As the Risen Christ expounded the Scriptures to the two companions on Emmaus Road,
they began to see the reason for the empty tomb. However, they still didn't
recognize Him. The reason is simple. So that whatever they would soon to
experience would be based solely on the Word of God. If not based on the Word
of God, any experience could lead to all sorts of weird and bizarre claims. But
this was avoided because their belief in Christ's resurrection was based
squarely on the Word. From their encounter let's take a cue. Any purported
experience not based on the Word of God should be carefully examined. We must
be wary of people with all kinds of unbiblical and bizarre claims.
The two Emmaus companions now arrived at
the inn and strongly urged the Lord, whom they still had not recognized, to
join them. They in fact insisted that He should join them. We can understand
why. At their insistence, Christ joined them to lodge for the night. As they
were reclining at the table, He took bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to
them. In that moment, their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. Yes, it's
the Risen Christ! They recognized Him. And then He vanished from their sight. That
special moment was forever etched in their minds. A personal encounter with the
Resurrected Lord! Their confusion and despair were lifted. So they said to each
other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on
the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?”
How could anyone contain such a magical moment? So picking themselves up, they hurried to Jerusalem to broadcast their encounter. On arriving at Jerusalem, they found the Eleven and some of the followers still with them. Excitedly, they exclaimed. Here's a paraphrase of their exclamation, "It's true, the Lord has risen! He has risen, and He has indeed appeared to Simon." And they narrated every bit of their experience, from the journey to the inn, the exposition of the Scriptures and to the breaking of the bread. Yes indeed He has risen!
Just as He knew the two companions on Emmaus Road, the Risen Christ still knows
where each one of us is today. He knows the degree of our spiritual fervor. He
can sense the temperature. He knows whether we are icy cold or fiery hot. From
the passion to the resurrection, Christ's whole act was to make us know the
extent of both the love of the Father and His. The purpose is to elicit our
love for God. Beloved, it's not just illumination that we need, we also need more
heat from His presence that will warm our hearts. The Risen Lord is still
beckoning us to draw near and experience the heat. How can our hearts be strangely
warmed unless we do so?
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