From Emmaus to Jerusalem: Easter-Season Preaching

Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread. While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." (Luke 24:35-36, NRSV)

When, like the disciples, we find ourselves
paralyzed by fear,
numbed by despair,
deaf to words of comfort
we need desperately,
to touch the Holy,
or have it touch us,
to verify the nagging suspicion
or hope,
that God is real
and can be found in our faith.

Jesus entered their room,
enters our room
speaking words of peace
reminding us that God is here!

Faithful disciples traveling from Jerusalem to Emmaus had just seen the Lord. Before they recognized Jesus, they had been just as despondent as their Jerusalem counterparts, who were hiding in a locked room. The faithful Emmaus friends ran immediately back to Jerusalem to break the pall of despair: "Jesus is alive!" While they were speaking, the living Lord appeared to confirm that their faith had not been in vain.

Through the Sundays of Easter, remind your congregation that their faith has been well-placed and that they belong to a cloud of witnesses that grows exponentially each year. Take them to the empty tomb on Easter (John 20:1-18, Mark 16:1-8) to remember that nothing is able to separate us from God's love — not even death. Encourage them to wrestle with their own personal faith, as Thomas did (John 20:19-31), to encourage the weary faithful, as did the Emmaus believers (Luke 24:36b-48), to find comfort and assurance in the words of the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-18), or to share them as Philip did with the Ethiopian (Acts 8:26-40). Teach them the blessings of abiding in Christ (John 15:1-8, 9-17) and the further blessings of Christian unity (John 17:6-19). There continue to be many despondent disciples hiding behind locked doors, waiting for an encouraging word, waiting for some way to know that their faith has not been in vain. The Easter season is a time for us to encourage one another with words of faith and testimony: The Lord has risen indeed!