Unshaken: Chapter a Day

Luke 24 Discussion

• Pastor Plek

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Start with spices and sorrow, end with blessing and fire. Luke 24 takes us from an empty tomb to an open heaven, and along the way, we meet our own doubts face to face. We walk the seven miles to Emmaus where a stranger stitches the Law, Prophets, and Psalms into a single story of a suffering King entering glory. Then bread breaks, eyes open, and what felt like a dead end turns into a doorway.

We dive into why Jesus sometimes hides and then reveals himself, and how that pattern mirrors Scripture itself: Christ concealed in the Old Testament, Christ revealed in the New. We talk about the power of communion without getting lost in jargon—how taking, blessing, breaking, and giving isn’t ritual for ritual’s sake, but real spiritual nourishment by the Spirit. Pair that with hearts burning as he opens the Scriptures, and you get the core rhythm of a living church: word and table, clarity and presence, truth and touch.

Doubt runs through the chapter, and we refuse to romanticize it. It’s common, not commendable, and Jesus meets it with wounds, fish, and peace. He opens minds, then opens a mission: wait for the Promise of the Father, then witness to a living Lord. We share practical ways to confess doubt, receive peace, and speak hope on ordinary days—on commutes, over meals, in conversations that matter. If you’ve ever read the Bible and missed the point, or taken communion and missed the Person, this one brings the center back into focus.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s wrestling with belief, and leave a review telling us where your heart started to burn. Your story might spark someone else’s next step.

Text us at 737-231-0605 with any questions.

Pastor Plek:

And welcome back to a chapter a day. Keeps the devil away. I'm Pastor Pleck, along with Pastor Holland. We're talking Luke chapter 24. We're gonna outline it. We're gonna make some observations, some interpretations, and then finally make some applications so that you can take your day by storm. All right, so let's get into it. Luke 24, verses 1 through 12. We have the empty tomb. We got Don's devoted daughters who show up spices in hand. But guess what? He ain't there. Then uh verses 13 through 35, we have the incredible story of the road to Emmaus, where two disciples head off the seven-mile trudge of sorrow, dissecting their dash dreams, and then all of a sudden a stranger slides in and says, Hey, what's been going on? Then verses 36 through 49, Jesus appears to the disciples, and then you've got all these people just sort of startled by Jesus saying, peace, and they freak out and then they get pretty excited about the whole thing. And then verses 50 through 53 is um you've got the ascension and the Lord launches up uh amid benediction, and then everyone's staring up into the sky. Now, uh let's let's get into some observations that you made in this text, Holland.

Pastor Holland:

All right. So it seems to me like Jesus is like messing with them a little bit here, like in, you know, to to show who he is, but you know, he he's keeping his true identity veiled on the road to Emmaus, right? Um, and then uh, you know, he's acting, it says that he, you know, um was like acting like he was gonna keep going. And they're like, No, come stay with us. And he's like, All right, fine. He pretends to not know what they're talking about or what things had happened. Um and then when he actually reveals himself in the breaking of bread, which we'll get into in a little bit, um, he vanishes from before their eyes. So he's just like he disappears using son of God powers, right? Right. And and then while they're talking, boom, he appears again and says, peace to you. Like I it's just awesome. He's just messing with them. He's having fun revealing that he's the son of God and he's alive. It is kind of fun.

Pastor Plek:

Uh, and he is messing with them. All right, how about uh what do you think about who's the other disciple with Clopus? I don't know. I'm guessing because here's what it says is or perhaps could this be he met with this is Peter with him, walking to Emmaus, and then he heads back because they say he saw, you know, or does Peter meet him on a different um experience there?

Pastor Holland:

What are you talking about in verse 34 when it says the Lord had risen indeed and has appeared to Simon?

Pastor Plek:

Yeah, yeah. Okay. Could it be that Simon, aka Simon Peter, is the Simon that is with Klopus right there?

Pastor Holland:

Yeah, could be. Um, I think. Well, yeah, I'm not sure. I've never thought about that before. You know.

Pastor Plek:

Is that just a you know an idea you have, or it's just like a as I'm reading this, I'm like, well, we know who one of the disciples is, Cleopas. Yeah. Who's the other one? And why would it not name him as Peter, though? Yeah, and why not? And then maybe they say, well, it appeared to Simon. Well, it doesn't say he met with Simon individually, but maybe he did, or maybe that was him with Simon, maybe you know, all that.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah, because all we know from verse 12 is Simon Peter is walking back home, marveling at what had happened. And then that same day, yeah, it's it seems like it's two different disciples, though.

Pastor Plek:

Yeah, it does. It kind of does.

Pastor Holland:

But yeah, that's a good question.

Pastor Plek:

Okay. Um, why does Jesus hide himself and then reveal himself? And I I know we like that was he's messing with them, but like there's gotta be a Yeah, there's there's something deeper going. So I is it possible that Jesus hid himself through the Old Testament just like that? And by him revealing the Christ in the Old Testament, he's saying, like, hey, this is the Old Testament is Christ concealed, the New Testament is Christ revealed, and that is exactly what he does in the teaching. And he does a he has like an actual parable physically of that.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah, and you know, notice when he um becomes recognizable to them. Uh verse 35, how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. I think there's something it's when he breaks the bread that their um it says their eyes are opened and they recognized him. Verse 31. So I think there's something really powerful here um being communicated about our practice of communion, um, taking uh the Lord's Supper together, and how you know he he he's showing us something here about the breaking of the bread revealing Jesus in a powerful way that they had missed beforehand. And I think I think that it's saying something to us about the power of um the Lord's Supper to reveal Christ to us um in a unique way. What do you think about that?

Pastor Plek:

I there has to be something there. Am I able to go to that next leap of faith of saying they were taking communion together there? Because I think they're just having dinner at the hotel and they eat and it was in the breaking of the bread.

Pastor Holland:

So I maybe look at the let look at the language in verse 30. He took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them.

Pastor Plek:

That is the exact language were open. But do you think, do you think it was maybe he's re-establishing because it doesn't talk about wine there? And is that because he's not gonna drink wine with them again until he comes into the millennial kingdom?

Pastor Holland:

Right, right, right, right.

Pastor Plek:

So remember he said, I will not drink of the vine again until we celebrate together in the in the millennial kingdom.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah, and look back again. So this is Luke 22, verse 19. He took bread and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them. Yeah, that is the same language. Luke 24, when he was at the table, he took bread, blessed it, broke it, gave it to them. Okay.

Pastor Plek:

Yeah, yeah, I'm with you. I can definitely see that. Okay.

Pastor Holland:

Something to that.

Pastor Plek:

There's definitely something to it. So when we talk about communion, there's there's a couple, there's a kind of the tradition that we sort of follow here at Wells Branch Church, is that we will, you know, pause for 30 seconds, you know, confess our sins to God out loud or in the silence of our hearts. We've had yet to have someone to do that out loud. But that is sort of like the ability for you to go, like, my connection to God is seen by I'm about to take communion with you and I'm confessing my sins and um getting myself right before you to kind of meet with you because you're so powerful, awesome, and good. Yeah. Uh I don't know. I I think there, I think you're right. I think there is something, you know, this is where Catholics went with uh transubstantiation, and you know, it actually became Jesus' body and Jesus' actual blood in communion, which we don't go quite that far, but there is something special symbolically, and then ultimately I think there's a a presence that we get to experience all the time, but I think specifically you're you're cognizant of it uh whenever you take communion.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah. Um the Protestant language, uh there's a couple different takes on this, but um the the idea of our souls um being nourished spiritually, us feeding spiritually on Christ by faith and communion. Right. And so He really is um present to us in a powerful way, um, in the receiving of the bread and the cup, um, and it really does something in nourishing our faith in a mysterious way. Um and yet we reject the Catholic teaching that the bread actually becomes the physical body of Jesus. Yeah.

Pastor Plek:

Okay.

Pastor Holland:

Um all right. So what about um related to that though, I would add just one more thing because you see not only um their eyes being opened with the breaking of bread, pointing us to communion, um, but you also see them saying, Um, did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scripture? And so you see in this passage right here, word and sacrament, the scripture and um the bread, really being um these things that cause something to happen in in the heart, something that opens their eyes. And so um throughout church history, um, this is reflected especially in like certain reformed um catechisms, the idea of what a true church is is the right preaching of God's word and the gospel, and the right administration of the sacraments or ordinances, and then the right exercise of church discipline. Right. Um, and so that idea of word and sacrament being like the heart of a true Christian church, you see it right here with the breaking of the bread opening their eyes and um Jesus speaking scripture and teaching them and their hearts burning.

Pastor Plek:

Oh, that's good. Okay, all right, good. All right, let's get into some uh truths about the nature of man from what we have going on here. Um We have doubts. Doubts, yeah, we have 38. Yeah, and verse uh 11, right? And I think verse 25. Let me see. Like uh 11, I have, but these words seem to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. Uh verse 25, and he said, Oh, foolish ones and slow heart to believe all the prophets have spoken. Was it not necessary? Like, duh. Uh, and then uh we're we're like uh and then uh verse 38 is why do doubts arise in your heart. Right, right. So like there this thing of doubting is something that just kind of comes up in our hearts uh naturally. Yeah.

Pastor Holland:

And it it is, you know, it's interesting. I doubting is never presented as a good thing in scripture. I think we have a lot of mercy and grace because we understand we all do doubt, but it's never kind of like uh, I don't know, like praised as a good thing. Um it's if doubts arise in your heart, it's like, hey, be encouraged, that's normal, but also like ask the Lord to increase your faith, you know? Don't just kind of accept your doubts, like um, bring them to the Lord. Yeah.

Pastor Plek:

And on the flip side of that, it's like there is an excitedness of like when Jesus does something. We are excited, I think rightfully so, when Jesus shows up. Yeah. Um, okay. Uh anything else about the nature of man from this?

Pastor Holland:

Hmm. Um I I think the idea that uh, you know, he says, was it not necessary that Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory when Jesus is talking to them on the road to Emmaus? And um I I think it like it's in our nature sometimes to like read the scripture and miss the point. Right. Like uh that's these guys, they knew the scriptures, and Jesus is kind of like, well, if you if you really understood them, you would you would know like this is all planned from the beginning. Right. Um, and so I think sometimes we tend to do that today as well. We can read the Bible and miss the point, and we need the help of the Spirit of God. Okay, good.

Pastor Plek:

All right, how about the character of God? Um, he uh he's the one that allows them to recognize him. It's like in the breaking of bed, bread is when he revealed himself. It was like they were concealed until a specific time he revealed himself. Um, and I don't think it was a matter of their eyesight being bad. It was a matter of their hearts not being able to see what was right in front of them.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah, that's good. Um, yeah, that's I think to just kind of add to that, God, God is gracious, he condescends in a way, like he makes himself known to us, he reaches down from heaven to reveal himself to us. Um, and that's part of his grace.

Pastor Plek:

Uh, how about he commissions those who are who have had him reveal who he commissions those to whom he reveals himself to go and share uh the good news with the whole world.

Pastor Holland:

Amen. All right. He's he's powerful, so he's a you know, there's his grace to um that he would come down and reveal himself, but there's also his power and that he can. Um he is able to open the eyes of the blind. So, you know, the the person in your life that maybe you think there's no way this person would ever believe in Jesus. God is able to open their eyes, change their heart, transform their their mind, right? Yeah. Uh how about this? Jesus can fly. And vanished and teleport. And teleport. It's pretty great. So he vanishes well, I don't know if it's teleport, it's le at least vanished, though. I mean straight up scripture.

Pastor Plek:

Right. And do you think he um it's like he opens up the veil between, you know, the thin veil between earth and heaven. Sometimes he flies up into it and sometimes he just steps into it.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah. I you know, there are times in the Gospels where it's like he, you know, the people are trying to kill him and he like kind of disappears from their midst. Right. Which I took to mean really he kind of like snuck out, right? But here it does not seem like he's sneaking out. No. Um He's literally disappearing. Just as he vanishes, and then while they're talking uh about these things, verse 36, boom, he stood among them again and says, Peace to you, and they get startled and think it's a ghost. Right. And so it's like he's appearing and disappearing, and then he can fly up to into the clouds, which you know it's gotta be symbolic. Right? Um while he blessed them, he puts it in the city.

Pastor Plek:

Heaven isn't in the sky, heaven is he, it's it's the invisible. Yeah. And so sometimes he goes to the invisible and sometimes he flies in the sky.

Pastor Holland:

And it's just like, all right, and he's gonna return um the way we saw him leave on the clouds with fire. You know that. So, like, there's something about um Jesus being into the sky and the clouds and that representing heaven. Jesus, yeah, he can disappear, he can teleport, he can fly. Okay, all right, awesome.

Pastor Plek:

All right, let's get into uh some uh application, a sin to confess or avoid, a promise to claim, example to follow, a command to obey, or a knowledge to believe. What do you got uh for one of those?

Pastor Holland:

Um confess your doubts. Uh application of uh, you know, this idea of like, I just I don't really, I doubt that God is really real, or I doubt God is really good, I doubt God can actually do this in my life. I think confess those things and then remind yourself of the truth that He is able. Um, we should not doubt because God is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient. He can, he knows all things, he can do all things. I command to obey.

Pastor Plek:

We are Christ's witnesses of these things. Uh and he and behold, I'm sending the promise of my Father upon you, but stand the same until you're clothed with power from on high. Ultimately, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we, like the disciples, are called to go out and share the great message of who Jesus is. So today, as you're listening, thinking like, hey, I'm on my way to work, I'm about to engage whoever, um, it might be this is the day for you to share the good news that Jesus is alive.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah. Uh knowledge to believe. Uh I think this is really important where it says that um he where is it? Verse 44. Everything written about me and the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. So Moses prophet Psalms is basically saying the entire Old Testament. Right. Those are kind of like the three main categories, um, the way that the Old Testament was divided into those three sections. He's saying the entire Old Testament is about me and needs to be fulfilled. So, in terms of like believing that and then also reading your Bible in light of that, and then seeing him fulfill it. Yeah. And so you read the Old Testament, and you're all like, oh man, the Old Testament was kind of lame. When Jesus shows up, that's when things get awesome. Like, no, Jesus from the beginning, you know, has been the whole point of scripture always.

Pastor Plek:

Um, had you already do the sin to confess doubting? Yes. Okay, yeah. Um, all right, good. I think then, yeah, because I think that that one just like that kind of just stuck with me of like it just seems like doubt creeps in and it's not is it sin to doubt? It's probably sin to doubt, right?

Pastor Holland:

Uh you know, that's a good question. Uh yeah, because you're disbelie doubt is essentially disbelieving what God says. Exactly.

Pastor Plek:

But then so bringing that doubt to the light and allowing uh you know, confessing that and then just asking God, would you reveal yourself to me as you have um, I need help, I'm I'm fallen, I'm sinful, I don't want to doubt, I confess that, I want to believe. And it kind of goes back to the from Mark uh chapter nine. I believe, help me overcome my unbelief. And I think that's the right Christian response to doubt is like, I believe, I get it, but help me overcome because I'm struggling to believe in this moment.

Pastor Holland:

That's good. Anything else? Um command to obey, uh well something related to that. Verse 38, last one I would say, Why are you troubled? Um, you know, I I think the the idea here is to is similar to the thing on doubting, is like believe and experience the peace that comes with belief. Yeah, receive it. Like don't take because this is all about the resurrection. Like troubled today.

Pastor Plek:

As they're talking, Jesus himself stood among them and they said, peace be to you. But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. He said, Why are you troubled and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet. Man, yeah. I mean, imagine experiencing that. And I think that's that's the joy that even guys that saw it doubted. And so you're gonna have that, confess it, and then bring your doubts and darkness to the Lord and let his light shine on it so that you can go and tell people about the goodness of our God, even today. All right, so from our house to yours, um we'll see you next time on a track a day.

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