Hi, thank you for looking at this sermon. I hope it helps. Please do not say the sermon did not help you just because you did not like the style or could not use the entire message for your own needs. I have discovered a few souls automatically hit the ’did not help me’ button if the message they read was not what they were looking for. Please only hit that button if you think God’s people would not be blessed by the message below. Thank you.
TEXT: Luke 24:13-35
OUR LORD HAS RISEN! HE IS ALIVE!
Christ is Risen! He has Risen indeed! The tomb is empty! Our Sin, which our Lord took from us, has been left there in that tomb! That sin is now sealed! It’s locked up and no longer attached to us! Now in the absence of that dead weight, we find holiness, love, mercy, forgiveness and a sure and certain hope of eternal life in our Lord. Christ is Risen! He has Risen Indeed!
Now what? Yes you heard me correctly. I did ask you the question, “now what?” What should be the next step? What is our next move? What is our Lord’s next move? This should be the question that every Christian should be asking them selves and asking of others. It is a question that should be on our lips and within our prayers each and every day. Why? Because if all we do as a result of Easter is say “ALLELUIAH, CHRIST IS RISEN!” Then we might as well stick ourselves right there with that lot of people who were saying on Palm Sunday, “HOSSANNA IN THE HIGHEST”, right before they cried out CRUCIFY HIM!
The people who cried out praise to Jesus on Palm Sunday had no vision, and no purpose. They celebrated because they thought it was the thing to do. They thought Jesus was going to relieve them of the tyranny of the Romans and when that did not happen they way they wanted it to, they in turn lost hope. In modern life, many often celebrate Easter because that seems to be the thing to do as well. Maybe for a short time they hope that Jesus will help them as well, but when that does not come the way they expected, those many decide to stay at home, and leave Jesus behind until Christmas. Such response to Jesus often leaves a person wandering around in hopelessness much like the two men on the road to Emmaus where the question “Now what” seems to go answered.
Is there more to Easter than just gathering on one Sunday a year to cry out HE IS RISEN? Of course, and we all nod our heads in agreement. But have you also noticed moments, days maybe even weeks will pass when you seem to hold onto less joy and less hope than is often found on Easter Sunday? Truly for us all there are times when we do not have an answer for the question, “NOW WHAT”. Truly the victory of Jesus does not often carry on from this day through our lips and by way of our service. Sometimes we end up losing sight of the truth that we are called to confess with Isaiah the life of “Morning by morning he awakens me like one being taught.” Instead Easter becomes just our reminder of what will be given to us on the day we breath our last. That in itself is great news. The promise of eternal life through our resurrected Christ will certainly make His victory today seem complete on the day when God calls us home. But is that all to Easter?
The victory of Jesus does not just focus upon us what will happen the day we breath our last breath. The gifts of His victory are not just handed out on our death bed. Instead the victory that was won for us on the Easter morning, begins today and will continue throughout our life.
I have an uncle that would call me from time to time to ask me what I did with the money he gave me for college. He wanted to encourage me to spend it on the things that mattered and not on things that did not fit into the overall picture of graduating. I believe Jesus was the originator of such a program. He also wants us to spend what he has given us on the things that fit into the overall picture of a Christian life. He too does not want us to waist what he gives us. So on the day of our Lord’s resurrection, Jesus came to put that program into action. He approached two disciples on the road to Emmaus to help them continue their journey of faith and as a result of his visit, these two would continue to walk and serve on the path of faith.
“And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus…and they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them.” Note the word combination, “Jesus himself”, which reminds us of his active participation in our life. On the day that He rose, he did not leave us behind nor did he attend to other spiritual tasks, instead he came to his disciples. And note the opportunity he gave to Cleopas and the other. Jesus gave them the opportunity to continue celebrating the good news and hope in Him because he knew that it was waning. You see at one time these two held onto the joyful promise that Jesus would rise again. They too shouted for his victory, but in just a few days they seemingly lost that joy and gave up on that promise. So Jesus came to restore it.
They said to Jesus, “but we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened.” Then they mentioned the news about the empty tomb, but again there was no joy in their words. So Jesus continued to speak with them. He walked with them to their village and guided them to encourage him to stay with them. Later on, after Jesus left them, they said, “Were not our hearts burning without while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” As a result of Jesus’ visit, their hearts were restored to the hope they once held. They began their witness testifying that Jesus the Christ has Risen.
Dear family, what you just heard is our answer to “WHAT’S NEXT?” Jesus brought his children back into His Word. He taught them, fellowshipped with them and encouraged them so that their joy would continue. As a result these two saw their hope in Christ renewed, and ended up witnessing to those around them.
Jesus’ visit with these two disciples is being continued here today and will continue into tomorrow, and next week, next month, and onto next year. His visit with us can be an invisible one, in which he walks with us without us even knowing. He certainly dwells within us each and every day. But Jesus also gives us his physical self by way of Word and Sacrament. Each time we taste with our lips the body and blood of our Lord, the answer to the question WHAT’S NEXT is being answered. First we are renewed but not just for our own sakes. Our renewal comes with the need to go forth and share the victory of this Easter morn, as well as live and apply the victory of Jesus in our daily walk.
After Jesus rose from death, His next step was and is to minister to us, so that our next step might be to go to the feet of unbelievers and share with them the truth that Jesus Christ is Risen. Truly, we have been given the task to go beyond lip service so that we won’t hold onto a vanishing hope. Truly, morning by morning we are now awakened through Christ Jesus, so that we can be taught, even as those two disciples were taught and so that we can serve and witness even as they did, to the glory of God our Father. Christ is Risen! He has Risen Indeed. Go forth in peace. Amen
Christ is Risen! He has Risen indeed! The tomb is empty! Our Sin, which our Lord took from us, has been left there in that tomb! That sin is now sealed! It’s locked up and no longer attached to us! Now in the absence of that dead weight, we find holiness, love, mercy, forgiveness and a sure and certain hope of eternal life in our Lord. Christ is Risen! He has Risen Indeed!
Now what? Yes you heard me correctly. I did ask you the question, “now what?” What should be the next step? What is our next move? What is our Lord’s next move? This should be the question that every Christian should be asking them selves and asking of others. It is a question that should be on our lips and within our prayers each and every day. Why? Because if all we do as a result of Easter is say “ALLELUIAH, CHRIST IS RISEN!” Then we might as well stick ourselves right there with that lot of people who were saying on Palm Sunday, “HOSSANNA IN THE HIGHEST”, right before they cried out CRUCIFY HIM!
The people who cried out praise to Jesus on Palm Sunday had no vision, and no purpose. They celebrated because they thought it was the thing to do. They thought Jesus was going to relieve them of the tyranny of the Romans and when that did not happen they way they wanted it to, they in turn lost hope. In modern life, many often celebrate Easter because that seems to be the thing to do as well. Maybe for a short time they hope that Jesus will help them as well, but when that does not come the way they expected, those many decide to stay at home, and leave Jesus behind until Christmas. Such response to Jesus often leaves a person wandering around in hopelessness much like the two men on the road to Emmaus where the question “Now what” seems to go answered.
Is there more to Easter than just gathering on one Sunday a year to cry out HE IS RISEN? Of course, and we all nod our heads in agreement. But have you also noticed moments, days maybe even weeks will pass when you seem to hold onto less joy and less hope than is often found on Easter Sunday? Truly for us all there are times when we do not have an answer for the question, “NOW WHAT”. Truly the victory of Jesus does not often carry on from this day through our lips and by way of our service. Sometimes we end up losing sight of the truth that we are called to confess with Isaiah the life of “Morning by morning he awakens me like one being taught.” Instead Easter becomes just our reminder of what will be given to us on the day we breath our last. That in itself is great news. The promise of eternal life through our resurrected Christ will certainly make His victory today seem complete on the day when God calls us home. But is that all to Easter?
The victory of Jesus does not just focus upon us what will happen the day we breath our last breath. The gifts of His victory are not just handed out on our death bed. Instead the victory that was won for us on the Easter morning, begins today and will continue throughout our life.
I have an uncle that would call me from time to time to ask me what I did with the money he gave me for college. He wanted to encourage me to spend it on the things that mattered and not on things that did not fit into the overall picture of graduating. I believe Jesus was the originator of such a program. He also wants us to spend what he has given us on the things that fit into the overall picture of a Christian life. He too does not want us to waist what he gives us. So on the day of our Lord’s resurrection, Jesus came to put that program into action. He approached two disciples on the road to Emmaus to help them continue their journey of faith and as a result of his visit, these two would continue to walk and serve on the path of faith.
“And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus…and they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them.” Note the word combination, “Jesus himself”, which reminds us of his active participation in our life. On the day that He rose, he did not leave us behind nor did he attend to other spiritual tasks, instead he came to his disciples. And note the opportunity he gave to Cleopas and the other. Jesus gave them the opportunity to continue celebrating the good news and hope in Him because he knew that it was waning. You see at one time these two held onto the joyful promise that Jesus would rise again. They too shouted for his victory, but in just a few days they seemingly lost that joy and gave up on that promise. So Jesus came to restore it.
They said to Jesus, “but we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened.” Then they mentioned the news about the empty tomb, but again there was no joy in their words. So Jesus continued to speak with them. He walked with them to their village and guided them to encourage him to stay with them. Later on, after Jesus left them, they said, “Were not our hearts burning without while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” As a result of Jesus’ visit, their hearts were restored to the hope they once held. They began their witness testifying that Jesus the Christ has Risen.
Dear family, what you just heard is our answer to “WHAT’S NEXT?” Jesus brought his children back into His Word. He taught them, fellowshipped with them and encouraged them so that their joy would continue. As a result these two saw their hope in Christ renewed, and ended up witnessing to those around them.
Jesus’ visit with these two disciples is being continued here today and will continue into tomorrow, and next week, next month, and onto next year. His visit with us can be an invisible one, in which he walks with us without us even knowing. He certainly dwells within us each and every day. But Jesus also gives us his physical self by way of Word and Sacrament. Each time we taste with our lips the body and blood of our Lord, the answer to the question WHAT’S NEXT is being answered. First we are renewed but not just for our own sakes. Our renewal comes with the need to go forth and share the victory of this Easter morn, as well as live and apply the victory of Jesus in our daily walk.
After Jesus rose from death, His next step was and is to minister to us, so that our next step might be to go to the feet of unbelievers and share with them the truth that Jesus Christ is Risen. Truly, we have been given the task to go beyond lip service so that we won’t hold onto a vanishing hope. Truly, morning by morning we are now awakened through Christ Jesus, so that we can be taught, even as those two disciples were taught and so that we can serve and witness even as they did, to the glory of God our Father. Christ is Risen! He has Risen Indeed. Go forth in peace. Amen
