The Beautiful Letdown (Part 2)
Last week I began a short series of devotionals by pointing out a foundational principle at the beginning of Dr. Neil T. Anderson’s book, Discipleship Counseling. It is that the message and method of discipleship [counseling] must be based on the finished work of Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:27-2:15). He writes, “The fact that every Christian is eternally alive in Christ right now is the only basis for hope” (page 16; emphasis mine).
Friends, this is the Easter message. It’s the reason why we call Good Friday “good.” We know that Jesus’ suffering and death served a great purpose. When we hear Jesus say “It is finished” on the Cross, we contextualize it because we know what happened next. We can fast forward in our thinking to Resurrection Sunday.
The Gospels don’t have much to say about the Saturday between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, but can you imagine for a moment what it was like to be one of Jesus’ friends the day between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday—the day after he was taken into custody, beaten, and then killed?
Recently, I was reading through the Gospel of Luke, and I came to appreciate in a new way the story of the two men on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). After racing by the story initially, I returned to it a couple of days later. The part that caught my attention is verse 17. The resurrected Jesus, although unrecognized by the travelers, comes alongside of them on their journey and asks, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?” The next part of this verse is key.
They answer him saying, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet powerful in action and speech before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him. But we were hoping that he was the one who was about to redeem Israel. Besides all this, it’s the third day since these things happened” (vv. 19-21, CSB).
You can hear the disappointment in their voice. The New Living Translation remarks that sadness was “written across their faces.” The Christian Standard Bible says they “looked discouraged.”
Take a moment to walk a mile [on the road to Emmaus] in their shoes.
They didn’t yet have the advantage of the New Testament or the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. They lived through Good Friday before anyone knew it was “good.” They lived through Saturday, too.
I imagine there was plenty of despair and discouragement to go around. From the perspective of these two men, their hopes remained unrealized despite the news from others that Jesus was alive. I can really sympathize with them.
That’s why I love how Jesus comes alongside these two men on their journey. He orchestrates a divine appointment in a moment of doubt, discouragement, and sadness. And after he acknowledges that their hearts are slow to believe, he doesn’t give up on them or depart from them. He walks with them, and he talks with them.
He deliberately continues to journey with them. Then, He helps them see that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and then enter into glory.
The letdown of both Friday and Saturday set the table for the beauty and power of Sunday. When the flickers of hope and faith began to burn bright within their hearts, He graciously revealed himself and gave them a testimony of hope to share with others (vv. 31-35).
Friends, the Lord does the same for us today!
On this Good Friday, where are you?
Maybe the letdown of yesterday has caused you to be slow to believe and have hope for today, like the men on the road to Emmaus. If so, I encourage you to invite the resurrected Jesus to meet you in your place of discouragement. He’d love to walk with you down the road a bit. As you walk with Him, I’m confident that the flickers of hope and faith will burn brightly within your hearts, and He will reveal himself to you—because you are alive in Him right now.