Faith Is Not Blind (Luke 24:13-35, Jeff Kliewer)

The Disciples’ Sleepwalking Unbelief on the Road to Emmaus

Mile sleepwalk. I think these disciples are on a seven mile sleepwalk. You know the story of Rip Van Winkle? He goes to sleep when King George is ruling over America and when he wakes up the American Revolution has happened and he is living in an entirely new world.

These men have slept through a monumental thing. The dying and rising of Jesus and they're walking along after hearing that he has risen and their disposition is what? Sad. They're depressed. In fact they're going somewhere.

Why aren't they gathering with the apostles, with the disciples, with those women to look for his coming, to pray? No. The Passover festival is over. That week of celebration and the crowds after a rest on the Sabbath, on the Saturday, this Sunday morning they're getting up and people are leaving the city.

It looks to me like they're heading home. They're not believing what these women had to say. They're not believing the gospel. They're asleep. But Jesus, like a cattle herder, like a good shepherd, sees those wandering sheep lost and straying and he goes to them and spends time with them.

Verse 14, they're talking with each other and they're not able to see who it is that walks up and talks with them. Now why not? Verse 15, Jesus draws near and goes to them but in verse 16 their eyes are kept from recognizing him.

He doesn't reveal his identity. He doesn't show himself physically that they would understand who they're walking with. He hides his identity from them. There's a lesson for us in this, that the revelation of who Jesus is is a supernatural thing.

It's not just a matter of studying history. We need the Spirit of the Living God to open our blind eyes to see and here he allows them to remain blind and even hides his own identity from them because we'll see in a minute how he reveals himself.

He's not going to appear to you in a dream or walk up next to you unless for some extraordinary reason he chooses to do that. That's not his ordinary means of revealing himself. No, we'll learn what that is.

It's the Scriptures. Keep reading. Verse 17, he says, what's this conversation that you are holding? And they stand there looking sad. Cleopas answers, verse 18, are you the only one who doesn't know?

He recites the things concerning Jesus, verse 19. Verse 20, how he was delivered up and crucified. Bad news. 21, but we had hoped he was the one to redeem Israel. It's now the third day and these women, verse 22, have really surprised us.

Verse 24, some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it how the women said, but him they did not see. We're told that these are sad men. They're depressed. They're spiritually asleep. Now in counseling courses, if you were to take counseling 101, the answer that you are to give to a depressed person is not what Jesus does in verse 25.

The Scriptures, Moses, and the Prophets Pointing to Christ

But he can do this because he's Jesus and he has an answer that's not medical. He has an answer which cuts to the very depth of the need of the human heart. And so look what he says in verse 25. Oh foolish ones.

Some translations, you fools. Slow of heart to believe. Believe what? What the women said? No, although they should have. What the apostles were beginning to believe? As Peter and John ran to the tomb, it looks like they wandered off in the opposite direction.

Not the apostles, but all that the prophets have spoken. You're slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?

And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Mark this passage in your Bible. If you still have a hard copy of the Bible, if you take notes in the margins, mark this.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. They're foolish. Why? Because they don't read the scriptures. Because they don't believe all that the prophets have spoken. And we're told that beginning with Moses, that's the Pentateuch.

The first five books of the Old Testament. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. The books that Moses wrote. And the prophets. That's Isaiah and Jeremiah and Malachi. And all of those minor prophets that many of us forget their names.

And that they're even in the Bible, right? Do you guys know what's in the book of Nahum? It's easy for us to forget. But all of these prophets had a message for us. And all of these prophets were pointing to Jesus.

And all the writings, the Ketuvim, the writings, these all spoke of him. Verse 27. Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? Is there somebody here today, you're not yet convinced that Jesus is the Christ?

You're not yet convinced that he died on a cross and rose from the dead. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. I grew up here in this message. My parents were faithful Christians and they taught me the scriptures.

And I remember memorizing Bible verses and learning the scripture. I went off to a secular college to play basketball. And silly me, I took a religious studies class there, thinking that I could learn the Bible at a secular college.

However, secular colleges will come to the Bible with a bias against supernaturality. They will assume that the only thing that's true is what's natural. Meaning they will just carte blanche eliminate all miracles from the Bible.

They have a naturalistic presupposition when they study the scriptures. And so the professors that I took in college, these religious studies professors, they didn't believe the Bible. They looked at it as inspired in kind of the way Shakespeare's inspired or any other great writer is inspired.

They did not look at this book as the very breath of God, the very Word of God. And yet they were smart. I remember one guy, I'll name names, his name was Tim Beal. I remember him teaching that the resurrection stories that you read in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, they all contradict each other.

One has some angels on a stone. Others have angels in the tomb. One has angels visiting women. In a different context. And all of these stories are contradictions. He needs to go back to logic class to learn the definition of a contradiction.

But that to the side, I want to say he was influential in my life. He was a funny guy. And I liked hanging out with him. And he began to influence me. And my faith began to waver. And I saw this other path which amounted to unbelief.

But could take God on our own terms and take the parts of Scripture that seemed to make sense, but didn't have to hold on to Jonah being swallowed by a literal fish and spit up on shore. Or the earth created in a literal six days.

My little scientific mind was getting too sharp for that. And these professors which were influential in my life, they were impressive. And they were fun. And life almost seemed funner if I left this book behind and followed the way that they had to offer.

My faith was teetering. But one night when I was alone in my college dorm, I just began to pray. And I said, Lord, this matters. And if I could trust this book, please show me that it's trustworthy. And so I just said, I don't recommend this way of Bible study, by the way.

But for that context, it was okay. I said, Lord, speak to me. And I let the Scriptures just fall open. And I looked down, and there highlighted in my Bible from when I was young, with a star and underlined, was Micah chapter 5 verse 2.

But you Bethlehem, though you're small among the tribes of Judah, yet out of you shall come the ruler of Israel, whose goings forth are from everlasting to everlasting. Now I began to think, Bethlehem, where Jesus was born.

Could he have controlled the place where he was born? Of all the cities in the world, the small little town, Messiah, to eternity future, had to come through this little town. And I said, that's supernatural.

That's prophecy. That's real. When was Micah written? 700 years before Messiah came. And I flipped over one more time, and the Bible opened to Deuteronomy 29 29. And this sealed it for me. The secret things belong to the Lord our God.

But those sayings that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever. And I said to myself, yeah, there are secret things. You know what? Maybe this professor will say some things that I can't answer.

Maybe there's some things that my mind isn't even big enough to understand. There are some secret things that are over my head and above my pay grade. But those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever.

And on that day, I knew, I tell you, I knew that this book is truth. That everything that it says is true. It is reliable. And the more I have studied this subject, looking into the prophecies from Moses to all the prophets, it's as plain as the nose on my face.

Which is pretty plain. You beg? You can see it. Study the scriptures. Everything that Moses wrote about. I mean, just take Isaiah chapter 7 verse 14. Born to a virgin. Who else in the history of the world is born to a virgin but Jesus Christ the Messiah?

There is none. Chapter 9 verse 6. What will we call him? Wonderful counselor. Everlasting Father. Mighty God. Prince of Peace. A son given and given those names. Who but Jesus fulfills that? Isaiah 11.

This branch, this righteous branch. With the Holy Spirit resting on him. The spirit of wisdom and counsel and power. Who will not judge by what he sees with his eyes or decide by what he hears with his ears.

But in righteousness will judge the needy and give decision to the needy of the earth. With righteousness his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. Who but Jesus fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 11.

And Isaiah was just getting warmed up. Wait till you get to that 53rd chapter. And all we like sheep have gone astray. We've wandered, each one of us, to our own way. But the Lord has laid on him. That sheep who goes to the slaughter does not open his mouth to defend himself.

The iniquity of us all laid upon him. Substitutionary atonement all throughout Isaiah 53. Here's what I'm saying to you. Faith is not blind. It's not like Indiana Jones where you just have to take this blind leap into Christianity.

No. Faith is the response to God in his word. God has spoken in 66 books called the Bible. 39 of them were before Christ even came. 400 of years of silence between the Old and the New Testament. Way back when he spoke and faith is taking God at his word.

To take God at his word is to believe in Jesus the Christ, the Messiah. You don't need a blind leap. You need to read what God has said and he reveals himself. Now let's look at one last thing. Back to this story in Luke 24.

The Breaking of Bread and the Opening of Spiritual Eyes

You see, when you begin to open the scriptures, praying that the Holy Spirit will awaken those scriptures to you, this is where spiritual life comes from. He gives you heartburn. And I don't mean you ate too many sausages.

Heartburn. Your heart begins to burn inside of you as the Spirit brings life to you through the word. This is what happens. Luke 24. We left off at verse 27. So 28. They draw near to the village to which they were going.

He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly saying, stay with us for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent. So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them.

Is that drawing any memories back? Remember the Passover? The breaking of the bread? The Last Supper? What is that Passover bread? It's unleavened. That means sinless. And that Passover lamb, none of its bones broken.

An innocent lamb that has to die. The blood of the lamb marking the doorposts. That Passover meal Jesus then applies to himself and says when he breaks that bread, this is my body broken for you. And when his blood is spilled on the cross, he says with the cup, this is my blood of the New Covenant.

Drink this in remembrance of me. The Passover represents him. So now as they sit down and they break bread, as he tears that bread, he uses that to open their eyes. Verse 30. When he was with them at the table, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them.

31. Don't miss this. Don't sleepwalk right now. Follow this 31. Their eyes were opened and they recognized and he vanished from their sight. He was recognized in the breaking of the bread. Spiritually, God did a work in their hearts to open their spiritual eyes and they believed.

He opened their eyes through the breaking of bread. And now look at this next verse. They said to each other, did not our hearts burn within us? While he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures.

Have you been going through a dry period in your Christian walk? It's the scriptures. It's always the scriptures. Go back to the scriptures with the prayer that he will open your eyes and make your heart burn with love for him.

He opened to them the scriptures and their hearts burned as he walked with them and talked with them. Verse 33. And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. Remember, this is a seven-mile walk.

How many of y 'all can run seven miles? Not easy. I know some of you can. But a seven-mile run, getting back there just as quick as they can. They want to celebrate with the other apostles. Tell them that they have seen the Lord.

They found the eleven and those who are with them gathered together saying, the Lord has indeed risen and has appeared to Simon. So while they were running, he's appearing to Simon. Or maybe it was before he showed up to them.

But Jesus is popping up everywhere. Then they told what had happened on the road and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. So in closing, I'm really preaching to two people today. I'm preaching to the unbeliever and the believer.

Maybe you came into this building and you would say, look, I want to believe, I just don't believe. I'm preaching to you to say, listen, your eyes will be opened through the breaking of the bread. God's Word is bread and it is life to you.

You open this book and read and say, God, if you're real, reveal the Son of God to me. Know this, that everybody in this room is the same. We are sinners. We bring nothing to the table. He brings bread to the table.

He's brought the Son of God to us and you are welcome at that table. He says to you, come, come to the table and eat. This bread is for you. There is forgiveness of sin. There is eternal life. It is for you.

Come and take. Nothing hinders you. You are welcome here. You say, I want to believe, but I don't believe. Well, look to the Scriptures. The Promised One, born in Bethlehem, born to a virgin, the Son of God, would be crucified in these specific ways and rise from the dead.

He would not allow the Holy One to see decay. Your eyes will be opened as you read the Scriptures with that prayer calling on Him. In His mercy, He will mercy you. That calling will even come from Him.

You're being drawn. That's why you're here today or that's why you're listening on the video. But to the believer, I'll say this, go back to where you first believed. Remember when you first believed and the Scripture was alive to you?

And you loved to read the Bible. Remember how you couldn't get enough? I remember this one young guy that got saved and he read the whole New Testament that first week of his salvation. Remember what that's like?

He will stoke those fires again. He stokes the fires through His Word. I wrote for you on this paper that's falling down right now. You have it in your notes. Some prophecies to look up. Go through those and let's close in prayer.

If you're not yet a believer, as you read Luke 24, do you see yourself as Cleopas? Hey, Cleopas, doesn't matter your name. You're welcome at the table. Right now, just say, Jesus, I believe. You have opened my eyes through the prophecies of old.

I believe the Scriptures. Thank you for this bread, your own body broken, your blood poured out for me. I believe. Take away my sin. I accept this gift of eternal life. I need you. I am a sinner in need of a Savior.

I am a beggar in need of bread. Save me. Save me. And believers, pray now that you would be wakened from any sleep. If you've gotten drowsy, you've gotten sleepy, maybe you're sleepwalking, maybe coming to church is, it's just a sleepwalk.

You come because you're supposed to come, but your heart isn't burning when you're here. Ask him now to set your heart on fire, to join this fellowship of the burning hearts. God, awaken us now by your Scriptures.

As we open your word throughout the week, studying these prophecies, ignite our hearts with faith. Teach us to use these Scriptures to evangelize others. Jesus, you set this example for us, taking them through Moses and the prophets.

Help us to do that for others. I have someone in my mind right now, Lord. I pray for him that you open his eyes through the Scriptures. Cause his heart to burn for you. All over this place, just pray for somebody in your own heart, for their eyes to be opened, that you could share these things with them.

God, we pray for the lost. Go walk with them on the road to Emmaus. Use us to walk alongside of them, to speak the Scripture to them, to point them to the prophecies of old, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Messiah, who died and rose according to the Scriptures.

Thank you, Lord, for your word. Set our hearts on fire as we worship and as we gather each week. In Jesus' name, amen.