Happy Easter!

Every year, I’m renewed in the promise of Easter! Death is destroyed! Satan is defeated! We have the certain hope that God is for us!

At Messiah, we’ll be wrapping up The Jesus Experience as we finish up the Gospel of Luke. Luke ends like no other Gospel with the account of Jesus on the Road to Emmaus. This is an incredible post resurrection account of Jesus.

Found in Luke 24, there are 2 men who are discussing what has just happened. They talked about Jesus’ crucifixion, the women and the empty tomb, but they still didn’t quite get it. Then Jesus appears to them. They don’t recognize him, but He begins to teach them about the scriptures. “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:17). Everything they have believed in the scriptures points to what Jesus is doing. That he suffers and dies for our forgiveness and life for you!

Jesus gives us this great reminder, of how to read scripture. So many times, we pull verses out of the context they are written and twist their meaning to fit our own agenda. But Jesus reminds us that all of the scripture, points to our complete salvation in Him, through his suffering and death! As we read scripture, even the Old Testament, we read it looking thru the lens of the cross.

Reflecting on their encounter with Jesus, the men on the road to Emmaus say, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” (Luke 24:32). As they spent time with the resurrected Jesus, their faith and hope grew!

My hope as we head into this Easter season is that you will spend time with Jesus in the scriptures. As you read the scriptures, your heart would burn for Jesus and what He has done.

I encourage you to read along with us. After each Sunday, we post a reading and discussion guide for the text of the Sermon. You can talk about them with those in your household or reflect on the questions yourself. You will find these discussions at MessiahTampa.com/read.

God’s Peace, Pastor Mark