ON THE ROAD

“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.” —Luke 24:22, 23

It seems sometimes that faith is more important than revelation. Two disconsolate and confused disciples were heading home, away from Jerusalem.

And Jesus took the opportunity to teach them about who He really was and how His death and resurrection actually made sense of everything. “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Luke 24:27)—all while they did not know that they were actually walking and talking with Jesus Himself. They must have been walking slowly when Jesus caught up to them and overheard their conversation, “but they were kept from recognizing him” (Luke 24:16).

Feigning ignorance of the events that weighed so heavily upon them and that were the topic of almost every conversation in Jerusalem that weekend, Jesus asked them the questions that led to His walking Bible study. In response, “they stopped short, sadness written across their faces” (Luke 24:17, NLT). They explained their confusion about the report of the empty tomb, which they obviously did not believe. If they had, why would they have been heading home? They also expressed their shattered hopes in Jesus: “We had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:21). Significantly, they were talking about Jesus in the past tense while Jesus was right there with them. The Bible study was important, building their understanding of Scripture and the revelation that was yet to come.

But it was the simple act of eating together, prompted by these disciples’ hospitality, that showed them Jesus (see Luke 24:30, 31). Suddenly, their confusion and fears were gone, their hopes were vindicated, and their faith was all the stronger as they hurried back to Jerusalem to share this incredible news.