Therefore, do not cast away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. Hebrews 10:35
Has your confidence in God’s promises for your life or for someone that you are praying for been shaken to the core? Has the bad news thrown you into an abysmal pit of discouragement and hopelessness? Are your emotions screaming in your ear that you might as well give up praying and believing for the breakthrough? Are the reasonings of your finite mind agreeing with what you have just witnessed with your own ears and eyes rather than the Word of God? Do you see no way out, no victory in sight?
If so, perhaps you can relate to the two men on the road to Emmaus who had such great hopes of what Jesus Christ would do to redeem Israel – to deliver them from their terrible plight of Roman occupation, foreigners ruling over their Land. Everything they had hoped for went in the exact opposite direction of their faith-filled dreams. Their trusted chief priests and rulers delivered Jesus to be condemned to death.
They heard and saw for themselves Jesus Christ crucified to death. They saw His body hanging on the cross, mutilated beyond description. Blood covered His face from the crown of thorns placed on HIs head. From His nail pierced hands and feet and the 39 stripes He bore on His back oozed blood that soaked the earth staining it crimson red. As they witnessed the soldier piercing His side, causing blood and water to pour forth, their hearts broke into a million shattered pieces because of the finality of His death that passed before their eyes. The salvation they had longed for was now buried with and placed into a grave with Jesus. They waited three long days and nothing had changed. They gave up all hope.
Remember all the suffering that Jesus went through was for a purpose – for you and your loved ones to experience His resurrection power wherever the fragrance of death is trying to prevail.
As they were packing up their bags to leave Jerusalem where this terrible crucifixion had occurred, news of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead began to filtrate through the air, circulating its way up and down the streets of Jerusalem. Supposedly, two angelic hosts appeared to some women at Jesus’ empty tomb, telling them to “Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again?'” Luke 24:6-7
But, how could they believe such nonsense? How could they believe what was written in the Scriptures in the face of all they had just experienced? How could Jesus’ body marred beyond all description after 3 days be raised from the dead? “Impossible!” they exclaimed within the depths of their heart. They knew that this news was not true! Surely, these ladies made the whole story up just so they could cope with the tragedy of the crucifixion of their beloved Jesus.
Despite it being late in the evening, they felt compelled to return to their hometown of Emmaus. As they began their seven mile journey home, reasoning among themselves of “why this happened and why did that not happen” trying to make sense of it all, Jesus appeared and began to walk and talk with them. However, they did not recognize Him. The cloud of discouragement and hopelessness completely blocked their vision of the victorious resurrected Jesus Christ.
Jesus explains the Scriptures about Himself and says to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken.” Luke 24:25 How this Man spoke and what this Man had just told them caused a spark of hope to be reignited within their hearts. They could not stop the invitation coming forth from their mouths for Jesus to abide with them. And when Jesus “took the bread, blessed, and broke it and gave it to them,” “their eyes were opened and they knew Him and He vanished from their sight.” Luke 24:30-31 Immediately, they knew Jesus Christ had risen from the dead and that everything that the Scriptures had spoken about Him were true.
In whatever situation you and your loved ones are facing, do not give up on your confidence in Jesus Christ! Do not give up on praying and believing what is written in the Scriptures about your salvation! Remember all the suffering that Jesus went through was for a purpose – for you and your loved ones to experience His resurrection power wherever the fragrance of death is trying to prevail.