Speaking about revival can be interesting sometimes. Something very interesting happened in the book of Luke 24 on the road to Emmaus, do you remember that story? Let’s check it out.
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem.
14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.
15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them;
16 but they were kept from recognizing him. (Luke 24:13-16)
What kept them from recognising him? Look at the next couple of verses:
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast.
18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
19 “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.
20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him;
21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.
22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning
23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive.
24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.” (Luke 24:17-24)
Notice the content of their conversation, they thought Jesus was going to be the Messiah but now that he has suffered and died and his corpse is missing, their hope is gone.
This is highly unfortunate especially given that the very things which were supposed to be a sign to them of their salvation are now the reasons they lost hope.
- The suffering-verse 20
- The death-verse 20
- The resurrection-verse 20-21
Can you see why they couldn’t recognise Jesus for who he is? I imagine that when he joined them they must have said ‘Hey you looked like Jesus, but you can’t possibly be Jesus though because he died and his corpse is missing’
If only they had thought about the possibility of resurrection, then the possibility of this guy being Jesus would have been an option. Their wrong belief of the work of the Messiah kept them from recognising him.
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!
26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”
27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther.
29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.
31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.
32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together
34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.”
35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread. (Luke 24:25-35)
I am strongly persuaded that the year 2022 is going to be the year of the great move and manifestations of the spirit of God but the worry is whether we will recognise it when it comes.
When this revival comes, will our heart really be able to contain it?
When this revival comes, will our structure truly open up for its entrance?
When this move finally begins, will our cultural and religious mindset permit us to recognise it?
Brethren, we need to pray for ourselves and the church in this age. That the spirit will break and break our walls down, that when he comes we will see him for who he is.
We will not see some strange moves of the spirit and call it demonic manifestation because of our lack of understanding thereby shutting down the move.
That God himself will break down our walls of ideologies, doctrinal beliefs, mindsets, protocols and methods just like he did to Peter with Cornelius.
