Luke 24

In chapter 24 of Luke we read that Jesus appeared to two of His disciples while they were walking on the road to Emmaus.To add some context to this scripture, we’ve all learned about the 12 disciples, some of you may know all their names, but these were not all the followers of Jesus. On Monday and Tuesday we read about a group of women that were following Jesus. In total there were approximately 100 people following Jesus as he traveled around in His ministry. This is how they were able to replace Judas with Matthias (Acts 1:12-26).In this passage, we see that despite all these people following Jesus and hearing His teachings, they still did not fully understand His mission as the Messiah, a misunderstanding that often frustrated Him throughout His ministry. (I would say the two who understood the most were Mary, His mother, and Mary Magdalene.)As the two disciples walk along discussing recent events, Jesus joins them but prevents them from recognizing Him. He then explains the scriptures, showing how He fulfills them. Finally, at dinner, He reveals His identity, and everything suddenly clicks for them in another biblical light bulb moment!

In chapter 24 of Luke we read that Jesus appeared to two of His disciples while they were walking on the road to Emmaus.To add some context to this scripture, we’ve all learned about the 12 disciples, some of you may know all their names, but these were not all the followers of Jesus. On Monday and Tuesday we read about a group of women that were following Jesus. In total there were approximately 100 people following Jesus as he traveled around in His ministry. This is how they were able to replace Judas with Matthias (Acts 1:12-26).In this passage, we see that despite all these people following Jesus and hearing His teachings, they still did not fully understand His mission as the Messiah, a misunderstanding that often frustrated Him throughout His ministry. (I would say the two who understood the most were Mary, His mother, and Mary Magdalene.)As the two disciples walk along discussing recent events, Jesus joins them but prevents them from recognizing Him. He then explains the scriptures, showing how He fulfills them. Finally, at dinner, He reveals His identity, and everything suddenly clicks for them in another biblical light bulb moment!

The two disciples on the road to Emmaus returned to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples what had happened. As they were recounting their encounter with Jesus, Jesus appears in the locked room with the disciples. He then explained the scriptures to the entire group like he did for the two we read about yesterday. One other interesting note, the passage mentions that Jesus instructed them to touch his hands and feet and asked for something to eat. This demonstrated that His resurrection appearances were not a “ghost” of Jesus but the very same body that hung on the cross.

At the end of the 40 days after His resurrection, Jesus led His disciples out of Jerusalem to Bethany on the Mount of Olives, the same place where He had been betrayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. While He was there, He lifted His hands and blessed them, and then He was taken up into heaven. This wasn’t just a dramatic moment, it was real, visible proof to the disciples (now to be called apostles) that Jesus truly is exalted and reigning in power. But what’s surprising is how they responded. They didn’t leave sad or confused, they worshiped Him and went back to Jerusalem full of joy. The ascension marks the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, but not the end of His work. It begins a new phase, where He reigns in heaven and continues to care for His people. Over the next few days, we’ll look at what His ascension sets into motion.

Jesus is now ruling with God. The ascension means Jesus didn’t just disappear, He stepped back into His rightful place, reigning alongside the Father in heaven. That’s why the early Christians didn’t just call Him “Messiah” (the promised Savior), but also “Lord.” That word Lord isn’t casual, it’s a title of authority, power, and even divinity.What’s amazing is that Jesus didn’t stop being human when He ascended. He is still fully God and fully man, and now He is being worshiped right alongside Yahweh. Personally, this is something I only realized recently. For the first Christians who were Jews that believed God was only one being (defined as strict monotheistic) this was a huge deal. They believed in one God, and yet they were boldly saying that Jesus deserves the same honor, worship, and obedience as God Himself.So, the ascension isn’t just about where Jesus went, it’s about who He is. He’s not just a teacher from the past or even just a Savior who died and rose again. He is the reigning King right now.

In John 16, Jesus tells the disciples that He must go so the Helper can come. The “Helper” is the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Trinity. Jesus’ “going” points to His ascension, making way for the Spirit to come as our advocate. But this isn’t just about God helping us from a distance.When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us. That means we’re not alone in following Jesus. The Spirit is actively working within us, guiding us, convicting us, reminding us of truth, and shaping us to become more like Him. It’s not just about trying harder; it’s about learning to walk daily with the Spirit who is already present in us.So, when Jesus says it’s better that He goes, it’s because we gain something even greater, not just God with us, but God in us, wherever we go.

In John 16, Jesus tells the disciples that He must go so the Helper can come. The “Helper” is the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Trinity. Jesus’ “going” points to His ascension, making way for the Spirit to come as our advocate. But this isn’t just about God helping us from a distance.When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us. That means we’re not alone in following Jesus. The Spirit is actively working within us, guiding us, convicting us, reminding us of truth, and shaping us to become more like Him. It’s not just about trying harder; it’s about learning to walk daily with the Spirit who is already present in us.So, when Jesus says it’s better that He goes, it’s because we gain something even greater, not just God with us, but God in us, wherever we go.