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Is there any hope for a renewed and revitalized world? When we see so many who have turned from God, is there any hope? When we see nations devastated by war, is there any hope? When we see children taken advantage of and families broken apart, is there any hope? When we see the world racked by drugs and all the dirty business of getting it here, is there any hope?
The answer of this passage is a big “yes.” There is hope because Jesus is risen. He has overcome death, sin, and hell and come out on the other side. So, there is hope. The question is, how does it come about? How does God bring hope to this world? The answer is what we have in our text.
Knowing the Fact of the Resurrection
Before we continue in Luke 24:13, let’s review what we have seen so far. The women encountered the empty tomb and did not know what to think. They were not expecting Jesus to rise. They had to have an angelic explanation before they understood what was happening. They then went to the other disciples and told them what had happened. They did not believe the angelic message. They thought that what they were saying was nonsense. The disciples were not looking for Jesus to rise from the dead either. They thought that their hopes were dashed. This helps us understand the conversation on the road to Emmaus.
On the road to Emmaus, there were two of Jesus’ disciples walking. Of course, they were talking about all that had happened, all the things that we have read and considered in Luke 22 and 23. As they were doing this, Jesus appeared alongside of them. God kept them from recognizing Jesus immediately so that they might better discern the fact and the meaning of the resurrection. Here God closed their eyes so that later He might open their eyes to a fuller light.
Jesus joined them and asked them what they were talking about. They gave a general answer, all the things that had happened in Jerusalem. He then asked, “What things?”