What happens when that stranger turns out to be a friend?

 It's been a "long and winding" year, but we're getting back to those Gospel Bible studies at last, and here's the next in the series:

(111) Some Very Important Meetings

Last time (yes, I know, a long long time ago) we read Mark’s cryptic comment that the risen Lord had appeared to “two of them.” This time we’ll join those two, travelling from Jerusalem after the crushing of all their hopes – having heard rumors of resurrection, but clearly not believing them.

1.      Read Luke 24:13-18, John 19:25 Who is traveling, where and why?

a.      Some traditions say Clopas was the brother of Joseph, making Mary the “sister” of Jesus’ mother Mary.  Clopas’ son Simeon becomes Bishop of Jerusalem after the destruction of the city in 70 AD, which might make him Jesus' cousin. But what difference does all this make to how we view the story?

b.      Was Jesus’ face hidden by supernatural means, or natural? How easily would you recognize someone if you knew they couldn’t be there?

c.      Do we have to go anywhere special, be anyone special, or know anything special for God to meet us?

2.      Read Luke 24:17-21a They followed Jesus, but how well did they know him?

a.      We follow Jesus, but how well do we know him?

b.      What wrong expectations might Christians have today?

3.      Read Luke 24:21b-24 Did they believe what the women told them?

a.      Did they even believe the angels were real, rather than just a vision? Do we ever dismiss things as unreal, just because we’ve not encountered them? What social concerns do we tend to dismiss?

b.      What confirms that Jesus is not risen for these two disciples? What confirms us in false assumptions?

4.      Read Luke 24:25-27 Why should the Old Testament be important to Christians?

a.      What makes you read or not read the Old Testament?

b.      What do we lose if we don’t cling to the Old Testament?

5.      Read Luke 24:28-31 Does this remind you of communion, or is it just what normally happens at a mean?

a.      Would these disciples have been at the Last Supper? Could this remind them of communion?

b.      Why is Communion so important to Christians?

c.      Do you remember a time when God opened your eyes? What happened?

d.      Do you remember a time when God seemed to vanish? What happened?

6.      Read Luke 24:32-35 How did they react to Jesus’ disappearance?

a.      What mattered more, what they saw or what they learned?

b.      What matters more to us, what we see or what we learn?