Nuestra Esperanza Viva, Abril 5, 2026

. Lord has risen. The resurrection is the declaration that death does not have the last word. And for this reason, the hope that we celebrate today is alive. And for that reason, in the passage that we're going to read today in Luke, we need for God to open our eyes to the hope of the resurrection. And that's the title of our passage this morning. And the reality is that though this event is historic and with plenty of evidence, but many today walk as these two disciples on the road to Emmaus did. Almost as if the resurrection had never happened. So before we get into our passage for today, let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you this morning. We thank you for your goodness with us. And we come today that you may open our hearts and our minds to the living hope that we have in resurrection. And that that may affect all of our being, the way we think, the way we speak, and the way we act. And that those that have not experienced the power of your resurrection yet, that they may leave experiencing that power of your resurrection. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. The thing is, the suffering and the tragedy have an immediate effect on the lives of humans. It evidences where that person has their hopes at. And it's in these critical moments that our faith is trialed. After the death of Jesus, we see that the disciples are full of fear and doubt. And it's not to wonder, because it's different to be told

that you will experience difficulty, and then have the difficulty actually happen. And though Christ had already told them that he would suffer at the hands of the religious leaders and the Romans, after the death of Christ, they still had difficulty believing what he had told them. And in all the appearances of Jesus after his resurrection, there's something that we can be clear of. That Jesus didn't pick and choose the disciples that had the best curriculum to show that he was resurrected. He didn't pick the ones that were good. In fact, he chose the ones that would be thought the least likely. And if someone wanted to form a story, you wouldn't pick the ones that were doubting. Because if you want to prove the story true, then you want to pick the people who are actually pushing the story to be true. The Bible is the only book that chooses the characters in the stories and illustrates them in a real way. It doesn't elevate them to these high beings like other religions might. And so Jesus comes up to these two disciples, one whose name was Cleus, the other one, we don't know his name. They weren't one of the 12, maybe one of the 70. But the point's not who they were.

The point is who they represent. Disciples of Jesus, with doubt, with fears, with insecurities. And what does Jesus do? When they've lost all hope, he comes to them. He speaks with them, and he walks with them. Look at what verses 13 through 18 say. Chapter 24 of Luke. 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 to 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 to him, are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days? Just imagine this view. They're going on their conversation

about all that has happened. And they probably don't understand what's happened. And in this moment, they may have even forgot all of the things that they knew. And that's what tragedy produces in our lives. It's like everything we knew, we forgot. And what does Jesus do? He comes close. They were probably on their way back home to Emmaus. Because they just celebrated Passover, where all the people would travel to Jerusalem to celebrate. And on the way home, it's like the movie didn't end how they were expecting it to end. And I like the way that Jesus comes up to them, asking them a question. That's Jesus' favorite way to interact with people, is by asking them questions. Because I think that when he asks a question, throughout the conversation, one begins to see how illogical their responses are. But they stopped with a sad expression. And I think that word there gives you what they were thinking and feeling in that moment. What do we do when things get hard? If we're honest, we behave like these two disciples did. Because when things in my life aren't happening the way I think that they should happen, and it's like my hope wasn't set on Jesus,

it was set on an image of what I think Jesus should make my life look like. And that's the struggle that humans have with God. I wanna surrender to you. But I want my life to look like this. But when Jesus says, no, I'm not going to listen to that, I've got my own plans, and you have to submit to my plans, that's when things get hard, to the point to where we're doing what they did. We try to even correct God, are you the only one that doesn't know? And sometimes that's the temptation we feel. It's like we feel like God's forgotten. It's like we feel that God doesn't understand. It's like we feel like God doesn't know. Because if he only understood, because if he only saw, because if he only knew enough, then my situation wouldn't be like this. But Jesus doesn't respond to that. He asks another question. What things? And his question to them is so out of bounds, because it had been such a public event. A crucifixion event in Rome, it was like, so to speak, spread out in the news. It's like someone in 2021 would come up to ask you, hey, why is everyone wearing a mask? Are you the only one here that doesn't know what's going on? And it tells you that Christianity isn't a mission given to only one person that only one person saw. Have you seen how most of it begins with that same narrative? An angel appears to this one person, and then this person has a message for everyone else, but only this person saw. Allah appeared to Muhammad and gave him the mission, but only Muhammad saw. Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith, and the list goes on. But in the case of Christ, the death was a public event, the resurrection was also

a public event, and that's a blessing for our faith. It's not anchored on just a feeling, oh, it's just what I feel. It's a historic event that has been demonstrated. And now, I don't know if you paid attention to something that happened at the beginning. It says that when Jesus drew close to them, it says that their eyes were blinded so that they would not recognize Jesus, and you're going to see why this is important as we read the passage. Because in that moment, when they think everything is over, the logical thing is if Jesus like has something covering his head, pulls his hood back and says, hey, here am I. And in fact, that's how he does do it in the other apparitions. But when you read in Mark, it says that to these he appeared in a different way. When he finds them, he doesn't let them recognize that he is Jesus, and he does something that in my opinion is impressive. Jesus is going to restore their living hope, pointing them towards Scripture. Look at what verses 19 through 21 say. 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 have happened. Something else that happens in the middle of difficulty is that our perception of Christ is clouded. And so we have this incomplete vision of Christ. And he says that Jesus was of Nazareth. Correct, right? Prophet? Prophet, mighty indeed in word.

Correct. And that's all they got. What are they leaving out? That Jesus wasn't simply a powerful prophet. He wasn't just a wise teacher. He was God who took on flesh and has the whole power of the universe. And it's that when the problems in our lives become so big, we develop this small perspective of God and this huge perspective of our problems. Oh, I know that Jesus was a prophet. But he didn't have power over this death that the Jewish and the Romans had participated in killing him. Many don't have hope today because their vision of Jesus is incomplete. Many have known Jesus as a good teacher or a good person, but they haven't met the Jesus that transforms their lives. Let me tell you, that was me. I grew up in church. I grew up learning about Jesus, singing about Jesus, learning music about Jesus. I knew a Jesus who was powerful, but he hadn't transformed my life. Do you know Jesus? Not just that he's powerful and wise, but that he acts in each one of our hearts. They had a different plan in mind. As we saw on Friday, as we saw on Friday,

that the logical thing was for Jesus to come as a conquering that would sit on the throne of David that would restore Israel and give her back to her proper place amongst the nations. But the announcement that no one wanted to believe, like Samuel said on Good Friday, was that it was a time of suffering, that the servant would have to suffer. And they had evidence that the resurrection had happened. Look at what verses 22 through 24 say. Moreover, some of the 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 woman had said, but him they did not see. And this is interesting in my opinion. It's not that they didn't have evidence that he had risen, but it just wasn't enough. Because they're explaining to Jesus what just happened. Maria Magdalena, Maria la Madre de Santiago y Salome. The first witnesses who were Mary Magdalene. Joanna, perdón. Joanna and Mary Magdalene. Ellos habían escuchado los testimonios. And they had heard these witness accounts. Pero no era suficiente.

But it wasn't enough. Y que le dice Jesús a ellos? And what does Jesus answer them? Versículo 25. Verse 25. Entonces Jesús les dijo, Oh, insensatos y tardos de corazón para creer todo lo que, ¿quién? Los profetas han dicho. And he said to them, Oh, foolish one and slow of heart to believe all that. Who? The prophets have spoken. No era necesario que el Cristo padeciera todas esas cosas y entrara a su gloria. Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? Y comenzando por Moisés y continuando con todos los profetas les explicó lo referente a él en todas las escrituras. And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Que increíble que la respuesta de Jesús a su incredulidad. How incredible that Jesus' response to their incredulity. Su falta de fe. Their lack of faith. Ni siquiera es a los testimonios de las mujeres. It isn't even having to do with the witness accounts that the women gave. Es a la palabra de Dios.

It's to do with the word of God. Dice, ¿Por qué son tan insensatos y tardos en creer lo que los profetas escribieron? This is why you're being so foolish and so hard to believe what the prophets have already told you. Hoy muchos andan diciendo, Oh, queremos que Dios nos haga señales. Many today are saying, Oh, we want God to give us some signs. Pero no creen la palabra que ya ha sido revelada. But they don't believe the word that has already been revealed. Tienen más revelación. They want further revelation. Pero no creen la que ya ha sido revelada. They don't want to believe what's already revealed. La experiencia cristiana, iglesia. Perdón. La experiencia cristiana, iglesia. The Christian experience, church. Es de altos y bajos. It's ups and downs. Con nuestras emociones, un día van a estar arriba y otro día van a estar abajo. And our emotions will one day be up and one day be down. Nuestras experiencias van a estar un día increíbles y otro día no tan increíbles, muy triviales y normales.

Our experiences, sometimes they're going to be incredible, sometimes they're not going to be incredible, and sometimes they're going to be trivial experiences. Y por eso nosotros anclamos nuestra fe y nuestra esperanza en las Escrituras. And that's why we anchor our faith and our hope in Scripture. Porque cuando tus ánimos están arriba. Because when your encouragement is up. La Biblia no cambia. The Bible doesn't change. Y cuando tus ánimos están abajo. And then when your encouragement's just feeling really good. La palabra de Dios no cambia. The Word of God doesn't change. Y por eso nosotros creemos en predicar la palabra. And that's why we believe in preaching the Word. Tal cual lo dice la palabra. As the Word is written. Dice que comenzando desde Moisés. It says beginning with Moses. Desde el Pentateuco. From the Pentateuch. Probablemente desde el primer sacrificio en Génesis en el Jardín del Edén. Probably from the first sacrifice in Genesis in the Garden of Eden. Cuando los cubre con la piel de animal para decirles un día la muerte no de un animal sino de mi hijo le va a cubrir con su justicia.

When he covers them with the skins of the animals and he tells them one day it will be the blood of my son that will cover you in justice. Probablemente en el éxodo el cordero que fue inmolado para ser pintado en las puertas y que el ángel de la muerte, la justicia no cayera sobre cada casa. And probably in Exodus it was the blood of the lamb that was covering the doors so that death would pass over them. Probablemente en Levítico el sacerdote que presentaba los sacrificios delante de Dios en parte del pueblo para que ellos recibieran perdón de pecados. And then in Leviticus we probably have the priest that's offering the sacrifice on behalf of the people for their sins. Y así puede seguir por cada libro de la escritura del Antiguo Testamento. And so you can read in every single book of the Old Testament as you go on. Y le dice, ¿Cómo no pueden ver que todo eso apuntaba a lo que acaba de ocurrir? And he's telling them, how can you not see that all of this is pointing to what just happened? And then it makes sense. Que le diga, ¿Cómo no entiendes? How could you not understand? Que era necesario que el Cristo padeciese. That it was necessary for the Christ to suffer.

Yo le hago esta pregunta a veces a la gente. And I'll ask this question to people sometimes. ¿Cristo pudiera perdonarte o Dios pudiera perdonarte sin la muerte de Cristo? Could God forgive you without the death of Christ? Y hasta le pongo un poquito de, ¿Cómo dice? Salsa a los tacos, como dice Jonath. And I may. Put a little sauce on the tacos, that's what Nas says. God can do whatever he wants. Some people are like, well, I'm not sure. God can't do things that don't go according to his character. And if sin deserves punishment, and God doesn't condemn sin, then he would stop being just. Which tells us that there is no other way for a sinner to be forgiven than through the death of Jesus. And that after that, interesting that he doesn't say resurrection. He points them to an event further on from the resurrection. Enter into his glory. The thing is, in Hebrews 9, when it says that Jesus ascended into heaven, it says he entered into the holy place, not a place that was created by man, but in the presence of God himself. And the sacrifice, which was himself, was accepted on behalf of our sin. Today, in this moment,

Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, interceding for that sin that you committed as you were eating breakfast. He is our intercessor. And he entered into glory. And something else that he does after this, it's a way that Jesus flares up that hope within us through our relationship with him. Look at what verses 28 through 31 say. So they drew near to the village that they were going. He acted as if he was going to go further. 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. And when he was at the 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. The Christian life is a relationship with Christ. No es algo que caminamos volando en las nubes o llenos de fuego, un fuego sobrenatural. It's not like we're walking on clouds. It's not like we're filled with some supernatural fire. It's a relationship with him. They invite him to come eat with him. And it's like Jesus sits down to do what's familiar with them. And many times when our hope is failing,

we think we need some kind of supernatural experience. But sometimes we just need to go back to those simple moments with Jesus. Sometimes we just need to get on our knees and tell Jesus, I can't. Sometimes you just have to open the word and say, Lord, speak to me. It's the simple things that remind you that Jesus is there, that he's not far, that he is seated with you, that he lives in you. And what we need to ask ourselves is, are we familiar with Jesus? Do we have that relationship? Do we know his voice? Do we recognize his presence? Does our heart burn? Do His promises bring us comfort? What do they do when their eyes are opened? They share that hope with others. Let's read those last verses. And 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 there gathered together. The Lord has risen indeed, and He 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. Did our hearts not burn? When the voice of God through His Word speaks into your heart, into your life, does your heart not burn?

Or are we too occupied with our day-to-day life to where we can't even listen? And this is what happens when someone walks with Jesus. An encounter with Jesus changes mourning into praise, doubt into certainty, and fear into boldness. And that's why we celebrate this. I don't know if you have doubts today. If you're sad here today. If you're afraid today. I say set your hope on Jesus, and as the worship team comes up, to lead us in a song with joy and happiness, that we may call on the Lord, that He may restore our hearts, that He may give us that hope that doesn't go away with hard circumstances, but I want to ask you, have you met Jesus? Maybe you know the message of Jesus, but haven't surrendered to His Lordship. Are you doubting? Believe His Word. Believe in His sacrifice on the cross. It says that that sacrifice on the cross was so that that forgiveness of sin could be given to us. E.K. Bailey said it this way, the man on the left died in sin. The man on the right died to sin. But the one on the middle cross died for sin. You don't have to continue in your sin. You can repent and come to Him, but call out to Jesus for your sin. Ask Him for forgiveness for your sin. And ask Him for that new life. Now if you've already met Him, what's your hope looking like today? Are you letting difficulties take that living hope from you? Or are you anchored in the promises of Scripture? Because church, as we stand today and we sing that He lives, that means that we can look

to the future. With hope and with faith, so let's finish worshiping the King of Kings.