The Danger of Unrequited Hope
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Exploring the danger of holding God responsible for unrealized hopes.
Text: Luke 24:13-24
Date: 04/19/2026, the Combined service.
Series: "Luke: Thy Kingdom Come" Part 228
Description:
In this message we turn to the second great encounter in Luke's Resurrection narrative, between Jesus and two disciples on the road to Emmaus. In one sense, these disciples represent all Jesus' followers at this point in the narrative who feel their hopes in a Redeemer have been crushed by His Crucifixion and death. The great irony of course is that by not remembering the words and promises of Jesus and anchoring their reality in the "eyes of the flesh", they fail to "see" the Resurrected Lord who is right before them. Our focus will be on the "hope" they have placed in a Messiah of their own making rather than the Messiah Jesus and the prophets of old clearly taught. We will realize that God is under no obligation to fulfill such misguided hopes and the true failure is in the nature of the hope itself rather than the eternal decree of God. We will apply this principle to the myriad times we as Christians lose hope by placing that hope in our own designs rather than the good, wise and sovereign designs of God. Ultimately we will come to the blessed conclusion that with God, there is no such thing as an unrequited hope.
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I. Introduction
II. Exposition of the text, Luke 24:13-24.
A. Context
1. The Easter message.
2. The unbelief of the disciples, Luke 24:6.
3. The Problem of a "little faith".
B. The disciples' lost hope, Mark 16:12-13.
1. Introducing two travelers, vs. 13-14.
a. Setting the scene, vs. 13.
i. The "missing" transition.
ii. On the testimony of two witnesses, Deut. 19:15.
iii. Later the same day.
iv. The destination.
b. The conversation, vs. 14.
2. The appearance of Jesus on the road, vs. 15-16.
a. A new traveling companion, vs. 15.
b. An unrecognized companion, vs. 16, Luke 24:6-7.
3. The "arresting" question, vs. 17.
a. Jesus' "ice-breaker", vs. 17a.
i. Noticing the body language of the disciples.
ii. A typical way for Jesus to control a conversation, Luke 6:3,9, 8:30, 9:18, 20:3,4,41, 22:35.
b. The stunned disciples, vs. 17b, Luke 8:44; Matt. 6:16.
4. Cleopas' "testy" response, vs. 18.
a. The named disciple.
b. Showing his emotion.
5. Relating the "things", vs. 19-20.
a. Jesus' leading question, vs. 19a, Luke 24:6-7.
b. The disciples' assessment, vs. 19b-20.
i. Describing Jesus, vs. 19b.
1) Jesus the Nazarene, John 1:46; Matt. 16:16; Luke 2:11, 4:34.
2) A mighty prophet, Acts 7:22.
ii. Describing the execution, vs. 20, Acts 2:22-24.
6. The revealing "hope", vs. 21.
a. Laying the groundwork of lost hope.
i. The hope of Zechariah, Luke 1:68-71, 1John 3:8.
ii. The hope of Simeon and Anna, Luke 2:25,38.
iii. The necessary sacrifice of redemption.
1) Understanding "redemption", John 1:29.
2) The redemption of the Passover Lamb.
iv. So close but so far.
b. Failing to see with the eyes of faith, John 11:39.
7. Ignoring the evidence, vs. 22-24.
a. The testimony of the women, vs. 22-23.
b. The testimony of Peter, vs. 24a.
c. The final assessment, vs. 24b.
III. Application
A. Blaming God for unrequited hope.
B. Finding the real problem in misguided hopes.
C. The great danger.
IV. Conclusion
