A Road of Discovery

One of my favourite Bible stories is the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.


We don’t know why these two are found on the road away from Jerusalem on that first Easter Sunday. Perhaps they felt disillusioned - for three years Jesus had held the tiny band together, through journeyings, storms and opposition. And now – following a public trial and execution – he was gone.

Now, it was Easter Day. Here were two disciples walking to Emmaus. As far as they were concerned, their leader was dead. The ‘scattering’ process had already begun. It had started on that fateful Thursday evening of Christ’s arrest, when Jesus had quoted to his disciples from the prophet Zechariah: “It is written ‘I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered’” (Matthew 26.31.)

The dream was over. “Let’s go home - back to Emmaus.” Yet Luke 24 is the glowing account of the entire re-building of a world-view. And then, a Stranger joins the two, and as they walk and talk along the road, it was like the uncorking of a bottle; the story pours out.

Then began a fascinating Bible study as they walked along the road. They rediscovered the passages of the Bible that spoke of a suffering Messiah. The Stranger says, “Let me fill in those bits for you.” Now the figures of a Conquering King and a Suffering Servant begin to come together into a single picture.

Then, at supper with the two, comes the familiar action of the breaking of bread, and – Why…. it’s Jesus. Hot-foot, they make the seven miles back to Jerusalem with the news that they have met Jesus on the way.

Sometimes faith is like that – a road of discovery, and as we look back over our lives we can see the twists and turns we have travelled. Maybe we know when the penny-dropped and we came to see Jesus clearly – but quite often it's been a slow process, as we get to know this ‘Stranger’, and learn that he is our friend, our Jesus, our Lord.

God bless you as you travel the road of faith. May you discover Jesus walking by your side as you journey on.