When I was teaching a philosophy class for Barton County Community College, we were asking some fundamental questions: What is Truth? & How do we know the Truth?
At that time, one of my students introduced me to The Matrix, a science fiction movie, in which the real world has been taken over by computers, with advanced artificial intelligence. They keep humans in bondage by feeding a virtual or false reality into their brains. The humans think they are free, but they are actually entombed in pods where their bodies are used as an energy source for the computers.
A few of the humans have escaped their pods and are battling the machines. But unlike the computer-induced dreamland of the Matrix, the real world is full of sweat, stress, and combat with the computers at every turn.
In one scene, the leader of the escaped humans, Morpheus, has contacted a person whose mind is still controlled by the Matrix. The man's name is Neo. Take a look. (show Matrix Red Pill clip).
“Let me tell you why you're here,” says Morpheus. “You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain—but you feel it. You've felt it your entire life. That there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad. It is this feeling that has brought you to me. Do you know what I'm talking about?”
“The Matrix?” Neo asks.
“Do you want to know what it is?” asks Morpheus. Neo nods. “The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window, or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work, when you go to church, when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.”
“What truth?” asks Neo.
“That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else, you were born into bondage. Born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch—a prison for your mind. Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.” Morpheus takes out two pills: one blue, one red. “This is your last chance. After this there is no turning back. You take the blue pill—the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill—you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. Remember, all I'm offering is the truth, nothing more” (The Matrix, Warner Brothers, 1999, directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski, starting at 27:00).
As you can see, Neo chooses the red pill, and begins to see the world for how it really is. He sees the truth that the charms of this world are nothing but an illusion. And he sees the truth that there is a reality far beyond anything he could have ever imagined.
Sometimes, I wish I had a “red pill” to give people to help them see the truth. I wish people could see the spiritual realities beyond their physical world. Most of all, I wish people could see the resurrected Lord, the TRUTH Himself.
Do you want to see the resurrected Lord this morning? Then I invite you to turn with me to Luke 24, Luke 24, where two men, who could not see, came to see Jesus on the day of His resurrection.
Luke 24:13-16 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. (ESV)
They were blind to their Savior. They couldn’t recognize Him. Please, dear friends...
DON’T BE BLIND TO YOUR SAVIOR TODAY.
Don’t fail to recognize Him. Don’t fail to know your resurrected Lord.
First, don’t let depression blind you. Don’t let your sadness keep you from seeing Jesus. That’s what kept these two men from recognizing Jesus.
Luke 24:17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. (ESV)
Their joy was gone, and it blinded them to their Savior. Please, don’t let your sadness blind you, as well.
And second, don’t let disappointment blind you to your Savior. Don’t let your loss of hope keep you from seeing Jesus. That’s what kept these two men from recognizing Jesus.
Luke 24:18-21 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. (ESV)
They had HOPED that Jesus would set them free. So they not only lost their joy; they lost their hope, as well, and it blinded them to their Savior. Please, don’t let your loss of hope blind you, as well.
In the original version of The Wizard of Oz, the Tin Man had once been a real man who was in love with a beautiful young lady and dreamed of marrying her. The witch hated their love, so she cast a spell on him, which caused his flesh to turn to tin, limb by limb. As a result, the tin limbs allowed him to work like a machine. So, with a heart of love for his lady and arms that never tired, he seemed destined to overcome the witch's spell.
Tin Man said, “I thought I had beaten the Wicked Witch, and I worked harder than ever; but I little knew how cruel my enemy could be.” The Wicked Witch made Tin Man's axe slip and he cut himself in half. A tinner was able to put him back together again, but alas, he had no heart… He lost his love for the young lady and did not care whether he married her or not.
A year later, after the rust immobilizes him, he meets Dorothy on her way to see the Wizard of Oz. In the book by Frank Baum, the Tin Man tells Dorothy, “During the year I stood there I had time to think that the greatest loss I had known was the loss of my heart. While I was in love, I was the happiest man on earth; but no one can love who has not a heart, and so I am resolved to ask the Oz to give me one.” (Shane Ambro, “Tin Man: We Can All Lose Heart,” Wrecked for the Ordinary, 12-26-07; www.PreachingToday.com)
The Tin Man lost his heart. John Eldredge says, “After a series of blows, his humanity was reduced to efficiency. He became a sort of machine – a hollow man” (Ibid.).
Please, don’t let the blows of life do that to you. Don’t let them turn you into a Tin Person, just going through the motions of life – busy, productive, efficient, and religious – but without any heart. Don’t lose heart. Don’t let depression blind you to the Lover of your Soul. Don’t let disappointment blind you.
And third, don’t let doubt blind you to your Savior, as well. Don’t lose your faith and so lose your ability to see. That’s what kept these two men from recognizing Jesus. Listen to the doubt in Cleopas’ words as he continues in...
Luke 24:22-24 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some 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.” (ESV)
Some women told us Jesus was alive, but who can believe the word of a woman? Our courts do not recognize women as reliable witnesses. So some of our guys went to the tomb and found it empty, just like the women said, BUT HIM THEY DID NOT SEE.
Can you hear the doubt in his voice? Cleopas and his friend didn’t know what to think. They couldn’t believe in the resurrection, but they couldn’t ignore the empty tomb, either. They’re in a quandary. Nothing makes sense to them, because they’re blinded by their unbelief. Please, don’t let your unbelief blind you to the truth, as well.
Dr. S. Joshua Swamidass is a physician, scientist, and Assistant Professor of Laboratory and Genomic Medicine at Washington University in Saint Louis. Here’s what he had to say about Christ’s resurrection:
“I am a scientist. Still, on Easter, I celebrate that Jesus rose from the dead about 2,000 years ago. This event, in first-century Palestine, is the cornerstone of everything. In the same way that trust-like faith in science is connected to evidence, so is the faith I have in the Resurrection.”
He says, “This evidence is not an answer, but it raises the question. All we need is curiosity.
“First, Without the physical Resurrection, two thousand years of history are left begging for explanation, like a movie missing a key scene... How did a small band of disempowered Jews in an occupied and insignificant territory of ancient Rome accomplish this unequaled act? What happened so many years ago that reframed all human history?
Second, with dates established by radiometric analysis, prophecies from centuries before Jesus' birth predict his life, death, and resurrection. These prophecies include specific details that Jesus and His followers could not control. For example, before the Romans invented crucifixion, Psalms 22:16 described the piercing of [Messiah’s] hands and feet. Is this evidence of an Intelligence outside our time confirming Jesus' authority?
Third, Jesus was a real person in history who died. Several manuscripts from multiple sources, including Jewish historians, describe a man named Jesus who lived and was executed.
Fourth, the early accounts of the Resurrection and prophecies predicting it were reliably transmitted through history. As of 2014, more than 66,000 early manuscripts are known, orders of magnitude more than other ancient texts. We see accounts nearly unaltered in the earliest manuscripts. A pattern of consistency emerges. There are variations in the manuscripts, but nothing invalidates the reliability of the Resurrection accounts.
Fifth, accounts of the Resurrection include inconvenient and unflattering details, that make most sense as attempts to reliably record what had happened, free from embellishment. They do not fit expectations of a fabricated account. For example, women are the first witnesses of the Resurrection. In a culture that did not admit the testimony of a woman as valid evidence in court, this detail is surprising. Likewise, all the disciples, the leaders of the early Church, flee as cowards when Jesus is taken.
Sixth, after Jesus' violent death, His followers were frightened and scattered. Then, something happened that grew a strong, bold, and confident belief that resisted sustained, murderous opposition... They were all suddenly willing to die for what they saw. What changed them? Why was there not evidence at the time to undermine their belief?”
Dr. Swamidass concludes: “The question of the Resurrection is more like an opportunity to fall in love than a scientific inquiry. There is evidence, but the Resurrection cannot be studied dispassionately. If Jesus really rose from the dead, it reorders everything. Just like falling in love, it changes our view of the world.
“The final verdict, for me,” Swamidass says, “is that the Resurrection makes sense through the lens of history... The evidence is compelling, but not definitive. Faith in Jesus is reasonable and is certainly not without evidence. (Dr. S. Joshua Swamidass, “Is There Evidence for Easter? A Scientist's List,” The Veritas Forum, 4-15-17; www.PreachingToday.com)
There is no reason NOT to believe in the resurrection, but your unbelief will keep you from seeing the evidence. It kept the two men on the road to Emmaus from seeing the evidence – the empty tomb and Jesus standing right there in front of them. Please, don’t let your unbelief keep you from seeing it, as well.
Don’t be blind to your Savior today. Don’t let depression, disappointment, and doubt keep you from seeing Him. Don’t lose your joy, your hope, and your faith, and so lose your ability to recognize the Truth standing right before you.
But somebody says, “It’s too late for me. Life has been too hard, and it’s left me broken, without hope, and without the ability to believe anymore. What can I do?” Well, let’s see what Jesus did for the two on the way to Emmaus.
Luke 24:25-26 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and 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?” (ESV)
Messiah had to suffer before He could reign. The cross always comes before the crown. Lawrence Jacks once said, “one trouble with churches is that too many people want to have Easter without Calvary.” People want “the power of His resurrection” without “the fellowship of His suffering” (Philippians 3:10). But that’s not possible: the cross always comes before the crown.
Luke 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (ESV)
From Genesis to Malachi, Jesus showed them Himself in every book of the Old Testament. Jesus is found “in ALL the Scriptures,” on every page. He is the theme of this Book! So, if you want to see Him through the fog of your depression, disappointment, and doubt...
OPEN YOUR BIBLE.
Open the pages of Scripture, and keep reading until you see the face of Jesus in those pages.
There is a series of strange lines, which the ancient Peruvians, called the Nazca, made in the pains of Peru. The Nazca lived from before the time of Christ (100 B.C.) until A.D. 700; and for years, scholars assumed those lines were the remnants of ancient irrigation ditches.
Then in 1939, Dr. Paul Kosok of Long Island University discovered their true meaning from high in the air. When he viewed the seemingly random lines from an airplane, he saw enormous drawings of birds, insects, and animals. (Maria Reiche, Mystery on the Desert; www.PreachingToday.com)
Now, that’s the way you need to read the Bible. Don’t look at it as a series of individual, unconnected stories and ideas. Look at how each story and idea forms the face of Jesus.
Sally Lloyd-Jones put it this way in the introduction of her Jesus Storybook Bible:
“There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them. It takes the whole Bible to tell this Story. And at the center of the Story there is a baby. Every story in the Bible whispers his name. He is like the missing piece in a puzzle—the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together; and suddenly, you can see a beautiful picture.” (Sally Lloyd-Jones, The Jesus Storybook Bible, Zondervankids, 2007, page 17; www.PreachingToday.com)
Do you want to see that beautiful picture of Jesus in your life? It’s simple. Just open your Bible. Then...
OPEN YOUR HEART to Him, as well.
Invite Jesus into your life. Welcome Him to stay and live with you. That’s what the two men on the road to Emmaus did.
Luke 24:28-29 So they drew 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. (ESV)
Jesus would have left them, but they urged Him to stay. You see, Jesus doesn’t force Himself on anyone. Rather, you must invite Him to stay.
Luke 24:30-31 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. (ESV)
Had they not invited Jesus in, they would never have seen Him.
Luke 24:32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us [literally, did not our hearts LIGHT within us] while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”
Because Jesus opened the Word to them, and because they opened their hearts to Him, Jesus enlightened their hearts to see Him! If you want to see Jesus through the fog of your pain, then do the same. Open your Bible, to be sure, but also open your heart to Him.
A. W. Tozer put it this way: There is today an evangelical rationalism which says that the truth is in the Word and if you want to know truth, go learn the Word... [Such rationalists] have the text and the code and the creed, and to them that is the truth. So they pass it on to others. The result is we are dying spiritually. To know the Truth, we must “know” the Son. (A. W. Tozer in Power for Living; www.PreachingToday.com)
You see, it’s not enough just to know the Bible. you must know the One that the Bible is all about. Invite Jesus into your heart and life, so you can know Him personally.
Pastor Kevin Miller talks about the time when he was working in publishing, they had their annual staff Christmas Party. There were about 150 people in the room seated around tables that held six or eight people. The CEO came in right before the program was about to start, so there weren’t many seats left.
He spied an empty seat at one of the tables and came over. Very politely he said to the woman sitting by the empty seat, “May I sit here?”
She was waiting for someone from her department to come, so she kind of scowled at him and said, “No, that’s taken.”
“Oh, okay,” he said, and walked away.
Once he got a few feet out of range, the people at the table burst out laughing and said to the woman: “You just dissed the CEO!”
She said, “I did? What?” She had worked there for only two weeks, and she’d never met him or seen his photo. (Pastor Kevin Miller, Co-host of Monday Morning Preacher, Preaching Today)
Please, don’t do that to Jesus. Instead, invite Him into your life. Invite Him to eat with you, so to speak, and experience the joy of fellowship with the CEO of the universe.
Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).
Please, open the door of your heart to Him today. If you will, he will come in to stay, just as He promised. That’s what He did for the two on the road to Emmaus. They invited Jesus in. Jesus came in, and they were never the same again.
Luke 24:33-35 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Their doubt, their disappointment, their depression was gone, because they had seen their risen Savior! If you want to see Jesus through the fog of your depression, disappointment, and doubt, then open your Bible and open your heart to Him.
It was June 18,1815, the Battle of Waterloo. The French, under the command of Napoleon, were fighting the Allies (The British, the Dutch, and the Germans) under the command of Wellington. News of the battle came by boat to the south coast of England, and then it was relayed by a system of flag (semaphore) signals back to London.
On top of Winchester Cathedral, late in the day, the signaler began to spell out the long-awaited message: W-E-L-L-I-N-G-T-O-N D-E-F-E-A-T-E-D.
Just then, a heavy fog descended on the city, and the people of London could no longer see the flag signal. The sad news of Wellington’s defeat spread throughout the city.
Then, all of a sudden, the fog lifted. People could see the flag signal again as it spelled out the complete message of the battle: WELLINGTON DEFEATED THE ENEMY. (Bible Illustrator).
On Friday, Jesus’ followers only got half the message: Christ defeated. A fog of disappointment and depression settled in, and they lost all hope. Then Sunday came, the fog lifted, and they understood the complete message of the cross: Christ defeated the enemy!
Please, don’t let the fog of your pain blind you to the whole truth. Open your Bible and open your heart to Jesus, so He can open your eyes to see the victory He has already won for you!
