Emmaus Surprise!

Reading: Luke 24:13-35
33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread. Luke 24:33-35 (NIV)

I.   Back to the Grind

     A.  The Festivities are Over

           1.  They’re going home in a post-holiday (Passover) slump. Back to the same-old same-old. Wishing the world had changed in the meantime, but not so surprised that it hadn’t.

                 a.  I met with several pastors this week. Most of us were in a post-Easter slump.

                 b.  There’s a kind of disappointment that happens after the holidays

                       (1)      When things go badly, we’re disappointed they didn’t go better.

                       (2)      When things go well, we’re disappointed the high doesn’t last.

           2.  Cleopas and his traveling companion are going home after the Passover celebration.

                 a.  Is Cleopas the same as Clopas (John 19:25)?

                       (1)      If so was he traveling with his wife Mary?

                 b.  Even if not, it seems most likely (contrary to common opinion) that this was a husband and wife traveling on the road since they invite Jesus into their home.

     B.  Dashed Hopes

           1.  But they aren’t just going home, they’re going home with their hopes dashed (v.17b, 21). They’re bummed.

           2.  They had their hopes raised that maybe Jesus was the one who would change their world, but he turned out to be just another guy up against reality.

                 a.  Reality always seems to win over hope.

                 b.  So they’re doing what they always do at the end of Passover — at the end of their hope. They’re going home.

                       (1)      Their reality may not be much, but at least it’s home, at least it’s familiar.

           3.  They give their account to this stranger in the road who obviously doesn’t have a clue as to what reality has done again.

                 a.  Their hopes may be dashed, but they still have Jesus on their lips.

II.  Meeting Jesus Again

     A.  Jesus Opens the Scriptures

           1.  They were kept from recognizing him.

                 a.  God gave them a gift, but he wrapped it up to keep it a surprise until just the right moment.

                 b.  Perhaps God knew that if they recognized Jesus, they wouldn’t pay attention to what Jesus was there to say.

           2.  Jesus opens the Scriptures to them.

                 a.  While it says that they were kept from recognizing Jesus, it doesn’t say that they were kept from understanding God’s word.

                 b.  Jesus carefully and thoroughly explains to them that the Bible said that all the horrible things that happened to Jesus had to happen to the Messiah.

           3.  Or to put it another way: Jesus explains to them that the realities they experienced as dashed hopes, are the very realities that guarantee that their world has changed.

     B.  Their Eyes are opened

           1.  They invite Jesus in.

                 a.  They really don’t know who he is at this point, but they are so intrigued by him that they want to hear more.

                 b.  I wonder if they hadn’t welcomed him into their lives whether Jesus would have gone on to talk with someone else.

           2.  As they sit down to their meal Jesus takes over. He gives thanks and breaks the bread.

                 a.  In so doing He plays the part of the host.

                 b.  Perhaps Cleopas and his companion (wife?) were among the 5,000 Jesus fed that one day. Maybe they had shared some other meal with him. Maybe it was something else about that moment.

                 c.  What ever it was, that was the moment God chose to open their eyes.

           3.  At that moment of recognition, Jesus task with them was complete so he left.

III. Coming Together Again

     A.  7 Miles in the Dark

           1.  What do these 2 do with the news?

           2.  They run back 7 miles in the dark to share this news with their friends.

           3.  This is not the kind of news that can be kept behind closed doors.

                 a.  There’s something about having one’s life deeply changed and touched by God that cries out to be shared with people who have had the same experience.

     B.  Surprised Together

           1.  They have to share their surprise with those who knew him best.

           2.  They come together with Jesus on their lips because suddenly everything has changed and they’re going to have to figure out together what it all means.

           3.  They come together to share their experience of Jesus. And they are enriched in the process, at the same time that their experience enriched others.

The Bottom Line:

See Also Emmaus Surprise 2003