In Luke’s story of the road to Emmaus, we meet two disciples whose hearts are heavy with disappointment. They confess, “We had hoped…”—words that capture the ache of a future that feels lost. Like the other disciples who first dismissed the women’s testimony as “an idle tale”—even “delirious”—they cannot yet believe that Jesus has risen. Yet the beauty of the story is this: Jesus comes to walk beside them anyway, even in their doubt. He opens the Scriptures, reminding them that all of God’s story points toward hope in impossible places. When He breaks the bread, their eyes are opened, and their hearts burn with the truth of His presence.
The Resurrection is not just news to be heard—it is a reality to be experienced. Jesus meets us on our own roads of confusion, fear, and brokenness, offering Himself, offering hope, offering life. And when we recognize Him, like the disciples, we are sent back into the world as witnesses—not because we are perfect, but because Christ’s love compels us to share the hope we’ve been given. We are witnesses of these things.
Pastor Keith Roller's sermon summarized by Janel Crowe