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The Gospel of Luke (24:13-35) records the most intimate encounter of the resurrected Jesus that is recorded in scripture. Two disciples traverse a road home after several days of perceived defeat. Jesus has been taken captive, tried several times with no fault found, condemned to death, and ultimately crucified. His disciples are hiding, afraid, and unsure of their next move. Only the women in Jesus’ life seek to serve Him openly…but even they do so in service to the body of Jesus…they too believe Him to be defeated and dead. Yet, when they approach the tomb, they find His grave empty and the angelic words given, “He is not here, He is risen as He said!” While word of His resurrection begin to spread, these two particular disciples traveling home to Emmaus do not believe it to be so.

If they believed, why would they leave? Why the discussion between themselves on the events of the day? Can we really blame them? Resurrection is far from the norm. It is not the natural order of things to die and then be made alive again. The words “He’s Alive” are words of the impossible. Perhaps in their mind, they believe it impossible for Jesus to be alive. While not stated, it may be that these two disciples witnessed the events of the past several days and may have seen Jesus crucified. Given what they saw with their eyes, they knew Jesus could not be alive.

Jesus approaches them in their dejected and unbelieving state. Their eyes are blinded to who He is and He questions them. They recount the reason for their sadness and Jesus continues to veil His identity from them.

There is an important lesson in what Jesus is teaching these disciples and some important lessons for us as well. It would have been far quicker and easier for Jesus to reveal who He was from the very beginning. I’m sure there would have been great joy, overwhelming joy, tears of happiness, and a flood of relief at the sight and recognition of Jesus. Jesus does not do this though.

He reminds these two disciples of the words of the faithful who have come before. Of Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and all the others who spoke of the promised Messiah. He reminded them I’m sure of Isaiah 53 and the sufferings that the Messiah must endure to satisfy a just, righteous, and merciful God. Of those prophets and faithful servants of God, Jesus says of these two disciples that they were “slow to believe”. Why? Why did they fail to believe and recount what they knew in their head already? They failed to believe ultimately because of what they saw.

Their sight over shadowed the promises given by God through the years. They remember the cruel scourging Jesus endured. They saw they crown of thorns placed on His head. They have ingrained in their mind the beaten & worn body of Jesus hanging on the cross. They can picture the spear piercing His side. They can still hear His final words…they see Him giving up the ghost. They know and have seen Jesus die. Yet in all they witnessed, they forgot God’s faithfulness, His ultimate plan in bringing salvation. They forgot the very words of Jesus Himself. They let their circumstances trump the promises of God in their life and they lost faith.

It may have been easier for Jesus to reveal Himself from the very beginning. But Jesus is teaching these disciples and us that the life we live is one ultimately of faith. We may not see with our own eyes the grandiose visions of angelic beings or the proclamation of voices from heaven. But Jesus reminds us; we have the words of Moses, the prophets, and now the writings of His apostles which reveal to us the promises that God has for our life and the life to come.

We have with us now a comforter in the Holy Spirit who never leaves us or forsakes us. We can have a peace that passes all understanding in the midst of some of life’s greatest tragedies. We can rest in the promises of God regardless of our present circumstances. When the impossible is before us, when we have witnessed defeat with our very own eyes, when it is outside of the “norm” for this obstacle to be overcome…God can show up and do…the impossible!

When you’re tempted to walk back home in defeat. Trust Jesus, know He’s an ever present help in our time of need. Know that even when it is difficult to perceive His presence He is with us. Keep the faith, believe the promises of God despite what you have seen with your eyes!

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by fight, not by sight.

-Pastor Cuestas, Joseph