TWO of them – Luke 24:13
Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. Luke 24:13–16
Have you ever wondered if God created the universe accidentally? God is purposeful in His actions. Everything unfolds according to His plan. Look at the intricacies of a living cell – its design is incredibly complex. No human can fully explain how a cell works. And when you think about God creating the entire universe, leading up to Jesus' time on earth, with only three years of ministry, each day was significant. Your life is not accidental.
When a new American president takes office, the world pays a lot of attention to his first phone call. This first call signals the direction of the new administration's foreign policy. What the President does first after taking office establishes the priority for the coming administration. Jesus' return as Head of the Church was to establish the Church body to carry forward His ways, His truth, and His life to the nations, despite His physical absence. So, what did Jesus do first, after He died, ascended to heaven, and returned?
He joined TWO disciples as they walked down a road to Emmaus. This story, in Luke 24, should be studied carefully for it teaches us that Christianity isn’t meant to be a solitary journey. It highlights Jesus' priorities: fellowship, sharing meals, being with one another. Jesus promised never to leave us, and now He lives in us, so we can be there for one another.
His church is not an institution or an organization. We are a family. We need one another.