It had been a long Passover for Jesus’ followers.  From the first Sabbath in Bethany (John 12:1-3) just before the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (John 12:12-16), followed by the overturning of traders’ stalls in the temple (Mark 11:15-18) to a week of teaching in the temple (Luke 21:37-38), all seemed reasonably well.  The Last Supper marked a significant change in mood as Jesus taught that the shared bread was His body; and the wine, His blood (Luke 22:19-23).  Then, Jesus’ anguish in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46), the mock trials, the whipping and beating and humiliation of Jesus was very bad.  Worse was His crucifixion shrouded in darkness as even the sun was not allowed to shine (Luke 23:44).  Then a cry of victory and silence as Jesus died (John 19:30).

A week had gone by.  Another Sabbath, but although Jesus’ followers rested their bodies, their minds were full of unanswered questions.  The next day, the third since the crucifixion, the Passover festival was over, and life was expected to return to normal.  But for the two people walking the 7 miles back to their home in Emmaus, there was much to discuss.  Jesus, whose teaching and miracles clearly showed He was sent from God, seemed to have been defeated by His enemies.  The irregular arrest, the unfair trial, the religious hostility, the cruel flogging and the shameful death on a cross all signalled that they had misplaced their hope; Jesus could not be their saviour (Luke 24:19-21).  None of it seemed to make any sense.
 
Just then, Jesus joined them.  Of course, His long garments and the cooling head wear (like traditional Middle Eastern dress today) provided a good disguise, especially as the last person they expected to meet was Jesus.  Their minds were focussed on their sadness and a dead Messiah (Luke 24:17).  Yet Luke records that it was not just their grief, and trying to make sense of what had happened, which prevented them recognising the Saviour.  God prevented them from understanding their experience, without seeing the life and death of Jesus through the pages of the Old Testament Scriptures (Luke 24:32).  Only the Word of God would enable them to recognise the living Messiah (John 20:9).
 
Many people attempt to 'find God’ but cannot.  They may be looking for clues in nature, the cosmos, human psychology or the thoughts of religious leaders; but unless they search the Scriptures with a willingness to come to Jesus, they will not be able to recognise who He is or understand why He came to earth (John 5:39-40).  For that reason, so much of what passes for 'sharing our faith' falls short if we do not help our friends to understand who Jesus is, from the Bible.  Christian faith is not primarily about the comfort we feel from knowing Jesus, but about trusting that He was punished instead of us, bearing our sins so that we might be forgiven and welcomed into His family and live to His glory (1 Peter 2:24).  That is the focus of all the Bible's teaching.  So, if we are to share ‘our faith’ we must share the Scriptures that speak of Christ.  Otherwise, people will not be able to recognise who Jesus is.