Session 12
The Resurrected Shepherd
The journey with the Shepherd, as recalled in the Bible, is both literal and spiritual. It is about confirming that no matter what people think, the absolute reality is that everything the Shepherd had said is true. Let’s look at two of the followers of Jesus, who after the crucifixion and resurrection of their Lord, walk approximately seven miles on an unmade and almost certainly dangerous road from Jerusalem, back to presumably their home in the village of Emmaus. Read about them in Luke 24:13-35.
These followers of Jesus had heard about the events leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection many times, but they seemed to have great difficulty in believing with their ‘faith eyes’ what has exactly happened.
Indeed, the outcome of what happened in Jerusalem was exactly the opposite of what was expected by all of Jesus’ followers. They had their own ideas of who Jesus was, of what He had come to do, and in their own minds, how He should do it. It appears they dismissed the whole thing as a failure, and a misplaced hope and trust.
They must have heard the reports of the women who went to the tomb. They maybe had even seen the empty tomb for themselves. Still they had not believed. The supernatural power of God to raise Jesus from the dead was just outside of their understanding.
It says in Luke 24:27, ‘beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the scriptures concerning himself’. (NIV) The Bible does not say which passages of scripture Jesus used, but it does say that He opened to the two of them the scriptures with the purpose of showing them how all the Old Testament stories pointed to Him as its fulfilment. The scriptures gave witness to who He was, why He had come, and why it was necessary for Him to willingly go to the cross and suffer both the pain and ignominy of death.
If you want to know Him and hear His voice, let Him use scripture today to open your eyes.
Questions:
- How would it feel if you were blind to the spiritual realities of the Kingdom of God? Would such blindness prevent you hearing the Shepherd’s voice clearly?
- What if things don’t turn out like you expect? Would you think of giving up and admitting defeat, rather than seeing things differently; or could you look and see if maybe God is up to something you simply do not understand?
- Many people today know who Jesus is. You may have heard about Him, read about Him, use His name, and even claim to know Him. The question is, “how would you recognize Him if He revealed Himself to you today?”
The Shepherd Speaks 