The following brief messages comprise a revision of two addresses, whichoriginally appeared in the South African Pioneer, the organ of the"Cape General Mission" (Rev. Andrew Murray, Pres.), and are published byarrangement, the Mission participating in the proceeds.
Their eyes were opened, and they knew Him."
THE words, from which I want to present a simple message, will be foundin the Gospel according to St. Luke, the 24th chapter and the 31stverse: "And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him." Some timesince, I preached a sermon with the words "Jesus Himself" as the text;and as I went home I said to those who were walking with me: "Howpossible it is to have[8]Jesus Himself with us and never to know it, andhow possible to preach of, and to listen to, all the truth about JesusHimself and yet not to know Him." I cannot say what a deep impressionwas made upon me as I thought over it.
Now these disciples had spent a most blessed time with Jesus, but ifthey had gone away before He revealed Himself that evening, they wouldnever have been sure that it was Jesus, for their eyes were holden thatthey should not know Him. That is, alas, the condition of a greatmultitude in the Church of Christ. They know that Christ has risen fromthe dead. They believe, and they very often have blessed experiencesthat come from the risen Christ. Very often in a time of Convention, orin time of silent Bible reading, or in a time of the visitation of God'sgrace, their hearts burn; and yet it can be said of a people whosehearts[9]are burning within them, that they did not know it was JesusHimself.
And now if you ask me what is to be the great blessing to be sought, myanswer is this: Not only should we think about Jesus Himself and speakabout Him and believe in Him, but we should come to the point that thedisciples in the text arrived at, "and they knew Him." Everything is tobe found in that.
If I read that story of the disciples on the way to Emmaus, I get fromit four stages in the Christian life. Just think! How did they begin themorning that day? With
Hearts sad and troubled,
because they thought Jesus was dead. They did not know that He wasalive, and that is the state of very many Christians. They look to theCross,[10]and they struggle to trust Christ, but they have never yetlearned the blessedness of believing that there is a living Christ to doeverything for them. Oh! that word of the angel to the women! "Why seekye the living among the dead?" What is the difference between a deadChrist, whom the women went to anoint, and a living Christ? A deadChrist, I must do everything for; a living Christ does everything forme.
The disciples began the morning with a sad heart. I fancy very possiblythey spent a sleepless night. Oh! the terrible disappointment! They hadhoped that Christ would be the Deliverer of Israel, and they had seenHim die an accursed death. On the morning of that first day of the week,they rose with sad hearts—t