📖 From the Bible
Two friends were talking about everything that had happened. Then Jesus Himself came up and walked with them. But they didn’t know it was Him. He asked them, “What are you talking about as you walk? Why are you sad?”
15While they talked and questioned together, Jesus himself came near, and went with them. 16But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17He said to them, “What are you talking about as you walk, and are sad?”
This is how we tell this passage to kids. The exact words of the Bible are under “As it is in the Bible”.
Luke 24:15-17 · Scripture: World English Bible Updated (public domain)
You wait all week for the class trip. You pack your backpack, and in your head you’re already there. Then in the morning you hear: trip canceled. That kind of sadness can feel heavy. Two friends of Jesus once felt something like that, only much bigger. And right then, someone walked up beside them.
Jesus’ friends had been sure He would do great things. They hoped He would send away the foreign soldiers who ruled their country. Instead, Jesus died on a cross. Two of them were walking home to a village called Emmaus. They were sad, and they couldn’t stop talking about everything that had happened.
After a while, someone joined them. He asked why they looked so sad. It was Jesus, alive again! But they didn’t recognize Him. Why not? The Bible says their eyes were kept from knowing Him. They told Him everything: that they had hoped, and now nothing was left of that hope. Jesus began to explain, calmly, what the Bible’s older writings said about Him. They walked on like that until evening.
When they got to the village, Jesus acted like He would keep going. But they said, “Stay with us, for it is almost evening, and the day is almost over.” They sat down at the table. Jesus took the bread, thanked God, broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly they knew Him! And then He was gone. The two friends got up right away and went back to the city to tell the others. Jesus had walked with them the whole way, even when they were sure everything was lost. Jesus walks with you, even when you can’t see Him.
Did you know?
Jesus didn’t start by talking about Himself. He told the two friends the whole story from the beginning: from Moses and from the prophets, people who passed on God’s words. He showed that all of it led to Him. That’s why the first pages of the Bible matter so much. Without them, it’s harder to understand what came next.
Look at Jesus
Jesus made His friends a promise: He would be with them always, all the way to the end of time. That’s the same Jesus who walked the road to Emmaus. He gave His life for us, and He is alive. At school, at home, at the soccer field, on a sad day and on a happy one, He is with you.
What about you?
Have you ever waited a long time for something and then it all went differently? A game canceled, a trip postponed, a friend who didn’t show up. It’s easy to think nobody sees. The two friends thought that, too, and Jesus was walking right beside them. Try telling Him today, in plain words, what let you down. No fancy words. Then do something ordinary, like sitting down at the table with your family.
Let’s talk about it
- What didn’t go your way lately?
- Who joined the two friends on the road, and what did He do at the table?
- Who is usually with you when you feel sad?
Today’s challenge
Think of one thing that let you down lately. Tell Jesus about it in one sentence. Then tell someone close to you.
Prayer
Jesus, sometimes things don’t work out and I feel sad. Help me remember that You walk beside me, even when I can’t see You. Stay with me today. Amen.
Tap when you have prayed.