"But on the first day of the week," Luke 24:1 NRSV. Now that, my friends, changes everything! If the Gospel of Luke ended with chapter 23, it would be a well researched, well written tragedy. With chapter 24 everything changes and resurrection bursts forth into creation. Yeah baby!
The faithful women are still one of the most inspiring parts of this account for me. Doing the right thing in the face of great odds - movies should be made about them. The disciples amazement and the angels proclamation give me ghost bumps (Holy Ghost bumps) every time i read this account.
The Walk to Emmaus account has become a huge part of my spiritual journey. I went reluctantly to Auburn First UMC about 15 years ago and participated in a spiritual retreat call the Walk to Emmaus. It was nice, but not life changing for me to be honest. My wife attended the next month on the women's walk and it shook her world! She was transformed form a silent, scared, spectator into a dynamic aggressive missionary and disciple of Jesus Christ. She will never be the same, nor will my family or my church or just about anything in our lives together. If you want to know more about the Walk to Emmaus ministries, ask me. it may be a nice weekend away for you like it was for me, or it may rock your world like it did my brides!
Luke compresses about 40 days of information into the closing 20 verses of his gospel account. All of the pieces that you'll find in the other accounts are here, but they happen on resurrection night, not the next 6 weeks! The important call is still made to the disciples and to you and me. Go, tell, teach, worship.
As Luke closes we are leaning in to the book of Acts. Don't miss this chance to read what some have called "The Gospel of the Church". Exciting material lies just ahead!
About Me
- Pastor Bill
- I am a committed follower of Jesus Christ, a happy husband, father and grandfather!
4 comments:
So yeah - our God rose from the Dead, so he's pretty awesome!
Today - we would have like buried him alive, right? I mean, people are buried not long after they die...maybe he would have been at the morgue or a funeral home when he arose - who knows!
I love the women in this story too - they were faithful while Jesus was walking buy and when he was being crucified, and into his death. It must have been nice to know someone on earth was really pulling for him.
The Walk to Emmaus in this so interesting to me. Jesus is constantly in our lives, speaking to us, and we don't always listen to him/notice him. I think this is part of what this story tells us. I often wonder if I had been with these men on this night, if I would have noticed my savior walking with us, despite the fact that I thought he was dead. I guess I'll never know.
Go, tell, teach, worship! Hopefully that's what we're always doing!
I'm excited for Acts - it's packed with stuff...
Christ Has Risen - but he leaves us wanting more "49I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." Luke 24:49 NIV.
Bet we'll pull that all together in Acts, eh?
Hallelujah!
Marshall
I love that Peter was the one who ran to the tomb.
I have been Peter.
I have let the Lord down and felt the guilt associated with my foolishness and shortcomings.
Peter must have had so many emotions screaming inside of him.
Perhaps he felt he would get another chance to please the Lord.
Perhaps he was scared that the Lord would confront him and chastise him.
Maybe he was hoping that he could remove the millstone of guilt, somehow, someway by the news that Jesus was no longer in the tomb...
If he could only undo the act of denying Him...
Jesus understands our emotions. He is loving and gentle and quick to forgive.
The problem with me is that I allow myself to suffer the guilt of my actions over and over and over instead of immediately repenting and receiving forgiveness.
I sometimes get in the way of the Grace that our Father offers me.
Run Peter, run - forgiveness and comfort is only a few steps away.
Hi Marshall and Mark,
thanks for posting along with me - it encourages me to keep up!
The resurrection and the reactions feel fresh today because we are freshly confronted in our lives with the same amazing story. New life, forgiveness, a second third forth etc. chance - We walk the Emmaus trail and find our eyes blind and then opened.
Thanks be to God we read a living Word!
Bill
"made known to them in the breaking of the bread" - my absolute favorite verse from this chapter. I'm also reminded that the Emmaus text is what we used for Aunt Nan's funeral - that sense of wanting everything explained. I'm struck, though, that what was important to Luke was not Jesus' explanations - those details didn't seem important. The truth to be had here was what was known in the relational way Jesus is made known to us - through breaking bread together.
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