The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead has two levels of significance. On one level, there is the historical, factual reality. Jesus is not the Easter Bunny and the resurrection is not a myth. It all happened in time and space, whether you like it or not. On a second level, there is a personal meaning to Easter. Most facts of history have little or no personal impact on our lives, but Jesus' resurrection means we can have a vital relationship with the living God, here and now. The old Gospel song says it well: "You ask me how I know he lives? He lives within my heart" (Alfred H. Ackley, 1933).

Resurrecting a Shattered Faith

Luke 24:13–35 tells a beautiful story about the risen Jesus that helps us understand the difference it makes when Easter becomes personal. Cleopas and a friend are walking on the Emmaus Road headed home. Weary and discouraged, they are trying to absorb the reality of Jesus' tragic death. Their faith had been shattered by the cross. “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel,” they moaned (Luke 24:21). Jesus Himself joins them as they travel, but they do not recognize Him. The conversation is rich, and their hearts come alive as this stranger helps them understand the Scriptures and how the cross was no accident but rather at the very heart of the mission of God. Late in the afternoon, they finally realize that this fellow traveler is Jesus Himself! Filled with joy, they run the seven miles back to Jerusalem to announce to the other disciples that Jesus is alive!

The Personal Dimension of Easter

The resurrection is not only a fact of history but is also a life-transforming experience. The story of what happened to the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus helps us realize what it takes to make Easter personal. You, too, can experience the personal dimension of Easter when: 

• Your eyes are opened. Resurrections are not everyday occurrences and it is certainly understandable that these two disciples struggled to believe (Luke 24:11). During the early part of their journey, their eyes were kept from recognizing Him (Luke 24:16). Easter became personal only when their eyes were opened and they recognized Him (Luke 24:31). It was the work of the Holy Spirit to open their eyes. No one experiences the living reality of the living Jesus without the eye-opening enablement of the Spirit of God. 
• Your heart burns. At first, these travelers were depressed, confused, and without hope. The fire had gone out. But after spending a few hours in the presence of the living Lord, they said to one another, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” (Luke 24:32). When the living Jesus, the living Word, enters our lives, our hearts can't help but ignite with passion! 
• You run. As soon as these two disciples experienced the personal impact of Easter, they knew that they had to share this news with others. This message was just too good to keep to themselves. “And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem . . . and they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread” (Luke 24:33-35).