Audio Worship 4/12/2026, "Road Trip!" Luke 24.13-35

Princeton Presbyterian Church (EPC) Sermon # 1726

April 12, 2026

Luke 24.13-35           Click here for worship audio recording.

Dr. Ed Pettus

(This is an extended outline, not a verbatim transcript.)

 

“Road Trip!”

 

 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”

 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

 

  • Road Trip!

 

There were times in my college days when someone in our group of friends would yell, at a random time, “road trip!” We would pile into a car and travel two or three hours to a Waffle House, eat, and return to campus. My dad told me he and some High School buddies drove from South Carolina to Florida for some A&W Root Beer. Today we are reading about another road trip, a walking one, so a little bit slower than ours. Road trips can be fun but also opportunities to learn more about one another. Conversations begin and revelations come forth. So it was on Easter Sunday in Luke 24. Two disciples of Jesus, not of the twelve, but two followers are on the road and talking about the events of the day. This is another one of my favorite stories in the Bible partly because I love stories of journeys. This story relates to our journey of faith and the fact that Jesus walks with us by the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the One who opens the Scriptures to us along our way.

This is a great follow-up to the resurrection. If it were a movie, it carries the movie to a more satisfying ending as we see the responses to the climactic empty tomb. Luke tells of two disciples walking to another town after they had seen Jesus crucified. And Luke is the one who tells much more continuing in Acts with the results of the resurrection and the birth of the church.

If these guys were walking at a fairly normal pace, it would take about two hours to walk seven miles. They arrive at Emmaus about evening time. Two hours with Jesus. Now granted, they had no idea during that two hour period that it was Jesus with whom they walked. But something was indeed stirring up in them, just what, they did not know. They did not realize Jesus was the One walking with them.

 

  • More Testimonies

 

Last Sunday we recognized many testimonies to the resurrection. We had the testimony of the stone rolled away, the empty tomb, the two angels, the women who reported to the disciples, and Peter’s confirmation that the tomb was empty. Here we have more testimonies! These two followers give testimony to all they saw, Jesus gives testimony to them and He uses the testimony of Scripture from Moses and the Prophets. The breaking of the bread is a revealing testimony as they finally realize who was with them.

The two give their testimony to Jesus, still not aware He is Jesus. “Jesus of Nazareth, a prophet, mighty in word and deed. He was our hope for Israel and he was crucified.” Their tone probably changed quite a bit when they moved on to describe that the women found an empty tomb. They are upset by the things that had happened and might have even been a little upset that this guy they are walking with did not know these things.

Jesus patiently listened as they shared their version of the things that had happened. But Jesus does not come to them with niceties, “Oh fellas, it seems like you guys have forgotten a few things. That’s okay. I don’t want to hurt your feelings or offend you, but let me take you through a few Scripture references that might jog your memory. Is that okay with you?” That’s not what He said. Verse 25, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Foolish and slow of heart. Could you guys be any more dense? Come on, guys, get your heads together.

These guys were Jewish. They should have knowledge of the Old Testament. Jesus probably raised up passages they would have known, something every Jew would have learned from childhood. Jesus quoted Moses and the prophets. We do not know the Scriptures He shared; I wish we did. He might have shared from Moses about lifting up the bronze serpent on the pole and all who looked upon it lived. It is the reference Jesus shared with Nicodemus in John’s gospel. Maybe He shared from Isaiah 53, the suffering servant passage we heard from on Palm Sunday. “Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities…”

Jesus was giving testimony and the Scriptures were giving testimony. The testimony was ringing in their ears and causing their hearts to burn! Memories were rekindled and the Scriptures came alive.

 

  • Breaking Bread

 

They reached their destination and asked Jesus to stay with them. They were at table. Jesus had opened the Word to them and it was when they saw Jesus break bread that the Word became reality; the Word of God made complete sense in light of communion with Jesus. This is one of the reasons we make a big deal out of the Word and Sacrament. It is partly due to this story and this situation. There is this powerful connection between Word and Sacrament. At the table their eyes were opened. Their hearts had been burning and they did not know why until this moment.

There is a related prayer in Psalm 119.18, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” Make this your prayer today and this week. Make it your prayer when going to the Bible. Pray it for others as well! “Lord, open his eyes, her eyes, that they might see awesome things in your word.” Jesus is the One who opens eyes. He does that all the time, but perhaps most poignantly at the breaking of the bread.

Now I do not want to diminish in any degree the importance of the communion table and the Lord’s Supper, but I want to say, on a lesser level, that any time we break bread together, that is, when we share a meal together, there is something special in those opportunities. We share food and we share our lives and we share a common faith and community and when we invite those who may not know Jesus, we may be able to share the Word and the Gospel in ways that we could not do otherwise. Bread/food brings people together in a unique way. It is one way to share the Good News of Christ.

 

  • Word and Sacrament

 

When I was ordained in the Presbyterian Church, the main title and responsibility was that of Minister of Word and Sacrament. While that was in another denomination, the same responsibility holds true in the EPC that a primary responsibility is to “preach and expound the Word, to be God’s prophet to the people and to be the people’s priest before God. Pastors shall lead the people in worship, celebrate the sacraments, and oversee the education, nurture, and mission of the church” (BOG 9-5.2). As you know, I take that Word and Sacrament thing seriously. I do so, not because our constitution requires it, but because I actually believe in this journey with Jesus, that He opens our eyes and gives us burning hearts. He reveals the Scriptures and seeks communion with us.

We are on a road trip with Jesus, a journey of faith, walking the path of God, and Jesus walks with us by the Holy Spirit. The Father has sent the Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ (John 14.26). And the Word He gives us is like a fire that may burn in our hearts. Jeremiah 23:29, “Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” Hebrews 4.12, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

It is a Holy Word and a Holy Sacrament because it is from the Holy God. The road to Emmaus story opens us to see the immense power of Word and Sacrament. It is why I advocated long ago that we celebrate Communion at least once a month. It is why I stress endlessly being in God’s Word and having it integrated into our hearts and minds.

 

So, what lessons can we take today from Luke 24? I think about their movement from slow hearts (slow to understand) to burning hearts (open to see).

 

  • If our hearts are slow, we can get them burning by getting into the Word through study, by being with Jesus in prayer, and by participation in His supper thru worship. Jesus opened to them the words of Moses and the prophets. What a great advantage to have the Old Testament as well as the words of Jesus Christ and the words of all the New Testament writers at our fingertips.

 

  • We move from slow to burning hearts by knowing Jesus as God with us. He walks with us as he did with them, except we know that through the Spirit of God.

 

  • We move from slow hearts to burning hearts by sharing in His body and blood in the mystery of the Lord’s Supper.

 

  • We move from slow hearts to burning hearts by taking this road trip with Jesus and the Word!

 

I want my heart to burn as theirs did. Not like the heartburn of spicy food, but a burn that compels a joyous desire to share the good news of Jesus Christ. A burn that embraces this way of life with Jesus. A burn that compels us to take this road trip. This story reminds us that we do not walk alone. We may not be able to see sometimes, there may be confusion and questions, and life may seem lonely and empty, but our hearts may be burning by His presence. We may not be able to see all the time, but we can stop and break bread together and come to realize that He has been with us all along. Sometimes our road may turn out with fewer answers, other times we walk in the faith that trusts in God’s presence and the road turns out just right. The call to faith sounds a lot like “Road Trip!” and that trip, thankfully, is with the Risen Christ. Amen.