----The road to Emmaus---
Luke 24:13-35
I want to talk to you today about roads
We all have traveled many roads in our life times
Some rough- some easy- but many roads just the same
Sometimes we set off on a trip that we are dreading
Anxiety about what the end of the road will bring
Only to discover something spectacular when we get there/ a hidden treasure
Other times we are eagerly looking forward to a trip
And then circumstances along the way
Discrepancies when we get there
Cause
The excitement and anticipation to turn to
Disappointment
And
Regret
Many times I have traveled to look at a new horse or mule
A truck or a tractor
And what I went to look at was not what was described
Other times I have left
Dreading a meeting
Or the family reunion
Or the you name it—
Only to arrive and find that you had so much in common with the person or people you were dreading seeing that you did not want to leave when the time came.
Or that whatever you were looking at was way more than expected
Sometimes it is the circumstances that change your outlook
All dressed up
Ready to go
Only to blow a tire
Or have truck problems
Along the way
Or maybe
You left a bit disgusted
And then God put someone in your path
Or something came on the radio
That changed your whole outlook
Over the last several weeks we have been studying and preaching about Jesus’ last week here on earth
Two weeks ago we put ourselves in the shoes of Jesus’ followers as they watched our Lord Ride into Jerusalem on a donkey
Excitement filled the air
Then we came back on Friday
Good Friday they call it
And cried together
As we talked of the crucifixion
The trials
The rejection of our Lord
Then on Easter Morning
We once again placed ourselves in the shoes of some of Jesus’ closest followers
at sunrise out around the fire
We felt
Their sorrow
Their sense of loss
Their despair
And then we celebrated as we saw how sunrise brought new hope
Then later we came inside and rejoiced at how the empty cross and empty tomb and empty burial clothes
Contained the fullness of God’s promises
The empty cross – the promise the forgiveness of sins
The empty tomb – the promise of eternal life
And the empty burial clothes – the promise of a personal relationship with our living savior
We saw as the followers
First the women
Then Some of Jesus’ closest companions
Changed the outcome of their emotions
And went from hopelessness to hopefulness
Emptiness to fullness
Today we are going to continue our Easter lesson
Yes I know Easter has passed
Mother’s day is fast approaching
But I believe the story of the resurrection
Should go way past Easter Sunday
It should be a part of our lives as believers
Why
Because without the resurrection
There would be no restoration
No way to get to God
No way to be redeemed
So
Please open your bibles to Luke chapter 24
Let me tell you a story about a couple of Guys who left out on a trip
And let me tell you about the things that happened along the way
That changed their whole view of the trip
But also changed their lives
Luke 24:13-35
I will read the whole account for you’ then we can break it down
Luke 24:13-35
13 That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14 As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. 16 But God kept them from recognizing him.
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”
They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. 18 Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.”
19 “What things?” Jesus asked.
“The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. 20 But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. 21 We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.
22 “Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. 23 They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! 24 Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.”
25 Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. 26 Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” 27 Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
28 By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, 29 but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them. 30 As they sat down to eat,[b] he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. 31 Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!
32 They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” 33 And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, 34 who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.[c]”
35 Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread.
The two men in this story were two of Jesus’ followers
Not apostles not part of the 12
Just guys who had believed
One was named Cleopas
Not a name that will make it into the best boy baby names of 2017
But none the less it is his name
The other we assume to be Simon
Or Peter depending on the version you read
Not The apostle Peter
But another man with the same name
Simon was a common name in that day
Think of how many David’s we have here this morning and how many more you know
The names are not all that important
But it is much easier to believe the story when names are used
Think of when someone tells you a story
That they knew a guy or heard about “a guy”
But no names are mentioned--- kind of causes a bit of doubt right? Yeah right we sometimes say
These are guys that the apostles knew
They existed
So these are followers of Jesus and they are going on a short trip
Look at verse 13 with me
13 That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles[a] from Jerusalem.”
Notice scripture says on the same day
These guys were heading home after the Passover celebration
After the horror of the crucifixion of Jesus-
After his funeral
And after his body has gone missing
Verse 14
“ 14 As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened.”
Can’t you just imagine their conversation?
The things they must have seen and experienced in the last few days
Emotions ranging from elation at the entry of Jesus into town
To terror and fear at the crucifixion
To amazement or even confusion at the resurrection
They are walking along
Trying to get a grip on everything
Trying to piece it all together
Discussing all of the possibilities
Hashing over the details
Jesus had died that much they knew- the rest just not making sence
So now they were heading home
Filled with sorrow and confusion
---They were heartbroken and their hearts were filled with doubt-
Suddenly someone joined them as they walked
We know it was Jesus
But they had no idea
Verses 15-16
15 As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. 16 But God kept them from recognizing him.”
I suspect he overtook them from the same direction as they were walking from
They were talking, maybe walking a bit slowly
Distracted
Discouraged
At any rate
Jesus joined them
They knew he had been in Jerusalem because he was traveling the same way they were
But they did not recognize him
Verse 17a
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing as intently as you walk along?”
“What are you guys talking about in common terms?”
He already knew but he needed to engage them in conversation
17b
“They stopped short, sadness written across their faces.”
Sadness that Jesus could see
Heartbroken- down trodden- sick with sorrow
And said
18 Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.”
I can hear in my mind
Where have you been dude?
Everyone knows what has happened
How could you not know?
But Jesus continues engaging them in conversation
Verse 19a
19 “What things?” Jesus asked. “
Tell me about it- in common terms
So they began their tale of woe
19b
“The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people.
They had apparently heard of his miracles
Maybe they had seen some of them
And heard his teaching
They had believed
They had thought he was much more
But now
They were unsure
They knew he had died
Knew his body was missing
And they were heart broken
Verse 20
20 But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him.
They even knew who it was the really killed him
The Romans had placed him on the cross
But it was the Jews who had orchestrated the whole deal
Verse 21
21 We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel.
All of Jesus’ followers had placed their hopes and dreams in Jesus to be the deliverer
Remember we have discussed many times they thought the Messiah would set up his kingdom right here right now
And then they had watched him die
They continued with their sad tale
Verse 21b
“This all happened three days ago.”
Verses 22 -23
22 “Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. 23 They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! 24 Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.”
Jesus had listened as they spoke
Listened to the quake in their voices
Watched the tears fall from their eyes
Listened as they poured out their souls
And then
Finally he spoke
Verses 25-27
25 Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. 26 Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” 27 Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
Why did he call them foolish?
Why would he call them foolish?
They were having a really bad day
Actually a really bad couple of days
And now this stranger who was walking with them calls them foolish
Jesus called them foolish because they had failed to understand the scriptures
They had failed to understand the prophesies that had been written and taught
They refused to see God’s plan
They refused to see how anything good could ever come of Jesus’ death
They were so caught up in their own sorrow
Their own despair
Their own little pity parties
That they could not see the truth
Or would not accept the truth
So
Jesus began teaching them
Possibly beginning with the promise of the Messiah from Genesis
Genesis 3:15
“And I will cause hostility between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring.
He will strike[a] your head,
and you will strike his heel.”
Probably discussing the suffering servant in Isaiah 53
Isaiah 53:4-6
4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows[a] that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
5 But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the LORD laid on him
the sins of us all.
Maybe talking about the one who was pierced in
Zechariah 12:10
10 “Then I will pour out a spirit[a] of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died.
Or of the messenger of the new Covenant
From Malachi 3:1
3 “Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
He may have taught them from the Psalms there are so many
Or from Jeremiah or more from Isaiah and the other prophets
He may have used one or all of the 44 fulfilled prophesies of the bible that dealt just with his death and resurrection
On any of the 350 plus prophesies that told of his life and his ministry
Verse 28-29
28 By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, 29 but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them.
Their broken hearts became seeking hearts
They wanted to know more- tell us more they cried
This man
This man they still did not recognize
Gave them comfort in their time of sorrow
He lifted them up in their sadness
And they sought his continued companiship
They wanted more
And they invited him to stay with them
Verse 30
30 As they sat down to eat,[b] he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them.
Verse 31
31 Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!
They saw and recognized Jesus- the Savior- The risen Lord
All of a sudden their seeking hearts saw the truth
God opened their eyes and showed Jesus to them
But more importantly he opened their hearts
And they rejoiced
Their broken hearts
Turned seeking hearts now became
Seeing hearts- believing hearts
Then Jesus left them
Verses 32-35
32 They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” 33 And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, 34 who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.[c]”
35 Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread.
And then as they talked and remembered and rejoiced
Their hearts became Burning hearts
They desired to know more
They desired to be with Jesus
To have a relationship with Jesus
They went from broken and doubting
To seeking
From seeking to finding
From finding to serving and telling
Jesus met them where they were in their sorrow
And he came along side f them and lived them
And taught them
The traveled with them
And waited patiently for them to invite him in
And when they did
He reveled himself to them
Where on the road are you today
Are you doubting and heart broken
Trying desperately to fill up the hole in your heart with anything and everything
Drugs- booze- porn – affairs- hobbies- work
None of these will fill the void
Or are you seeking
Knowing what you are doing is not working
Knowing something is missing
But still just going down the road like nothing has happened
Or maybe you are you seeing
Maybe you are starting to see that Jesus is the answer
Maybe you are moving towards fully trusting him for the first time
Or trusting him in all areas of your life
I pray that all of these heart conditions get you to the place these travelers found
A burning heart
A heart so on fire for Jesus that all the water in the world can’t put it out
Listen
Jesus met these guys where they were
And he meets you where you are
He will not push- they did not recognize him and he did not tell them who he was
He simply loved them
Comforted them
And taught them
Then
When their hearts were seeking
And they invited him is
And he showed them who he was
Close from the heart
Pray
