HOPE 3 - Because Jesus is risen, there's life after death!

Hope 3 - English files

Hoffnung 3 - German files

Devotional Thoughts about Luke 24:13-43

What a surreal experience Resurrection Day in Jerusalem must have been!  Amid all the horror, cover-up, hope and speculation rampant upon discovery of the empty tomb, two followers of Jesus set out for what was presumably their home in Emmaus, still trying to process the crucifixion and now also the incredible reports from the gravesite that morning.

At some point along the way, Jesus joined them, somehow masking His identity for the time being (which He seems to have done several times after the resurrection— see John 20:14; 21:4). When asked what they were talking about, they were incredulous that anyone just coming from Jerusalem could have missed such big news. As they filled Him in, their baffled pain bled out of the wistful admission that they’d hoped Jesus was the promised deliverer (24:21).

Instead of addressing recent happenings, Jesus scolded them for not believing the Scriptures they’d been taught all their lives. Wasn’t His suffering and death consistent with the prophecies about the Christ? As He ticked off the specific points of congruence, their hearts “burned” within them, as they later described it (24:32).

Having arrived at their destination, they invited Him in. After He’d blessed the bread, broken it and given it to them, they were finally able to recognize Him, but He vanished before they had time to react. Despite the late hour, they returned to Jerusalem to tell the remaining 11 disciples. There Jesus appeared to them all, convincing them He was truly alive.

Lord, when the times are confusing and discouraging, help me to cling to what I know from Your Word and to place my hope in You.

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If you're interested in the lesson files, simply click on the appropriate link above to download them in the desired language. See the Informational Pages in the right column for more about the lesson series. The next two blogposts feature further lessons on the topic Hope.