Shared Hope – April 28, 2023

They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
Luke 24:33-35

Shared Hope

Traveling at night was not something that ancient people often did. Nighttime travel could easily expose you to all kinds of danger. That’s why it is so remarkable that the two disciples of Jesus who had traveled to Emmaus on Easter evening returned to Jerusalem immediately, even though it was nighttime.

But they couldn’t help themselves. They were too excited. They had seen Jesus! He was alive! He had risen from the dead! They could not keep the hope that they now had to themselves. They had to share it with Jesus’ other disciples.

All who trust in Jesus share this same hope. Because we know that Jesus has risen from the dead, we also know that Jesus has taken away all our sins. We know Satan can no longer threaten us because Jesus has decisively defeated him. We know that death can no longer hold on to us forever because Jesus has destroyed its power. We know that as Jesus continues to live for us, he uses everything in our lives, even the extremely painful things, to bring us blessings.

That hope is too amazing for us to keep to ourselves. So, with whom will we share it? God has placed so many people in our lives who need to hear what we have heard and need the hope that we have. These people may be family members. They may be friends. They may be coworkers or classmates. They may even be people that we have yet to meet. Whoever they are, we will, like these two disciples, eagerly share with them the hope that has set our hearts on fire so that they, too, may know that Jesus is alive.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you have set my heart on fire with your hope. Help me eagerly to share that hope with others. Amen.