April 2024 Student Minister's Note

By: Lilly Hunter

Easter is such a wonderful way to start April. The miracle of the resurrection and new life coincides so well with the new life that we see all around us. In the gospel of Luke, Luke spends very little time dwelling on the fine points of the empty tomb. He instead includes this story in Luke 24:13-31.

13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women in our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.

These were disciples that had followed Jesus, left their homes to walk with him and sit for months under his teaching. They had been in Jerusalem for his crucifixion and his resurrection, yet they were still blinded from seeing the real Jesus. Their assumptions about who the “One to redeem Israel” was kept them from seeing the one who redeemed Israel.

These men had a fundamental misunderstanding of Jesus’ definition of redemption. They viewed redemption, in light of the exodus, as a freeing from oppression and evil empirical powers of Rome. They knew that Jesus was the Christ, and anticipated his entry into Jerusalem on Passover as a second Moses.

Jesus too saw redemption in light of the Exodus story. However, Jesus came into Jerusalem on Passover not as a new Moses to confront their modern day Pharaoh but as a spotless lamb to be sacrificed. Jesus’ mission of redemption is one involving humility, suffering, and allowing death to deal a fatal blow. Our Savior has always redefined our expectations of the divine—from the moment he laid in the hay to the moment he rose from the grave.

Like the disciples on the road, we too are so blinded by our assumptions about Jesus that we can not see the real Jesus. We are called to humble ourselves and evaluate our assumptions against Scripture to see the risen Savior for who he is. Notice though, that it was not a thorough interpretation of Scripture that opened the eyes of the disciples. It was breaking bread with Jesus. This personal encounter left them changed forever. Luke goes on to say that they rushed back to Jerusalem and told the apostles of the truth of the resurrection.

A personal encounter with the risen king will always be transformative.

As we step into this season of new life, pray with me for humility in challenging our assumptions about the words and deeds of Christ with the truth of his ministry as recorded by the Word. And first and foremost, allow your personal encounter with the risen Son of God to transform everything about you—from the inside out.