There’ve been many seasons of my life where I’ve experienced devastating grief and sorrow. Many seasons where my hopes have been crushed against the rocks of unmet expectations. And in the midst of those sad and hopeless seasons, the Lord has been so kind to lift my heart and remind me that Jesus’ life, death and resurrection trumps all the false gospels that I so easily and foolishly fall into believing.
Think with me for a minute about the meaning of the word, “gospel”. Gospel means “good news” and whenever we get bad news we begin seeking good news that gives us hope and restores our sadness to joy. But the problem is, even though we’ve been hard wired to thirst for good news, we often place our hopes in the good news of good things that don’t always produce the good results we expected which then leaves us feeling sad and hopeless and wondering where Jesus is in the midst of our sadness and our hopelessness.
Take a look at Luke 24:13 – 27 with me…
13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
#1: Two disciples are walking down a road…
It’s the very first Resurrection Sunday. The very first Easter. And there’s two disciples walking along the road between Jerusalem and a town called Emmaus. These two disciples have just witnessed the devastating events of the crucifixion and they’ve heard the crazy stories about Jesus’ missing body. And as they’re walking along, Jesus joins them in the midst of their journey and he asks them what they’re talking about.
Even though Jesus knows every thought, every word and every emotion of our lives, he still steps into the mess of our lives and shows us his compassion by asking us to bare our souls with him. This is exactly what he does with these two disciples on the road to Emmaus. And his question stops them in their tracks. Verse 17 says “And he said to them, ‘What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?’ And they stood still, looking sad.”
Ever have that moment when something so devastating happens and you’re talking with a friend about it and suddenly, right in the midst of the conversation, you realize the depth of the sadness in your soul and it just stops you in your tracks? We can typically identify why we are sad by retelling the story of what’s just happened.
#2: Cleopas tells the sad story…
The stories of our lives are powerful indicators. In this case, the disciple named “Cleopas” retells the story of what had taken place over the last few days. And in many ways, Cleopas shares some of the major key points of the biblical message of the gospel. He shares the good news of Jesus coming, and preaching, and doing miracles, and being handed over to the religious crowd to be crucified and he even shares how Jesus’ body is missing and how the angels have said that he has been resurrected. All the basic points are there, but something is wrong with the message.
The indicator that tells us that something is wrong with Cleopas’ gospel is found in verse 21 where Cleopas says, “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.” In other words, the kind of redemption, or salvation these disciples were looking for was merely physical. They expected Jesus to redeem them from the abusive rule and reign of Rome but he didn’t. In a moment, all of their hopes and their entire false gospel were crushed against the rocks of their unmet expectations.
Ever have that epiphany? Where you realize that you’ve been hoping in a false, physical gospel rather than the gospel or the good news of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection on your behalf?
#3: Jesus preaches the gospel…
Jesus’ response to these two disciples is classic. He calls them foolish and he points out that what these guys are really struggling with is a failure to believe in the true gospel and then he seizes the moment and uses it as an opportunity to preach the message of the gospel or the good news to them. Verse 27 tells us that Jesus, “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets… interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” Jesus doesn’t just stand there saying, “Man, that freaking sucks, you guys have had a really hard couple days”.
Instead, Jesus actually sees this as an opportunity to preach the gospel or the good news to these guys and he does it by working his way through the entire Old Testament while showing how everything that has been written in the Scriptures actually points to the good news of his own life, death and resurrection. And he makes it clear that if we place our hopes in any less than that one true gospel, then our foolishness and our unbelief will lead to unmet expectations which will lead to seasons of deep sadness and sorrow.
How does this passage help us out?
One commentator makes it clear that without the resurrection there is no true gospel. There’s no good news whatsoever if Jesus didn’t actually rise from the dead. Everything in this life is hopeless if Christ has not been victorious over Satan, sin and the grave. If Jesus didn’t beat Satan, sin and the grave we are left with a momentary hope that gets crushed on the rocks of unmet expectations. But the good news is… When sadness stops you in your tracks and your hope is crushed, you can be encouraged by the truth that Jesus is the point of the gospel. Let me try to spell this out more practically & systematically for us…
#1: When sadness consumes you… Ask, “What’s the story? Why am I sad?”
When you get the call that the illness is terminal. When your best friend stabs you in the back. When your marriage falls apart. When your bank account goes negative. When you lose your job. When your children rebel. When your loved one dies. When you go to sleep lonely again. When you struggle with that sinful pattern again.
When sadness consumes you… ask, “What’s the story? Why am I sad?”
#2: When your hope feels crushed… Ask, “What expectations did I have? What good news was I looking for?”
When you wanted to enjoy a long healthy life without pain and suffering. When you wanted your friend to always have your back. When you wanted your marriage to get past that rough spot. When you wanted your finances to get healthier. When you wanted your job to be a life long career. When you wanted your children to behave better. When you wanted your loved one to live a little bit longer. When you wanted to find your soul mate and never have to sleep alone again. When you wanted that old pattern of sin to be gone.
When your hope feels crushed… You have to ask, “What expectations did I have? What good news was I looking for?”
#3: Remember the point of the gospel…
You must remember that Jesus is the point of the gospel. You and I are not the point of the gospel because you and I are broken. If you and I or anything we want in this life were the point of the gospel then there would be no good news because the good news would be broken which would leave us sitting in our sadness and our grief like foolish unbelieving children. But thank God for his mercy right? Thank God for his goodness right? Thank God for his kindness right? He has given us the resurrected Jesus who is the point of the gospel.
So when sadness comes and when your hopes are crushed; when you don’t get what you want and when you realize you were hoping in something other than Christ, then it’s time to turn to the gospel of the resurrected Christ for new hope and joy amidst your sadness. But how do we do that? I think we do this by following Jesus’ example in this passage and turning to the gospel of the resurrected Christ in the Old Testament.
#1: Turn to the writings of Moses…
In Genesis 22, Moses, tells us the story of Abraham as he offers his son Isaac on the alter, while trusting God to raise his son from the dead which connects to Hebrews 11:17-19 where we learn that Abraham was a man of great faith in the power of God to resurrect the dead.
The power of the resurrected Christ foreshadowed in the writings of Moses gives us great eternal hope & joy in the midst of our struggle against Satan, sin and the grave.
#2: Turn to the writings of The Prophets…
The book of Jonah the prophet, who spent three days in the belly of the sea monster and then comes out alive and preaching the gospel of repentance, connects to Jesus’ words in Matthew 12:39 where he proclaims his death and resurrection from the tomb after three days.
The power of the resurrected Christ proclaimed through the prophets gives us great eternal hope & joy in the midst of our struggle against Satan, sin and the grave.
#3: Turn to the Psalms…
Psalm 16 reminds us that Jesus (the holy one) will not be abandoned to the grave but will joyfully enter the presence of God. Psalm 110 reminds us that Jesus will reign in glory at the right hand of God.
The power of the resurrected Christ foreshadowed in The Psalms gives us great eternal hope & joy in the midst of our struggle against Satan, sin and the grave.
Concluding Thoughts…
In conclusion… When sadness stops me in my tracks and when my hope is crushed by unmet expectations, I must remember that Jesus is the point of the gospel. There’ve been many seasons of my life where I’ve experienced devastating grief and sorrow. Many seasons where my hopes have been crushed against the rocks of unmet expectations. And in the midst of those sad and seemingly hopeless seasons, the Lord has been so kind to lift my heart and remind me that Jesus’ life, death and resurrection trumps all the false gospels that I so easily and foolishly fall into believing.
Are you sad today? What’s the story? Why do you feel sad? Do your hopes feel crushed? What did you hope for? What expectations did you have? What good news were you looking for? Remember the point of the gospel. Turn to Christ who is the point of the gospel. When sadness stops you in your tracks and your hope is crushed, you must remember that Jesus is the point of the gospel.