Two men were walking down a road; one says “one thing I have learned this weekend is.... don’t get your hopes up. Because if you do, they will get knocked to the ground". The other man stares at the road ahead and asks him, “Do you really believe that?” The first man replies, “Yes, I believe it! Can you give me one reason why I should not?”

A dialogue like that could have easily taken place between the two travelers on the road to Emmaus. Their hopes were sky high. Their long awaited Messiah was in Jerusalem. After waiting a lifetime, freedom was finally within their grasp. But they found out what happens when you get your hopes up. They get knocked to the ground and crushed. Their hope, their Messiah, their deliverer got knocked to the ground. He was slapped, beaten, belittled, whipped to a bloody pulp, humiliated and then punished like the worst criminal!

I can see why they were struggling. Can’t you? The very moment when their lives seemed to be heading in the right direction, everything seemed to be aligning, real life was in their grasp—defeat was snatched from victory.

Why hope? Why dream? Why believe that life can be any different? Why believe that this world can actually change? We can easily get tired of getting our hopes up, and ask ourselves - what’s the use?

Sometimes it takes someone to come alongside us, walk and talk with us and help us see life from a different perspective. The travelers on the road to Emmaus had someone do this for them. It changed their lives forever. He even came to their home that very evening. He sat down at their table and broke bread with them. The crazy thing is, they did not know it was Jesus until he was already seated at the table!

Their lives would never be the same. Their hope was restored. The worst story they ever told, became the greatest story they ever told. Their knocked to the ground Messiah was actually their resurrected Messiah King. Rome still existed. Caesar was still in power. But they knew the truth. Their hope was forever secure and anchored in Jesus!