After Ricky had taken our orders for the blueberry pancakes we wanted for breakfast, he said, “I’m going to go back there and tell Cook so he can do what needs to be done.”
Ricky left and Stan said, “You know, what Ricky just said is a lot like my personal testimony of coming to faith..”
“Having Cook make some blueberry pancakes is like coming to faith? Are you kidding?”
“I’m not,” Stan replied. “I came to faith because someone came back to tell me something I didn’t know. Ricky is going back to tell Cook something he doesn’t know about what we want for breakfast. It’s the same thing with two guys who were on the Road to Emmaus when they encountered Jesus. It was the same thing with me.”
“What same thing?”
“Let’s take a quick look at what was going on,” Stan replied.
I didn’t say anything, but waited to hear what Stan had to say as he continued. “Jesus had been crucified in Jerusalem. On the day of His resurrection, two disciples were walking to Emmaus, a village about seven miles from Jerusalem. These two disciples were confused by what had happened to Jesus. They didn’t understand why He had been killed.”
“Yeah,” I said, “a lot of people are still confused about Jesus. They just don’t understand.”
“You’re right about that,” Stan replied. “But getting back to these two disciples who were walking to Emmaus, Jesus showed up and explained to them the Scriptural truth of why He had to die.”
“They must have been surprised to see Him.”
“They didn’t know it was Him at first,” Stan replied. “But they did later after He had told them what He wanted them to know. And then it happened.”
“What?”
“How this ties together,” Stan said. “After those disciples heard the truth of what Jesus wanted them to know, they got up, went back to Jerusalem, and told the other disciples what Jesus had told them.”
“They told the others the biblical truth,” I replied. “Is that it?”
“That’s it,” Stan said. “And it’s just like what happened with me. Someone came back after hearing the truth to tell me so I would know.”
“Oh,” I replied. “That sounds like it might be something good for all of us to do after we have heard and accepted the truth.”
“In what way?” Stan asked.
“Go back and tell others who don’t know what they don’t know.”
“You got it, my friend,” Stan replied with a smile.
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Bible verses to consider:
And they arose that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, saying, “The Lord has really risen, and has appeared to Simon.” Luke 24:33-34.
Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things!” Romans 10:13-15.
If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Romans 10:9-10.
Go . . . . Mathew 28:19.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for the truth of your free and gracious provision of Jesus so I could believe and know I will spend eternity in your presence. Thank you for those who came to tell me the truth so I could believe and accept your provision. I confess that too often I don’t go and tell others the truth so they, too, can believe. Please forgive me. Help me to follow every step of your lead in going wherever you have for me to go to tell whoever you have for me to tell the truth of the gospel so they can believe. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Has someone told you what they found out about the truth of the gospel? If so, have you accepted it so you know you will spend eternity in God’s presence? If you have heard, but have not accepted it, why? What’s in the way of accepting God’s free and gracious provision? If you haven’t heard the truth, do you know how to find out? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with telling others the truth of the gospel so they, too, can believe and be saved? If you sense the need for change in any of this, how is that going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?
Waiting for the Train 