Jesus caught up with them on the road to Emmaus and taught them the Word of God (v. 27). He challenged them because He wanted them to learn to depend upon Scripture and continue growing after His ascent to Heaven. He opened them to the Scriptures, and as a result, He opened their eyes. Only after He taught them God’s Word did they recognize Him. They saw Him in the fulfilled prophecies of Scripture; they also now recognized Him bodily in front of them.This moment led to the declaration of their convinced hearts.Their encounter with Jesus sealed their belief in His resurrection; they immediately went back to Jerusalem with the news, telling everyone about their risen Savior.Apply it to your lifeAre your eyes opened to the Bible, and to the risen Savior? Is your convinced heart set aflame? Pray and ask God to challenge you as you read Scripture today.