Hope Rekindled: Encountering Christ in Our Disappointment

Jesus Christ meets us in our confusion. The opening phrase now that same day links our passage today with the Easter story. We are justified in saying this is a continuation of Easter. It's the same day. It's part of the story of Easter, the death and resurrection of Jesus. In the in verses 13 to 24, we see two men at the heart of the story. Now, that's important. It's an important little detail because according to Jewish law, you need two or more men to be valid witnesses. And so Jesus wanted these men to be witnesses to his resurrection. [00:57:00]

And so today, my friends, do you feel like those two disciples? Do you feel disappointed? Life is not turning out the way you thought it was? Are you feeling lost? Sure. I don't know what's ahead of me. I've got decisions to make. I just don't know which one to make. I'm lost. I'm confused. What's happening in my world, my family, my life, my body? I'm confused. Do you feel uncertain? If there's anyone here who feels certain, please come talk to me after me and tell me how today. [01:05:03]

This passage shows us that Jesus draws alongside us and he walks with us even in our moments of doubt. Isn't that an amazing thought? So, how does he do that? Did you know that the name of the one name of the Holy Spirit is the pariclete? Do you know what the word pariclete means? Means the one who stands alongside you. The one who walks alongside us just as Jesus did. We could have said that Jesus paricleleted those two disciples. He walked alongside them. [01:06:34]

And as Jesus did with those two disciples, the Holy Spirit listens to our concerns and our struggles. Notice Jesus didn't didn't interrupt them. He just said, "What's going on in your life? Tell me." And they did. They just went, "Here you go. God is present." Do you believe that he is present even when we do not see him? Of course, there is that story of someone walking with Jesus along the beach and of course looks back and there are moments when there are two sets of footprints in the sand, isn't it? [01:07:48]

Jesus is with us even when we do not see or recognize him. It's a wonderful point, isn't it? We could probably stop now and say, "Let's go home." But of course, we still have verses 25 to 27 because what does Jesus do when he encounters us in our confusion? He opens the scriptures. It's interesting to note that verse 24, if you have your Bibles open, ends with the name of Jesus. Verse 25 starts with the word he. You see our previous they they didn't recognize him. [01:08:58]

Jesus goes through the Old Testament. He shows them how God's plan was always unfolding. how all of it points to him. From Moses, the fi first five books of the Bible right through to the prophets. It's the end of our Old Testament. Christ's suffering was foretold. And Jesus tells him it was necessary. He had to die. It was necessary for him to die. Even in the Old Testament, we see the grand narrative of redemption is centered on Jesus. And Jesus explains to them the gospel. [01:09:58]

This is the gospel message that we've been proclaiming throughout Easter. In verse 26, Jesus shows them that the Messiah had to suffer these things, that it was a necessary part of God's plan to save the world. And that includes you and me. For God so loved the world that he sent his one and only son to die in our place. No one else could do it but him so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but will have eternal life. [01:10:25]

Jesus shows them what all the scriptures say about him. All the scriptures. And so here, don't be selective about what scriptures you read. I know that you have a favorite book, isn't it? And you probably have favorite chapters. And if you're in a class with Pastor Ver and I, every verse we read in those classes, we say, "This is our favorite verse." But don't be selective. Read all of scripture because all of God's word is important. [01:10:48]

In fact, if you are being selective, it may actually lead you to omit the tough subjects that we find in scripture, the ones hard to understand, the ones that we that sound that doesn't sound very godly, you know, type thing. And you know what? If you're being selective, you may be tempted to miss out all the passages about the Messiah suffering. You know those verses in Isaiah, those verses that talk about him being beaten and killed for our part. We might flick over those. Those don't sound nice at all. [01:11:19]

And these three verses are very important because they show us that all the Old Testament scriptures point to Jesus. And it shows us that the way the New Testament writers used the Old Testament because you know the New Testament writers use the Old Testament a lot, isn't it? And so we can justifiably say on whose authority do you take that Old Testament scripture and use it in your teaching, your writings in the New Testament? Well, you know whose authority? Jesus's authority because they're simply copying what Jesus did on the road to Emmas. [01:11:45]

So my friends, when life does not make sense, and I think that applies today to all of us, isn't it? God's word brings clarity. When you read the Bible, do you do it with an expectation of encountering Jesus? Even Leviticus, Numbers, those tough ones. Do you read it saying, "Jesus, show me yourself in this passage. I want to see you when I read your word today." Do you want to deepen your understanding and your relationship with God? Well, one way we do that is by reading God's word. [01:12:41]

And of course, with the Holy Spirit's help. You remember they Jesus walked alongside them and helped them to understand scripture. I'm sure you would have gone, you know what it says in Isaiah. Yeah, we know that. Well, let me tell you what it's saying about me. Do you know what it says in Zechariah? Yeah, we know that one. Let me tell you what it's saying about me. We need that, don't we? Many times. And so the Holy Spirit, the pariclete, when he's walking and we're reading our Bible, we can say, "Holy Spirit, what is this? Explain it to me. Show me Jesus in this." [01:13:53]

They needed the personal experience, but they also needed the divine act of God opening their eyes. There's this personal and divine involved here. And you know, we need these two things in our lives as well. We need the personal experience of walking with Jesus, of talking with him, of reading his word, you know, of ministry, food pantry, those sort of things. Meeting with other people, having discussions, playing hockey with them, shepherd, you know, those sort of things. We need that. But we also need God's divine work in us. [01:16:29]

And you know when we tell others the good news of Jesus as Sharon did today, we need to tell them our personal experiences. That's what a testimony is. But then it is God's job to open their eyes to the truth. I wrote in my article in the prayer bulletin today. If you haven't seen it, it's on our web page. Um, that that takes the pressure off evangelism, doesn't it? Just go and tell people about Jesus. The rest is up to God. But you've got to have this testimony. You've got to have this personal experience. [01:17:12]

And then as we seek him, the Bible tells us that if we seek him, we will find him. And as we seek him, our faith will be increased, won't it? and we'll be able to tell people about our personal experience. Now, even though this was not a Passover meal, it wasn't a special meal. It was simply dinner. Three friends eating together around a table. But it does speak to us of the significance of communion. When we eat the bread, this is my body broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me. [01:18:51]

When we eat the bread and drink the cup, does it lead us to a deeper encounter with the risen Lord Jesus? He is alive and he wants you not only to remember him, but to see him and to experience him. Their eyes were opened as he broke the bread and shared it with them. It's an amazing part of the story, isn't it? It you're just left hanging, isn't it? And if that's not enough, Jesus simply disappears. Those two men, they were talking to Jesus two seconds ago. Broke the bread. Thank you so much. Where'd he go? [01:19:35]

But my friends, as it says there on the screen, he left something behind. The Bible doesn't really tell us that, but it's there, isn't it? He left something behind. Their faith had been brought back to life. Their faith that was dead, we hoped, was now alive. and they say to each other. And so here we have the fourth point of our story today. The urgency to share. Verses 32 to35. They got up at once. It says, "And they returned to Jerusalem." [01:20:49]

Jesus didn't just leave their faith alive. He left it on fire. Do you see that? Jesus's presence just being with them and God's word opening the scriptures to them brought about personal revival. What was dead is now alive. They rushed back to Jerusalem as fast as they could to testify what had happened. Real encounters with the risen Lord Jesus always leads to bold witness. In my article again for today, I talk about Mary standing at the tomb weeping, weeping bitterly because she believes someone's stolen the body of her her teacher, a man she loved deeply. [01:21:34]

When we encounter the risen Lord Jesus, when we really do, not just in our heads, when we feel him, when we experience him, when we realize he is alive and he is here with me right now, it has to lead to bold witness. Go and tell someone about it. And so as we walk along the road of life, Jesus through his Holy Spirit, we're talking about you and me today now, not those two disciples on the road. Jesus through his Holy Spirit longs to draw near to you and speak to you. [01:22:38]

Did you know that he might even be standing next to you right now and you just don't know it? You know, I think that's why we're called to pray continually. You know that passage that says pray continually? You think, you know, God, when I'm driving down Seeki Road and I close my eyes for prayer, it's going to be bad. That's not what he's talking about. You see, pray continually, I think, means that listening to him. How many of us think prayer is us just speaking? How about not saying anything and listening? [01:23:22]

Pray continually. Listen all the time because he is longing to talk to you. And when you hear Jesus speak to you in prayer or through reading his word, does it cause your heart to burn within you? Or do you just go away going? Does it cause you to tell someone about Jesus? This passage today, the road on the road to Emmas recounts how the risen Lord Jesus draws near to two disciples who are lost and confused on the road to Emmas and how Jesus reveals himself through scripture and personal experience guiding believers from disappointment to hope. [01:23:44]

You know, Jesus is not only present during our struggles, but he's also actively working to open our eyes to his presence and truth through his word. That's what he's trying to do. And so, here are four points for you to take away, for us to take away this week into this period after Easter. Number one, Jesus walks with us. Please know that the Holy Spirit is our pariclete. Even in our doubts, he walks beside you. Secondly, seek his word. Read his word because scripture reveals God's unfolding plan. [01:24:39]

Recognize his presence. Ask God to keep to show you his God sighting. Show me where you are in all of this. Recognize his presence. And you know often God reveals himself through ordinary moments. Don't look for miracles. Look for the sunrise, the sunset. Look for someone in traffic who stops and flashes their lights and says in the ordinary. Well, that's a miracle. So, okay. So, put that one on. That's a miracle. But he often and that's what we do. We always looking for the super spiritual stuff, isn't it? [01:25:31]

Look for him now in the ordinary, in your children. You'll see God in your children. I think not all the time, but often. And then fourthly, please share the encounter with someone. Transformed lives become powerful testimonies. And we have lots of transformed lives here. Sharon's life is transformed, you know, from sick and bitter. You know, bitterness is like taking poison and and and thinking the other person's going to die. [01:26:24]

Not only did he live a sinless life, die in our place, rise again from the dead, but he turns our weeping, our confusion, our disappointment, our sorrow into purpose. It's part of his plan because he goes away. We're going to see that next week. But he we he leaves us behind his church. This passage shows us how Jesus brings light into confusion, hope into sorrow, and purpose into disappointment. [01:28:17]