A CHRIST ALL ALONG TEACHING · LUKE 24:13–35
The Lord we long to recognize is the One whose presence and work we may not yet fully understand—and whom we are called to follow.
Introduction: When Something Feels Amiss
There are seasons in which we know that we belong to the Lord, yet something within us feels unsettled. We believe, but our hearts seem cold. We pray, but our prayers feel dry. We read Scripture, but the sense of life and wonder we desire seems missing. We may continue with our ordinary responsibilities while quietly wondering what has happened to our spiritual lives.
Sometimes we cannot even explain what is wrong. We simply know that we long for something deeper. We long to know the Lord more intimately. We long for the Holy Spirit to awaken our hearts. We may hear of revivals, healings, and extraordinary encounters with God, and wonder whether we, too, might experience a fresh work of His grace.
There is nothing wrong with bringing that longing honestly before God. But we must be careful not to conclude that God can meet us only in a particular gathering, through a particular minister, or by means of a particular manifestation. God is not confined to the places where we expect to find Him.
He may meet us in an assembly of believers, in the quietness of our home, in our garden, in a season of waiting, or along a road we never intended to travel. And sometimes, before we understand what He is doing, we must learn to recognize the One who is drawing near.
1. The Emmaus Road: When We Cannot See What God Is Doing
Luke 24 tells us about two disciples walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus after the crucifixion of Jesus. Their hopes had been shaken. They had heard reports concerning the empty tomb, yet they did not understand the events unfolding around them. One of them said:
“But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel…”
Luke 24:21, KJV
They had hoped and expected, but what they had witnessed did not fit their understanding of what God was doing. Then Luke records something remarkable:
“And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.”
Luke 24:15, KJV
Jesus drew near and walked with them. Yet their eyes were restrained, so they did not know Him. The risen Lord was walking beside disciples who could not recognize Him. They were confused about what had happened, but He was not absent from their journey.
Their inability to recognize Jesus did not prevent Him from drawing near and walking with them.
We should not turn this account into a promise that every season of spiritual dryness conceals an extraordinary encounter. But it does reveal something precious about the risen Christ: He met these disciples in their disappointment, listened to them, and opened the Scriptures to them.
Perhaps you are on an Emmaus road of your own. You need not pretend that you understand. Bring your questions to Him.
2. Before Their Eyes Were Opened, the Scriptures Were Opened
Jesus did not immediately reveal His identity to the disciples. Instead, He began with Moses and all the prophets and explained the things concerning Himself throughout the Scriptures.
“And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”
Luke 24:27, KJV
Their understanding was being corrected and their expectations reshaped. The suffering of Christ was not the failure of God's purpose; it belonged to His redemptive work.
When we long for a fresh encounter with God, we may be tempted to seek a powerful feeling first and understanding afterward. But the Emmaus account directs our attention to Christ Himself and to the Scriptures that testify of Him. God may grant powerful experiences, but we must not make a particular experience the measure of His presence or the foundation of our confidence.
The question is not merely, “How can I experience God?” It is also, “Lord, will I allow Thee to teach me who Thou art and how I am to follow Thee?”
3. “Search Me, O God”
When we feel spiritually lost, our first impulse may be to identify the cause. What have I done wrong? What have I missed? Is there some sin I have not recognized? Sometimes we do need correction. At other times, we may be weary, disappointed, troubled, or unable to explain our condition. We should neither dismiss the possibility of correction nor assume that every period of dryness proves hidden wrongdoing.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Psalm 139:23–24, KJV
Notice the movement of this prayer: Search me. Know me. Reveal what needs attention. Lead me. David does not ask merely to discover what is wrong. He asks God to lead him in the way everlasting.
We are saying: Lord, I am willing to be taught. If I need correction, correct me. If I need to repent, lead me to repentance. If my understanding is mistaken, teach me. If I am weary, help me. Show me what I need to see, and lead me in Thy way.
4. “My Soul Thirsteth for God”
“My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?”
Psalm 42:2, KJV
The psalmist's longing is directed toward God Himself. There is a difference between longing for a gift from God and longing for God. We may rightly ask for healing, deliverance, guidance, spiritual renewal, and the manifestation of His power. Yet none of these gifts should become a substitute for the Giver.
What if He meets us in a gathering? Let us seek Him there. What if He meets us in the quietness of our homes? Let us seek Him there. What if the next step is repentance, reconciliation, renewed attention to Scripture, a simple act of obedience, or patient waiting? Let us remain willing to follow Him there, too.
We do not dictate the manner of His work. We bring Him our thirst.
5. The Holy Spirit: Our Present Help
Jesus did not leave His disciples without help. He promised the Holy Spirit, who would abide with them (John 14:16–17). He told them that the Spirit would teach them and bring His words to their remembrance (John 14:26). The Spirit would guide them into truth and glorify Christ (John 16:13–14).
The Christian life is not a matter of manufacturing spiritual life through our own efforts. We depend upon the Holy Spirit. When we do not know how to pray as we ought, He helps our infirmities (Romans 8:26). When we encounter something we do not understand, we can bring it to Him rather than assuming that we must resolve every tension by our own reasoning.
This does not mean every thought, impression, dream, or feeling should automatically be attributed to the Holy Spirit. We are instructed to test what we hear and hold fast to what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:19–21). Dependence upon the Spirit does not make Scripture unnecessary. The Spirit glorifies Christ and leads us into truth.
We ask not only that He show us what to do, but that He help us discern what we are encountering and respond faithfully.
6. “Did Not Our Heart Burn Within Us?”
“Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”
Luke 24:32, KJV
The disciples' hearts had burned while Jesus spoke with them and opened the Scriptures. Their testimony was a gift, not a feeling they manufactured. We may also experience moments of profound spiritual awakening, but if we do not experience an extraordinary sensation, we need not conclude that God has rejected us or that our seeking has been in vain.
Our confidence rests in Christ, not in our ability to reproduce the experience of the Emmaus disciples. The goal is not simply to feel our hearts burn. It is to know Christ, receive His truth, and follow Him.
7. Recognition Must Lead to Following
The Emmaus story does not end with the disciples sitting quietly, satisfied that they had a remarkable experience. They rose that same hour, returned to Jerusalem, and told the others what had happened on the road. Their encounter led to action and testimony.
Recognize. Understand. Follow.
Recognize: Lord Jesus, open mine eyes to Thee.
Understand: Open the Scriptures to me. Teach me Thy truth.
Follow: Lead me in Thy way everlasting.
Our spiritual lives are not meant to revolve around the pursuit of experiences. They are meant to be lives of fellowship with Christ, lived in dependence upon the Holy Spirit. We may not always understand what the Lord is doing. We can keep bringing ourselves before Him, listening to His Word, seeking the Spirit's guidance, and following the next faithful step.
8. Your Emmaus Road May Be Closer Than You Think
Perhaps you have been looking for a place where the glory of God is reported to be falling. Perhaps you have been longing for a revival gathering, hoping that God will meet you there. There is nothing wrong with seeking fellowship with believers who pray, worship, and expect God to work.
But do not conclude that you must travel to a particular place before you can begin seeking the Lord. The Emmaus disciples were walking through disappointment. They did not know that the stranger walking beside them was the risen Jesus. Their road became the place where He taught them.
We cannot prescribe how God will work in our lives. We cannot promise ourselves a dramatic encounter or insist that our next season must resemble someone else's testimony. But we can seek Him wherever we are: in our homes, gardens, fellowships, quiet prayer, and ordinary responsibilities.
We can come honestly, without pretending that we are spiritually stronger than we are. We can remain open to correction without living under constant suspicion that something is secretly wrong with us. And we can keep our eyes on Jesus.
The Lord we long to recognize is the One whose presence and work we may not yet fully understand—and whom we are called to follow.
A Prayer for the Seeking Heart
Lord Jesus, walk with me.
I do not fully understand this season of my life. I bring Thee my longing, my confusion, my thirst, and my desire to know Thee more deeply.
Open mine eyes to Thee. As Thou didst walk with the disciples on the Emmaus road, teach me through Thy Word. Correct my understanding where it is mistaken. Help me recognize Thy truth, receive Thy grace, and follow wherever Thou dost lead.
Search me, O God, and know my heart. Reveal what needs to be confessed, corrected, surrendered, or renewed. Do not let me be governed by fear or by the need to understand everything before I obey.
My soul thirsteth for Thee, the living God.
Holy Spirit, help me in my infirmities. Teach me, guide me into truth, and lead me to glorify Christ. Help me discern and respond faithfully.
I ask not for an experience that I can manufacture, but for grace to seek Thee sincerely and follow Thee faithfully. If Thou dost grant me a moment of extraordinary awakening, let it lead me into deeper love, obedience, and fellowship with Christ. If I must walk through a season of waiting, sustain me. If I need correction, teach me. If I am weary, help me.
Lord Jesus, walk with me. Open mine eyes to Thee. Lead me in Thy way everlasting.
In Thy name. Amen.
For Personal Reflection or Group Discussion
- Have I ever felt spiritually lost while continuing to believe in Christ?
- Am I seeking the Lord Himself, or becoming dependent upon a particular spiritual experience?
- What might I need to bring honestly before God in the prayer, “Search me, O God”?
- How can I depend upon the Holy Spirit while remaining attentive to Scripture and willing to test what I believe I hear?
- What is one faithful step I can take today, even if I do not yet understand the whole road?
Suggested reading: Luke 24:13–35; Psalm 42; Psalm 139:23–24; John 14:15–27; Romans 8:26–27; 1 Thessalonians 5:19–21.