Easter 3                      April 19, 2026
Luke 24:13-35             Pastor Wolfe

Find Hope in Jesus’ Proof of Life

Every time Jesus appeared to people after his resurrection, there was a purpose to it. Think back on the appearances we’ve seen just in the past two weeks. Easter Sunday we heard about Jesus’ appearance to the women near the tomb. Remember how worried they were as they walked to the garden? Through tears Mary saw her Savior and her worries disappeared, replaced with comfort. Last week you saw Jesus appear to the ten disciples and then to the same group plus Thomas. In those appearances Jesus took away their fear with his greeting, “Peace be with you,” and with the promise of his presence. We actually don’t get to all of Jesus’ resurrection appearances in our Easter season services. You have to read the Bible yourself to learn about Jesus appearing to seven of the disciples while they were fishing in Galilee. To Peter privately. To James. Another time to more than five hundred believers at once.

I suppose the most basic purpose of all these post-resurrection appearances was to give believers proof of life. He was dead, but now he was not. The fact is though, that each time Jesus appeared he brought just what his followers needed. For Mary and his close disciples he took something away. Their worries. Their fears. Today we go back to that first Easter Sunday, in the evening now, and rather than take away a negative, Jesus gives these two disciples something positive. These disciples needed hope. And that is exactly what they found in Jesus’ proof of life.

The first verse sets the scene. “Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.” We don’t know much about these two disciples or why they were going to Emmaus. One is named Cleopas; the other is unnamed. We do know, however, what was on their minds. “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.” Jesus could have stopped these two disciples and simply said, “Hey, I’m alive.” But instead he walked with them. He hid himself for a time. Sound familiar? Their hope in the past had been based on being with Jesus himself. But that hope had to change. Even though Jesus was alive he wouldn’t be with them physically for long. He wanted them to have hope not just in a moment for a moment. But a long and lasting hope built on long and lasting proof.

So Jesus asks them, “What are you discussing together?” Luke describes the depth of their discouragement. “They stood still, 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?’ ‘What things?’ he asked.” And these two disciples let their emotions flow. Look at verses 19-24 and imagine the tone they must have said this with. “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.” We had hoped… Those are words of crushing disappointment and as I’ve thought about this message for the last two weeks that’s the phrase I kept coming back to. The events of Good Friday hadn’t just killed Jesus. It destroyed those who followed him too, emotionally at least. They had watched and listened to Jesus. They trusted him and thought he would change their lives for the better. But now he was dead. His closest disciples were in hiding. I didn’t read the whole paragraph of misery, but even reports of Jesus missing body added to their pain. These disciples were lost, confused, and hopeless.

Now, these disciples may not have known it at the time, but Jesus was walking with them for the express purpose of giving them hope again. He knew that showing them proof of life was the first step in dealing with their disappointment. The truth about what he had accomplished would give them hope to overcome any despair, present or future. They had hoped Jesus would make their lives better, but everything that had happened in those dark days wasn’t for their worldly lives. Jesus didn’t suffer to redeem them from Rome – it was to buy them back from sin and hell. They had lost hope in the darkness because they had forgotten the greatness of God’s deliverance. The hope Jesus gives is bigger and better.

Several thousand Sundays later we find ourselves walking with these despairing disciples wandering through a sin-darkened world, often with shattered hopes ourselves. What had you hoped for, to use the disciples’ words? Did you expect that 2026 was going to be better, easier, than 2025? How’s that going? We know God’s promises to bless us and hear us and answer prayer in the best imaginable way. We naturally think that life should be easier as a disciple of Jesus. Maybe not perfect, but definitely better.

But our hopes often fall flat, don’t they? We trust and turn to Jesus and what do we get for it? We face the same trials and troubles as everybody else. Our bodies get sick and wear out. Our relationships become strained and sometime outright broken. We struggle to make ends meet. We had hoped Jesus would do something about the evil in the world. But war and violence, hatred and prejudice, seem to thrive while good is looked down upon. Each of us can add our own personal list of hopes that we had that just haven’t come true. But that’s why the Spirit led Luke to record this appearance of Jesus to these downhearted disciples. Jesus is ready to deal with our disappointment. He’s ready to renew our hope. And he shows us just how he does it on the road to Emmaus.

Luke told us it was about seven miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Now, we don’t know how far along they already were when Jesus came to them, but we know it was long enough for Jesus to have a heart to heart. Verse 27: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” Can you imagine a personal Bible study with Jesus? One where he explained everything the Bible said about him? It must have been incredible. By the time they reached their destination, these disciples had been transformed. Their disappointment over Jesus had been removed and their confusion about Jesus had been cleared up. Through it all their living Lord had fanned their smoldering faith into flames. Later on, after Jesus opened their eyes and let them recognize him they ask each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

Jesus could have done anything to restore their hope. A miracle of some kind. A glorious appearance. Some awesome display of power. But what does he do? He takes them to the Word! He shows them from Scripture that all this had to happen. I think we forget just how powerful this Bible is. We think, if only we could see the marks in his hands and the hole in his side! If only we could see the resurrected Jesus ourselves. Eat with him or speak to him in a locked room in Jerusalem. But brothers and sisters in faith, we don’t need that. Maybe this is why I was a little surprised at how unmoved I often was on our trip to Israel. Yes, it was amazing to stand in places Jesus stood and see things that Jesus saw. It was great, and I am so grateful we got to go. I would go back in a heartbeat. But what is my hope truly based on? It’s not that. It’s Jesus, explaining to me in the Bible everything that Scripture says concerning himself. It’s the testimony of those who saw him sacrifice and suffer for sinners. The trust of those that saw his mercy. One of my college professors spoke about Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances as Jesus weaning his disciples in the days leading up to his ascension. It was time for them to go off the milk of having hope because they could see Jesus with their own eyes. They needed to grow. To find hope in the word about Jesus. It’s the same thought you heard last week when Jesus told Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

God’s Word is powerful. Faith renewed by that word is powerful. We see it in these disciples. These two, so lost and forlorn at the start of their trip, were now excited. They were so eager to tell the other disciples that they had seen Jesus that a seven-mile walk to Jerusalem in the dark couldn’t keep them from sharing what they had experienced. Verse 33 says “They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem.” Jesus’ words change everything. They still do. Our hearts burning with faith at Jesus’ proof of life as well. It’s the joyful realization of the new convert as they open their eyes and recognize forgiveness for the first time. It’s the strong burning glow of the lifelong Christian who has learned through time and trial to trust in God for blessings. Old faith or new faith, God comes to us in his Word to remind us of our victory in Jesus. To inspire us to live and serve our Lord. We come to worship to take walks in the Word with our risen Savior. It’s why we devote a third of our service time to hearing the readings and digging into them in the sermon. It’s why we stay for Bible study together and read the Word at home. When we make time for God’s Word, we find proof after proof of our living Lord. And our hope is renewed and restored.

Brothers and sisters, go home today and open your Bible. Sign up at www.wels.net for the email devotions or podcasts. Join a growth group. Stay for Sunday Bible study. Walk with Jesus in the Word and hear his love and promises. Let him restore your hope and renew your faith. Have hope because Jesus is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia. Amen.