Episode Transcript  

One

How a Murder Mystery Works

Have you ever read a murder mystery? Most people have. And even if you haven’t, you’ve certainly heard about them. Everybody knows about fictional crime-solvers like Sherlock Holmes for instance or even GK Chesterton’s Father Brown. In fact, Agatha Christie, the mystery writer who created the characters Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, is the best-selling author of all time.

But just in case you’ve never read a murder mystery, here’s how they usually work: A murder is committed. There are certain circumstances surrounding the murder that don’t seem to make sense, they don’t seem to fit together. Eventually, the detective gathers together the interested parties and explains exactly what happened. 

It’s one of the greatest human pleasures to see something that seems not to make sense and then to have it resolved for them in a way that answers all their questions. That’s why so many people love murder mysteries

That’s why, when Jesus explained everything to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, they were so overjoyed that it was like their hearts were burning within them.

Two

The Mystery on the Road to Emmaus

When the risen Lord met up with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, they were discussing a murder mystery. They were discussing the mystery of Jesus’ murder.

In this case, the mystery wasn’t, “Who killed Jesus.” That was easy to answer. The mystery was, “How could the Messiah be killed? “ And, “What was the meaning of these rumors going around that He was actually alive?”

It just didn’t make sense. None of it seemed to make sense. Something was wrong somewhere, wasn’t it? What were they missing? And then Jesus came to them. Jesus was the murder victim. Jesus was also the author of the mystery story. And now, Jesus was going to play the part of the detective, who explains everything at the end. 

Three

Jesus’ Denouement

At the end of your standard murder-mystery, you get what’s called a denouement. That’s where all the seemingly scattered parts of the plot, the different pieces of evidence, the different clues and hints, are brought together in a final explanatory unity. The crime-solving detective usually exhibits a little frustration at the slow-wittedness of his companions, like Sherlock Holmes gets a little tired of Watson’s stupidity. 

And Jesus is the same. He says, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer* these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures.

He showed them how all the clues, all the evidence, all the scriptures, all His own words, led to only one possible conclusion. The conclusion was this: He was the Messiah. He had to die, to save us from our sins. And He was Risen now. Good had triumphed, and Christ had entered into His Glory. And the disciples saw it all come together. It all finally made sense. And their hearts burned within them.

Four

God’s Authorship

A good mystery writer plays a kind of game with his readers. The author says, “Look, I will give you all the clues you need to solve this murder. But I’m going to do it very cleverly. I’ll put the clues in surprising places where you won’t be likely to notice, so you have to pay attention. But don’t worry, even if you can’t figure it out, I’ll explain it to you at the end.”

That’s what God did in the story of Salvation with the Old Testament and the prophets. Clues about the virgin birth, and the time of His coming, and that He would be called a Galilean. Clues about how the Messiah would be the Son of David and the Son of God. He gave clues about the Messiah’s coming, and His kingship, but also about His suffering and His sacrifice.

Jesus, too, gave clues. For instance, that clever clue about how the temple could be destroyed, but He would raise it up again in three days. They were tough clues to piece together, maybe nobody but Our Lady really understood what was happening that day on Calvary. Maybe no one else had read the Scriptures or understood her Son the way she had. But after the Resurrection, looking back, many said, “Oh, okay, I see it now!”

See, what you want from every mystery writer is a book that makes sense, that’s carefully thought out, but is also surprising. And, for most of us, we’d like a happy ending thrown in too for good measure. That’s why God is the best author ever. And Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection is His masterpiece

Five

Trust the Author

One of the main takeaways of the Easter Season is that we can trust God. We can trust the stories He writes in the real world. The reason so many people read Agatha Christie mysteries is that they know they can trust her. They know that, however confusing and tangled the plots of her stories get, no matter how little they seem to make sense, eventually she’ll explain the whole thing in a totally satisfying way at the end. That’s the same lesson the disciples on the road to Emmaus learned that day. They learned that God’s authorship can be trusted.

No matter how confusing the events leading up to the resurrection were, eventually Christ’s followers were given a completely satisfying explanation at the end. We need to meditate on the same truth. There are parts of the divine plan we just can’t figure out. It’s hard to see how to make sense of them.

The doctrine of hell, for instance, the suffering of the innocent, the apparent triumph of evil, or the devastating effects of personal dysfunction. We shake our heads and say, “It just doesn’t seem to make sense. I can’t make sense of it.”

In those moments, trust the author. Trust God. Wait for that great denouement on the last day, where all the plot threads of the universe will be drawn together in a pattern that is beautiful, compelling, and that explains everything. And with a happy ending thrown in for good measure.

Suggested Resolutions:

Choose one resolution for today to help you grow closer to God, or create your own. Here are some ideas to inspire you.

• At the end of every day, try and look back on all the things God has pieced together. If we spend time looking back on God’s providence, we might start to notice how often He answers our prayers.

• Whenever you’re most confused or frustrated by providence, take a moment to recommit yourself to trusting the Divine Author and thank Him for the story of your life.

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