Luke 24:28-29 28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
When was the last time you wished you didn’t have anything to do because you wanted more than anything to spend time with Jesus? When was the last time you wished church didn’t let out around 11:30 am because you wanted more time with Him? The two disciples on the Road to Emmaus didn’t want their time with Jesus to end. At this point in the story, they didn’t even know that it was the Resurrected Jesus that had joined them on their walk. They just knew that as He opened the Scriptures to them, their hearts began to burn (Luke 24:32). The Word of God was calling something to life inside of them. They were being stirred in a way they hadn’t experienced before. There was a spiritual hunger being cultivated, a curiosity that was being fostered. They wanted more of what they were hearing. They were willing to go on with this stranger into the evening.
Luke 24:30-3130 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.
Here is what I know: An encounter with the Risen Christ leaves a true Christ-follower wanting more. The two on the Road to Emmaus hadn’t gotten enough of their encounter with Jesus, and so they asked Him to stay. They wanted more of the Word, more of the fellowship with His presence. They wanted to live with the same conviction and understanding as their travel companion. Are we that kind of disciple? Do we have a passion, a drive to linger longer in the presence of God? Do we get stirred up and have a need for more of Jesus?
The Apostle Paul had that kind of desire. He said in Philippians 3:7-14 7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.
Paul was so obsessed with all things Jesus that he was willing to lose all things personal in order to possess all things Jesus. His gains, his achievements, his milestone accomplishments were nothing when compared with his desire to know Christ. He couldn’t get enough of Jesus.
Paul said about his achievements in verse 9: I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.
Paul wasn’t going to hold on to anything that could cause people to give him praise or glory. He was going to pursue and hold fast to only that which came through faith and not any kind of words or personal striving so that he could point others to Jesus. Perhaps verse 10 would be considered Paul’s life verse or life goal:
10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
Paul wanted to know Christ in His fullness. He wanted to be all-in with Jesus. Jesus had been all-in to the point of death. Paul said he desired to live with the same commitment that Jesus had lived and died with for Him. Paul went on to say that he would press on to take hold of the life of Christ. That is why Jesus died and rose, so that we could share in His life, so that we could possess His life, so that we could live His life.
How intense is your desire, your passion to be with and to be transformed by Jesus? Maybe we don’t understand what we receive when we enter into a relationship with Jesus. Maybe we don’t understand how satisfying, how special, how life-giving it is. Maybe we don’t understand what we gain when we get Jesus.
When you get Jesus, you gain a love like you have never known. (See Ephesians 3:18-19)
It’s a love more than feelings.
If love was a feeling, we may have been sunk. I say that because when Jesus wrestled in the Garden of Gethsemane, I don’t know that love was the predominant emotion. I don’t know that He was feeling like loving through the laying down of His life. To be honest, His feelings told Him to cut and run, to find a way out, but there was no other way for the love of God to be executed than for Him to lay down His life. Jesus chose love over His feelings. John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
It’s a love more than words.
Jesus taught that we should love our enemies, (Matthew 5:43-44) and then He walked His talk. He loved everyone who did Him dirty. He loved those who plotted against Him, those who falsely accused Him. While we were enemies of God, Romans 5:8, Jesus died for us.
It’s a love we don’t deserve. There was nothing about us or nothing we did that drew God to us in love. He loves us just because. And nothing we do, even things against Him, can cause Him to stop loving us. There is simply no earthly comparison to the love of God.
In addition to this amazing love, When you get Jesus, you gain freedom you have never known. Sin is something we are born with. It is suffocating. It makes us slaves. We are born with a sin nature which means we are born with a desire to do the wrong things, things that lead to addiction and broken relationships, things that ruin our reputation, demolish our potential, destroy our bodies and derail our dreams. Jesus offers a way out from all of that. His blood, shed for us on Calvary’s cross, paid the penalty sin demanded. He was our substitute. His righteousness qualified Him to take our punishment so that we could go free. We don’t have to live as sinners, and we don’t have to be labeled by the sins we have committed. The weight of sin and shame comes off of our backs.
Isaiah 40:31 puts it this way, “But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” In Jesus there is freedom to run and to keep on running. You truly become unstoppable when Jesus takes over your life.
When you get Jesus, you gain blessings you have never known. Ephesians 1:3 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Just like it is hard to describe the dimensions of God’s love, it is hard to explain the vast array of spiritual blessings that are ours in Christ Jesus.
When you get Jesus, you gain a love you have never known, a freedom you have never known, blessings you have never known and a Best Friend like you have never known.
He will go everywhere with you. He will never change His plans or bail on you. He has your back and will boldly step in front of you when you need to be protected. Jesus can both protect you and correct you, in ways that make you better and so thankful that He is in your life. He will be there for you and comfort you when no one else will and in ways that no one else can. He will always be for you. He is loyal. He is trustworthy. He will never give up on you. He is the constant encourager. He is the biggest cheerleader a person could know. When you are hurting, He is hurting with you. When you need prayer, He is praying with and for you.
I’m just telling you that when you get Jesus, you gain more than you expected.
There is no way you can experience what I am talking about just from hearing about Jesus. There is no way you can experience what I am describing just from reading about Jesus. There is no way you can experience this incredible spiritual experience from just attending church once or a twice a week. You have to let Him walk with you. Like the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus, you have to let Jesus begin to have your attention. You have to welcome Him into your home. You have to spend time with Him to see what He is really like.
In order to fully appreciate what is possible, what is available to you, you have to move from information to experience with Jesus. You have to give Him the time to enter into your story and to walk with you in your daily experience, and when you do, your heart will burn. When you do, your mind will be blown. When you do, your desire will be for more and more of Him. You won’t want time with Jesus to end. You won’t want a life disconnected from the Risen Lord. You’ll say, “Stay with me, Jesus.”
Do you want more? Are you ready to move on in the things of God? Do you want to see what you haven’t yet seen? Do you want more peace, more power? Do you want a greater awareness of God’s presence or a keener ability to hear God’s voice? Do you long for a renewed sense of purpose and destiny? Do you need some burdens lifted or some strongholds of sin broken? Do you need a Best Friend who will never leave your side?
Just take note of the fact that when the two disciples who had been walking to Emmaus asked Jesus if He would stay, He was glad they asked. Jesus will always stay where He is welcome. Jesus will always come where He is invited. Maybe until now you didn’t realize what you could gain if you would lose your current life and allow Jesus’ life to become yours. But I urge you; Don’t take my word for it and don’t miss out because you are unwilling to take the ride. Go all-in with Jesus. Pursue Him with passion. Ask Him to hang out with you. Invite Him into your home, your heart, your daily life.
