The Emmaus Road - Luke 24 Vs 13-35

Good to see everyone here today on Communion Sunday, another day to praise our Lord and Savior here today.

We'll start off with today with announcements. So first one being prayer meeting 6 p .m.

Today if you'd like to join us would be in the fellowship hall in the back 6 p .m. Meet here in the church. Then we have missionary of the month with Darcy Burlong and she serves with Ethnos 360 in Indonesia as a

Bible translator. So just pray for her efforts there that they're fruitful. Another note for Bible studies, we will not have any more until the 15th of this month.

And then lastly we have the annual business meeting of which that we'll have on the 26th, which is the last

Sunday of this month. And then that does it for announcements. If you guys would just join me in prayer before we go into worship and sermon.

Dear Lord, thank you for this day given us. Thank you for allowing us to meet here and to worship your name and also to participate in communion and remembrance of you what you've done for us on the cross

Lord. As we go into worship and sermon Lord, prepare our hearts to have it focused on you so that we can more better learn about your character as it's preached in the word

Lord. In your name we pray, in Jesus name, Amen. Stand together with me as we sing crown him with many crowns.

Our scripture we need for this morning is Psalm 16 verses 7 through 11.

Psalm 16 verses 7 through 11. I will bless the

Lord who has given me counsel. My heart has also instructs me in the night seasons.

I have set the Lord before me because he is at my right hand. I shall not be moved. Therefore, my heart is glad, my soul my glory rejoices.

My flesh also will rest in hope. For you not leave my soul in shield.

No way will you allow your holy one to see corruption. You will show me the path of life.

Your presence is full of joy. And your right hand touches forevermore.

May the Lord bless you to read his word. You may be seated as pastor comes and we dismiss our youngsters to children's church at this time.

It doesn't feel like we do so and as I was looking back at what kind of music we've done for the last couple of years and even in my poor organization

I've noticed that we sang over a hundred different types of songs and that's just the ones that I managed to save, right?

Those aren't the ones that because I didn't end up saving all of them.

So I think it is a huge tremendous blessing that God has given us a music ministry those who play the instruments and those who sing up here to facilitate in worship through music with deep and rich songs.

It doesn't seem like we've sang over a hundred different types, but we did and and I'm sure there's more than 100.

I just didn't save all of them, but though it's a huge blessing and I am grateful to God that we can worship

God through such a great music ministry, and I am thankful for everyone that's involved.

With that I would like us to turn to Luke chapter 24 verses 13 through 35.

Luke chapter 24 verses 13 through 35.

Now behold two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus which was seven miles from Jerusalem, and they talked together of all these things which had happened.

So it was while they conversed and reasoned that Jesus himself drew near and went with them.

But their eyes were restrained so that they did not know him. And he said to them,

What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?

Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to him, Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem and have you not known the things which happen there in these days?

And he said to them, what things? So they said to him, the things concerning Jesus of Nazareth who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.

And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and crucified him.

But we were hoping that it was he who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed beside all this today is the third day which these things happened.

Yes, and certain women of our company who arrived at the tomb early astonished us when they did not find his body.

They came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said he was alive.

And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.

Then he said to them, O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken.

Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory?

And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

Then they drew near to the village where they were going and he indicated that he would have gone farther.

But they constrained him saying, abide with us for it is toward evening and the day is far spent.

And he went in to stay with them. Now it came to pass as he sat at the table with them that he took bread, blessed and broke it and gave it to them.

Then their eyes were opened and they knew him and he vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us on the road and while he opened the scriptures to us?

So they rose that very hour and returned to Jerusalem And found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together

Saying the lord is risen indeed and has appeared to simon And they told about the things that had happened on the road and how he was known to them in the breaking of bread

This is the word of the lord Let us pray Father we are grateful

That you have given us the risen lord and because he is risen He intercedes for us because he is risen

He saves us from the uttermost And because he is risen He comforts us

Father, thank you that he reigns from above And there is nothing in all of creation that can separate us from his love

Help us to know that and help us to see that In jesus name There is no passage that is more appropriate to preach from than that of jesus's resurrection

I know some churches might have a specific passage on on the first sunday of the year

But ours happens to be the one in which that jesus appears Jesus resurrection is the most important event in human history

And the reason is many Religious teachers have come and gone many of them died

And many of them said helpful things But only jesus is risen

What does that mean jesus resurrection gives us the utmost confidence

In our pardon There is no confidence to be had

If jesus just died like any other man jesus resurrection also

Shows us that he is with us

Dead men don't linger around But the living risen lord

His presence is always with us I we uh, lauren and I we've been reading.

Um This ancient book. It's not I guess it's not ancient, but it's from the reformers times right like 1500s 1600s

It's a book called Precious remedies against satan's devices

I don't know if has anyone heard of it. It's it's a book called precious remedies against satan's devices by thomas brooks and He has a whole book on various devices and each device has like multiple remedies

And it is astounding how it's applicable today and one of the device is that Uh satan

Makes us feel guilty for the sin that we've committed and he accuses us

And he brings it back Or and and also the temptation it just keeps coming back it keeps coming back and how do we respond?

thomas brooks quotes a lady named Catherine and I can't really pronounce her last name

But she says this is what she said when she was tempted to sin

She says I am a weak woman But you can talk to the christ

You can talk to my advocate that's the it's only possible for us to point the accuser to christ

Because he's risen There's no reason for christians to fear temptations or fall into temptation

When they have the risen lord who speaks on our behalf who intercedes on our behalf

Who will pray for us this morning we encounter

Jesus physically The two disciples one of them named cleopas and the other one unnamed

They Talk about jesus And ironically jesus himself shows up But note that they are veiled from seeing that it is jesus

And for a long time i've thought why Why why why why did jesus veil himself?

Why why did god veil jesus to these two witnesses? They would have easily believed

And they wouldn't have had to go that seven mile walk right from jerusalem

After all they end up in jerusalem that night anyway, and I really think the reason is this jesus resurrection

Is best testified by god's word alone

Because in the end we won't be getting A personal encounter.

That's a physical presence of jesus christ and people who claim that Uh, whenever I talk to them have been slightly insane but Because jesus

Did not just physically reveal himself to the disciples, but rather expounded to them from scripture that the son of god must rise from the dead

We also can go to scripture and expound explain

To know That jesus indeed is alive not based upon some personal physical experience

But based upon The testimony from god God's word itself

The main point of today's text is because god testifies to jesus's resurrection in scripture

We can confidently proclaim the gospel Because god testifies jesus's resurrection in scripture.

We can confidently proclaim the gospel first despite multiple human testimonies

Jesus relies on the word of god to testify of his crucifixion and resurrection despite multiple human testimonies jesus relies

On the word of god to testify of his crucifixion and resurrection After the crucifixion crucifixion and resurrection of jesus luke focuses on two unknown disciples walking away from jerusalem

And they're processing What just happened right now behold two of them were traveling that same day to a village called emmaus

Which was seven miles from jerusalem And they talked together

Of all these things which had happened It is unclear where emmaus is other than the fact that it's about seven miles away

And it's an obscure village What this shows us is luke really cares about every detail

He's not trying to create a religion. He's he's choosing to show even relatively unknown town

Even people might not even know it right. It's not a big town emmaus Verse 15 introduces a dramatic irony

So it was while they conversed and reasoned that jesus himself drew near and went with them

As these two men are having a heated discussion about what just happened to jesus in the last couple of days

Luke tells us jesus himself approached them Now the drama begins as the main focus of their discussion

Discussion enters into discussion with them yet. They do not even know it

But their eyes were restrained so that they did not know him And this is a rather mysterious aspect of the resurrected christ

The disciples are temporarily kept from recognizing jesus And this is not to say that jesus rose to a totally unrecognizable

Body, that's not true because the 11 disciples later when jesus shows up will have no problem recognizing him

But rather god in his sovereign purpose stopped them from recognizing jesus After all

They would have been robbed Of a beautiful deep rich lecture from jesus as to how scripture points to jesus christ

Crucifixion and resurrection In verse 17 jesus asked what the deep discussion is about to which cleopas

Answers, are you the only stranger in jerusalem? And haven't you not known the things which happened there in these days?

Uh, basically, have you been living under a rock? To which jesus asks what things and from verses 19 to 24 cleopas explains

To jesus what happened to jesus, right? There's There's that dramatic irony there verse 19 identifies jesus the things concerning jesus of nazareth

Who was the prophet mighty indeed and word before god and all the people? this

Title the prophet of mighty indeed and word before god and of all people was actually used to describe moses in act 7

And moses was learned in all the wisdom of the egyptians and was mighty in words and deeds and if you

Know anything about the old testament Which I highly recommend you read the old testament

Especially now it's new year's and it's only been five days. You can totally Read the bible from cover to cover starting today and you'll make it if you just read three or four chapters a day

You can totally read the bible cover to cover Now in the old testament moses was the prophet par excellence

He is the standard for any prophet right, uh, we always want the newest technology newest gadgets

Not for the prophets back then all the prophets that came after moses looked back to moses.

You want to be like moses? Right someone that god talked face to face

God didn't just give him dreams and visions. No god told him right moses was the strativarius of the prophets

And all the ones who came after only hoped to emulate him however in deuteronomy 1815

Moses reveals that god will raise up another prophet like him Which a lot of the jews actually predicted that that would be the messiah so moses in deuteronomy 18 predicts the coming of christ

The prophet of god the ultimate prophet of god thousands of years earlier Thus cleopas believed that jesus was that promised prophet verses 20 to 21 show why cleopas and his body a buddy

Were downcast their hope in this prophet publicly perished Despite the marvelous miracles and powerful preaching the religious elites and the political leaders ganged up together to crucify jesus

And their hope in this prophet The one who would redeem israel disappeared

And and this is the hope of redemption that we saw from chapter one of luke with zachariah's prophecy

Right that god would deliver his people israel That god would deliver his people from the tyranny of rome

Just as he used moses to deliver god's people from the tyranny of egypt

Ironically, it was precisely through the public humiliation and crucifixion jesus the greater moses

Delivered his people from the greatest enemy of all which is sin But they don't know that In verses 22 through 24 cleopas shares two testimonies that they've heard that shocked

Them which is first the women who saw the body to be missing and then second the angels who testified that jesus is alive

Jesus resurrection is witnessed by both heaven and earth And in response to these women's testimony some other disciples attempted to confirm this and they also could not find the body

And we see here that cleopas and his friend are not convinced at all

And the irony here is that the final piece of evidence that they were longing for was actually speaking to them

Yet jesus remains hidden Here we see two disciples despite the evidence presented to them cannot believe in jesus resurrection

They want to believe on their own terms They're not satisfied with what they're given

Now the mounting evidence that piled up all on the same day the third day The women saw the tomb empty and the angels declared that jesus is alive

And this is an extra powerful testimony for us this morning because if the early church wanted to fake a resurrection

They would not have recorded the women to be the first witnesses because women in ancient judaism held no authority to Testify before court

And when peter and john heard the news from the women they actually went to check it out and confirmed that the tomb was empty

The giant rock was removed from the entrance and the body was missing And this could not have been done by the women

Because they can't roll a heavy rock and there was no incentive for the roman soldiers to do it

Because their task was to guard the tomb And a failure to do that would be treasonous

Now despite all of this these two disciples are disheartened they can't believe unless jesus meets them on their own terms

That they can't quite believe in the resurrection And the question is how does jesus respond to their unbelief jesus?

Could have easily cut the discussion short at this time and said check out my wrist

Check out my feet Look at the nail pierced hands.

Look at the nail pierced feet And we wouldn't have the rest of the passage

Immediately jesus rebukes these two disciples. Oh foolish ones slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken

Foolishness in the bible does not mean ignorance or lack of intelligence fools are not the ones who uh failed out of high school fools

Are those who are morally deficient? Right. It's not about education level it's about Morality in this case.

They are lacking faith Hence jesus uses another title to describe them slow of heart to believe they are resisting to believe

It's foolish to look at the evidence of the resurrection And say ah, that's not enough

That's not sufficient What are they resisting to believe?

the significant to note Is the content of their unbelief it wasn't you unfaithful man.

Why don't you believe what these women saw and man confirmed? The body was missing

It also wasn't you you unholy creatures, how can you dare doubt the testimonies of the angels?

No, jesus rebuke is centered around not believing in what god has spoken to them

Through the prophets The supreme evidence of jesus's crucifixion and resurrection lies in scripture

Scripture Jesus's go -to proof for his resurrection is not the eyewitness testimonies

Although god graciously gives them to us and now that is part of scripture jesus go to Proof for resurrection is not even his own appearance.

Although he could have easily revealed that he is the risen lord And this would have been a perfect opportunity for them to see the nail pierced hands

However, jesus's go -to proof for his resurrection is god's own testimony regarding his son

Ought not the christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory it was necessary that jesus

Was to be crucified Jesus expectation of belief in his resurrection is not based upon the current availability of evidence

But rather one's trust in god's words After all, we can't check the empty tomb right now

After all, we can't talk to the women who witness the empty tomb right now But we can go to god's word

Are you willing to believe in the resurrection because god had said so?

This is not to say that the eyewitness accounts do not matter After all luke gives us the eyewitness account and that's part of scripture

He meticulously investigated and compiled them so that we would have these testimonies

What jesus is saying is that god's testimony of the resurrection revealed Centuries before christ's crucifixion and resurrection is more than sufficient for his followers to believe

God has provided for his disciples enough evidence to believe in christ's death and resurrection

Hence in verse 27 jesus attentively opens the scripture to them and beginning at moses and all the prophets

He expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself Beginning with moses means the law.

It is the first five books of the bible genesis through deuteronomy That's moses

The prophets are an expansive group of people which include All the well -known prophets the major prophets isaiah.

Jeremiah. Ezekiel. They're called major because their books are big uh, and then the 12 minor prophets

But also the jews consider joshua and judges first samuel second samuel to be prophets, too right

Right Not only that in acts 2 even king david is called a prophet. So that includes david's psalms

And and what was read by jim this morning? Is fulfilled by christ?

Right ultimately the ultimate anointed king of god. He god does not let him decay

Right god does not let him just stay in the realm of the dead Hence he's resurrected

Ultimately the whole old testament points to jesus and to miss this is to not believe to miss.

This is moral Corruption to miss this is foolishness There are different types of prophecies regarding jesus the messiah.

There are direct prophecies and their typological prophecies typological prophecies are patterns in the old testament that jesus

Intensifies and fulfills i'll give an example of each A well -known example of direct prophecy comes from isaiah 53

Where it is directly fulfilled by christ it is talking about christ directly, right?

There is the suffering servant who is rejected by his own people Not only that the manner of his suffering resembles the crucifixion of jesus christ in isaiah 53 5

But he was pierced for our offenses He was crushed for our wrongdoings the punishment for our well -being was laid upon him and by his wounds

We are healed. We're that's direct fulfillment no question about That just as the suffering servant was prophesied to be pierced and crushed for our sin the sin of his people

Jesus also was pierced on the cross and bore our punishment so that we may be healed

From sin and through his suffering we're we're pardoned an example of a typological prophecy is

When we take a pattern in the old testament and then see how jesus fulfills it For example, jesus christ is the ultimate sacrifice

In the old testament israel had to sacrifice bulls lambs and goats to maintain a proper relationship with god

There was a sacrifice for specific sin Intentional sin unintentional sin sin that's committed knowingly sin committed unknowingly

Then you find out later And there's a sacrifice to say. Thank you. And there's a sacrifice to say

I praise you There's a sacrifice to say. I love you. There are all different types of sacrifices

So sorry, thank you, and I love you all require different sacrifices In christ, however, all of these sacrifices find their ultimate fulfillment

The author of hebrews argues how the blood of calves and goats offer external cleansing hebrews 9 14

How much more shall the blood of christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to god?

Cleanse you from conscience from dead works to serve the living god If the blood of bulls and goats and lambs provided Some sort of external cleansing so that god would dwell among them in the tabernacle or the temple

How much more so? the death of jesus christ on the cross offer

The cleansing that's more than just external but internal cleansing from all sin right

Christ one sacrifice on the cross accomplishes all the sacrifices in the old testament combined and much more

And that's why when we pray to god We say in christ's name in jesus name

It's not just the phrase. We just throw around It's because in jesus name

We can say sorry, thank you, and I love you without having to slay a single animal because he was slain for us

And this is important for us this morning because none of us have seen jesus physically

However, even the resurrected christ guides us where we need to look in order to truly believe in his resurrection

And it's not his nail pierced hands, but rather scripture It is god's word it is what he has spoken

Even before jesus reveals himself to his apostles and disciples jesus main

Argument for faith in the resurrection is scripture Jesus's best defense for his resurrection is that god has said so I mean that tells us how jesus regarded scripture

Jesus regarded scripture as something that cannot be changed Jesus regarded scripture is ultimately trustworthy faithful in every way

Even if it had been written thousands of years before his own resurrection Jesus said that is evidence for me

That is what I need. That is what you need to believe Ultimately in order to see and believe in jesus crucifixion and resurrection

Is not a video but rather you read it

You hear it ultimately. It's because for the bible tells me so Jesus best argument for faith

In his resurrection is god's word alone Now, what is the proper response to jesus's resurrection?

Because god has testified to jesus's resurrection. We must urgently proclaim the gospel

Because god has testified to jesus's resurrection. We must urgently proclaim the gospel

As they have reached the destination jesus indicates he will go on further To this the two disciples invite him

Abide with us dwell with us for it is toward evening and they the day is far spent

And he went in to stay with them Jesus does not force himself on them

Yet these two Disciples are astounded by how he unpacks scripture

They ask him to stay they invite him After all not many in history received direct bible lectures from the author himself

Uh Whatever these two disciples received from jesus

Is worth more than all the commentaries that exist combined This is something you want to hear from jesus when you meet him in person

How from moses to all the prophets point to christ? And it was during their supper when jesus was serving them.

They realized it was jesus all along Now it came to pass as he sat at the table with them that he took bread blessed and broke it and gave it to them

The taking of the bread and blessing is actually not about communion Uh, because first of all these disciples were not

Present at the last supper. So this would have been a miss to them

Second of all the cup is missing which is part of the communion what this tells us about This is that for some odd reason jesus, although is their guest

Is serving as the host And it is it's it's mysterious. How how is it that jesus who was just invited to dine with them, but he is the one hosting it

All I can say is jesus is the ultimate host And at that moment their eyes are open then their eyes were opened and they knew him and he vanished from their sight

Uh, the the passive here were opened means that god, uh opened their eyes, right?

when this uh When the agent is missing and it's a passive verb and the context allows for divine intervention

Uh, it is god who opened their eyes and when god reveals christ to them jesus immediately leaves

When jesus is finally revealed to them. He he vanishes and for christians

Jesus physical and visible presence is not necessary to experience him

Then the question is how do we experience jesus's presence? The disciples tell us

Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked with us on the road and while he opened the scriptures to us

We experienced jesus's presence in his Word, it's what he has said

And what he expounds in scripture Notice his their hearts burn

It's it's it's intimate when you read scripture Don't think of it as also that I can fall asleep but think of it as I get to meet with my savior

When I open scripture I can experience his loving faithful presence

When I open scripture I get to hear from god himself

When I open scripture I get to spend time with jesus

And a convicting question Is when was the last time your heart burned when you read scripture?

Or when was the last time you read scripture until your heart burned It's one thing to just open the bible read a verse and close it

It's another thing to deeply saturate it until the words become alive And you experience his loving presence and you can't close it

And this leads them to go back to jerusalem that night to proclaim. Jesus's resurrection to the 11 apostles

The lord is risen indeed and has appeared to simon The irony in all of this is when it comes to proclaiming jesus's resurrection

Uh, it is never too late Remember remember how they stopped traveling when they got to emmaus right

The day is far spent Abide with us stay with us. It's too late to travel

Now that god has revealed the resurrected lord. There is something more significant and an urgent hint at hand christ is risen

These two relatively unknown disciples then tell the apostles that are encountered with christ

And for us this morning the proper response to believing in jesus crucifixion and resurrection

Is our proclamation? There was nothing more urgent in these two disciples lives than to proclaim that christ rose from the dead

They walked about seven miles on the dirt road all day And i'm guessing they ran back those seven miles

Back to jerusalem all night They understood what it meant for jesus to be risen

He is the king who came to redeem his people he is

The king who has conquered sin and death And he is the king who died for our sin and rose from the dead there is no problem

More pressing in our world Than the existence of sin

Yes, you turn the media on or they'll find something else to blame and Academia, they'll always theoretically find something uh that you experience when you're a child

And you're all suffering because of that uh And they're fads they're fads everywhere right one generation believes the worst problem is hunger and another generation the worst problem is uh

Social media all that it always changes. It's it's it's it's always changing technology

Unhealthy foods. Yes. They are all problematic but The worst problem that the world faces actually is sin

It is sin Without sin, we wouldn't have any of these problems Without sin, we wouldn't have wars

Without sin, we wouldn't have corruption and the only person who can fully restore

Is not another religious teacher Is not another professional politician

Because the worst problem is not a political system The only person who can fully restore

Is a redeemer Is a savior Is the risen christ?

the king Whom even death could not stop? The fact that sin and death have an expiration date

And there will come a time in which sin and death will be absent

And Because jesus died for our sin and rose from the dead Is a news that is too good to be kept secret when you when you encounter

Death whether in the family or friends or even your pets it's

It's devastating but for christians

We actually have hope Because that will not be the norm

That experience Is not meant to be forever And only in jesus christ who experienced death for our sake and Rose from the dead

We actually have hope of redemption You can't get hope anywhere else i'll tell you academia will always find another theory to to solve the world's problem from their desks

Media will find another problem that you need to worry about and stress out about and raise your blood pressure over But jesus is the only solution

To the world's ultimate problem Which is sin and death And the fact that he's risen

Means sin and death do not reign and this morning

We all have the duty to proclaim this risen king It's more than a duty it's an honor

It's an opportunity and this morning What is more urgent in your life than the proclamation of the risen king?

Let us pray Father, I confess that sometimes it is hard to proclaim jesus christ

For the fear of negative opinions of men Help us to proclaim christ

Knowing that there's no news that's greater There's no one that's greater

Help us to proclaim him help us to encounter him daily as we open up scripture