Tetelestai! This word rang out like a cry of victory, Jesus bowed His head and gave up His spirit, His mission was fulfilled. Darkness fell; the earth shook as the curtain in the temple sanctuary was torn in two. It was finished – Man’s sinful debt was cancelled; the sentence was served and the great divide between man and God was forever bridged by the blood of God’s Lamb.
But death and the grave could not hold Him down. The blood stained cross, and an empty tomb testified of God’s grace and master plan. Over the next 40 days the resurrected Jesus Christ appeared to many of His followers to comfort, encourage and instruct them for their mission ahead.
In Luke 24:13-35 we find a vivid illustration of one of these encounters with Jesus. As two of His disciples walked on the road to Emmaus, heartbroken and confused, Jesus joined them – though they did not recognize Him. He listened to their doubts and sorrow, then broke open the Scriptures to them, explaining how the Messiah had to suffer and rise again. As Jesus broke bread with them, they remembered.
Suddenly, their eyes were opened and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!
They said to each other,
“Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?”
– Luke 24:31
Like the disciples, we may experience seasons of doubt and despair, even questioning God’s plan. Yet, the cross and empty tomb remind us that we are meant to share in Christ’s victory. Sin no longer has the final word, and death is not the end. Through our faith in Jesus, we have hope and life eternal. Let this truth empower you as you choose to walk today as a man set free and a co-heir of Christ’s victory!
