The Lord Has Risen Indeed

Overview

Jesus cried out with a loud voice and said, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit." Then, he stopped breath. ing.' And just like that, the earthly man known as Jesus was dead, and there was no doubt about it. His crucifixion had been witnessed by many, and afterward, there was an earthquake, the Temple's veil was ripped from top to bottom, and even sightings of dead people who had been resurrected were being reported. The 24" Chapter of Luke continues with the account of events that occurred after the death of Jesus on the cross. His death and the things that occurred in its aftermath had left the people talking. Furthermore, in these passages, we are given an understanding of the thoughts of his followers through two men on the road to Emmaus. Jesus death did not just sadden them. Many of the Jews pondered the words he had spoken about his resurrection, and they had also believed that Jesus was going to establish an earthly kingdom. Some had even accepted Him as the Messiah, believing that He would redeem them from the bitter yoke of Rome. The events had left their hopes crushed, giving His death an even more profound sense of loss. The encounter on the road to Emmaus is further proof of the fulfillment of God's Word and reveals the understanding of who Jesus is. Although it may initially be hidden, it can ultimately be revealed through communing with Him.

MEMORY VERSE ILLUMINATED

Many people attend weekly church services out of habit. Some even serve in a small capacity in the church build. ing or on parking lot duty. However, it is not until they have a real encounter with the Holy Spirit that their eyes are opened, and they truly accept Christ as their personal savior. It is by the Holy Spirit that Christ is revealed to the souls of men (1 John 4:2). The Holy Spirit teaches and illuminates the Scriptures, and reveals God's plan for

our lives. This was the case for two men who had been followers of Jesus. They did not recognize Him because the Holy Spirit had not yet revealed who he was. Jesus met them on the road, and even though He knew what their sadness was all about, He let them tell Him all that had transpired. His presence was so welcoming that they asked Him to continue with them and even have a meal. Only after He took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, did they recognize him.

ISRAELOLOGY

The Gospel of Luke ad the Fiordioook in the New Testament and is written in a Greek literary style that begins with a structure caned none one um a beginning": Gik. prooimion). Exordium is used in the first part of a classical oration, announcing ve vopic and securing the attention and goodwill of the audience." Luke begins this method to estaouisa that ever oing he is writing about is emphatically true. He has been called a historian because of the chronor Escar way ne wrote his bible accounts. Beginning with the births of John the Baptist and Jesus, continuing with the coverage of their individual ministries, and ending his discourse with the passion, resurrection, and ascension, like excelenty used the Greek language while masterfully weaving in commonly understood Hebrew expressions and idioms, called Hebraisms, to engage his audience further Jesus, like Luke, ised Hebraisms as well as Old lestament scripture and prophecies to prove to the Jews that He, indeed, was the Messiah. The two men walking on the road to Emmaus showed by their conversation that, although they were followers of Jesus, they were downcast and conflcted by what had transpired. They had believed, like many others, that Jesus was the Messiah who would redeem them from the bondage of Rome. Messianic prophecies had long foretold of a coming Messiah, who would come with specific signs. The Messiah would make a covenant of peace with them, let the world know that they were his people, and build the third lemple (Ezekiel 37:2). He would also send out a clarion call to bring or compel all Jewish sons and daughters to come back to their homeland of Israel (Isaiah 43:5-6) and usher in an era of world peace, where nations would no longer have conflicts, and there would be no more war or rumors of war. Furthermore, the Messiah would successtully end all hatred, oppression, sutter-ing, and disease Isaiah 2:4). Ultimately, the Jews believed that the Messiah would spread a universal knowledge of the God of Israel and unite humanity as one (Zechariah 14:9).° To the men on the Emmaus road, as well as many other Jews, Jesus was that Messiah. Yet, they had watched him die. Many skeptics also existed because, according to the Jews, it someone claimed to be the Messiah and failed to show or meet anyone of the above criteria foretold by prophecy, he was immediately dismissed as a fake. Moreover, even though Jesus had done many other signs in the presence of his disciples to prove that he was the Son of God, there were still doubters.? Many Jews believed, and some continue to believe, that the Messiah was supposed to fulfill all the prophecies outright, but the Bible clearly shows that Christ will fulfill the last of the prophecies in the Second Coming

INTERPRETATIVE ANALYSIS

Subjects

The Gospel of Luke is one of two books of the Bible written by Luke, a Gentile, called the beloved physician Colossians 4: 14). I he other is the book ot Acts. It is also called a Synoptic Gospel because it describes the events that occurred from a similar vantage point along with Matthew and Mark. Luke was initially written to “most excellent Theophilus," which has caused scholars to assume this to be a government official or influential citizen.

The writing was to provide Theophilus with a thoroughly examined and organized account proving that what had been learned about Jesus was factual and true (Luke 1:1-4). The major characters in this lesson are Jesus and two followers, one named Cleopas and the other unnamed.

Circumstance

From a historical perspective, the year of Jesus's death, burial, and resurrection has been narrowed to AD 33.

At that time, Tiberius Caesar Augustus, who was the second Roman emperor and reigned until AD 37, was in power, with Jesus' crucifixion occurring during the time of the Jewish celebration of the Passover. This is verified by Scripture because the night before he was crucified, Jesus ate a Passover meal with the twelve disciples (Mark 14:12-8), which we now call "The Last Supper." He was, then, crucified on "the Day of Preparation" John

19:31), which would make it the Friday before the Sabbath day (Mark 15:42). We know from these Scriptures that the Resurrection and the road to Emmaus walk both occurred on the Sabbath Day.

Setting

The Gospel of Luke is the last Synoptic Gospel to be written, and it is estimated to have been written around AD 85, although the account takes place in AD 33. The name Emmaus is thought to derive from the Hebrew word "hammat," which means "hot spring." Although the exact location of the road to Emmaus is not clear, in Luke 24:13, he writes that the road to Emmaus is located about threescore furlongs from Jerusalem. Threescort furlongs are estimated to be sixty turlongs or about seven or eight miles. Today, the Emmaus road is a dirt path marked by the remnants of ancient Roman paving stones in a Palestinian village called El Qubeibeh, which is about eight miles northwest of the modern boundaries of Jerusalem.

Significance

This account is critical because it shows further proof of the fulfillment of the word of God, which had been prophesied throughout the Old Testament and "made manifest by the appearing of our savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life" making immortality possible through his resurrection. It also showed the profound significance of the Lord's Supper. When Jesus took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the men, he was not performing an ordinary act of courtesy, welcome, or friendship. or was he repeating what had been done in the upper room. Through this act, Jesus was teaching the men and ultimately the church the impor tance that the breaking of bread has in recognizing the presence of Christ. (Luke 24 Pulpit Commentary)

Ethics/Apologetics

The Bible says, "For there is no respect of persons with God.? Furthermore, Jesus proves these words to be true because neither of the two men on the Emmaus road were his disciples. Nor were they prominent people.

They were just ordinary believers, yet Jesus chose to walk and talk with them. Further research shows that Jesus rebuked the men for their doubt of the word of the prophets. He addressed their sadness by reminding them of what the Old Testament Scriptures had foretold of him, including what He had to suffer. As this lesson concluces with the meal, it is impossible to ignore the significance of the way Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, using similar words to those from the Last Supper. As the men received from Jesus, their eyes became open.

INTERPRETATIVE PRINCIPLES

1. God is there even when you cannot feel Him.

Jesus shows up when we least expect it.

Jesus, through the holy Spirit, still walks with us.

Jesus's presence brings peace to our journeys.

2. The Word of God is infallible and true.

Jesus fulfilled every prophecy.

Despite opposition, God's promises come to pass.

Be not dismayed when trials challenge God's Word.

3. Jesus wants to spend time with you.

Quality time with God provides answers.

All Christians need communion with God.

The presence of Jesus refreshes our souls.

SUMMARY

In the first part of our lesson, we witnessed two followers who had experienced and believed in Jesus' ministry but were shaken by the events they witnessed in Jerusalem. They provided Jesus with a condensed version of His earthly ministry, calling Him a prophet mighty in word and deed and sharing about His passion and death. They also knew about the women who had gone to the sepulcher, found His body gone, and saw a vision of angels saying that He was alive (Luke 24:19-35-3). Even when Jesus shared proof from the Old Testament confirming what the prophets had spoken about the Messiah, the men still did not discern who He was. The Bible says, "But if our gospel be hid, it Is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest he light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." In the last part of ur lesson, the identity and signiticance of the stranger become known, and we learn a great truth. While they are d Sathered at the table, it is only as Jesus takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to them that they recog-like who He really is. It took communion with the revealed presence of Jesus, the Light of the world, to make the Sikness that clouded their vision fall away.!