[Luke 24:13-35] -- 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.

With heavy hearts, the Emmaus disciples sifted through the wreckage of their shattered hopes, fractured dreams, and upended lives. They were trying to make some sense out of the events of this past week. They combed through every detail, replayed every moment, and examined every emotion that might help them reflect on the happenings of the week now gone by and understand their significance. But the pieces refused to fit together. No logic could reconcile the sorrow and shock that had engulfed them. Nothing added up. Nothing fit right. Not even the rumors of the Resurrection.

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 still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?" "What things?" he asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."

Isn’t it interesting? Those two guys were bummed out by imaginary sorrows. They believed they had lost everything – their Leader, their hope, their future – when in fact they had lost nothing and had gained everything. They were mourning a dead Leader, who wasn’t really dead. They were experiencing the agony of defeat when they could have been enjoying the thrill of victory. 

When was it that they felt this way? It was precisely when they were not walking with Jesus. It was in His absence that hopelessness took hold. The moment He stepped beside them, unveiling the truth, everything changed. Grief gave way to astonishment. Doubt surrendered to faith. Defeat was replaced with triumph. 

Isn’t that a lesson woven into the very fabric of our own lives? When we lose sight of Jesus and truth, when we distance ourselves from the Lord, whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually, our minds craft narratives of loss and despair. But in reality, the victory has already been secured. The solution, of course, is to draw close to Jesus, and like those two men, all we need is a moment in His presence to see the truth for what it really is and to see Jesus as He truly is. Our darkest days are the days that we head out on our own without our Savior at our side; the days we try to go it alone and carry our own burdens. He wants to walk with us…and He wants to talk with us.

When we lose sight of Jesus, when we attempt to navigate life without Him, we quickly descend to the depths of despair, defeat, and desolation. We convince ourselves that we are alone, our burdens are unbearable, our problems are insurmountable, and our hopes are unreachable. But in reality, nothing could be further from the truth. The victory has already been won, secured not by our own strength but by His sacrifice and unending love.

Just as those two men walked in sorrow, unable to recognize the presence of their risen Lord, so do many of us. We trudge through life burdened by struggles never meant to be carried alone. Yet the moment they truly saw Jesus—the moment their eyes were opened to His presence—everything changed. Their sadness turned into gladness. Their mourning turned to joy. Their confusion gave way to understanding. Their despair was replaced with awe and hope.

How often do we experience this same struggle? The darkest days are not necessarily the ones with the greatest hardships, but the ones we attempt to face alone, separated from the truth that Jesus is always with us. In our self-reliance, in our attempts to bear the weight of life on our own, we falter and fail. But that is never His desire. He longs to walk with us, talk with us, and remind us that we are never alone.

Perhaps, like those two men, all we need is a moment in His presence—a moment to open our hearts, shift our gaze, and truly see Jesus for who He is. When we do, the burden is lifted, the sorrow dissipates, and the joy of His victory becomes our own.

Jesus then proceeded to preach the most amazing Easter sermon ever preached. First, the Law, a rebuke: "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" Then the Gospel: “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” He showed them that the crucifixion was no accident and the Resurrection was no rumor. He didn’t just walk with them, He talked with them. He didn’t just let them see Him in the flesh; He let them see Him in His Word. Those disciples were mesmerized by the Word they heard. They wanted to hear more. Their hearts were on fire: 

As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?" They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

Their transformation was nothing short of extraordinary. Just moments before, their hearts were shrouded with sorrow, their minds darkened by doubt, and their spirits engulfed by grief. But then, everything changed. They had been sad—now they were glad and filled with joy. They had been blind—now they could see. Their despair was replaced with overwhelming hope because they finally saw Jesus, not only standing before them in resurrected glory but alive within the pages of Scripture. 

Last Sunday, we celebrated the triumphant resurrection of our Lord. But now, Saints, as the days pass, as the routine of life resumes, we need to ask ourselves: Has His victory truly transformed us? Has the fire of faith ignited in our hearts? What the disciples on the road to Emmaus experienced firsthand, we also can experience through the Word that Jesus is just as real, just as present, and just as alive today as He was for them.

He is alive in the Word, in the truth that we have before us every single day. And here, at Crean Lutheran High School, we have the incredible gift of encountering Him through the pages of Holy Scripture, through worship, and through our daily walk with Him. The question remains—will we let the truth of His resurrection form us, fuel us, and fill our hearts with the same burning passion that transformed the Emmaus disciples? Because He is not distant. He is near, ready to walk beside us, ready to talk with us, and ready to reveal Himself in ways that will leave us forever changed.

The prayer of the Emmaus disciples is a simple yet profound plea—a heartfelt request for Jesus to remain with them, to not let them face the approaching night alone. It is a prayer of yearning, of dependence, of recognition that without His presence, the darkness feels overwhelming. Isn't that a prayer we all need to pray?

"Abide with us, Lord." This cry echoes through the ages, spoken by countless believers who have felt the weight of uncertainty pressing in. Life is filled with moments when the sun seems to set too soon, when the path ahead grows dim, and when questions outnumber answers. But the good news—the glorious truth—is that Jesus always answers this prayer. Through His Word, He meets us. Through Scripture, He walks with us, talks with us, and abides with us. 

This prayer is not just about inviting Jesus into a single and select moment of our lives—it is about recognizing our daily need for His presence. When life feels overwhelming, when challenges arise, when the unknown looms large, we can pray this same prayer and be assured that He hears us. He does not leave. He stays. He remains steadfast, faithful, and near.

At Crean Lutheran High School, we are blessed to encounter Him in the Word every day. The same Jesus who revealed Himself to the Emmaus disciples continues to make Himself known to all who seek Him. So let us not walk alone. Let us invite Him along for the journey. Let us make this our daily prayer: "Abide with us, Lord." And as we do, we will find that He is already here, walking beside us, guiding us, and reminding us that we are never alone.

Saints, make the prayer of the Emmaus disciples your prayer: "Abide with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." Through His Word, He will come to you, walk with you, talk with you, and abide with you. Amen

Abide with me, fast falls the eventide

The darkness deepens, Lord with me abide

When other helpers fail and comforts flee

Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day

Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away

Change and decay in all around I see

O Thou who changest not, abide with me

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless

Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness

Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory?

I triumph still, if Thou abide with me

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes

Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies

Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee

In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me. Amen.

– Henry Francis Lyte

Pastor Timothy Unke, Campus Pastor

Crean Lutheran High School

campuspastor@creanlutheran.org