Did Not Our Hearts Burn Within Us

While we may not always be able to see it in ourselves, God is at work in us. In fact, God has promised that all those who belong to Him by faith in Jesus Christ are being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 3:10). This transformation is not a mere intellectual or moral change; it is a deep reorientation of our minds, hearts, and lives. In Luke 24, we see all three of these areas transformed in the lives of the disciples.

First, Jesus transformed the disciples’ minds. Before their encounter with Jesus, they were filled with confusion (v. 11). Why had Jesus died? And where was His body? But Jesus transformed their minds by explaining that His death should not have come as a surprise because it is, in fact, the central plot of the whole Bible (vv. 25-27). And Jesus transformed their minds by opening their eyes to recognize Him personally as they ate together (vv. 30-31). The work of transformation begins in our minds (Rom. 12:1-2), but it does not end there.

Second, Jesus transformed the disciples’ hearts. Before their encounter with Jesus, they were filled with sadness (v. 17). They had hoped that Jesus was going to be the one to redeem Israel, but then His own people rejected and killed Him. They would like to believe the rumors of His resurrection were true, but they didn’t want their hopes crushed once again. But Jesus transformed their hearts by convincing their minds of the good news, which caused them to burn with the joyful significance of His atoning death and victorious resurrection. The work of transformation flows from our minds to our hearts, but even still it does not end there.

Third, Jesus transformed the disciples’ lives. Before their encounter with Jesus, they were leaving Jerusalem with heads hung low (v. 13). Three days had passed since Jesus’ death, and it was time to return to life as usual. But Jesus transformed their lives by giving them a new task and purpose in life. After repeating how His death is the central plot of the whole Bible, Jesus charges His disciples with proclaiming that message: “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things (Luke 24:46-48).” The book of Acts records how the disciples’ lives were transformed and empowered by the Holy Spirit for this mission.