He's Not Done (Multiply)
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
Well good morning everyone. It’s good to be worshipping with you this morning. I know a good portion of you, but for those of you that I haven’t had a chance to meet, my name is Cody Rogers, this is my beautiful wife, Brittany.
My family and I are from Davenport, IA where I serve at Coram Deo Bible Church as the worship and college pastor. And when I say it’s good to worship with you this morning…I mean it’s good.
Your church, and your staff…have a big place in my heart and the heart of many of our church members back home. It is very rare for a week to go by without someone from Coram Deo asking me how Multiply is doing because they know I talk to Pastor Jesse most weeks.
All that to say... from the bottom of my heart, super glad to be here.
As I said, I’m the worship and college pastor at Coram Deo. Super blessed to have the opportunity not only to lead worship every week, but to also preach God’s word most Thursday nights.
And I’l like to share with you this morning, one of the messages that was recently preached at our Thursday night gathering. I chose this message because I believe it’s a great reminder and encourager of our purpose and mission as disciples of Christ. And my prayer is…that as congregants of a church called “Multiply”…that it will spur you on to continue Multiplying disciples across the West Des Moines area and to make the name of Christ known even more in this city.
So, let’s get into it.
If you have a bible, go ahead and open to Luke chapter 24. We are going to start in verse 13 this morning.
As you’re turning there, let me set up for you what’s going on.
At the beginning of chapter 24…the women who were with Jesus went to his tomb…and found it empty. They go back, tell the apostles, they don’t believe the women…and Peter runs to the tomb and discovers that it is also empty. If you're familiar with the gospel story, you might remember Peter’s denials…he’s a little emotional…the last time he saw Jesus he had denied even knowing him.
So that’s whats happened, and now we are in verse 13…where two of the disciples (not one of the 12 apostles) are walking to a small town 7 miles away from Jerusalem called Emmaus.
So let’s get into it. I’ll read as you follow along.
13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 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. 18 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?” 19 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, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 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. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 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. 24 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.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 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. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 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?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
This message was originally preached as the final message in our series in the Gospel of Luke at our college ministry. And I titled this message...
He’s Not Done
He…referring to Jesus.
And that’s what I absolutely love about this passage…in fact this passage is my favorite in the gospel of Luke…because what it shows us is Jesus’ ministry didn’t end on the cross, in fact it really was just beginning. This passage shows us that there was still work to be done after the resurrection…and in this passage, Jesus goes about completing it.
And in this passage, we see some specifics about what is left for Jesus to do. Three things really…and here’s the first one.
He’s not done…because...
He still has questions to ask.
So Jesus…was known for asking just the right question. One of the things we see throughout the gospels is Jesus’ way of asking questions that 1) expose the heart and 2) reveal wrong thinking. There’s plenty example just in Luke. Here’s two quick ones.
Jesus is interacting with the lawyers and pharisees…he’s actually at dinner at a Pharisees’ house and a man with a medical condition comes along and because he knows what the Pharisees are thinking, and the evil that is in their heart it says this in 14:3.
3 And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?”
Leaving the Pharisees and lawyers speechless as they try to wrestle with the things he just exposed in them. This question was intended to reveal what was going on internally.
Jesus also does this with people he heals…like in 18:41…a man i crying out to him to have mercy on him and to be healed…and Jesus turns to him and says..
41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.”
Clearly Jesus already knew the answer to this question…1) because the man was shouting it as he was trying to get Jesus’ attention…2) because we see multiple times in scripture where Jesus reveals he knows the thoughts of those around him.
So we see Jesus ask questions…even if he already knows the answer. And he asks questions to turn the focus back on the person he’s speaking to…to reveal what is going on in their own hears and minds.
The pharisees…wrong thinking and evil…the man who desires to be healed…humility and desperation.
We see that this is who Jesus was before his death on the cross…and here in this passage…we see that he’s not done doing just that. He’s not done, because there are still some questions to be asked.
So what are some of the questions that he asks?
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.
19 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,
Church…he’s asking these questions as if he doesn’t already know the answer.
But we know he knows the answer…because even before he died he was able to tell what people were thinking and prophesy about the future events to come.
So Jesus is asking these questions that he already knows the answers....which leaves us with the question…why is he doing that in this specific instance?
Well, he’s doing that for the same reason that he did before he died.
To expose hearts and reveal incorrect thinking.
That’s what he does to these disciples…he asks these questions because he wants to reveal the doubt that is in their heart and the lack of understanding they have about who he is. Look back at it.
19 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,
I mean, so far these disciples aren’t wrong…factually, Jesus was a prophet…but that’s not all he was. That was just a part of who he was. So clearly, they have a lack of understanding of who Jesus truly is.
Look back.
21 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.
This is them saying… WE HAD HOPED…as in they no longer HAVE hope…they, in fact, had given up hope. So Jesus was asking this question to not only reveal a lack of understanding who he was…but to reveal a heart of doubt within them…which clearly they had.
I love that Jesus is doing this here because it shows us…that even after the cross…he is still asking questions of his disciples to penetrate their mind and their hearts...
So…as a point of application…what does this mean for you today sitting here on a Sunday morning at Multiply church? It means, that just like he was asking questions of his disciples then… he’s asking questions of you now. He’s still revealing doubts in your heart and lack of understanding in your mind..
How does he do that? Through his church, through his people (the body of Christ), through his word (the Bible), through his spirit (that indwells you upon salvation)...
So your application point so far is to ask this...what is Jesus asking you? What has he been asking you lately? If you don’t know…ask him to reveal what he’s been asking you!
Take advantage of the fact that you have a savior who is willing to do this…to expose the things that are amiss in your heart and mind...
And on top of that…an application point is to praise God that you have a savior who will patiently teach you the answer to the questions he is asking…and that brings us to our second point this morning.
He still has things to teach.
Jesus is not done instructing and teaching those who follow him. So, here in this passage, what do we see him teaching? Let’s look back at it.
25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
So what did he teach them?
He taught them who the scriptures said he was. These verses are another reason why this passage is one of my favorites in all of Luke. Because Jesus is like…here, let’s walk, let’s talk…and let me literally just do a bible study with you.
And you know…they didn’t have bibles back then. They didn’t have individual copies of scripture. So you can imagine Jesus is walking down the road with them…for seven miles....and he’s like “do you remember when Isaiah was talking about a root of Jesse, that would be born in bethlehem…yeah that was the Christ. That Jesus…he was born in bethlehem.
Or…do you remember in Psalm 22 when it says “i’m poured out like water, my bones are out of joint, they encompass me and have pierced my hands and feet, they divide my garments and cast lots for my clothes...” Remember all that in Psalm 22? Yeah, that literally happened to Jesus 3 days ago when he died on that cross.
Or hey, you know when the people of Israel were dying and moses was Told by God to take a bronze snake and hung it on a pole and they looked at it and were healed and saved…that represented Jesus on the cross as well.
Oh and another thing, you know the lambs that moses was commanded to sacrifice on behalf of the sin of God’s people…that’s exactly what happened to Jesus. He was a spotless lamb..
So…can you imagine what it was like for them to have all the dots connected for you?
Except…Jesus wasn’t saying that was him yet. That’s the beauty…that comes later. Right now…he’s just helping them understand who Jesus actually was before he hits it home with the big reveal.
So what is the point of all this?
Jesus wants them to be taught who he has, and what God commands, through his word. He wants to use God’s word to eliminate their doubt…and impact their heart. And we know that he did impact their heart with God’s word…because they say it.
32 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?”
So we know what Jesus was doing here was absolutely effective. They had some wrong thinking about him just being a prophet....and they had some doubts in their heart whether he was actually the Christ…and Jesus patiently taught and instructed them, through God’s word…where they were wrong.
That’s why I said we should praise God that not only does he reveal our wrong thinking and out doubts…but he also is willing to patiently teach us through his word.
So…we’ve seen that Jesus isn’t done because he still has questions to ask…we’ve seen he isn’t done because he still has lessons to teach…here’s the third point.
Jesus isn’t done because...
He still has lives to save.
So on top of asking them questions, and teaching them lessons…why is Christ there? Why is he walking with them besides to begin laying a foundation of the church?
He’s there…because he still has lives to save…and that’s exactly what he does. Look at it.
30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.
35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
So Jesus hid himself from them, until he was able to ask them the questions he desired....and until he was able to teach them how scripture revealed who he was…and then…and then, he opens their eyes to fully see and believe in him.
And how does he do it?
He does that through the symbol of the breaking of bread.
Which, if you’re new to church…the breaking of bread represents the last supper…which is when Christ says that the broken bread represents his broken body.
So somehow…however Jesus chose to break the bread in that moment…maybe it was the way he held it, maybe it was something he said, maybe it was literally just a spiritual blindess being lifted…whatever it was when Christ broke the bread it revealed to them, that he was talking about himself that whole time on the road to Emmaus…that he was the bread that was broken…and that he was the one who died for them.
And it says in the text that they came to know him by the breaking of this bread. They. came. to. KNOW. him.
To see him for who he truly was. To see him for what he had done. To see him as the risen lord, their savior, their Christ, their redeemer.
Church, is this not a beautiful representation of salvation?
Is this not a beautiful representation that first our heart and doubt must be exposed for what it is....and then God’s word...scripture (whether read or preached) needs to tell us about who Christ is…and then, we need to fully recognize Christ for what he did for us in order to be saved.
You can’t get a stronger representation for that.
And what does this show us? This shows us that Christ wasn’t done at the cross. Yes, the work of atonement was finished…Jesus said on the cross “it is finished”…our salvation was won…but he also shows us that there is still KINGDOM work that needs to be finished.
And the road to Emmaus is an example of that Kingdom work that needs to be done.
So, what’s your application to this? Besides just understanding this passage better. What should your response be to this understanding of what Jesus was doing on the road to Emmaus? Why is it important for you to hear this this morning?
I could just tell you, and we can be on our way. But I think I’d like to end our time together showing you…showing you Jesus’ intentions for us when it came to following after him.
This is an account of Jesus, still in that 40 day time span from his resurrection to his ascension. It’s a passage many are familiar with…it’s the great commission. It’s on your screen now…let me read it.
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
I wanted you to see this with your eyes because I wanted you to see that our application points from our look at the road to Emmaus in Luke, are directly in line with what Jesus specifically asks us to do in Matthew.
And here’s how they connect and how we will end our time in the word this morning. Three directives taken directly from our look at Luke and the Great Commission in Matthew
He still has questions to ask through us.
He still has things to teach through us.
He still has lives to save through us.
As a church that is called Multiply church…I think these points are at the heartbeat of your mission here....