The People of Hope

On the first Easter Sunday, in Palestine, two young men were walking on the road to Emmaus and talking with each other about everything that had happened. They were so desperate because they could not understand why their master and friend whom they had followed for about three years had allowed himself to be arrested and put to death. To them it was the greatest injustice in all of history. They were heartbroken because their master whom they had pinned all their hopes was dead. This was especially so because they had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel, the elected people of God.

Everything that they had longed for had now been dashed to the ground. Yet, even though they were depressed, they didn’t stop talking about their master. At this moment, a stranger came up and walked along with them. They were kept from recognizing this stranger because they were in deep desperation. The stranger asked them what they were talking about so earnestly. This made them stop short in their tracks. The looks on their faces showed how upset they were. Eventually, either of them named Cleopas asked the stranger, Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem, and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?. But the stranger asked another question: What’s thing?. The two young men began to explain.

Seeing them in downcast face, the stranger said some strange things to comfort them. They could not find out who this stranger was. Poor them! Their real problem was not with a dead master, but with themselves. They were the disciples who had ever followed Jesus Christ during His ministry time on the earth. They had sat at His foot listening to His messages, talking to Jesus Christ Himself whom they respectedly called their rabbi (teacher). They had ever witnessed a lot of Jesus’ miracles and had a good communication with Him. Thus, at this time they were very desperate only because they didn’t perceive the resurrected Jesus when He first appeared to them, and only because they didn’t believe the whole of the Bible teaching. And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, Jesus explained to them what was in all the Scriptures concerning Himself (Luke. 24: 27).

The stranger, of course, was Jesus Christ, the Master Teacher. What did Jesus tell those two disciples? We don’t know the details. But we do know the heart of His teaching: Did Christ not have to suffer these things and then enter His glory? (Luke. 24: 26). And then a remarkable transformation began to take place in the hearts of the disciples. They said, Were our hearts not burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us? (Luke. 24:32). It was when they recognized their resurrected master, Jesus Christ that they were getting so happy. These two disciples were no longer downcast because they found a big hope hope in Christ, their Savior. Immediately, they returned to Jerusalem to tell the Good News to everyone. They are really the people of Hope.