Truly He is Risen … but I saw something in reading about the two men on the way to Emmaus that caused me to stop and think. Mark tells us that Jesus appeared to them in another form (Mark 16:12). Irrespective of who these two were, the event points to something to think about.
Being saved and truly seeing Jesus are two very different things. There are many true believers (His bride) who are partakers IN Him that have never truly “seen” Him … are not partakers OF Him. The two on their way to Emmaus didn’t truly see Jesus until He revealed Himself to them. But it wasn’t just His physical appearance that opened their eyes…
Luke 24:32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”
It wasn’t just the Jesus they saw, it was the revelation of who He is. He had opened their eyes and revealed Himself to them in the Word of God.
We need to open our spirit to distinguish the difference between what He has done for us and who He truly is. If we limit our vision to only seeing what He did for us on the cross (our salvation), we are limiting our vision of Him. We need to see who He truly is by spending time with Him, sitting with Him at His table …
Luke 24:13-35 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? 33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, 34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. 35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.
He has given us The Key to discovering who He truly is, the Holy Spirit. He is the One who is there to “come along side us” and reveal the deeper truth as we press into our relationship with Him. That’s what Paul meant when he said…
Phil 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
As we press toward the mark, the finish line, to receive our reward (our incorruptible crown) at His Judgement Seat, Paul reminds us that we are to “pursue” (keep our eyes fixed) on the goal. That goal is to finish strong, becoming all that He created us to be in His Kingdom. That can only happen if we are submitted and obedient to the leading of His Spirit and move on from what Jesus has done for us on the cross and up the road that leads to spiritual maturity. That path will be filled with opportunities to go forward and also to fall back. It’s a journey that demands our highest effort… but also promises the greatest reward … We’ll find out Who Christ is in Me.*
* This is covered in more detail in my book Your Life In Christ – you can download a free copy by visiting our website www.WalkWithGod.org and clicking on the Free eBooks tab.