[Luke 24:32 NKJV] “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”
The two disciples were sad on their journey to Emmaus. They did not know Jesus rose from the dead although they heard some things from the others about an empty tomb. They had hoped Jesus was going to redeem Israel, but they had wrong expectations.
Jesus did indeed provide for redemption, but not a political one. The redemption Jesus secured was more important than political freedom, it was spiritual freedom. When a person is set free by the Son, they are free indeed! In order to set these two disciples free from sadness and unmet expectations, Jesus taught them from the Word of God. He gave them a Bible Study.
Jesus would not have shared anything new to revive their hearts. Reaching back in Israel’s history to the time of Moses, He made sure to connect with all of the prophets and all of the Scriptures that related to Himself. He brought them back to the things they were familiar with, the OT scriptures. He turned the old into new. Jesus opened the Scriptures to them.
What did Jesus share? What did He teach?
Did He bring up the Mosaic economy or Levitical priesthood and how He fulfilled it all? Did He mention that Jesus was the Son of David AND David’s King who is “fairer than the sons of men”? (Psalm 45:2) Did it come up that He was a priest after the order Melchizedek with the power of an endless life?
Could Jesus have mentioned some of His titles?
- Isaiah’s Child King Ruler (Is. 9:6-7)
- Immanuel (Is. 7:14)
- Daniel’s Stone that filled the earth (Dan. 2:45)
- Publisher of Peace (Nah. 1:5)
- Refiner’s Fire (Mal. 3:2)
What did Jesus share? What Scriptures did He open to them? We do not know for sure. But we know the result. The hearts of the two disciples were REKINDLED, RELIT, and were burning with fire. Although Jesus had died, He won the victory over death and was talking to them right then, teaching the Scriptures. After they recognized Jesus, His vanished from before them.
Believer, perhaps your heart needs to be rekindled and encouraged today. It may be that you have grown weary while doing good. Today we must consider Jesus and let Him address misplaced expectations and ensuing sadness. If you open your heart to the Scriptures, Jesus will open the Scriptures to you.
Looking to Jesus and His Word will bring encouragement to your soul and joy to your heart. (Hebrews 12:3) Do not let your love grow cold or lukewarm. Fan the flame of faith by looking unto Jesus in all of the Scriptures.
PD