Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.
He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
“What things?” he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”
He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 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?”
They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread. (Luke 24:13-35)
Last Sunday, we heard how sometimes things seem too good to be true. Like, “Christ is risen!” No way! For Jesus’ disciples, that was too good to be true. So they doubted. But Jesus appeared to them and brought peace for the doubting. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed! It’s really true!
But there’s another side. Sometimes things seem too bad to be true. Do you know what I mean? You look at your life and think, “How can this be happening?” It’s not your plan—at all. It’s not what you wanted—at all! “This can’t be true!” There’s no light at the end of the tunnel. Does life ever seem too bad to be true? When it is, there’s a different result. When things are too good to be true, you doubt. When things are too bad to be true? You give up. Despair. You’re downcast.
That’s exactly where two guys where at on Easter afternoon. Life seemed too bad to be true. On Easter, two followers of Jesus were walking to the little town of Emmaus—seven miles from Jerusalem. We don’t know anything about these guys. Just one name: Cleopas. Who’s he? Who knows? Here’s what we know: Life for them was too bad to be true. They were in shock. As they walked, they “were talking with each other about everything that had happened.” Jesus had died! They were saying to each other, “How can this be happening?” It seemed too bad to be true!
When, suddenly, Jesus was there. I think this is great! On Easter, Jesus could have appeared to kings or emperors, but instead he decided to hang out with Cleopas and his friend. Why? Because he cared about them. Jesus came to bring hope for the downcast. But instead of saying, “Look, it’s me!”, Jesus kept them from recognizing him. Jesus didn’t want his physical presence to comfort them. He’d be gone again soon! He wanted his words to comfort them. So as they walked, he came up and asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
And they stopped dead in their tracks and stared at him. “Downcast.” Jesus’ question seemed like the dumbest question in the world. “What do you mean, ‘What things’?” Cleopas said, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” Isn’t that how we feel when we’re downcast too? Your struggles wrap themselves around you so deeply that it’s hard to believe that others don’t see them. When somebody finally asks, “What’s wrong?”, you don’t even know where to start. You just stop and say sadly, “What do you mean? How can you not see?” But Jesus didn’t budge. “What things?” he asked.
So those two men spilled out their hearts. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him.” Here’s why they were downcast: Jesus was dead! I don’t think we can possibly understand how bad that really was. “They crucified him.” They saw it. Sure, there were rumors that he might be alive, but “they crucified him.” You and I have never had to face that kind of despair. Jesus was dead.
And here was the worst part: “We had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.” Jesus was their hope. Jesus was their Redeemer. So their hope was crushed. Gone! Their Redeemer was dead. It was all too bad to be true! Unbelievably bad. You can hear it in their voices: “We had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.” But he was dead!
Do you know what Jesus said? It’s surprising! He didn’t say, “Ta da! I’m alive!” He pointed them to God’s Word. “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” If Cleopas thought all this was too bad to be true, that was a problem. He wasn’t believing the Bible. That’s why he was downcast! The Bible says the Savior would first suffer and then enter glory. First a cross, then a crown. Cleopas had just been expecting the glory. So “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”
I wonder if Jesus used Psalm 22. It says, “They pierce my hands and my feet. All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment” (Psalm 22:14-18). What was King David talking about? Jesus dying on the cross. It’s all right there! But do you know how Psalm 22 ends? “Future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!” (Psalm 22:31-32). What was God’s Word talking about? Jesus rising. It’s all right there!
Or maybe Jesus explained Isaiah 53. Remember that prophecy? “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). What was Isaiah talking about? Jesus dying on the cross. It’s all right there! But do you know how Isaiah 53 ends? “After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied” (Isaiah 53:11). What was he talking about? Jesus rising. It’s all right there! The Savior had to suffer and then enter glory. First the cross, then the crown.
As Jesus talked, their hearts were burning. You know that feeling! God’s Word working. Hope building. Jesus’ death wasn’t too bad to be true. As hard as it was, it was part of God’s plan of salvation. To forgive us. To bring hope to the downcast. Jesus talked and talked. Seven miles to the town. To their house. To their dinner table. More Word. More hope. More Word. More hope. Finally, when they sat down to eat, Jesus opened their eyes to see him, and then he was gone.
If their new hope came from Jesus’ physical presence, he was gone! But their hope didn’t come from Jesus’ physical presence. It came from Jesus’ words. “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?’” They were filled so full! What seemed too bad to be true was true. Jesus had died for them. But what seemed too good to be true was also true. Jesus was alive! You know what that hope did for them? They ran right back to Jerusalem! When was the last time you ran seven miles? I bet their feet barely touched the ground. They had hope. Jesus brought hope for the downcast!
Does that describe you today? Flying through life with your feet barely touching the ground? Or trudging with your face downcast? I said last week that often we Christians feel we can’t talk about doubt. “Christians don’t doubt!” Not true. You know what we talk about even less than doubt? Despair. Depression. “Christians are always happy, right?” No. If I could see your faces, I bet a lot of us are downcast. Hasn’t this coronavirus stuff seemed too bad to be true? Trips cancelled. Jobs lost. Savings gone. Loved ones sick. Stuck home. It seems too bad to be true!
But who are kidding? A lot of us don’t need a pandemic to feel depressed. Even without the virus, there are plenty of reasons to feel hopeless. Do you? I often do. Depression has been a part of my life since high school. It’s just not something we talk about, right? For some, it’s brought on by a bad experience in life. For others of us, it’s just how our brains are wired in this broken world. People are hurting. You look around and say, “How can this be happening to me? This isn’t my plan. This isn’t what I wanted!” Life seems too bad to be true. You feel stuck. Hopeless.
I wonder if there’s a strange reality right now. How many of us are actually hoping life doesn’t go back to the way it was? How many of us are dreading life going back to normal? Because you hated it. The last thing you want to do is go back to that job with those people doing those things. If that’s not you, you’re blessed! For others, it’s hard to get up each day, isn’t it? Downcast.
So what does Jesus say? When I’m downcast, I know what I need to hear: “How foolish you are and how slow to believe.” I’m so slow to believe Jesus’ words. When I get down, I look at me, instead of at Jesus. I’m foolish. God’s words are right there, but I don’t pick them up. So is it any surprise when I feel hopeless? Remember how Jesus brings hope to the downcast? Through his words! I had a high school classmate who struggled with depression. She told me that the only way she made it through each day was John 16:33: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” It’s all there, isn’t it? The bad and the good. In God’s Word.
What passages Jesus would share with us, as we trudge along downcast like Cleopas? Maybe he’d say, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Or, “my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Or, “do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). Or, “I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
Jesus picks us up, doesn’t he? With his Word. Always with his Word! Jesus walks beside you. You’re never alone. Whether you feel like he’s there or not. Whether you recognize him or not. He’s there. And he’s always doing the same thing. He’s pointing you to God’s Word: “Look in here!” There are so many promises. So much hope. “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:30-31).
But then tomorrow comes. The next shock. The next disappointment. The next news that’s too bad to be true. The Bible says they’ll be days like that! So what do we do? Well, I skipped one verse. “Jesus acted as though he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, ‘Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.’” We pray, “Stay with us.” There’s a song about that. Know what it is? “Abide with me; fast falls the eventide. The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide. When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me. I need thy presence ev’ry passing hour. What but thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r? Who like thyself my guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine, oh, abide with me!”
Abide with me, when it’s too bad to be true. Abide with me, when I’m so ashamed for what I’ve done. Abide with me, when this can’t be happening. Abide with me, when I sit alone. Abide with me, when I have no hope. And Jesus says, “I am. In my Word. You’re never alone. I bring hope for the downcast!”
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