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Have you ever dumped two jigsaw puzzles into the same box?  What a mess!  Unless you sit down and carefully sort out the pieces nothing is going to make any sense when you try to put it all together. Ultimately, you're left with only confusion, frustration and disappointment.  That’s certainly what two of Jesus’ followers were experiencing on the after of that first Easter. Trying to mix our own misconceptions with what we think Jesus should do for us often also leads to a jumbled picture of what God actually sent Him to accomplish. In love, Jesus clears up this picture by leading us back to Scriptures and the fulfillment of His promises at the cross and empty tomb of Easter.

Have you ever found yourself disappointed with God?  There are times when the events we experience in life may leave us so shook up that we’re left scratching our heads and confused.  A traumatic event may leave us so crushed that it causes us to step back and question what we know about God. If you can relate to these feelings, then you have an idea of what confront the disciples on the road to Emmaus.  Their hopes in Jesus appeared to be dashed. Join us all this week as we take a deeper look how our patient and loving Savior directed them to where they could find the answers.

John tells us that on the day of our Savior’s resurrection, Jesus showed Himself alive to the disciples.  But then he tells us that, “Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.  So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’”  Imagine Thomas walking into a room full of jubilant disciples and asking, “What did I miss?” All has been recorded so that, through faith, you and I won't miss –even a minute– what a joy and assurance it is to have a risen and living Savior! Episode Art: Andrey Mironov, CC BY-SA 4.0 \

In recent years, this expression, "according to sources," has become a means of announcing information that may not have been verified but, instead, is based hearsay and unsubstantiated claims.  So, when Paul announces that the news he is sharing with us is, as he puts it, “of first importance,” it’s not wrong to want assurance that what he’s telling us is based on fact.  After all, our eternal salvation depends on it.  And happily, that’s exactly what the apostle does.

If you’re like me, you may have enjoyed seeing the successful Artemis II mission. NASA administrator Jared Isaacman called the voyage “a perfect mission.” However, it’s worth noting how many obstacles stood in the way of the mission’s success. We have just celebrated Easter and continue to rejoice in our Savior's resurrection. No matter how great the obstacles in your life, that would make it appear impossible for Jesus to bring His salvation to you, He has overcome them all. Episode Art: William Hole, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Matthew tells us that that when the women saw our risen Savior, alive before them, “They clasped His feet and worshipped Him.”  With all that was taking place this detail may sound incidental but it’s not.  It tells us a lot about what it means that you and I have a risen Savior, how we worship Him, and even gives us a glimpse of something to which you and I can now look forward.

“Why are you crying?”  What a remarkable question!  It’s the first thing that our risen Savior said as He greeted Mary on Easter morning. Tears are an important part of this narrative. However, this first question finds its focus with the follow-up question that came next, "Who is it you are looking for?” Episode Art: Giuseppe Calì, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Happy Easter! Yesterday, in church, you and I also heard the wonderful news.  Unlike the disciples, we have the blessing of knowing what the disciples would soon discover.  Jesus had risen from the dead.  Nevertheless, staring into the empty tomb, they didn’t fully appreciate the magnitude of what it meant that the tomb was empty.  But, as remarkable as it may sound, neither do a many Christians today. And they're missing out on tremendous comfort that our Savior wants us all to have. It's makes all the difference when you visit the cemetery. With sins forgiven and death defeated we have everlasting life with God right now. But there's more, much more!  And Jesus wants you to know it.

Last Christmas, we celebrated the birth of our Savior.  We rejoice to confess that “For us, and for our salvation He came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man.”  In other words, Jesus, the royal Son of God, put on the uniform of our flesh and blood and joined our ranks. And in all the events that followed, culminating with His crucifixion for us on Good Friday, you see not only the reason for it and what He accomplished, but also His unmistakable love for you.

False claims, that Jesus never said He is God, get repeated in the media every year in the lead up to Easter. Coincidence?  I don’t think so.  You can be sure the adversary wants you to believe this is all just one big April Fool’s joke. But, if Jesus was just another man, another prophet, you can be sure that no one, let alone the ruling council before whom Jesus appeared, wouldn’t have been worked up about it.  And if Jesus was just another wise teacher then there would no reason to celebrate Easter at all this coming weekend. But the great joy that’s ours is that God Himself has come down from heaven, to redeem us from our sins and bring us eternal life. Episode Art from VideoBible.com as distributed under Creative Commons via FreeBibleImages.com)

Can you tell the difference between a parade and a protest?  That question may sound silly.  Even small children can tell one from the other.  Were there some among the crowd who misunderstood this truth?  Sure, just as there are those today who seek to co-op the message of the Gospel and turn it into little more than a political statement. But this was a festal parade!  This was worship. And on this day, we join with that happy throng that greeted Jesus knowing that God had sent Him to rescue them from their sins.

It’s an unexpected scene that comes at the end of a movie … the very end.  It comes after all of the credits have rolled. All of a sudden, the screen lights up and there’s one more scene.  And in that scene is the set up for a future story line, a sequel, an eye-opening glimpse of what’s coming next.  With the raising of Lazarus, God gave Martha, and us, a joyous glimpse of what's to come.

In a criminal trial, the jury is charged with determining a defendant's guilt or innocence beyond a reasonable doubt.  It’s the kind of trial made famous by such characters as Perry Mason on TV.  It’s the type of trial where the judge then asks the foreman of the jury,  “Have you reached a verdict?”   Here in Romans, a verdict is about to be read.  However, in this case, we’re not seated on the jury.  We’re the one whose life hangs in the balance.  But before we get to that, let’s back up and review the case. Episode Art:  Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Having shown Ezekiel a vision of a valley filled with bones, God explained, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’" And then He asked, "Can these bones live?" And when you and are crushed with guilt for things that we’ve said or done our redemption comes down to a matter of will. However, it's not your will or mine that brings it about. It's God who describes for us His gracious and merciful will.

If sin was something that simply overshadows our life, we could fix it.  We could revise our plans, pick ourselves up, make adjustments and move on. It's a whole different matter, though, if you find yourself in the cemetery. And that’s Paul’s point. Take another look at the beautiful phrase, a gracious invitation, that the apostle uses to describe the light and life God has given to us in His Son.