Back to The Lent Encounter home
Thank you for joining us!
Read today's devotional. Or click the play button to listen.
Welcome to the final leg of our journey through Lent. We’ve covered a lot of ground over the previous weeks, exploring a wide range of topics.
Maybe you’ve found it easy to identify with what was said in these reflections. Maybe you’ve even become a more determined Christian as a result. Then again, perhaps you’re still struggling to make sense of it all.
Interestingly, back when it happened, the resurrection of Jesus led straight to confusion and doubt. The Gospel writer Luke tells us of two travellers meeting a stranger on the way who seems to be the only one who hasn’t heard about the crucifixion of Jesus a few days before. As it turns out, the stranger is in fact the risen Christ. Before they finally recognise him, the inner journey of the two travellers involves two things.
Firstly, they struggle to grasp that Jesus being the Messiah doesn’t mean instant paradise on earth. A crucified Messiah was the total opposite of what a Jew would have expected at the time; they were longing for the Messiah to drive out the Romans and reclaim the throne of David. So in Luke 24.26 Jesus asks, ‘Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?’ (NRSV) No victory without struggle.
Secondly, the two travellers don’t recognise Jesus on the road, despite the fact that they’re being given a free masterclass in studying the Scriptures. Sometimes reading the Bible or hearing a clever sermon just aren’t enough. The two friends only have their eyes opened at the dinner table as Jesus breaks bread in their presence: a moment of spiritual encounter which no theological insight could replace.
Is Luke telling us that, in order to be deeply touched by the message of Good Friday and Easter morning, we need God to illuminate his word for us and to reveal himself in a way that goes beyond our understanding?
By the time the risen Jesus left the two friends, they were changed people, filled with hope and awe. Luke says their eyes were opened and their hearts were burning. I wish you and myself the same – close encounter with the risen Christ.
This reflection was written by Michael Pfundner, from the Publishing team at Bible Society.
Thank you so much for joining us on this journey to the resurrection joy of Easter! We sincerely pray that you have been blessed by this devotional series and have experienced Jesus on the journey in wonderful ways.
With God, the end of every journey is always the beginning of another. The cross always leads to resurrection! The resurrection always leads to Pentecost!
We have wonderful resources to help you to continue on the journey you have begun this Lent:
Read the Bible 
Processing...