Luke 24:25-35. He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
The resurrected Lord Jesus Christ sends us with a clear purpose. He commands us to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:16–20) and to go into all the world to proclaim the message of healing (Mark 16:15–20). At the same time, He sends us to seek out and restore believers who are wandering in discouragement, just as He did on the road to Emmaus. The risen Christ not only pursues the lost; He also tenderly restores the weary and disheartened among His own.
Tragically, many believers live under the weight of discouragement. They attend church faithfully, yet their hearts remain heavy and uncertain. Instead of living by the power of the gospel, they cling to religion. Instead of enjoying grace, they labor under legalism. As a result, their faith becomes routine rather than life-giving, and their walk with God becomes duty rather than joy (Galatians 5:1).
This is why realizing the gospel is far more urgent than merely attending church. Simply believing in Jesus as a historical figure is not enough. One must believe that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Without this confession, faith easily turns into moral effort, and Christian life becomes exhausting rather than freeing.
Jesus is the Christ in His fullness. As the True King, He destroyed the work of the devil (1 John 3:8). As the True Priest, He broke the curse of sin once for all by offering Himself (Mark 10:45). As the True Prophet, He opened a new and living way back to God (John 14:6). When a person believes and receives Jesus as the Christ, everything changes at the root. The Holy Spirit comes to dwell in that person’s heart, and this marks the end of despair and the beginning of true life.
If the Holy Spirit lives in you, nothing can ultimately destroy you, because you are God’s temple (1 Corinthians 3:16). He will never abandon you (John 14:16). He leads your life, teaches you all things, and fills your heart with peace that the world cannot give (John 14:26–27). He guides you into all truth (John 16:13), empowers you from above (Acts 1:8), and works powerfully through your prayers (John 14:14).
You have also been given spiritual authority. Jesus has granted you authority to overcome all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19). You belong to heaven, and your citizenship is there (Philippians 3:20). God even sends His angelic hosts to serve those who inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14). This is the unseen reality surrounding every believer who walks by faith
Discouragement often sets in when this reality is not experienced. Either the Spirit is not truly known, or His guidance is resisted. The greatest obstacle to the Holy Spirit’s leading is not circumstances, but human stubbornness—clinging to one’s own thoughts, fears, and reasoning. Only a life yielded to the Spirit can overcome unbelief.
Many remain trapped in despair because they feel powerless against sin. Yet through Christ, God has permanently changed your identity and destiny. You are no longer a child of the devil. You have been adopted into God’s family. The Spirit Himself testifies within you that you are a child of God. You are no longer a slave to sin but have become a servant of righteousness.
When discouragement arises from your own weaknesses, remember that God has already changed your position. Sin no longer defines you. Grace does. The past no longer rules you. Christ does. Fix your eyes on Jesus, who endured the cross for you, so that you will not grow weary or lose heart.
Just as He did with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, the risen Christ walks with us every day, even when we fail to recognize Him. In moments of confusion and disappointment, He draws near. Through the Word, He gently corrects our thinking, opens the Scriptures, and reignites our hearts with truth. What once felt hopeless begins to burn with life again.
When the disciples realized that the risen Lord had been walking with them all along, despair turned into bold testimony. They rose immediately and proclaimed that Jesus was alive. Encounter with the living Christ always leads to renewed purpose and restored joy.
If you are discouraged today, meet Jesus in the Word. Return to Calvary and the empty tomb. He is risen, and He is with you. If you see others weighed down by discouragement, open the Scriptures and help them see why the Christ had to suffer and rise again. Build them up with the Word, strengthen them with the promise of victory, and remind them that the God of peace will soon crush Satan under our feet.
Prayer. Father, I thank You for freeing me from despair and discouragement through the risen Christ. Help me fix my eyes on Him so that I will not grow weary or lose heart. Use my life to encourage those who are discouraged and lead them to the living hope found in Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen.