Easter People: A 4-Day Easter DevotionalSample

THE TWO ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS

We could talk about lots of different Easter people. But we’ll choose to end here with two who met Jesus on a road. These two were sad as they walked on the road. The text says their faces were downcast and that they stood still when Jesus said, “Hey, what are you so sad for?” They stopped because they were stunned that anybody would not be sad and not understand the cause for the sadness. In that situation, Jesus came to brighten their perspective. Jesus came to inform their understanding. Not to change any of the situations and not to change the reality, but to help them see it from a different perspective. Here are a few takeaways I found in this story.

• The circumstances you face aren't nearly as important as the conclusions you draw. The problem wasn't what had happened. The problem was the conclusions that they had come to as a result. Jesus challenged their assumptions. But he did so after he first walked with them and listened to them. These two were suffering under the weight of a story that wasn't true. Wrong thinking will always lead to wrong living. And inaccurate information will lead to unnecessary fear.
• There is a wrong way to read the Bible and it's the way that they had previously, clearly, been reading it. They wanted to see the crown but not the cross. They wanted the blessings of what it would look like without the broken messiah. They wanted to see him on the throne without him ever having to wear a crown of thorns. As we read the Bible, we're not looking primarily for 10 ways to be a better husband or four ways to better manage your money or principles on wisdom or for some parenting tips. Jesus didn't come to make your life better. He came to save your soul. Fortunately, life is a lot better with a saved soul.
• Easter isn't a holiday, then. It's an identity. Easter is who we are. We are meant to not look back on Easter and go, “that's so inspiring.” You are meant to be living in the power of the resurrection, preaching in the power of the resurrection, parenting in the power of the resurrection – you have the power of the resurrection at your beck and call. Joy will be the result of you comprehending the resurrection not as a holiday, but as your identity. The resurrection gives us access to the ultimate joy – the joy that shines in a pandemic, the joy that sparkles in a cemetery, the joy that is exhibited in an emergency – that joy is ours. May God, through His spirit, give you the grace to suffer well, with joy flying as the flag over the castle of your heart because the King is in residence there.

We are the Easter people, and hallelujah is our song.

Thank you for coming on the journey! I pray you are leaving stronger and closer to Jesus than you came.
Much love,
Levi
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