That�s how we start this journey. Jesus is walking right there beside us, but for part of our lives at least, many of us don�t realize it. Even if people tell us (preachers, Sunday School teachers, youth group leaders, grandparents, parents, neighbors or friends) we may not get it for awhile. Some of us just don�t believe that the resurrection is real. At some point in our lives we may have thought of the Bible as a book of nice stories. Some think of them as another set of mythological tales. Then there are those among us who do believe in the resurrection of Jesus but only think of it as an historical event. They are willing to accept Jesus rising from the grave and dwelling with God in heaven, but they don�t take it personally. Ah, but that is what makes all the difference in the world, taking it personally. That�s what the two discovered that night. Jesus was alive, in person, and right by their side, a real and physical presence interested in them, involved in their lives.

17) Jesus asked them, "What were you talking about as you walked along?" The two of them stood there looking sad and gloomy. 18) Then the one named Cleopas asked Jesus, "Are you the only person from Jerusalem who didn't know what was happening there these last few days?" 19) "What do you mean?" Jesus asked.

Do you see the teacher at work? Jesus doesn�t come straight out and tell them who he is, what he is planning to do next, or what he wants them to do. Instead he asks them questions. That�s how this teacher often worked. He asked the woman at the well, �Where is your husband? He asked the disciples, �Who do people say that I am?� He asked two blind men, �What do you want me to do for you?� He asked the Pharisees, �Does the Law permit doing good on the Sabbath or is it a day for evil?� Jesus taught by asking questions. So with his questions he engages two discouraged students in some conversation.

They answered: Those things that happened to Jesus from Nazareth. By what he did and said he showed that he was a powerful prophet, who pleased God and all the people. 20) Then the chief priests and our leaders had him arrested and sentenced to die on a cross. 21) We had hoped that he would be the one to set Israel free! But it has already been three days since all this happened. 22) Some women in our group surprised us. They had gone to the tomb early in the morning, 23) but did not find the body of Jesus. They came back, saying that they had seen a vision of angels who told them that he is alive. 24) Some men from our group went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said. But they didn't see Jesus either.

25) Then Jesus asked the two disciples, "Why can't you understand? How can you be so slow to believe all that the prophets said? 26) Didn't you know that the Messiah would have to suffer before he was given his glory?" 27) Jesus then explained everything written about himself in the Scriptures, beginning with the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets.

Jesus let them explain as much as they knew, and then he explained to them so much more. They could repeat to him the events they had witnessed and what others had told them, but they clearly didn�t understand it at all. They had lost their teacher, their friend. Their hopes for the future had been dashed. Three days later there is a glimmer of hope, but do they dare believe it? It doesn�t make any sense. So Jesus, the patient teacher, takes them back to the text. The prophets had already foreshadowed all that was to come. Now Jesus showed them point by point, verse by verse how the promises of the prophets had been fulfilled by this man, Jesus.

Don�t you wish you had a verbatim script of that conversation? I do! But maybe the teacher intended for us to learn it another way. Maybe Jesus wanted them to wrestle with it in their own minds until it began to sink in deeper. Then he wanted them to repeat it to the others. He wanted this process of wrestling, understanding, repeating, to continue down through the ages until it�s our turn, each one of us, in our lifetime. To hear the good news, to wrestle with it, to come to our own faith, then to share it, repeating it to others. I told you it was personal!

28) When the two of them came near the village where they were going, Jesus seemed to be going farther. 29) They begged him, "Stay with us! It's already late, and the sun is going down." So Jesus went into the house to stay with them.

They are soaking up all they are learning. They don�t want to stop when they arrive home. Besides it�s good to offer hospitality. So they invite the stranger in to join them for supper.

30) After Jesus sat down to eat, he took some bread. He blessed it and broke it. Then he gave it to them. 31) At once they knew who he was, but he disappeared. 32) They said to each other, "When he talked with us along the road and explained the Scriptures to us, didn't it warm our hearts?" 33) So they got right up and returned to Jerusalem.

When they entered the house, this man was still a fascinating stranger. He had given them lots of head knowledge, but they needed more than that. As they sat down to eat, he gave them a sign that touched their soul with its familiarity. He took the part of the host though he was the guest. He reached for the bread. He blessed and broke it. He gave it to them. Oh, that looked familiar all right. He did that with the loaves that fed thousands more than once. He did that when it was just a few of them gathered for a meal. In that symbolic yet simple act, he touched the memories deep within and they knew in a flash exactly who was at the table with them. That was all he needed to accomplish with them for the moment. In the next moment he was gone. But that moment changed them forever.

For many on this journey of life, Jesus is just a fascinating stranger if that. Some do gain head knowledge. They�ve heard the stories. Perhaps they have even studied them closely. That�s all well and good, but it doesn�t bring Jesus to life in a personal way in our own lives. There has to be an experience of the heart, of the spirit within us as well. For the Holy Spirit speaks to us and tells our spirit that we are children of God. (Romans 8:16) Then Jesus is truly alive, not just back then in Emmaus or Jerusalem or by the Sea of Galilee. Jesus is alive today, right beside us, even speaking to us, His risen Spirit speaking to our inner spirit. It�s personal!

The two disciples found the eleven apostles and the others gathered together. 34) And they learned from the group that the Lord was really alive and had appeared to Peter. 35) Then the disciples from Emmaus told what happened on the road and how they knew he was the Lord when he broke the bread.

The Christian community is where we share with one another our personal experiences of the risen Lord, alive and in our midst today. As Christians we are also called to share that story with those who don�t know it or haven�t experienced it yet for themselves. We share the story of what happened long ago and the story of what happens in our lives today. Sharing Jesus� story and sharing our stories of life with Jesus helps pave the road for the day that they will recognize Jesus walking with them, speaking to them, breaking bread with them, offering himself to them in a real and personal way.