“He is risen!” With overwhelming joy, Mary burst into the room where the disciples were hidden. These skeptics who had spent the last few days in tears, and fear, and disbelief would not be swayed by the testimony of an overly excited woman. The more seasoned disciples dismissed her claims as an emotional breakdown. Mary had wept so much that perhaps she had a mental collapse.
But she had seen Him when she was in the garden, and she had the confidence of it. However, for the time, she was alone in the excitement. The disciples continued on in their disbelief. Later that morning, Luke 24 says that two of Jesus’ followers left Jerusalem and took a journey to a neighboring town, Emmaus.
As Cleopas and his friend walked down the path, they discussed the unbelievable events of the week. Jesus had arrived on the back of a donkey at the beginning of the week, had cleansed the temple during the week, was executed, and eventually buried. Now, it looked like someone had come had taken His body. They thought He would have saved Israel.
And as they walked, another one joined them on the path. “What are you guys talking about? And why are you so sad?” was the introductory inquiry. Without giving the stranger much thought the two continued on and told of all the events of the week. In Luke 24:21, they finished their story with, “And today is the third day, and now His tomb is empty. There is this one lady, who probably took His death harder than any of us, who is telling everybody that she saw Him alive.”
Eventually the three stopped for dinner. Gathered around the table, the stranger took the bread, and began to pray, “Father, in heaven, hallowed be thy name…” In an instant both men looked up at the stranger Who had come into their home. Breathing out a sigh of desperate amazement Cleopas looked at the face of the stranger, “Je-sus?” Immediately, He was gone.It was late in the day now, but these two had to get back to the other disciples. Mary had been right! Jesus was alive! He had come to save the world, and He just needed to suffer first. All along He had been fulfilling the prophecies, how could they have overlooked the ones about His suffering.
“He is risen!” with eyes of surety, the two burst into the room where the disciples were hidden. “We just saw Him on the road to Emmaus! We talked to Him, and we didn’t know it was Him, but then we stopped for dinner, and when He prayed…I know it was Him. Jesus is alive! Guys He is risen. The reason the tomb was empty is because He is risen!”
Suddenly, the room hushed, and all looked on in amazement.
Food For Thought: Read Isaiah 53:3-12. Isaiah wrote this 700 years before Jesus was born. Write out three specific parts of this prophecy that deal directly with what Jesus suffered on the cross.
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