It’s post-Easter, but my heart is still engaged with the magnificence of Jesus who died in order for us to be reconciled to the Father; brought to Him; given life by Him, saved. It takes a lot for me to wrap my mind around Jesus walking to the cross in obedience to the Father out of love for us. But there is so much more to this story. So many questions going through my head.
Do I live as though Jesus is still in the grave? Or do I live in the light of His resurrection? And that is the question I want you to consider as well. If we live as if He is still in the grave, then we live in a hopeless state similar to the two people on the road to Emmaus.
Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them, but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood with their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” (Luke 24:15-17)
Did you notice that their faces were downcast? They were discouraged, and they were kept from seeing Jesus. Do you think it is possible that when we are discouraged, we cannot see Jesus?
These two people were unaware that Jesus was no longer in the grave, so they wrestled with their doubts that He was the long-awaited Messiah. They discussed the events that transpired, that Jesus had died on the cross. Their head-space was in the grave. Their hopes crashed, and the waves of disillusionment, disappointment, and discouragement came in like a Tsunami; three deadly “D”s!
Jesus continued down the road with them, asking, “What things?” They unpacked the story of Jesus’ crucifixion, and yet the Living Christ was right beside them. Jesus told them they were foolish and slow to believe that the prophets had predicted exactly what had happened, but they did not know or remember the end of the story. So Jesus opened the Scriptures to them, and when He finally broke bread with them, their eyes were opened. Suddenly, they saw that it was Jesus.
Jesus, who had called Himself while alive The Bread of Life, was indeed alive! They did not recognize their burning hearts pointing them to Jesus in their midst. They could only see Him in the grave.
Friends, are you living your life as if Jesus is still in the grave, or are you living your life in the light of the resurrection? It’s worth thinking about. Grave-mentality is subtle. It steals your joy, your hope, and sometimes even your will to live.
But God… so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16).
Because He lives, we live. And we live in the light of the resurrection. The stone has been rolled away.
