Seeing the End from the Beginning

Now that same day two of them [disciples] were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.

He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"

They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"

"What things?" he asked.

"About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."

He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. Luke 24:13-27

Cleopas and his friend were experiencing the turmoil of one of the greatest times of transition since creation - the shift from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant. They believed Jesus was the Messiah and their understanding was that He would restore a permanent natural kingdom for Israel. They had left everything to follow Him and now it seemed all that they had trusted in and sacrificed for was destroyed.

But what appeared like death and great defeat we know was in fact the greatest of all victories. God's plan was much greater than they could see from their current mindset. The promised redemption of the Messiah was not natural but eternal and His the breadth of His love stretched far beyond His chosen people to all the nations of the earth.

But for them to apprehend the change that was now happening meant exchanging their old wineskin (framework of understanding of the purposes and plans of God) for a new one. Through this new wineskin God would help them to see His "big picture" and in so doing, He would reframe all that they had already experienced and would prepare them to contain the new wine of the Holy Spirit that was about to be poured out.

But the could only receive the new wineskin by revelation, through a face-to-face encounter with God. So first Jesus approached them and walked alongside them, opening the scriptures to them and showing them God's great plan from Moses until now. Without realizing it their spirits began to come alive and their hearts began to burn within them. But still the revelation was not complete.

When the time came for them to return to their home, Jesus pretended to continue on further. But because of the great stirring in their hearts, they urged him strongly to come home with them and enter into the deeper fellowship of breaking bread together. As they sat together, suddenly their eyes were opened and Jesus was fully revealed to them. Great strength came into their hearts so that instead of resting through the night, they joyfully journeyed back the 7 miles to Jerusalem to share with the other disciples all they had experienced.

Many of our hearts are resonating today with the experience of these two men on the road to Emmaus. We too are standing on the edge of a great shift in the age of the Church, the revealing of the sons and daughters of God and the establishment of God's kingdom in a way that we have never seen before. This is a day the ancients longed to see - a time of the restoration of all things. (Acts 3:21) We truly have not been this way before and like the disciples thousands of years before us, we are in desperate need of a new wineskin, birthed by the pure revelation that flows from the innermost heart of God. We need God's big picture, we need to see the end from the beginning.

I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. Isaiah 46:10

This is a time that we must lay hold of the Lord strongly and entreat Him not to pass us by but to come in and have face-to-face fellowship with us that He might reveal Himself to us like we have never experienced before. This is how we will find the strength to journey forward into the great adventure that lies before us.

Let us pray this prayer together

Lord we thank you that you are a faithful God who remembers Your promises from generation to generation. We thank you that we are alive today to see this transformation that You are about to make in Your church to see Your kingdom come and Your will be done here on this earth even as it is in Heaven.Lord we present ourselves to You by faith and ask You to remove the old wineskin of the past season - we don't want to hold onto to anything God that would prevent us from running with You in the days that are ahead. Come to us Lord - reveal yourself to us - open the scriptures to us. Set our hearts on fire God and renew our strength as we wait on You. Bring us into complete alignment with You and shape our hearts and minds into the new wineskin that can contain all that You intend to pour out on this generation in this day

We declare Lord that You are God and there is no other. That you make known the end from the beginning and what is yet to come. And we say: "Your purpose O God, will stand and You will do all that You please!" In Jesus name, Amen!