The death of Jesus Christ was not an accident, although the disillusioned disciples that traveled on the road to Emmaus may have allowed this thought to darken their minds. He was "a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people" (Luke 24:19).
The belief that Jesus was the "Promised One" was now buried in a borrowed tomb. "We trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel" (24:21). Yet sadly "the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death and have crucified Him" (24:20). But this was all in God's amazing plan!
"Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" (24:26). It was not an accident. Man (and the powers of darkness) did not outsmart the Almighty One. In this concise comment, Christ opens the eyes of these two disciples to the enormous amount of evidence in the Old Testament Scriptures that explains this awful yet awesome event.
When one searches the Scriptures, it is clearly evident that the God had already pondered, prophesied and provided a way for mankind to be redeemed from the penalty of sin. Jesus, His Son, ought to die that we might live forever with Him – what a wondrous thought! Now, ought not His disciples to share these things, so that others may enter into His glory?
This important holiday of Easter can be a very significant time for evangelization, especially in the Slavic countries where the missionaries of Slavic Missionary Service live and labor.
During this season, many "religious" European Christians address one another with the greetings, "Christ is risen!" Quickly, the returning rely is "Truly, He is risen!" How many really acknowledge that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the fundamental truth and foundation of the Good News of salvation?
"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Pray that the SMS missionaries will proclaim this vital message in their churches and present its powerful meaning through Christian concerts, drama and poetry.
