Sunday morning. The third day. Mary has already run to the disciples to tell them the good news – Jesus is alive! There’s a buzz in the air and anticipation is quietly growing.
A disciple named Cleopas is walking toward Emmaus with a friend at his side. The two are talking.
“So, if he’s not in the tomb, where then?”
They continue talking to one another. Cleopas’ friend replies as he continues to walk, kicking a stone along the road. “Well, I say someone’s taken his body somewhere else or he did what he said he’d do and came back to life.” Cleopas’ friend kicked the stone ahead of him. “Did you see him bring his friend Lazarus back to life?”
“Yeah, I did. It was… incredible. I know He’s got the power to raise someone but how’s He gonna do it if He’s dead? That’s what I don’t get.”
“Man – that’s what’s been going on in my head. I mean—”
From out of nowhere, Cleopas’ friend is interrupted by a stranger who joins them on the road as they walk.
“Good morning,” he greets them.
“Hey,” Cleopas nods, looking up momentarily to make eye contact and then continues watching the dirt road in front of him as he walks.
The stranger continues to walk beside the two men. “So what are you guys talking about?”
“You must not be from around here. You haven’t heard what’s happened?”
“What’s happened?” the stranger inquires.
“There was a man creating a lot of stir among the people here – Jesus of Nazareth. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death and they crucified him on Friday. We were hoping that he was the one who was going to save Israel. The king we’ve all been waiting for.”
“Wow. Sounds like I really missed something.”
“That’s not the half of it. He told his apostles that he would rise again on the third day and today’s the third day. There were a couple women who amazed us with their news of his tomb being empty and – .”
Cleopas’ friend interjects. “Yeah, they said they even saw angels who told them he was alive and some of our friends went to the tomb to check out the women’s story and his body was gone, but no one has seen him anywhere. We don’t know what’s going on.”
“Haven’t you read the scriptures?” the stranger asks.
“What do you mean?” Cleopas replies, head hanging low to the ground and his hands in his pockets, he kicks another stone.
The stranger stops momentarily to face them as he says, “How can you not believe what the prophets said? Don’t you remember the scriptures teaching that the Christ would have to suffer all that’s happened and then enter his glory? Remember the story of Moses? Remember when…” as they being walking again on that road to Emmaus, the stranger begins to explain to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. They walk another few miles, the two friends, feeling their hearts burning inside and listening intently as the stranger speaks. They don’t realize how late it has become when they finally reach Emmaus. The two men begin veering west to the place they are staying, while the stranger appears to be continuing down the road.
“Hey, it’s late – stay with us for the night,” Cleopas’ friend invites the stranger. The stranger accepts.
Cleopas introduces the new face to the other men who are present and the meal is ready shortly after. They gather around a table, much like Jesus and his apostles had just done three nights prior. And, much like the three nights prior when Jesus and his apostles celebrated the Passover, the stranger takes the bread, gives thanks, breaks it and begins to give it to the men with him at that moment. And – it is at that moment the two men who had been walking on the road to Emmaus realize who this stranger is and then… he is gone as quickly as the moment he showed up when they were walking.
Cleopas and his friend immediately “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 24:33-35)
Thomas, one of the apostles, is also known as ‘doubting Thomas’. He is probably known best for doubting it was actually Christ, (after being resurrected) who now stands in front of him. He is in need of proof before he will believe. However, it seems Cleopas and his walking partner aren’t too far from having the same problem. After all, it doesn’t appear they’re really expecting him. If you were there when Christ said he would rise on the third day and really believed he was going to be back on Sunday as he said, wouldn’t you be checking out the favorite hangouts that you and all the guys had been to in the last three years to see if he shows up?
That’s a tough call. You’re staring at reality as you know it – no physical evidence of Jesus in the flesh – and yet, inside there’s a stirring telling you there’s more to come.
Are you a Cleopas? A Thomas? Will you believe that Jesus was real? Will you believe the scars from the nails that had been driven into his hands are really there without needing to see them? Will you believe the only reason those scars are there is because Someone really loves you and hung on a cross to prove it?
Well, it’s true. And that someone is Jesus and yes… He’s Alive!
