1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Hello, and thank you for listening to your 2 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:17,239 Speaker 1: Daily Bible Verse, the podcast that examines the Bible each 3 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: day to help us learn more about God and his 4 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: will for us. I'm your host, Shaka Heinz, and after 5 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:26,640 Speaker 1: this short word from our sponsor, will continue with our 6 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 1: Lents series God Meets You in the Wilderness with a 7 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:46,480 Speaker 1: discussion on Luke twenty four, verses fifteen and sixteen. Today's 8 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:51,160 Speaker 1: Bible passage is Luke twenty four, verses fifteen and sixteen. 9 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 1: As they talked and discussed these things with each other, 10 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 1: Jesus himself came up and walked along with them, but 11 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: they were kept from recognizing him. Now, two of Jesus's 12 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 1: disciples they're walking on the road to a village called 13 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 1: a Maeus somewhere near Jerusalem. Along the way, they're having 14 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 1: this animated discussion regarding the events of Jesus's death, which 15 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 1: seemed to disappoint their own expectations that Jesus would be 16 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 1: the one to free the nation of Israel from probably 17 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:31,680 Speaker 1: Roman and all other oppression. The Biblical Greek word souzetail 18 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:37,039 Speaker 1: It is translated by the NIV Bible into discussion, but 19 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: it can also mean arguing or debating. So Jesus approaches 20 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: these two disciples in the middle of intense discussions and 21 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: he asks, what are you talking about now? From their response, 22 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 1: I can seriously imagine them looking at Jesus as if 23 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 1: he were completely clueless. Have you been hiding under a rock? 24 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 1: There was this prophet, Jesus. He did amazing things, and 25 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 1: we thought he would bring freedom to all Israel. And 26 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 1: even some of our women say they met an angel 27 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 1: at his empty tomb, and we're not sure what to believe. 28 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:16,959 Speaker 1: As Jesus walked with them, the passage says they were 29 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 1: kept from recognizing him. Some commentaries they say God caused 30 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 1: them not to recognize him, you know, and that's totally possible. 31 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 1: I think that. Further along in Luke Jesus, his words 32 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,799 Speaker 1: to them provide a clue as to why these disciples 33 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 1: couldn't see who Jesus was. In verse twenty five, he 34 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:43,680 Speaker 1: said to them, how foolish you are and how slow 35 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 1: to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Jesus connects 36 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:52,079 Speaker 1: their inability to recognize him standing in front of them 37 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:55,800 Speaker 1: to their refusal to believe the scriptures or to even 38 00:02:55,919 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: believe the women's testimony of the empty tomb. The te 39 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 1: triumph of the empty tomb was completely lost on these 40 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 1: two who only knew the tragedy of the crucifixion. What 41 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 1: keeps us from recognizing Jesus is with us on our journey, 42 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 1: walking with us in our wilderness. After all, Jesus promised 43 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 1: he would be with his followers always to the very 44 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 1: end of the age. His disciples, they were so disheartened 45 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 1: because they didn't hold on to the scriptures that would 46 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 1: have given context to Jesus's suffering on the cross. Now, 47 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 1: if they had believed the prophets, or even believed in 48 00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: Jesus himself, the things he taught and the miracles he performed. 49 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 1: Instead of debating, instead of debating with this sense of 50 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: hopeless dread, on the road to Emaeus, they could have 51 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:58,040 Speaker 1: been discussing, with faithful expectation, how Jesus was going to 52 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: turn the scene at the cross upside down, and they 53 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 1: would have seen Jesus. Perhaps God would have kept them 54 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:10,800 Speaker 1: from recognizing the face of Jesus on the road, but 55 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 1: they would have been looking for and recognize Jesus at 56 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:19,360 Speaker 1: work in their situation. That's what holding onto the scriptures, 57 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 1: believing in Jesus, the living Word does. When we take 58 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:26,720 Speaker 1: the promises of God and apply them to our present 59 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:30,680 Speaker 1: wilderness season, or we take the scriptures and let their 60 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 1: truth guide us, we will recognize Jesus at work every 61 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:42,160 Speaker 1: day of our lives. We'll see Jesus's peace amid the storm. 62 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:47,040 Speaker 1: We'll fill Jesus's comfort amid the sorrow well since his 63 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:51,600 Speaker 1: safety in the middle of our chaos. We'll see our 64 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 1: defender in the middle of the battle, will recognize our 65 00:04:56,640 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 1: friend and our loneliness. We'll see truth in the middle 66 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 1: of the lies, will experienced joy amid the tears. Now 67 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 1: another point to highlight for us, and this one's important, 68 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 1: is that even though these two disciples didn't recognize Jesus 69 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:21,000 Speaker 1: on their journey to Amaeus, it did not mean Jesus 70 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: wasn't there. Their inability to see him did not negate 71 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 1: Jesus's presence. And in whatever hardship you might be facing, 72 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:37,719 Speaker 1: even if you cannot see Jesus, he is there. Jesus 73 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:42,600 Speaker 1: walks with us even when we don't recognize him. So 74 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:47,760 Speaker 1: this lent by believing in the completed work of Jesus 75 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:51,200 Speaker 1: on our behalf, when he defeated death and left the 76 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:56,599 Speaker 1: tomb behind. We can recognize him right in the middle 77 00:05:56,680 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 1: of whatever obstacle we meet in our wilderness sea, and 78 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:05,240 Speaker 1: we can trust that Jesus is so good, so loving, 79 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 1: so capable that even when we fail to recognize him, 80 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 1: he is still with us. Let's pray, Abbah, thank you 81 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 1: so much that you are the God who always walks 82 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:28,880 Speaker 1: with us. Sometimes, God, we get so caught up in 83 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:34,719 Speaker 1: our situation. Our hardships are pain that it is hard 84 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 1: to see Jesus is right there. So Father, I pray 85 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:42,719 Speaker 1: for eyes. I pray you would give us spiritual eyes 86 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 1: to recognize Jesus. Give us faith to believe the promises 87 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 1: of Scripture. Give us faith to trust that Jesus's sacrifice 88 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,479 Speaker 1: and everything he did and his resurrection from the dead 89 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:08,239 Speaker 1: is enough for us. It is enough. You have done it. Abbah, 90 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 1: help us to recognize Jesus right in the middle of 91 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:18,360 Speaker 1: our wilderness seasons. We love you. It's in Jesus' name 92 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:20,040 Speaker 1: we pray. Amen.