A Dying and Rising Christ
Scripture Reading — Luke 24:13-27
Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures . . . he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.
Two confused disciples were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus. They were struggling with how their long-awaited Messiah could have died by the hands of the Romans instead of powerfully displaying his might over Israel’s enemies. Meanwhile the risen Jesus came up and walked with them unrecognized, explaining to them from the Old Testament how God always intended his Messiah to suffer and die for the sake of his people.
When we think of Jesus, we know he was the Christ who was sent to die and rise again. But that wasn’t what Jesus’ earliest followers expected.
Jesus’ identity was hidden from the two disciples walking to Emmaus that day. But their eyes, along with those of the early Christian community, were soon opened to see that all of the events of Jesus’ life, from his birth to his resurrection, were described in the Hebrew Scriptures all along.
God’s actions in our lives are often hidden as well. The Lord is always at work behind the scenes of everyday life. Look again, and ask Jesus to help you see him where you might not expect him. Jesus is with you in your struggles. He is trying to get your attention in your relationships. In your failures Jesus is teaching; in your conflicts Jesus is deepening your character; and in your successes Jesus is applauding. May Jesus be revealed in your life today!
Lord, give us the faith and discernment that we need in order to see your presence and your work in our lives. Amen.
About the author — Dean Deppe
Dean Deppe has been a pastor in inner-city, suburban, and rural churches. Currently he teaches New Testament theology at Calvin Theological Seminary. His courses include one on the parables of Jesus. He and his wife have four grown children.
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