You may remember the story. The next morning, the tanks were gone. They called it the "velvet revolution" — not a single drop of blood was shed. And Maly was the hero of that "velvet revolution." The power of the cross — in one person's life.
His life reflected at least an echo of St. Paul. "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His suffering, becoming like Him in His death."
Let me put it this way: we must walk from Emmaus bearing a cross. And, my friends, if you're not bearing a cross — if you're not willing to suffer — if you don't have a passion to share in the suffering of Christ for the sake of the world, you need to revisit what Emmaus is all about.
Then there is this truth in the story of the walk from Emmaus. It's there in verse 47 of our text: "And repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things."
John's gospel tells this story in a slightly different way. The frightened disciples of Jesus gathered in fear behind bolted doors. Jesus has been crucified and they are afraid that the vengeful enemies of Jesus will seek them out.
Jesus came to those men who had locked themselves inside that room. The Scripture says he came and "stood in their midst."
When Jesus showed them the nail prints in His hands and the wounds in His side. Scripture says, "They were glad." Why were they glad? They knew now that this was not just another Jesus who had come. These scars were the marks that proved that the crucified Jesus had risen and was alive among them.
After showing them His nail-scarred hands, He said, "Peace be with you." And then He commissioned them: "As the Father has sent Me, so send I you."
What is going on here? Can you believe it? These men are cowards. They're frightened out of their wits — they are helpless. Yet it is to this rag-tag group that Jesus says, "As the Father has sent Me, so send I you." He commissions them to the same ministry that He has been performing with them through the past three years — healing the sick, forgiving sins, giving hope, reconciling people, calling people to new life. He is calling these weak, frightened, bewildered, helpless disciples to be about the mighty work of the Kingdom. How could it be? Well, it can't be — it can't be unless something else happens. So, the Scripture says, Jesus breathed on them. That's what it says. "He breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'"
"As God had breathed His life into the first man, and he became a living soul, so now His Son, Jesus, shares the intimacy of His own life with His disciples that they might become a new community."