OUR Easter Talk has three parts:
Part 1: The Story of Two Disciples;
Part 2: New Jerusalem Is Coming Down;
Part 3: The 5th Problem in the Corinth Church.

Backgrounder: Before His crucifixion, Jesus was in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover (a traditional feast commemorating the Jews’ liberation from slavery in Egypt). Jesus’ followers welcomed Him waving palms (now celebrated as Palm Sunday).

Two followers of Jesus, Cleopas, and a friend, left their home in Emmaus and went to Jerusalem also to celebrate the Passover. Even before the day of the Passover feast, Jesus, accused of rebellion against the Roman Empire that colonized Israel, was arrested by Roman soldiers and eventually crucified Him. Because their Master was crucified, the two followers of Jesus were so devastated that they decided to walk back to their home in Emmaus.

Along the way, Jesus, then already Resurrected from death, appeared and walked with the two followers–who did not recognize Jesus.

Talk 1 of our Lenten Feast Talk points out that The Walk to Emmaus is a symbol of someone walking away from God and the person’s spiritual family.

Messy Saint

Talk 1: Confused Army
Talk 2: Proud About Sin
Talk 3:Correct But Still Self-Centered
Talk 4:Gifted But Divisive
Talk 5:Walk Back to Jerusalem

Messy Saints

Love Thy Neighbor (Even if They Drive You Nuts) Solving the problems in 1 Corinthians

Talk 5: Walk Back to Jerusalem

Notes:
To recognize Jesus, the followers–and we, to-day–need to go back to Jerusalem.

When Jesus walked with the two followers, this means that though we are walking back to Jerusalem, Jerusalem is also coming back to us.

In Tagalog, sinasalubong natin. We’re walking to welcome it back.