Two of Jesus’ followers were going from Jerusalem to their village, which was three hours from the capital. Sadness plainly appeared in heir countenances as they left the city, without turning back to see its golden domes, but fleeing away from the terrible scene of killing Jesus, whom they loved faithfully.
While they talked about the details of this painful event, he who was raised from the dead drew near to them in the form of a stranger, for he had already said, "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." When you speak with a friend about Jesus, your Lord is the third in the covenant. Would that our sayings be centered in Jesus that we may experience the presence of the Son of God in our hopeless world. Believers do not often see and sense Jesus, for faith does not signify seeing, but wholeheartedly trust in the Living One.
Jesus, who is an expert in edification, did not talk much about himself, nor did he direct his advices and proverbs to them, but prompted them by his question to talk and empty their hearts that their faith might appear. So they testified that the whole capital knew the things, which happened. The chiefs were determined to keep the news of Jesus’ crucifixion a secret, but it spread about from a house to another and from an alley to another.
The people believed that Jesus was a distinguished Prophet empowered by God, gifted with incredible words, and equipped with mighty miracles unlike any other prophet before or after him. Thus those disciples who believed in Christ did not recognize the truth, which was also not recognized by Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin about Jesus’ essence. But they suffered with many of the Nazarene’s followers from the fact that the hatred and envy of their chiefs had resulted in condemning the Son of the nation that they delivered him to the hands of the unclean pagans to kill him. They considered this behavior a doubled shame and a great sin. In their talk they imagined him who was crucified before them, how he was hanged between heaven and earth, suffering gradually to death. They were disgusted by men’s malice toward the love of God made apparent in Christ.
All his followers hoped Jesus would be the deliverer of his nation from the occupying power, establishing among them righteousness, truth, and justice that their people might become healthy in their innermost being, and a fountain of charity to all the peoples of the world, and Jerusalem a center of peace out of which the rays of love spread to all continents. This was and is still the hope of the Jewish professors with respect to Christ even today.
Out of all these truths and sayings, a strange word, which Jesus had said, prevailed in their minds about the "third day". They did not know exactly what the third day signified, and remained until the afternoon of that day in Jerusalem to see if a coup or overthrow would be made by Christ, his angels, and the just who are asleep, for the resurrection of the dead is a sign of Christ’s second coming.
But no political overthrow happened. There was no other miracle than that which the women told the disciples about when they did not find the body and the angel told them the Christ was living among those who are living. Then the men became confused, and wondered: "Is this the beginning of the kingdom of God? Did it begin without us? Or do we have now to attend at the crowning procession? What do we have to do? It is impossible for the King Jesus to leave those who are faithful to him waiting and idle and then commission through his angel the weak women who can neither opine, nor reason, nor strive, nor speak fluently.
At that some of the disciples ran to the empty tomb seeking the truth, and hoping to meet him who was raised alive. Yes, the tomb was empty, and they did not find Jesus there. So they became angry and went back surprisingly. Now, the third day is being ended and nothing strange happened, nor did the Prince of life appear.
They spoke to Jesus about those events confusedly and resentfully, not knowing that he was he. Yet Jesus endured the blindness of his faithful followers with love and patience, for all his deeds and words of love even on the cross did not help them to recognize his glory, for they had not yet received the Holy Spirit. Thus their eyes were covered and withheld.
Do you become surprised if your relatives and friends did not know that Jesus is Lord? The disciples who were for long months with the Lord, day and night, and eyed his glory in his humility, truth, and love, did not recognize him. So be patient in all your preaching, for we need his company, his guidance, his comfort, his teaching, his involvement in our minds, his filling us with his Spirit, and his converting and sanctifying our hearts completely in order to understand who he is, and what he does that we may confess humbly: "I believe that I cannot believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord, by myself or by my own power, nor can I come to him by my own ability, except by the Holy Spirit who called me in the Gospel, enlightened me with his love, sanctified me with his gifts, and is keeping me in his grace. No one can say that Christ is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.