Prophecy Fulfilled!

For Wednesday, April 8, 2026:

Luke 24:13 NLT: “The same day as the resurrection, two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem.”

The story of Resurrection Day wouldn’t be complete without a look at the walk to Emmaus. The two men were believers, and had traveled to Jerusalem for Passover. But the crucifixion put a damper on things, and the two decided to return home.

Their walk began as the women discovered the tomb open, and the body of Jesus missing. Where was he? Suddenly a third man began walking alongside the first two, and they struck up a conversation. The newcomer asked, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”

The first two looked sad. “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about what happened the last few days; bad things that happened to Jesus of Nazareth.” Somehow, they didn’t recognize Jesus. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.”

Jesus responds by explaining scripture: “Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”

Arriving in Emmaus, it was getting late, and the two invited Jesus to stay the night with them. He agreed. As they sat down to dinner, Jesus blessed the bread, broke it, and... Voilà! Their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus, who immediately disappeared from sight!

The two did a 180º and headed back to Jerusalem. They felt compelled to share this Good News with the remaining 11 apostles. Jesus is alive! He can walk and talk! He has risen from the dead, just as he said he would!

To Jesus and those who love him, death is not the end!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Walk to Emmaus!

For Wednesday, February 4, 2026:

Mark 16:12-13 NLT: “Jesus appeared in a different form to two of his followers who were walking from Jerusalem into the country. They rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them.”

This would be the walk to Emmaus. It’s another example of a Jesus sighting following the crucifixion. As I said yesterday, these two followers saw Jesus, #1 die on a cross, #2 be pierced with a spear, and finally, #3 laid in a grave. So the last thing they’d expect to see would be Jesus walking alongside them. It’s not surprising that they didn’t recognize him. They never figured on ever seeing him again!

Jesus pretended to not know the recent happenings in Jerusalem, so the two travelers got him up to speed. Our religious mentor had been captured, beaten, endured a kangaroo court and a mock trial, and eventually was crucified and died. This happened just three days ago. How can you not have heard? We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel!

Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from Scripture the things concerning himself.

Imagine the surprise, these two men suddenly realizing that they were walking in the company of the Son of God! They had given up on Jerusalem and were headed home when their eyes were opened to the resurrection, the possibility of life after this life!

That’s the same battle we fight nowadays. Since we’ve never seen anyone from the hereafter, it’s hard for some people to believe that there IS a hereafter. That’s where Jesus went to prepare a place for believers. We’re to share that Good News as we make disciples of all nations. There will be room for all who believe!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

The Father’s House

Truth and Freedom Church

Emmaus!

For Saturday, January 3, 2025:

Luke 24:13 NLT: “That same day, (Jesus’ resurrection day,) two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem.”

The crucifixion and resurrection were not the end! The risen Jesus now seems to have traits of the Father himself: omnipresence and omnipotence. He could appear at any place at any time and had life-changing power.

(My 2¢...) I believe Jesus was fun to be around. He was often the first invited to a dinner or party. His life always had purpose, but he’d find a fun way to accomplish his goals. He wasn’t against pranking someone, and when the day ended, they’d all have a good laugh!

On resurrection day, our two men were traveling from Jerusalem to Emmaus, a short day’s walk. These believers were returning home after witnessing a brutal crucifixion and the death of their spiritual mentor, when a third person suddenly joined them. The discussion turned to recent events in Jerusalem, specifically the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. That third traveler pretended that he hadn’t heard about those events, and the first two quickly got him up to speed. “We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.” In their minds, it was over. Jesus was gone forever.

But now the third man had to set the record straight via the scriptures. “Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” He took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining the things concerning recent events.

Darkness was about to fall, and the two encouraged their new friend to stay the night. As they sat for dinner, their guest took the bread, blessed it, and gave some to each person. And voilà, their eyes were opened! That’s when Jesus disappeared from view. Turns out they had been walking alongside Jesus himself! Turns out Jesus was in their house, sitting right at their table! What an honor!

I’ll bet that Jesus left with a hearty laugh and a twinkle in his eye, having further educated these believers with a heavenly prank!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Believe!

April 11, 2023 Monday Message:

Luke 24:38-39 NLT: “’Why are you frightened?’ Jesus asked. ‘Why are your hearts filled with doubt? Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.’”

Two men had been walking toward Emmaus. Jesus joined them, teaching about all the prophesies fulfilled by his death and resurrection, but they did not recognize him. As they sat for dinner, it all came into focus. This indeed was Jesus himself! But once they recognized him, he vanished!

Excited, the two men assembled their friends to tell them about the incident, and suddenly Jesus appeared in their midst! Everyone was frightened. They thought they were seeing a ghost, but Jesus reassured them and told them to use their heads! Check it out: “Look at my hands. Look at my feet. Touch me to prove that my body is real.”

Everything that recently happened was fulfilling scripture. Jesus dying for the sins of the world was part of God’s plan for including us in eternity! The two men were eyewitnesses, sharing what they observed with the world! Their testimony is our proof! Jesus wondered, if you’re seeing this with your own two eyes, “Why are your hearts filled with doubt?” Friends, we need to make a decision for Christ based on what we’ve observed!

Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

On the Road to Emmaus!

April 10, 2023 Monday Message:

Luke 24:15 NLT: “As the two men walking to Emmaus talked and discussed these things that had just occurred, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them.”

After all he’d been through, Jesus didn’t take a day off. Later on Resurrection Sunday, he joined two believers on the road to Emmaus. They were discussing religious matters including what just happened in Jerusalem.

Here’s the problem: Their religious foundation was weak. They didn’t know or understand the scriptures that predicted this series of events. They hadn’t been taught correctly. Jesus came to walk alongside the two men and set the record straight about what had just happened and about who Jesus really is! It was all prophesied in scripture! If you need a good Bible teacher, I recommend Jesus!

It was getting late, and the two men begged Jesus to spend the night. As they reclined to eat, Jesus took the bread, blessed it and gave a portion to each. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized Jesus. And at that moment he disappeared!

You can add what happened on the road to Emmaus to your list of miracles!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship

He's Alive!

April 18, 2022 Monday Message

Luke 24:26 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?”

We know that God is real and that Jesus is the Son of the Living God. Both God and Jesus gave us prophesies, and then it all came true, just as they said it would. The entire Jesus scenario – Jesus coming to earth, suffering for mankind’s sins, his persecution and death – all happened just as Moses, the prophets and even Jesus himself predicted. Everything happened just like they predicted!

Jesus reiterated the prophesies to the two men on the road to Emmaus. They hadn’t recognized Jesus. To their knowledge, he had been crucified and died, and they never expected to meet their Savior while walking to the next town. But then their eyes were opened! They were given understanding! Jesus had risen from the dead! They were given hope!

Luke, like a good investigative reporter, gathered the facts and wrote it all down so that we too could understand and believe the Good News and have hope for our life after this life!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Jesus Explains!

April 12, 2021 Monday Message

Luke 24:45 NIV: “Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”

It’s almost as if Jesus said, “I told you so!” Prophesies about the death and resurrection of the Messiah were abundant in the scriptures. But when you’re actually “in” the story, witnessing events first-hand, perhaps you’re a little too close to perceive the totality of what all is happening.

On the road to Emmaus, the two men were already believers. They were saddened, even depressed by the recent crucifixion of their spiritual mentor. But they didn’t connect the dots – they didn’t understand that everything that occurred was fulfilling prophecy. Jesus was in fact the one at the center of their scriptures. To open their eyes, Jesus held a mini-Bible Study as they walked.

Jesus taught that repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached in His name to all nations, and for us that’s very Good News! Jesus personally solved our sin-problem. Therefore we can look forward to a glorious life after this life in the presence of Almighty God, and that gives us hope – eternal hope!

Blessings and safety to all today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Free Gift!

April 23, 2012 Monday Message:

On the road to Emmaus, Jesus said to them, “O foolish ones and slow of heart, slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he (Jesus) interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning him. Luke 24:25-27 ESV

We are truly blessed to have Bibles in our own language, wherein we can follow the story of Jesus from creation to the end times of Revelation. New Christians in the 1^st Century weren’t so fortunate. They didn’t have all the facts written down, in one place. There were still debates and arguments about how this new “Christianity” thing worked. On the road to Emmaus, Jesus had to explain, to teach – to people who had been in Jerusalem and most likely knew the facts - how his death and resurrection fulfilled all prophesy.

When reading a mystery, are you ever tempted to flip to the last chapter to learn the murder’s identity? Well, you can do that with your Bible, and it’s not cheating! In fact, I encourage it. Flip to the back and see who wins. As you might expect, it’s the guys in the white hats, Jesus and his crew, who win the eternal battle of good vs evil.

In Revelation 22, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who wash their robes [or wear robes of white] so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the Holy City [New Jerusalem] by its gates.”

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” Your eternal membership with the Holy Family in the Holy City is a free gift from Jesus, and that’s what we really live for. The solution to salvation is not to do more stuff; it’s to live closer to Jesus. When you’re closer to Jesus, your good/evil ratio improves. Then good things will follow: “Let the one who desires take the water of life without price.”

Accept the free gift!

Norton Lawellin

Expect the Unexpected

April 16, 2012 Monday Message:

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened...” Ephesians 1:18a Today, I pray that God would open our minds and the eyes of our hearts to expect the unexpected.

Outside Jesus’ tomb, Mary Magdalene was looking for Jesus but didn’t expect to find him in the garden. But when he spoke her name, “Mary,” and she answered in Aramaic, “Rabboni,” the impossible became real. She had been looking in the wrong place, a place for the dead. But her master was, unexpectedly, among the living!

On the road to Emmaus, Cleopas and his companion speak of the devastating things that had occurred in Jerusalem. These disciples lament that their Prophet had been crucified, so of course they would expect him to be among the dead. Jesus led a little small-group Bible study while they were walking, and opened their eyes to the fact that He, Jesus, was among the living.

Even the apostles didn’t “get it” at first. After fishing all night and catching nothing, the man on the shore told them to lower the nets on the RIGHT side of the boat. When the apostles did this, they couldn’t even lift the net because of the large number of fish. This could only mean one thing: Jesus! Knowing that Jesus had been crucified, the apostles weren’t looking for Jesus among the living. Now their eyes were opened, and Mr. Impulsive, Simon-Peter, jumped into the water and immediately swam to the Master. They had a wonderful reunion that morning and ate a meal together. I’ll have the fish!

So today, remember to keep an open mind to the supernatural, those miracles from heaven. Expect the unexpected, because Jesus is among the living.

Blessings to all during this time of Easter Celebration!

Norton Lawellin

I’ll be teaching “Ditch-digging,” in 2 Kings 3 this Friday at New Hope Center, 7pm.