Before you go to the grocery store, your kids have many ideas about what you might bring home for them to eat. They hope for things like cookies, chips, candy, pizza and ice cream. Rather than indulge their misguided desires, you bring home healthy food leaving them sad, confused and disappointed. Later in life you will be able to explain why you fed your kids healthy food, and they will appreciate you for doing what was best for them.
We do not always understand what is happening around us. For example, your spouse may share information with you not looking for a solution or opinion, but support. Or we may see a little dashboard symbol light up in our vehicle and not stop to read the manual to see what the issue is. Multiple people may experience the same event, but their interpretation of it may vary widely.
The day Jesus rose from the dead was filled with misinterpretation. Those who went to Jesus’ tomb early in the morning did not understand why the tomb was empty. Some were told by an angel the reason, but even then, it was a struggle to believe. Others shared that they had seen Jesus alive but believing them was a struggle. Later in the day, we hear in Luke’s Gospel about two followers of Jesus who were on their way to Emmaus from Jerusalem. On their walk, they discussed what had gone on in Jerusalem over the last few days, and especially what they had heard about the empty tomb and reports that Jesus was alive. Then, as they walked a stranger came up asking what they were discussing. Learning he was oblivious to what had happened in Jerusalem, they quickly shared about the powerful miracle working healer and preacher Jesus of Nazareth who they hoped was the Redeemer of Israel until he was crucified and buried. Some shared that his tomb was empty because he had come back to life that morning, but they had not seen him alive. Jesus’ response to them is recorded in our Gospel reading from Luke 24, 25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” The two walking to Emmaus were surprised when Jesus, miraculously hiding his appearance, asked them about the events in Jerusalem, but they were the ones who had misinterpreted and not understood how Scripture prophesied these events and agreed with the testimony of those who said that Jesus was alive.
Without Jesus’ suffering and resurrection there is no redemption. The two followers of Jesus were right to hope in Jesus from Nazareth as the Redeemer of Israel. Their issue was in the way Jesus would redeem his people. Redemption or paying the price has the picture of money. Jesus was often shown hospitality, and may have had some cash on hand, but nowhere near the amount of money it would take to pay for an entire nation. The two walking to Emmaus missed what Jesus had done because they were looking for the wrong Jesus. In the same way, we miss Jesus. Jesus is not going to restore a physical nation on earth. Jesus does not make things happen with any kind of currency whether gold, stocks, cash, card or crypto. Jesus is not about fixing all the issues in our lives but about saving us from this world to go to heaven and give us hope in him to endure the issues in our lives until we go there. We may have heard this truth many times, but the events in our lives and our sinful nature cause us to misinterpret and misunderstand Jesus. We want a Jesus that fixes our broken vehicle and changes our spouse into the person we want them to be. We want a Jesus that makes life easy and solves all our problems. We want Jesus to be a coupon we redeem whenever things do not go our way. And when we hope for a Jesus like that, we are as foolish as thinking we can live on cookies, chips, candy pizza and ice cream, or ignore our vehicle’s dashboard warning light, or our spouse’s communication style.
Jesus’ path was always going to be one of suffering for us to be redeemed. Even the first promise of Jesus as our Savior indicated he would suffer as we hear in Genesis 33, 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel. Jesus would be struck to crush Satan, and the prophecies in Scripture added details to Jesus’ suffering so it would be obvious when he came to save us. Yet those who saw his life, crucifixion, burial and resurrection still struggled because faith, belief, hope, trust and peace in Jesus do not come from our five senses or logical deductions. Instead, the Holy Spirit works through the Word of God. After his suffering the resurrected glorified Jesus hid his identity as he walked with his two followers to Emmaus using Scripture to feed their faith as we read in Luke 24, 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. Jesus did not do a repeat of the Mount of Transfiguration to clear up what had happened for these two. Jesus used the Bible to feed their faith in him as the Redeemer giving eternal peace to their sad hearts. If Jesus was just another prophet, though 19 … “powerful in word and deed before God and all the people”, then he had done nothing significant or lasting for them. Instead, Jesus was the Prophet Moses spoke of in Deuteronomy 18, 15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. Jesus came as the Word made flesh or the prophecies made into a person. Peter testifies to the significance of Jesus as the Redeemer of the world of all people of all time in our New Testament reading from 1 Peter 1, 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. Jesus came to save us, that’s what his name means. It is why God sent the angel to tell Mary and Joseph to give him that name. The events in Jerusalem of Jesus suffering and glorious resurrection prove we have been redeemed from sin and death to eternal life with Jesus in glory.
Jesus took the time to walk with two of his followers the day he was raised from the dead. He spent hours with them when could have appeared to hundreds, which we hear happened later in 1 Corinthians 15. Jesus could have appeared to thousands or to the whole world bright, shining and glorious to prove his resurrection. Instead, he wanted these two to hear from him what the Scriptures revealed. These two would be among the most informed witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection on the third day that changed everything. And when Jesus allowed them to recognize him, we read in Luke 24, 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” 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. Jesus walked with the two on the road to Emmaus in glory, done with suffering, sharing his victory for them with them. Then, full of faith, they had to share Jesus with others as Peter did seven weeks later as we read in our Old Testament reading from Acts 2, 14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. Peter did not say too bad you did not have your own personal experience with Jesus after his resurrection. He pointed them to the Scriptures, specifically here at Pentecost to the Old Testament prophet Joel and multiple Psalms, which is often referred to as the hymn book of the Old Testament. Then he concluded in Acts 2, 38 … “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” We are those far off ones whom our Lord has called to faith, and we follow in the footsteps of those on the road to Emmaus, Peter and Jesus as we take the time to share Jesus with others. Even our children who are too young to understand the benefits of a bowl of broccoli over a bowl of Blue Bell, need to hear about Jesus; they are never too young to be given the gift of faith by the Holy Spirit through baptism and the forgiveness of sins through Jesus. Peter used the Psalm to point to Jesus as they are rich with prophesy, and they combine Scripture with music. Music helps us commit any message to memory, which is why we sing songs filled with words, phrases and truths of Scripture in worship. I have seen babies and the elderly, even those affected by memory disease perk up to hymns and songs about Jesus who walks with us every moment of our lives until he brings us home to glory.
Kids hope for cookies, chips, candy, pizza and ice cream when it’s time to go grocery shopping. So, they are sad, confused and disappointed when the shopping bags are full of healthy food. Later in life you can explain to your kids why you fed them healthy food, and they will appreciate you for doing what was best for them. Two followers of Jesus did not understand the events of his death and resurrection in Jerusalem, so he walked with them on their way to Emmaus explaining from Scripture what the Savior had to suffer to redeem the world before entering his glory. Jesus has come to us in his Word too, and the Holy Spirit has given us the gift of faith in him. With our kids and everyone else, we also share the good news that Jesus walked in suffering to bring us into glory. Amen.
Gunnar Ledermann, Pastor Divine Peace Church
Gunnar Ledermann
I’m passionate about Rockwall’s vibrant community and actively engage with local non-profits and community organizations, including the Rockwall Chamber of Commerce, the City of Rockwall, and the Downtown Rockwall Association. My background includes a bachelor’s degree in Classical Languages and a master’s degree in divinity. Currently serving as a pastor at Divine Peace Church in Rockwall, I also enjoy spending time with my wife, Marinda, and our five children.
