Following Jesus on the Other Side of the Cross
Surprise reunions are fun, aren’t they? There’s something about that moment when everything clicks—when someone realizes who has been with them all along. In Luke 24:13-35, we see a reunion like that. Two disciples are walking on the road, talking about everything that has happened, and Jesus is right there beside them…but they don’t realize it.
And in many ways, that’s exactly what following Jesus can feel like today.
We are on the other side of the cross. Jesus has been crucified, raised, and has ascended to heaven. He is not physically walking beside us—but he is present with us. Sometimes clearly. Sometimes hidden. So what does it look like to follow Jesus in this kind of world?
This passage gives us three simple, practical ways.
1) Discuss openly your experience with the gospel
These two disciples are talking. They’re working through what they’ve seen, what they’ve heard, and what they don’t understand. They are sad, confused, and unsure what to think.
And Jesus steps right into that conversation.
He asks questions. He draws them out. He brings them to the point of talking openly about their experience—even their disappointment.
That’s a word for us.
Too often, we either keep everything to ourselves or pretend we’re doing better than we really are. But following Jesus means being honest about where we are.
Talk about what you’re thinking.
Talk about what you’re feeling.
Talk about where you’re confused.
Talk about where you need help.
Not with everyone—but with someone you trust.
Jesus meets us in those conversations. Even when we don’t realize he’s there.
2) Dive deep in your study of the Scriptures
At some point, Jesus stops asking questions and starts teaching.
He rebukes them for being slow to believe, and then he walks them through the Scriptures—from Moses to the Prophets—showing them how everything points to him.
That’s how we follow Jesus today.
We don’t see him face to face, but we meet with him in his Word.
If you want to follow Jesus, you cannot neglect the Bible. You have to read it. Study it. Sit with it. Come back to it again and again.
Not just the parts that are easy—but the parts that are hard too.
Everything in Scripture points to Jesus. And the more you see that, the more clearly you’ll understand your life.
Your experience doesn’t interpret the Bible.
The Bible interprets your experience.
That’s the difference between being stuck in confusion and walking in clarity.
3) Draw near to Jesus and other followers of Jesus
As the day goes on, the disciples invite this “stranger” to stay with them.
And at the table, something simple happens. Jesus takes bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to them.
And suddenly—they see him.
Their eyes are opened.
That’s how it works for us too.
We draw near to Jesus by faith. And we do that together. Around tables. In conversations. In shared life.
No one is meant to follow Jesus alone.
We draw near to Jesus by drawing near to other believers. And in those ordinary moments—talking, eating, studying, praying—we begin to sense his presence.
Did not our hearts burn?
After Jesus disappears, the disciples say something remarkable:
“Did not our hearts burn within us…while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”
That’s the result of following Jesus this way.
When you:
discuss the gospel openly
dive deep into the Scriptures
draw near to Jesus with other believers
You begin to sense his presence.
Not perfectly. Not constantly. But truly.
A simple takeaway
If you want to know whether you’re actually following Jesus, don’t overcomplicate it.
Talk about the gospel with other believers.
Read and study your Bible daily.
Draw near to Jesus together with others.
These are ordinary ways. But they lead to something extraordinary.
Main Idea: Sense the presence of Jesus through the ordinary ways he has given us to follow him.
And when you do, you’ll find yourself saying the same thing those disciples said:
“Did not our hearts burn within us…?”
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