MEETING JESUS ON MY EMMAUS ROAD
Who is the person you would most like to meet in the whole world? What an open question!!!! What if you could sit down and have a long, long talk with them and maybe even share a meal. What would you ask them? Would you bring a list of questions? Would you take pictures? Would you invite anyone else to join you? Is it someone living today? But, what if it could be anyone… past or present? How would you choose?
Today I’m sharing an archived p0st I did several years ago… I hope it gives you lots to think about!
Someone asked me this great question…Name the thing/person/place we’ve always wanted to experience, but haven’t. Dream that money is no object. What would be the one thing you want to experience more than anything?
What a fabulous prompt!!!!
And here is my answer…
My Emmaus Road!
Recently, a group of friends and I took a field trip to the Philadelphia Museum Of Art to view Rembrandt’s Faces Of Jesus exhibit.For me, this was a profoundly personal pilgrimage of sorts.
Not only did I marvel at the small realistic masterpieces.. The Faces Of Jesus…
Rembrandt and the Face of Jesus
photo copy: Rembrandt
But I was also captivated by Rembrandt’s artistic renderings of
The Road To Emmaus
Rembrandt
Rembrandt’s inspiration comes from a story in the bible (Luke 24:13-36)
The historical event goes…
Two of Jesus’ disciples are walking on the road to Emmaus coming from Jerusalem, about a 7 mile walk. It has been a few harrowing and life altering days for these men.
Jesus, who had been crucified just 3 days earlier, meet the men on the road to Emmaus and they (by divine design) do not recognize Him. As they walk together, the disciples begin to tell their fellow traveler about recent events in their lives.
These disciples have much to say! For many things have happened that they did not expect and cannot explain! The disciples are sad and confused and probably afraid! They talk about Jesus the Nazarene… their Rabbi… the ONE they thought might be the Messiah. I can just hear them as they broken heartedly tell this travel companion how their Master was falsely accused, arrested and crucified. He was dead… along with all of their hopes and dreams. In fact, they reveal, earlier that very day some other disciples had found Jesus’ tomb empty… and there was a report of an appearance by an angel! They just don’t understand it all!
Jesus, after hearing their tale, admonishes the men because they are slow to believe all that they learned their whole lives… since they were just little boys… for this was all written about in the Torah and the books of the Prophets. Had they only really looked, or only really believed it they would have not been confused or sad!
As Jesus continues to walk with the men he lovingly teaches them again “beginning with Moses and with all the prophets” and “He explains to them the things CONCERNING HIMSELF in ALL the Scriptures”. (Like 24:27)
The two men are captivated by the wisdom this new friend is revealing! They urge Jesus to stay and dine with them as it is getting time for supper. I can imagine the soul-attraction these men feel for Jesus and the thrill in their hearts as The Light Of The World enlightens the Scripture for them! The Torah (meaning: God’s light) illuminated by it’s Author! But still they do not know it is Him!
Jesus does stay with them for dinner. Can you see the three of them reclining at a table… the disciples are hungry and weary but spiritually on fire? Jesus takes the bread that has been served. He blesses it in traditional Jewish form and gives it to the men. Three days ago He had done the same thing. These very men were with Him at the Passover feast just hours before His death. They were with Him for… His last supper!
The men instantly recognize Him! And now the risen Jesus vanishes!
And they astonishingly say to one another with overwhelming joy, ” Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scripture to us?” (Luke 24:32) While Jesus was speaking the words of Truth and Life their hearts (mind, will, emotion, intellect) were burning with agreement, understanding and belief!
This is not the end of THE STORY~ To read this story and the end, click HERE. It is a page-turner, a life saver!
Rembrandt was so enthralled by this bible story! It became a reoccurring theme in his paintings, sketching and etchings.
Rembrandt
Rembrandt
Rembrandt
I too am fascinated! Not only by Rembrandt’s beautiful and varied depictions of the road to Emmaus event. I am profoundly moved by the thought of Jesus LITERALLY walking His disciples through His very own words… the Bible… and teaching them HIMSELF…FACE TO FACE!
Most of you know me as a blogger who spends much time having a lot to say about my home, StoneGable. I love blogging and my home. but what many of you don’t know is that blogging… nor StoneGable is the passion of my life. Not even close!
I am a devoted disciple of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I KNOW HIM! REALLY!
And I am a student, a learner of His Word. I have the extreme blessing of teaching His Word, as well. THAT is the real passion of my life!
So, when Marsha asked:
“Name the thing/person/place we’ve always wanted to experience, but haven’t.
Dream that money is no object.
Tell the WORLD what you’ve always wanted to do or wish you could do. but just haven’t done it yet.”
I knew right away! This is what I wish, no… what I want…
I want to meet Jesus on my road to Emmaus and have Him teach me, face to face! I want to see his nail-pierced hand gestures… feel the warmth of his smile… notice the color of His eyes…mark his gait and keep in step with Him as we walk. I want to start with Genesis and have Him teach me right through Revelation!
I want to hear His voice. The voice I have been inwardly perceptive of and following for decades. I most of all want to hear Him laugh!
I want to sit and dine with Him. I want to be there when He reminds me of His New Covenant through the symbolic breaking of bread. I want my eyes to be opened… I want to see!
I want my heart to burn, as it does now… but I yearn to go deeper! I want more belief, more knowledge, more understanding, more desire to be worthy of the name disciple!
I want to worship Him… to tell Him how totally He, and He alone has completely changed my life.. face to face!
This is the experience I “wish for“. No money can buy it. It is so extravagant and beyond all treasure. But it is a free gift to me… and to you! REALLY!
And this is the amazing thing… I KNOW for sure that this WILL happen some day! I hope before I leave this earthly body, but if not I am certain it will happen the second my I meet HIM face to face~ the very instant my time here is done!
It has been promised to me by Jesus in His own words!
Will you join me… be the other one on that Road To Emmaus?
I’m traveling WITH you and Him already! He IS my passion. So happy for your company . ♥
A perfect message to reflect upon on a Sunday morning. Thank you!
What a journey………..the road with all of the ups and downs and curves! But to know that we travel it with Jesus is such a blessing!
During this season of Lent, what a wonderful story to study and contemplate. I too will join you on the road to Emmaus
So beautifully said! I am always inspired by this wonderful story of our risen Lord! Thank you for sharing your heartfelt desires and reawakening mine, as well!!!
I want to go with you! I needed this today, my husband is ill and I could not go to church. I needed to his voice! Bless you
Yvonne,
Loved your blog today! Just what I needed. I am with you sister! I have also loved the picture of the road to Emmaus, but your words stirred my heart. Thank you for being a blessing!
I’d love to be the other traveler with you, Yvonne! What a treat beyond measure to hear my Lord and Savior talk and laugh with me. I long too, for that meeting.
Peace and blessings to you.
Cecilia, I love your name! It is my middle name and have always wished it was my first!
Beautiful words. So meaningful. What a walk that would have been. Thank you for a great lesson.
Beautiful post.
Beautifully written, thank you! Rembrandt’s paintings remind me of Isaiah 53:2b, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.” Thank you for sharing this again.
So interesting you should say that. Rembrandt was the first painter to paint Jesus as a Jew and not as the church approved version of a white European. I love these images and beautiful faces!
I just saw your post today and I want to thank you for sharing that. My heart has the same desires as your and I am sure i will meet Jesus and hear an audible voice from him one day. My facebook feeds are full of biblical encouragement and somedays i believe those same encouragements separate me from my friends and family. Some days i think i am the only one that believes these things and feels it so deeply, so I enjoyed reading your words today. I need to have that friend that believes as I do. Sometimes even church “family” can seem far away. I really love when the Lord encourages me with surprises such as your blog today. Again, thank you!
Thank you for such a beautiful, spirit filled post! My “walk with Jesus” has so intensified the past 9 years because my son suffered a traumatic brain injury in July 2005 while training a horse. He was 29 and engaged when this happened. After 4 1/2 months of hospitals, we brought him home on his 30th birthday. I have been his full time caregiver along with my husband when he is home from work. Jesus IS my strength and my daily time with Him is what sustains me and gives me Peace and Joy in the midst of pain. He truly lifts me above my circumstances and I will forever praise Him!
Yvonne, I read your blog everyday! Thank you for bringing “beauty” into my “isolated” world! And yes, I’m traveling with you on the road to Emmaus.
Blessings to you!
Blessing to you Debbie! I have such great respect for you and your family. I will keep you in my prayers.
Thank you for your boldness in sharing your faith- it blesses me and so many others!
Thank you for this inspiring message. it’s been a true blessing for me this morning. I love the Lord and am so thankful for all He has done for me. I hope your message will inspire those those who don’t know Him as we do to seek Him out.
God bless you.
Thank you for sharing your walk with our precious Savior. How I look forward to taking this walk with Him and to think this time it will be on those streets of gold.
So beautiful! I can’t imagine 7 miles of walking with Jesus face to FACE…imagine the patience it took Him not to say…guys it’s me! rather than to explain…His patience, GRACE…it’s AMAZING
Thank you for sharing, what a blessing you are to my life and home, Yvonne
I’m with you!
Thankyou for being a testimony of His Grace, as always! God Bless You.
Beautifully written. I am always overwhelmed by how much HE loves us. HE is my all and I will serve HIM until I leave this world.
Yvonne, Your message was profound, and it touched my heart deeply. Our hearts should always be in such a state of longing and desire for more of Him. This will become a visual for me daily as I pray, His face before me, sharing His wisdom and tender love. It is no accident that your site has gained so many followers…it drew me in initially with some unexplainable feeling of sweetness and welcome, a familiar feeling of being at home where love showed up everywhere, in everything you do…..now I know what that was! Thank you for your bold witness….the world is starving for more of this.
Oh My gosh…so well said..so well said
Thank you
I’m your follower who is a true follower of Jesus but has a TBI. I wanted to use the app to try out paint colors for my front door. Sounded refreshing and friend and me doable maybe. But even reloading the app it did not work for me. I began to cry. I don’t know how to do this and I cried as more and more things are getting harder to do. And you asked your question and i perked up. I’ve heard JESUS’ voice. He called me home once. I heard Him in my tears want to know how a friend was doing for she was dying and a breath of air passed by on my left and a voice said It is not up to you to know. Just pray.
So with eager eyes I tearfully read of your devotion to our Savior and I did not know Rembrandt’s devotion to CHRIST until you showed and told me. And guess what I just now realized? That door paint app? I will delete. It is unnecessary. But guess what God let me see easily and understand?? What you were conveying. That deeper understanding. That really knowing face to face –all I can think of is the Spanish verb I know yo conosco verses yo soy it is not knowing facts ( soy) it’s knowing personally ( conosco). So my tears of defeat? Gone. Your words at the exact moment??? Not on Sunday but today. Perfect Thank you.
Thank you for this meaningful post. It truly blessed my heart and mind today.
I joined your blog a couple of weeks ago. What a surprise and delight to see you speak about the Road to Emmaus! What a joy it is to see that you are a Believer and to read about and see the Rembrandt portraits of Jesus. Thank you for sharing your faith with those that share your beliefs and perhaps will bring some to believe!
God Bless you!!
WELCOME TO THE STONEGABLE FAMILY, Kathy! Yes, I am a believer and am on the Emmaus road!
beautifully said about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! you now have a new follower! 😉
Welcome to the StoneGable family, Michele!
Thank you for this post. I had not thought of our Christian journey in this life as being on our own Emmaus Road, but now I see that it is. As we walk & talk with our beloved Savior, He teaches us that all of history & life itself is from Him, about Him. Thank you for being His voice tonight to me.
I cried when I read your thoughts on the WALK! How did you get inside of my heart and spirit! Indeed JESUS is the First and Last Person, Persons, I would ever want to meet on the Road to Emmaus! Have You done the Weekend Retreat, “The Road To Emmaus?”
It’s an unbelievable time with the Lord!
But, I just wanted to share with you how you were able to reach inside of me and bring out my Love for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
God Bless You.
VJB
So beautifully written. I am walking that road with you. I love how you mention face to face and talking with Jesus! What a great way to spend time. I recently started a Bible study where I work and I love how I have grown in Christ and love seeing how hungry my coworkers are about learning more of Him.
God bless you! Keep the post coming.
Kim
Hi Yvonne…..i have been on the road to Emmaus for over 30 years now…..listening and constantly listening to my Saviours voice.
There are many times I hear His voice in a teaching….a sermon etc. and my heart burns within me…….. And now today I hear His voice again in your words and I hear His voice again calling to me…..come close and listen to Me for my words are Spirit and they are Life.
I have never heard His voice more clearly than when I lost my mother unexpectedly a couple of months ago. He showed me after the dust settled how he had placed our family in the cleft of the rock and had us covered with His hand. I feel that Jesus is especially walking close to us on our Emmaus road when we go through trials.
May you be so blessed as you share not only your talents with your readers but especially your faith filled insights. You are one in a million Yvonne and I look forward to meeting you some day perhaps inside those pearly gates!
Karen
Yvonne, thanks for sharing something so deeply personal and so inspiring! Seems like many people today don’t want to go public with their faith and their spiritual pilgrimages. Your account of your own personal walk lifted my spirits!
Dear Yvonne,
Thank you for this beautiful post and for your testimony. I can only repeat what everyone else before has written. I too am in love with Jesus and want so much for others to feel as I do. You have the true gifts of the Holy Spirit. I am with you on the walk! God Bless you and your family.
Love, Diane