April 10, 2026

Do you ever get to the end of a movie and immediately turn it off after the credits start rolling? I think that’s pretty normal. After we’ve sat through the entire story, seen the rise and fall in action, experienced the climax and resolution of the problem, then we’re ready to be done. However, have you ever noticed what some films do? They allow the credits to run for some time but then they toss in another brief scene. They show some new piece to the story after most of the audience thought the story was over. If you tune out too quickly at the end, you miss it completely!

I think that we’re tempted to do that after we celebrate Easter. We’ve read the Lenten devotionals, we’ve been challenged by the resurrection story of Jesus walking out of the tomb, and we’ve been injected with fresh hope! So good! But then, we’re sort of tempted to tune out and let the rest of the credits roll. But there’s more.

The Gospel accounts of Jesus’s life and resurrection actually give us several encounters of Jesus with his disciples after the immediate resurrection eyewitness stories. And as John tells us, each of these is recorded and told to do one thing:

³⁰ The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. ³¹ But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name. -John 20:30-31

So that we may believe. So that we may have faith in Jesus.

In his post-resurrection teachings and actions, Jesus gives us a lot to learn about the essence of faith and how it plays out and grows in our lives. Take a look at one of those times.

Luke 24…

¹³ That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. ¹⁴ As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. ¹⁵ As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. ¹⁶ But God kept them from recognizing him.

Faith is a gift from God and something that is developed in us. But God will wait on us to give to him soil in our lives that is ready to receive deeper faith. The disciples who were walking on the road to Emmaus believed in Jesus, but their faith was weak and immature. He didn’t come through for them the way they thought he would or wanted him to, so their faith waned.

²¹ We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel.

As he taught them, and as they listened and walked with him, you see God delivers to them a deeper faith.

³¹ Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared! ³² They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?

Jesus will give us faith in proportion to our ability to receive it. We don’t earn faith, mind you, but we allow ourselves to be molded by it as we walk more closely with Jesus learning from him to be like him. This is the post-resurrection story. He may not be who we want or thought… he may not act or behave like we wished he acted or behaved… but if we stay close, listening, spending time walking with him, he will reveal more of the depths of his love, wisdom, patience, and knowledge. He invites us to have him open our eyes. Don’t miss it.

Walking with him,

Nathan

Nathan Hinkle

Lead Pastor

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