I love programs that have the host or guest give an inside view of events that occurred during a famous historical event. These insider eyewitness accounts often shed new and unexpected light, and sometimes, their accounts completely rewrite the history of what happened. The Bible records one such event through a very dramatic encounter.
It was three days after the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. All of the followers of Jesus Christ were feeling utterly defeated. Their Lord was dead. Three years of listening to His teaching, seeing and experiencing His miracles, and receiving His intimate fellowship were gone. Their hope was gone. Two of Jesus’ followers were walking on a road to Emmaus, a small village outside of Jerusalem. They were dejected and discussing the events of the past few days. Unknownst to them, the Risen Jesus Christ appeared alongside them but God prevented them from recognizing Him.
He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?” They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.”
Luke 24:17-18 (NLT)
Jesus walked alongside these two men and explained to them all of the writings of Moses and the prophets, concerning all the things written about Him and how He was to die and be resurrected. When they arrived at Emmaus, Jesus broke bread with them and God opened their eyes.
Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared! They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?”
Luke 24:31-32 (NLT)
Can you imagine? The God of the universe was walking alongside these two men, explaining His master plan for redemption! Yet, for several hours, God prevented them from recognizing Jesus. Yet, they knew they were listening to something very special, so much so that their hearts burned within them as they listened to Jesus. They were receiving the ultimate insider story of God’s plan of redemption and salvation for the entire human race!
This is how God shows His love to us. He meets us wherever we are walking in life. Even if we don’t recognize Him when He is guiding and instructing us, He is always there, giving us the insider story of why we exist and why He loves us.
Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.
The Bereans Blog 