Jesus, Our Risen Savior

 

There have been many artistic renderings of the Emmaus story (Luke 24:13-31), but one of the most famous is “Supper at Emmaus” by Caravaggio. In this painting, Jesus dominates the scene. All the geometric lines in the painting’s design point to him. Caravaggio captures the dramatic high point of the story — the moment, after Jesus has broken the bread, when “their eyes [the disciples] were opened and they recognized him.” There is surprise in the posture of the two disciples. One has thrown his arms open in astonishment, and the other is pushing his chair back from the table, abruptly standing up. If you could trace a line from the eyes of the two disciples, the sightlines would direct you to Jesus’ hands, to the very place where the scars of the nails would have been visible. But they’re not visible. Two fingers on Jesus' right hand are discreetly folded back, covering up the wound. The man to the right can see it, but we can’t. As for Jesus’ other hand, it’s angled away and swathed in shadow. The other man appears to be looking directly at it, but again, we can’t see the scar from our perspective.

There’s an empty place at the table, at the foreground. It’s almost as though there’s another chair, just out of the frame of the picture. There’s another place at the table. Whose is it? The place is ours! The artist is inviting us right into the painting, to take our place at the supper table and share the disciples’ astonishment. A fruit basket at the front of the table is balanced precariously on the edge. It’s a silent invitation: Come and eat. But remember this: Unlike the two disciples in the painting, we can’t see Jesus’ wounds. We are not first-hand witnesses to the resurrection and never can be. Yet the artist invites us to take our place at the table, all the same. We experience the resurrection in a different way than the disciples: by faith! —Timothy Merrill

[Acts 4:5-12] And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, "By what power or by what name have you done this?" Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.' Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." NKJV

Savior? From what? Savior from sin! All deeds done and words spoken in conflict with God’s will – forgiven. All attitudes and feelings contrary to the will of the Lord – forgiven. How? Where? In Jesus Christ. It is not enough to see Jesus as good or just a teacher. We must see Him as Savior and Lord of our life. It is only in and through Jesus that sin can be forgiven. Appreciation of Jesus as our Savior gives us reason and motive to want Him to be our Lord. Understanding of Him as the only Savior gives us reason to be faithful and obedient to Him. Recognizing Jesus as our Savior reminds us of why we give Him all priority in the church and in our life. We need to hear, believe, and acknowledge Jesus as Savior and Lord many times over throughout our life to remind us of His love for us.

While the church proclaims this truth, we must individually embrace it. My salvation comes only from the One designated by God to be my Savior – Jesus my Lord (Acts 2:36).