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Speaker 1: Beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, He explained to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Luke twenty four, twenty seven. Dear Lord Jesus, you are the hero of heaven and the prophesied redeemer of the world. Your life, death, and resurrection has been foretold since the beginning. The entire Bible points to you. You are the center of scripture and the center of our lives. We stand in awe of your faithfulness to follow through on your promises. We pray for transformed hearts and minds so that we can see you and follow you. We pray for renewed vision, clarity, and courage to boldly step out in righteousness in Jesus name. Amen, Thank you for praying with me to day. You're listening to the Jesus Podcast, stay engaged to be immersed in the dramatic story of Jesus told with cinematic flare. If this podcast has brought value to your faith, we'd love it if you left a review and shared it with a friend. We want the story of Jesus to be known throughout the world, because when jesus story is told, lives are transformed. The road from Jerusalem to Amaeas was pleasant and bright. Vibrant tree stretched above the trail, providing an enjoyable covering from the midday sun. The blossoming flowers fell onto the road like snow, and the birds chirped joyfully alongside the gentle breeze. The entire day was filled with the brightness of spring. Although the day was draped in beauty, the followers of Jesus, traveling along the road, walked with their heads held low. They were gloomy and sorrowful. The two walked like men defeated in battle, their feet dragging along in the dirt and their blank stairs ignoring the elegance in front of them.
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Speaker 2: I thought he was the one, Seas said, what was it all for?
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Speaker 1: Seafus walked with his hands tightly gripping his staff.
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Speaker 2: I feel like a fool for following him, but I don't regret it.
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Speaker 1: His companion was silent and brooding beside him. He too was a follower of Jesus. They had both been transformed by and in awe of Jesus. However, now that he was dead, they felt an indescribable emptiness. It was as if their identities had been forcibly taken from them. Were you there for the crucifixion? The other disciple mumbled and watched his flogging. See if A said, he winced and kicked a small rock on the road.
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Speaker 2: I watched them drive that whip into his back. I did nothing to stop it. I said nothing. I was helpless to help him. I couldn't bear to watch any more, so I left. I feel like a coward.
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Speaker 1: The two of them lamented their inability to help Jesus when he needed them most. His arrest had taken them completely off guard. They thought he was the chosen one. They had praised him as God's promised Messiah, the one sent down from heaven to rescue Israel from Rome. However, now that he was gone, they were not so sure. They continued to reminisce about Jesus and his ministry. They cried and brooded over the events of the past week. The conversation left them feeling hollow inside, as if they were speaking about a friend who was supposed to be there with them. They had no idea what was in store for them.
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Speaker 3: Jesus told them this would happen. In fact, the entire Bible has been whispering the death and resurrection of the Messiah since the very beginning. How could they miss it? And what else have we missed? This is the Jesus Podcast. Gospel stories meant to challenge our faith and awaken our imagination. The entire month of April is dedicated to exploring the events following Jesus's resurrection from the grave. Today's episode takes us on the road from Jerusalem to Amais, a village about seven miles from Jerusalem. Two followers of Jesus are on the road, lamenting Jesus's death and wrestling with feelings of regret and sorrow. Their journey reflects the confusion and disillusionment many followers of Jesus felt after the crucifixion. They had hoped Jesus was the one to redeem Israel, but his death seemed to shatter all of that hope. As they walked the path with their heads held low, they meet a stranger. The stranger is quiet at first, but soon opens these men's eyes to the truth of who the Messiah actually is. Let's immerse ourselves now in the cinematic retelling of Luke twenty four. Afterwards, we're going to unpack some of its depth and find a message of hope for all of us.
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Speaker 1: The road was long, but maintained its vibrant beauty. Yet every splash of color seemed dull to them. Their heads were foggy with doubt and unanswered questions. If Jesus was not the true son of David, then who was he? Why would he perform so many miracles, all to be forgotten in the grave. Why did he provoke the Pharisees to the point of anger. They pondered these things and asked other unanswerable questions as they continued to walk. Unknown traveler paced beside them. He carried no pack, staff or cloak. He seemed to be a man without a destination. He simply walked on his own, content to be in the afternoon sun. The two disciples saw the man and began to whisper to each other. The name of Jesus was dangerous. Every follower was scared to face the same fate as him. However, the mysterious traveler seemed all the more curious about their conversation. He walked closer to the two friends and leaned in, Can we help you, sir? The traveler scratched his head and chuckled.
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Speaker 3: Yes, I suppose I was just curious as to who you were talking about.
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Speaker 1: The two companions looked at each other and answered, in a whisper.
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Speaker 2: We were talking about that Jesus of Nazareth.
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Speaker 1: Who is Jesus of Nazareth? The stranger asked innocently. The two men looked at each other in disbelief.
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Speaker 2: Where have you been these past three days? Where have you been these past three years? Surely you must have heard about Jesus by now.
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Speaker 1: Now, the stranger smiled and shrugged. The two disciples felt more comfortable now, since he clearly wasn't a citizen of Jerusalem.
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Speaker 2: How do we begin to describe Jesus of Nazareth, they pondered. He was a man of power. He was a mighty prophet. When he spoke, it was as if it were the words of God himself flowing from his lips. He performed miracles, healed the sick, restored sight to the blind. We believed he was the Messiah.
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Speaker 1: See if his voice trailed off as he spoke talking about Jesus filled him with joy and heartache. Where is he now, the traveler asked. The two men sighed and shook their heads. Sorrow overcame them. He's dead now.
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Speaker 2: The priests and pharisees called him a blasphemer and condemned him to death. Then the Romans crucified him.
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Speaker 1: See if, he said with a broken voice. There was a long silence. As the three men walked the road. The mysterious traveler looked up at the blossoming trees. He smiled as the bright petals fell on to his face. The two disciples looked curiously at the man. He seemed unfazed by the news. As they walked, they began to see more of the road through his eyes. They began to notice the grassy fields blooming with flowers and the sun's brilliant rays shining through the tree covering. The traveler kept looking straight and spoke, saying, you too, are foolish, he said with a delightful tone. The two men were offended, but listened on the Are you so slow of heart to believe what the prophet spoke about? They told us the Messiah was supposed to suffer before entering his glory, did they not? The traveler looked at them and began to rate the entire story of God. He spoke of the promised Seed of Adam and Eve prophesied to crush the head of the serpent. He explained the Covenant of Abraham and the promised Child destined to bless the nations. He described the high priest Melchizedek, the man who wrestled with Jacob, the lion of the tribe of Judah, and the voice of the burning Bush. He went into depth about the true meaning of passover lamp and prophet greater than Moses. He told them that the Messiah was the captain of the Lord's army who came to Joshua, the ultimate kinsman redeemer mentioned in Ruth and the suffering Savior of Psalm twenty two. He described the good Shepherd of Psalm twenty three and the suffering servant of Isaiah. He spoke of the judges of Israel rising up his heroes to redeem Israel. He spoke of David and Goliath as an image of the Messiahs triumph over sin. He then dissected the prophets of old and how they all pointed toward one person, a hero and redeemer who would first suffer for the sins of humanity, then rise to be seated at the right hand of God. The traveler's words enraptured the two disciples. The sun was beginning to set, and they wanted every ounce of knowledge. The traveler had to offer.
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Speaker 2: Please, will you eat and stay with us tonight? Our home is around the corner. We can enjoy me and speak more about the Word of God. I am going further.
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Speaker 1: Please do not trouble yourselves, the traveler said.
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Speaker 2: The sun will be setting soon and we would love to hear more about the Messiah's triumph over death. Please stay with us and share a meal.
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Speaker 1: The traveler nodded in agreement, and the three spoke more about the true meaning behind the scriptures. Every page, every story, every hero was meant to elevate and showcase one central character, the Messiah. The story of God was a narrative constructed for the sole purpose of hoisting the name and majesty of the Messiah. The traveler was able to explain this at great length.
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Speaker 2: How do you know all this? We don't even know your.
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Speaker 1: Name, Cephus asked the stranger. The man didn't answer. Instead, he raised a loaf of bread in the air and blessed it. He broke it, and as he tore the bread into the disciples. Eyes were opened. They saw the stranger before him for who he was. It was him, the one whom scriptures had spoken of, the Messiah they had spent an entire day learning about, was sitting at the table with them. The Hero of God, Jesus was alive. They stood to their feet to embrace him, but before they could, he vanished. They ran out of the home to look for him. As they looked around, they caught a glimpse of the sunset. Its deep orange shoes illuminated the blossoming trees. They stood there in awe. For the first time in days, the world had color again. They watched the sunset in complete reverence. Tears streamed down their faces, and they laughed. That night, they did not sleep. They traveled even further to tell the eleven disciples that the King was alive. Even though Jesus walks beside these men, they don't recognize him at first. This is symbolic of how we often fail to see Jesus in our midst, especially in times of disappointment or confusion. Our spiritual eyes can be closed or clouded by feelings of doubt. Like the disciples, we often walk with Jesus without even recognizing him. He's present in everyday life right near us. Even in their blindness, they're eager to learn more from this stranger. Though.
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Speaker 3: He explains the scriptures to them, showing how the Messiah had to suffer before entering his glory. This is crucial in understanding the Gospel. The necessity of the cross before the crowns, suffering before glory. All of these things are absolutely necessary for us to grasp. There is no purpose without suffering. There is no resurrection without crucifixion. Jesus explains to these men that this was foreshadowed and promised that the Messiah would have to suffer and die. Every single hero from the Bible that came before Jesus was an image pointing towards the cross, grave, and resurrection. Jesus is the culman nation in the apex of Scripture. Every hero before him pointed forward to this story. Jesus is the ultimate hero. Jesus is the word that formed the heavens and the earth in the very beginning. Jesus is the foreshadowed sun to crush the head of the serpent. Jesus is the priest Melchisedec who blessed Abram. Jesus was the ultimate seed of Abraham that would bless the nations. Jesus is the one who wrestled with Jacob and the dirt and named him Israel. Jesus is the voice who spoke to Moses through the burning bush. Jesus is the commander of the Lord's armies who spoke with Joshua. Jesus is the greater judge than Gideon, Samson, and Deborah. Jesus is the son of David, come as a greater king and hero to defeat sin and death. Jesus is the suffering servant and prince of peace spoken by the prophets. Jesus is the one who Daniel saw in his vision, the son of man and glory. Jesus is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of humanity. Jesus is the lion of the tribe of Judah. Jesus is all these things and more. His coming was foreshadowed by the law of Moses and the stories of old, and he was the conqueror of death who stood before these men in today's episode, as Jesus spoke about the Word of God to them, their hearts began to burn and yearn free, even more so much so that they asked him to remain with them. You see, the Bible isn't just a story of moral guidelines or a roadmap to abundant living. Anyone who would tell you that the Bible is just a manual on how to live has obviously never read it in its entirety. The Bible is an overarching narrative that is not just a group of moral platitudes. It is first and foremost the story of Jesus. It's the story of a savior and a kingdom established in his name, and we must read the Bible in that proper lens. If you read the Bible is simply a moral handbook, you're going to look at the story of David and Goliath and say, oh, all of my problems are Goliath, and I'm David. But if you see scripture from a Christ's centered lens, you see these stories differently. You don't see Goliath as your issues in you as David. You see Jesus as David, the shepherd who has come to defeat the ultimate giant sin, death, and despair. The climax of today's episode comes at the breaking of bread. Where these disciples eyes are opened, they finally recognize Jesus. This moment is pointing towards the importance of communion in our Christian walk. Where Christ is made known to us. As we remembered what he did for us, the breaking of his body, the spilling of his blood, the disciples wreckon ignize Jesus in a simple yet profound act, the breaking of bread. This invites us all to find Jesus in the ordinary aspects of life, especially in the everyday sacraments of the Church, and encourages us to approach the Lord's table with expectation, the expectation of meeting him there, the expectation of seeing him. Clearly, never forsake communion as just some other religious practice. In the act of communion, we are remembering what Jesus did and seeing him for who he is. Ultimately, the road to Amaeus is a metaphor for our faith journey as well. We may start out confused and dishearten, just like these disciples, but as we walk with Jesus and as we learn from him in the Word of God, our eyes are open to the truth of his presence. Once they recognize Jesus, they immediately went back to Jerusalem to share their experience. This speaks to our call to be witnesses, sharing how we've encountered Christ in our own lives. The Amaeis Road experience is a powerful reminder of Jesus's constant presence in our lives, the illuminatating power of scripture, and the joy of recognizing Him in the ordinary and the sacramento. As we reflect on this passage, let's invite Jesus to walk with us, to open our understanding through his word, and to reveal himself in our daily lives. Join us next time as Jesus reveals himself to the rest of the disciples, they finally get to see him, hug him, and embrace the idea of the resurrection. If you've enjoyed this podcast thus far, consider writing us review. We would love to hear how these stories have impacted your walk with God, and be sure to download the Prado kam mapp to make prayer priority in your life and experience the Bible a new and exciting ways. God bless