AT THE MOVIES 2020:
“He is Alive”
Luke 24:13-32
ANNOUNCEMENT FOR UPCOMING SUNDAYS POST-COVID19
INTRODUCTION
The film that we will see a clip from today was released on June 11, 1982. This Steven Spielberg film became an absolute blockbuster being the highest grossing film of all time… a record it held until 1993 when Jurassic Park came out… also a Steven Spielberg film. I remember seeing this movie in the theaters with my mom. We are talking about ET.
Elliot is your normal boy until one day he meets a little lost alien. ET’s spaceship visited Earth and took off without him. Elliot decides to keep the alien a secret in his home and gives him the name ET. Elliot hides ET from his family and from a military team intent on capturing him. As Elliot works with ET to find him a way to get back home, he must make the difficult sacrifice: whether to help his new friend or to lose him? When ET is finally seized by the science-military types, a team of scientists sets up a lab to study him. In short order ET’s health declines and he dies on the table. Elliot is given a chance to say his last goodbye.
Let’s watch this clip.
SHOW PURCHASED VIDEO CLIP FROM WINGCLIPS
https://www.wingclips.com/movie-clips/et/he-is-alive
WINGCLIPS
Here we are watching the very moment that ET resurrected. Now imagine moving forward in time. Imagine Elliot's grandkids have grandkids who have grandkids, and so forth, and the story of this resurrection is continually told to each generation. And eventually, while some of the current generation believe the tale, many have simply stopped caring.
After some time, even the ones who believe only gather once a year for a special resurrection remembrance, but the occasion is relatively somber. People sing and dress up and the stage is set with beautiful floral decorations, but the audience is somewhat subdued usually. No one is jumping up and down shouting "He's alive!" like Elliot does to his brother in this clip.
That excitement has faded.
Now a gentle man comes out, smiles, and says, "He is risen", and the congregation repeats back to him "He is risen, indeed." They have been repeating this message every year for 2000 years, and for some people each year the tradition feels less enthusiastic.
This clip takes us to the very moment when someone who was dead miraculously came back to life. This clip challenges us to feel the wonder and shock at what this must have meant to Elliot. This clip opens our eyes to what must have happened when Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after His resurrection.
I happen to think this clip asks us why we are not as excited as Elliot to discover that our hero is indeed the God He claimed to be. He has conquered death and has promised to bring each one of us who believe through death into eternity with Him.
"He's alive!"
"He's alive!"
"He's alive!"
I’d like us to read today from Luke 24 which is a passage right after Jesus Christ rises from the dead. That is our topic today… not ET or movies… but Jesus of Nazareth rising from the dead! Let’s read from Luke 24:13-32 this morning. I am going to read from the MSG version… I was reading and re-reading the passage this week in different English translations and the MSG struck me so I will be reading from that this morning. Feel free to follow along in any version you have with you.
READ LUKE 24:13-32 (MSG)
That same day two of them were walking to the village Emmaus, about seven miles out of Jerusalem. They were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize who He was. 17–18 He asked, “What’s this you’re discussing so intently as you walk along?” They just stood there, long-faced, like they had lost their best friend. Then one of them, his name was Cleopas, said, “Are You the only one in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard what’s happened during the last few days?” 19–24 He said, “What has happened?” They said, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene. He was a man of God, a prophet, dynamic in work and word, blessed by both God and all the people. Then our high priests and leaders betrayed Him, got Him sentenced to death, and crucified Him. And we had our hopes up that He was the One, the One about to deliver Israel. And it is now the third day since it happened. But now some of our women have completely confused us. Early this morning they were at the tomb and couldn’t find His body. They came back with the story that they had seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. Some of our friends went off to the tomb to check and found it empty just as the women said, but they didn’t see Jesus.” 25–27 Then He said to them, “So thick-headed! So slow-hearted! Why can’t you simply believe all that the prophets said? Don’t you see that these things had to happen, that the Messiah had to suffer and only then enter into His glory?” Then He started at the beginning, with the Books of Moses, and went on through all the Prophets, pointing out everything in the Scriptures that referred to Him. 28–31 They came to the edge of the village where they were headed. He acted as if He were going on but they pressed Him: “Stay and have supper with us. It’s nearly evening; the day is done.” So He went in with them. And here is what happened: He sat down at the table with them. Taking the bread, He blessed and broke and gave it to them. At that moment, open-eyed, wide-eyed, they recognized Him. And then He disappeared. 32 Back and forth they talked. “Didn’t we feel on fire as He conversed with us on the road, as He opened up the Scriptures for us?”
THREAD: HE IS ALIVE!
RESURRECTION OF JESUS
I want to talk just for a moment as to why the Resurrection of Jesus is so very important. Resurrection is not a natural thing. Things that are dead stay dead. People that are dead stay dead. Death is a permanent physical state. Resurrection is a miraculous divine intervention. Resurrection is a God-given thing… a miracle from Heaven.
I know you know this, but when we talk about Jesus Christ the normal way of life and death is thrown out the window in a miraculous way. Jesus bends and breaks the rules of life and death. Jesus is God in the flesh which changes so much about life and death.
Jesus is the Son of God. Proved by His resurrection. Jesus is the One Who offers us forgiveness of sins which is proved by His resurrection. Jesus offers us eternal life in Heaven and can do so because He rose from the dead and is alive. The resurrection of Jesus is critically important to all things connected with Jesus.
* If Jesus stayed dead, none of what Jesus said or taught or promised means anything.
* Because Jesus rose, everything that Jesus said and taught and promised means everything.
TRANSITION
I’d like to share two thoughts with you this morning that this passage brings to light as we think about Jesus and His resurrection. My thoughts ended up being 1 “don’t” and 1 “do.”
DON’T BE LONG FACED
The first thought that came to me had to do with how the disciples looked as they talked about Jesus and His resurrection: Don’t be long-faced. This passage describes 2 disciples of Jesus walking along and talking to Him about His own resurrection. They have “long faces” (verse 17). The NIV says their faces are “downcast.” The KJV, ESV, and ASV say they look “sad.” The AMP version says they looked “brokenhearted.” With long-faced, downcast, sad, and brokenhearted as the description, we get the full picture of how these men looked and what was going on in their hearts. This is probably why the CSB tells us in this verse that they “looked discouraged.”
The men are overwhelmingly sad. They are overwhelmingly sad and look that way because betrayal has happened. A sentence of death was given. Crucifixion happened. Jesus actually and physically died.
Now, here is the truth… the confounding truth that is at the center of Christianity. Are you ready? Betrayal, a death sentence, and crucifixion are sad for everyone except Jesus! Betrayal, a death sentence, and crucifixion are definitely sad and heart wrenching… to anyone other than Jesus Christ the Son of God. Each are horrible tragedies if they happen to any one of us… but not to Jesus! I do not want to minimize the death and suffering of Christ... I hope you know I am not doing that… but these things happened to Christ and changed eternity and so it is far from a sad occasion.
* Christ was betrayed and the end result is healing for us.
* Christ was given a death sentence and the end result is a sentence of eternal life for us.
* Christ rose from the dead on the third day as the Ultimate Conqueror of sin and death.
* Christ died and the end result is grace for us.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 gloats, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
When you and I talk about the death of Jesus Christ, we are not talking about an ordinary death. We are talking about the death of the Son of God which indeed was the most horrible death a person can suffer. That is not in dispute. What Jesus tells these 2 disciples is that the end result was glory! Jesus uses that word… “glory.” The end result was victory! The end result was life! The end result is us seeing God as a life-giving God!
As Christians, you and I celebrate the death of Jesus because this lead to the resurrection of Jesus Christ because He gives us hope, grace, forgiveness, release from guilt, and eternal life.
ILLUSTRATION… Most Excited I’ve Ever Been (p)
[say this with a sad face and sad demeanor]
In August of 2017, our family had the blessing of going on a cruise to Alaska. We flew to Seattle, left from there on a big boat, stopped in Canada, and got to see some great sites in Alaska. Alaska is phenomenal. The cruise was great and safe! The kids had a blast most of the time. There was much to do and eat and see and explore! I saw glaciers. The weather was great! This was definitely the absolute best vacation I have ever had. I came back fresh and relaxed and saw things I had only seen pictures of. It was great! Can’t you tell?
[say this with a sad face and sad demeanor]
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
How we talk about something matters! How we sound when we describe something matters! When you and I are talking about Jesus Christ and His resurrection, we need to let our smile and our face and our words in on the joy and excitement of our hearts! Our demeanor should match the Good News we are sharing!
ET
Eliott stood there and his friend came back to life… glowing chest and all… right before his eyes. His tears were wiped away. The character Elliot says he doesn’t even know how to feel and he felt nothing. He felt empty. ET comes back to life and there is excitement. Elliot tells his brother who jumps and smashes his head.
Resurrection means excitement.
Resurrection means joy.
Resurrection means purpose.
APPLICATION
* Make sure we share the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection to any who do not know!
* Share the Good News of Jesus with a smile!
* Share the Good News of what Jesus has done for you with excitement!
THREAD: HE IS ALIVE!
TRANSITION
The first thought that came to me had to do with how the disciples looked as they talked about Jesus and His resurrection. My thought was: Don’t be long faced. My second thought came from verse 32 after Jesus whisks Himself away from them.
DO FAN THE FLAME OF FAITH
The 2 disciples are let in by Jesus that the Man they are talking to is Him. They have been downcast the whole time talking about the death and resurrection of Jesus… to Jesus. Jesus reveals Himself to them finally after He has helped their hearts. They say to each other with excitement: “Didn’t we feel on fire as He conversed with us on the road, as He opened up the Scriptures for us?”
These two followers of Jesus felt the burn of Absolute Truth and the warmth of Jesus’ teaching as they walked with this Fellow on the road. They use the word ‘fire’ I think for excitement and engagement and intensity and their hearts beating faster and faster. These two followers of Jesus mention fire in two areas. Two areas: Fire for conversations. Fire for reading the Scriptures.
First, fire for conversations. These two disciples had a fantastic conversation with hidden-before-their-eyes Jesus about resurrected Jesus. There was passion. There was an exchange of ideas. You and I who are believers are ones who have chosen to follow Jesus with our whole lives. These disciples had made the same commitment.
Our conversations about Jesus should be passionate and full of life. Not only that, you and I should be ready to bring Jesus into any and every conversation we have.
* If you are talking about politics at the dinner table and not throwing food, the teachings of Jesus should be part of your conversation.
* If you are talking about racism in America and what you are seeing on the news, God’s perspective on this should definitely be a part of the conversation.
* If you are talking with someone about fear and COVID19, Jesus should come up in your conversation.
* If you are talking with your child or grandchild about ethics, biology, feminism, farming, money management, sexuality, or any other topic they might be learning about in school, God and the Bible had better be part of the conversation or they are learning incomplete truth.
I am not saying that you should only quote the Bible all the time. That would make it hard to order at a drive-thru as most places do not serve manna or locusts and wild honey. What I am saying is that we need to bring faith, God, and Jesus into conversations because God colors our worldview with Absolute Truth which is explained in the Bible. Bring fire to conversations and set them on fire with faith. Don’t let Jesus be left out of your conversations.
Second, fire for reading the Scriptures. These two disciples had a fantastic conversation with hidden-before-their-eyes Jesus about the Scriptures and how they related to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. There was understanding and discussion and questions and answers. You and I who are believers are ones who have chosen to follow Jesus with our whole lives and base our faith on the teachings of Jesus. These disciples had made the same commitment to faith and the way of life described by Jesus.
Our reading of the Scriptures should occupy time in our lives significantly. You and I need to be well versed in the verses of the Word of God. We need to know what and why we believe in Jesus. We need to have asked ourselves the questions that others ask and find those answers in the Bible.
* May we be people who privately have Scripture reading as part of our day.
* May we be people who corporately study the Bible with brothers and sisters in Christ.
* May we ask hard questions and pray and dig and find answers to questions of faith.
* May we memorize verses of the Bible.
* May we pass on what we have learned about Jesus to the next generation.
I am not saying that you need to only read the Bible all the time. There would be nothing wrong with that, but that is not what I am saying. I am saying that God’s Word and the study of it needs to take up brain power, time, and effort on our parts.
SUMMARY
These two disciples are on the road with Jesus. They do not look like people whose King of Kings has risen from the dead. Jesus redirects their hearts towards joy. They burn with passion for God when discussing Scripture with Jesus and get excited about their faith.
THREAD: HE IS ALIVE!
THREAD: HE IS ALIVE!
THREAD: HE IS ALIVE!
ET/SUMMARY
What do we see when a fictional awkward little alien comes back to life and glows inside a plastic zipped up bag? Excitement. Wonder. Joy. Passion. The need to tell. May we feel the same and even more about the real and eternally significant resurrection of Jesus.
GOSPEL PRESENTATION
Perhaps you are here this morning and you are not a baptized committed believer in Jesus Christ. I want you to know that Jesus rose from the dead to prove to you that He is the Savior. He loves you. He died for you. He rose for you. I cannot express to you in words how much Jesus loves you and wants to have a personal relationship with you. Seek Him. You will find Him.
PRAYER
