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For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth
- Romans 1:16 -
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one
- Romans 3:10 -
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God
- Romans 3:23 -
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us
- Romans 5:8 -
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord
- Romans 6:23 -
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved
- Romans 10:13 -
Have you ever experienced the loss of hope? Have you ever had your longed for expectations dashed to pieces upon the cold, hard facts of life? If so, then you know what it is like to be human in a fallen world. Unfortunately, these heartbreaking experiences are common for all human beings, irregardless of our culture, economic conditions or era in which we live.
In the previous study, we considered Israel's expectations of national salvation when Jesus began his ministry among them. Jesus' rise to prominence had culminated in an unexpected and tragic ending. Can you imagine the darkness that descended on many like a thick cloud as they remembered the work of Jesus and his tortuous death?
Imagine if you will, the day after the crucifixion, as the disciples tried to sort out their thoughts and come to terms with the bitter disappointment. They had spent three years following a dream that was abruptly taken from them. They had put careers, families and personal ambitions on hold to follow a carpenter, who they had hoped was Israel's promised Messiah. Was he really the Messiah? Were they duped into following a false prophet? Was it just wishful thinking on their part?
We do not need to strain our imagination to understand the aftermath of the crucifixion because the Bible details a very relevant story in Luke 24:13 that describes two of the disciple's thoughts. In this account, there were two men traveling from Jerusalem to Emmaus and they were met by the risen Christ. Jesus then accompanied them on their journey. The two disciples did not recognize Jesus and were surprised when he asked, what they were talking about and why they were sad?
Jesus' question acknowledged and revealed the subtle depression that had settled on these two men. The two men were confused about the recent turn of events and were rehashing the past in order to get perspective. They had been told earlier by a group of women that an angel had revealed that Jesus had risen from the dead, but they dared not believe the women's report. They had basically resigned themselves to getting on with their lives and were distancing themselves from the bitter memories with each step they took.
In the previous study, we considered Israel's expectations of national salvation when Jesus began his ministry among them. Jesus' rise to prominence had culminated in an unexpected and tragic ending. Can you imagine the darkness that descended on many like a thick cloud as they remembered the work of Jesus and his tortuous death? Imagine if you will, the day after the crucifixion, as the disciples tried to sort out their thoughts and come to terms with the bitter disappointment. They had spent three years following a dream that was abruptly taken from them. They had put careers, families and personal ambitions on hold to follow a carpenter, who they had hoped was Israel's promised Messiah. Was he really the Messiah? Were they duped into following a false prophet? Was it just wishful thinking on their part?
We do not need to strain our imagination to understand the aftermath of the crucifixion because the Bible details a very relevant story in Luke 24:13 that describes two of the disciple's thoughts. In this account, there were two men traveling from Jerusalem to Emmaus and they were met by the risen Christ. Jesus then accompanied them on their journey. The two disciples did not recognize Jesus and were surprised when he asked, what they were talking about and why they were sad?
Jesus' question acknowledged and revealed the subtle depression that had settled on these two men. The two men were confused about the recent turn of events and were rehashing the past in order to get perspective. They had been told earlier by a group of women that an angel had revealed that Jesus had risen from the dead, but they dared not believe the women's report. They had basically resigned themselves to getting on with their lives and were distancing themselves from the bitter memories with each step they took.