“The Post-Easter Let Down”
Text: Luke 24:13-35
4-19-2026
In the name of our risen Lord and Savior, dear friends in Christ. There is a phenomenon which happens in the church every year about this time. I’m sure you’ve witnessed it but I doubt if you took note that it was happening. And even if you did, not many of us have taken the time to analyze it. So, what’s this yearly phenomenon that I’m talking about? Well, it probably has other names but I call it “The Post-Easter Let Down.” What’s that you ask? Simply put, it’s the surge in attendance on Easter Sunday followed by a major decline in numbers the very next week. It happens in every congregation I know of, regardless of their denomination. And “The Post-Easter Let Down” can be quite depressing for a Pastor for several reasons. Lent is a very busy and potentially stressful time with all the extra services. And Holy Week is doubly busy. But it’s all worth it when you see those additional, smiling faces listening to the good news on Easter. Sadly, though, that joy disappears in the weeks to come because that burst in attendance is like a flash in the pan.
What happened to all that joy and enthusiasm? What happened to that desire to meet with the Lord in worship and listen to Him? What happened to the hunger to be fed by God’s Word and Sacrament? And most important, what happened to that faith which seemed to be burning in people’s hearts on Easter Sunday? Those are difficult but not impossible questions to answer. And as we do, I think you’ll see that the “The Post-Easter Let Down” doesn’t just affect our missing brothers and sisters in Christ. The rest of us struggle with it even though we may consistently be in worship.
I think it would be fair to say that the 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus were experiencing the depression of a “Post-Easter Let Down.” And analyzing their problem will help us analyze our own. Keep in mind that this incident occurred during the afternoon and evening of Easter Sunday. These 2 people must’ve been hanging around with a contingent of Jesus’ disciples, because apparently, they were present when the ladies reported that the tomb was empty and the angel had told them Jesus was alive. They were aware that Peter and John had gone to the grave to see it for themselves. But for whatever reason, they had evidently left before Mary Magdalene or Peter or the other women had come back to share the news that they had seen Jesus Himself, alive in the flesh. So here they are, moping along in their own private “Post-Easter Let Down.” They had unknowingly walked away from all that potential joy and enthusiasm.
But was it “unknowingly”? To be quite honest, they should have known better. That’s really what Jesus was trying to draw out of them as He joined them walking along that road. You’ll notice that the text says they were “kept from recognizing” Jesus with their eyes. It wasn’t just depression which clouded their thinking and their eyesight. No, Jesus intentionally kept them from recognizing His physical appearance so that He could get them to see Him by faith which would lift them out of their self-imposed depression.
Now don’t think for a minute that Jesus was being coy or playing dumb when He asked what was troubling them. He is all-knowing. He certainly knew the whole story. So why did He ask? Well, it’s like a parent sitting down with their troubled child who’s crying and saying, “Tell me what’s wrong, dear.” By rehearsing the events out loud a person can often be led to identify their own problem, which is the first step in solving it. So, Jesus let them spill out their emotions and confusion.
I hope you caught some of the sticking points in their telling of the story. These are the very things that were road blocks to their Easter joy. First, they say that Jesus was simply “a prophet.” Had they forgotten Peter’s confession that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God? Had they forgotten His show of divine power over sickness, demons, nature, and even His power over death? Well, yes. They had forgotten. It shows when they related that all their hopes were dashed when Jesus was beaten and crucified. They had hoped He would be the One to save Israel. What they failed to see is that Jesus had done just that on the cross. And not only Israel, but He suffered and died to save all of mankind. The sad fact is that Jesus had foretold that all this was going to happen! But like the rest of the disciples, they forgot. They had also forgotten His promise to rise again.
How could they have missed it? Well, that’s what happens when we focus on ourselves rather than on Jesus and His promises. They were caught up in their own grief and fear, so much so that they couldn’t or wouldn’t allow themselves to hold onto the sure and certain promises of Jesus. And here’s where we have to confess that we suffer from that same affliction. Our lives can become hectic and crazy at times. And we tend to get very inwardly focused. You may have troubles in your marriage or with your children or with your job and those problems overshadow your faith in Jesus. Someone we love or we ourselves may be battling a painful illness in our body or mind. Gas prices are soaring, there are wars being waged, money is tight and our country’s morals have gone to hell in a handbasket. In our own lives we repeatedly struggle with the same sin over and over again, along with a lack of self-control and it puts us in a depressing, spiritual funk. At times like this, we become so preoccupied with these things that we fail to remember the promises of God to us.
The solution to that problem can be seen in how Jesus helped those 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus. After they related their tale of woe to Jesus, what did He do? He started off by saying, “O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe.” Jesus wasn’t being mean here, but it’s as if He was splashing cold water in their face to wake them up. Then, as He walked beside them, He also walked them through the truths of Scripture. He reminded them of all the promises about the Savior in God’s Word and how they were all fulfilled in Him. I can just imagine them thinking to themselves, “Yes. Now I remember! How could have I forgotten that?” And suddenly their lost hope and joy began to return. By leading them through the Scriptures their faith was stirred. Later, they admitted that their hearts were burning within them as Jesus opened their eyes to all those promises in God’s Word.
I’ve seen the same thing happen as a Pastor. Sometimes a member who’s already been through Confirmation sits in on my adult instruction class. Time and again the response I hear is, “Oh man! Now I understand!” It’s not that they didn’t have faith before, but walking back through the foundational teachings of God’s Word stirs up what they had within them. The same thing happens in Bible Class or Sermons. All of a sudden, a light goes off and the Holy Spirit reminds them of a truth they had forgotten or never seen before.
Quite frankly, that’s what we so desperately need when we turn our focus inward and concentrate on our problems. In those times, we fail to recognize that Jesus is there walking beside us. Like those 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus, Jesus in essence has become a stranger. That’s because we’re focused on ourselves rather than Him. But Jesus walks beside us and reminds us of all His promises. Like those 2 disciples, He holds a conversation with us through His Holy Word, reassuring us of the truths we learned there. He continues that conversation week after week as He enters this holy sanctuary to speak to us through His Word which restores our hope and joy. That’s why we stress the importance of worship. When we come infrequently or rarely it’s as if we’ve headed off on a different path, away from Jesus. All that will lead to is a deadening of faith and spiritual depression.
But when we continue to walk beside our Lord, He leads us to recognize Him by faith. But even better than that, like with those 2 disciples, He also joins us at the table for a special meal; a meal where He is the host and serves us the heavenly food of His body and blood. In the breaking of this bread, we too have our eyes opened to recognize Him. He reveals Himself to us as He nourishes our souls with His love and forgiveness.
It is here in His conversations with us and in the breaking of the bread in the Lord’s Supper that Christ lifts us out of our self-imposed “Post-Easter Let Down.” This then is our very own road to Emmaus where Christ removes the gloom of this sinful world so that our hearts burn with His joy and peace. Stirred by His presence, our souls plead with Jesus to “Stay with us” which He gladly does for all who believe in Him. With our hearts burning with the fire of faith, may we then like the Emmaus disciples hurry out to tell others the good news that Christ our Savior has risen from the dead. Amen.
Soli Deo Gloria!