Revealed, Transformed, Sent
Notes
Transcript
Subject: Revelation
Theme: Transforming Revelation
Thesis Statement:
By revealing Himself and opening the Scriptures, the risen Jesus transforms fearful and confused disciples into confident witnesses who are sent to proclaim repentance and forgiveness in His name.
Principle Statement:
We cannot move from fear to faithful witness on our own, but when Jesus reveals Himself through His Word, He transforms us and sends us in His power.
Many of us know the song Amazing Grace, but not as many of us know the story of the man who wrote it.
John Newton, Before he became a pastor… before he wrote the hymn Amazing Grace…
his life looked very different.
He was deeply involved in the slave trade.
By his own admission, he lived a reckless, hardened life.
He was not searching for God. He was not interested in change.
At one point, while at sea, a violent storm came upon his ship.
Waves crashing.
Ship taking on water.
The real possibility that this was the end.
And in that moment—facing what he thought was certain death—something happened.
He began to cry out to God.
Now, that moment did not instantly fix everything in his life.
But later, Newton would look back and say:
That was the moment when God began to open his eyes.
Years later, reflecting on his life, he wrote these words:
“I once was blind, but now I see.”
And that is what makes his story so powerful.
The storm did not change first.
His circumstances did not suddenly become easy.
What changed… was that he began to see differently.
That is exactly what we are stepping into in Luke 24.
The disciples are in a moment of confusion.
They have heard that Jesus is alive.
They are trying to process everything.
And then—Jesus Himself stands in the middle of the room.
And instead of peace… they feel fear.
Because they are seeing something real but they are not yet seeing it clearly.
And what Jesus does in this passage is not just show up—
He reveals Himself in a way that changes everything.
He brings clarity where there is confusion.
Peace where there is fear.
Understanding where there is uncertainty.
And then—He sends them.
That is the movement of this passage:
Jesus is revealed, His people are transformed, and then they are sent.
And just like in Newton’s life when Jesus is truly seen for who He is everything begins to change.
36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them. 44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
I. Revelation That Confronts Fear (Luke 24:36–43)
I. Revelation That Confronts Fear (Luke 24:36–43)
We pick up in our passage this morning this the two disciples having run back to Jerusalem to report the amazing thing that had just taken place.
How Jesus walked with them, how He opened the Scriptures, how they recognized Him in the breaking of the bread.
We could imagine the excitement in the room, hope is in the air.
As they were talking, who shows up?
Hope himself.
Jesus!
Mid conversation, Jesus appears and says Peace to you!
That word “stood” (ἔστη) carries the sense of suddenness.
He is just there.
No buildup.
No door opening.
No footsteps approaching.
One moment He is not there.
The next moment He is standing in the middle of them.
How amazing would that have been!
JOHN'S ACCOUNT GIVES SOME DETAILS NOT IN LUKE - (JOHN GIVES US THE TIME) So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week (SUNDAY), and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and *said to them, “Peace be with you.”
John tells us that Jesus proceeded to show them his hands and his side.
John includes the note as well that Thomas was not with them at this time.
Jesus words are significant.
While this was a common greeting, Jesus was did more than greet them with a common phrase.
Jesus was actually able to give the disciples what the phrase meant.
Jesus is the Prince of Peace, the Source of peace, so when He says "Peace," it is powerful.
Jesus brought peace to these troubled followers hearts.
Jesus came to His disciples with peaceful, gracious, and forgiving feelings, and with no resentment for their having forsaken Him.
But look at their reaction.
37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit.
All of this amazing news, yet the language Luke uses us tells us they experienced sudden terror and ongoing fear.
They were stuck in the thought that Jesus was not real, thinking that it was a spirit in front of them.
That is the significance in John of Jesus showing the disciples his hands and his side.
With all of the amazing news, they still didn’t quite get it.
One moment the disciples are filled with joy and talking about the fact that Jesus was alive, but then, in a moment, fear overwhelms them when they actually see Him.
These are not skeptics out in the world.
These are the disciples.
The ones who walked with Him.
The ones who heard Him predict His resurrection.
The ones who are now hearing reports that the tomb is empty.
And still—they are afraid.
That is important for us.
Because sometimes we read the Bible and think:
“If I had seen what they saw, I would believe.”
But here they are—seeing—and still struggling.
Their fear is not just about what is happening.
Their fear is coming in how they are understanding what is happening.
We can relate to that.
Because this is not just their problem.
This is our problem too.
They thought they were seeing a ghost.
We often experience fear for the exact same reason they did in that moment.
We Fear Because We Misread Reality
Think about how often this happens in our lives.
We look at a situation and think:
“This is out of control…”
“I do not know how this will work out…”
“Something is wrong here…”
But what we do not see clearly is:
Jesus is present… and at work… right in the middle of it.
The disciples were afraid—not because Jesus was absent—but because they did not recognize His presence.
Fear is often Rooted in Confusion
They had categories for what they were seeing—but none of them were correct.
They did not yet have a category for:
“Jesus is physically, bodily risen and standing in front of us.”
And so they default to the closest explanation they have: “This must be a spirit.”
We do the same thing with things we don’t understand or have a category for.
When we do not understand what God is doing, we often assume the worst.
“God must not be working…”
“This must be falling apart…”
“There is no good explanation for this…”
But the issue is not always the situation.
The issue is that we do not yet see what God is doing clearly.
We forget what Jesus has told us and what He has done.
These disciples:
Had heard Jesus predict His resurrection
Had heard reports of the empty tomb
Had just listened to the Emmaus account
And still—they are afraid.
Which tells us something important:
Knowing truth is not the same as seeing it clearly in the moment.
We can know:
God is sovereign
Jesus is risen
His promises are true
…and still struggle with fear when life does not make sense.
And you know what, that is okay, because God understands, Jesus understands.
Now notice what Jesus does for these disciples.
He does not rebuke them harshly.
He does not withdraw from them.
He does not say, “You should have figured this out by now.”
Instead, He moves toward them.
“Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?” (v. 38)
That word “troubled” means shaken, stirred up, unsettled deep inside.
And “doubts”—that is internal reasoning, questions, wrestling.
Jesus is addressing their emotions and their thinking.
And what does He do?
He reveals Himself more fully to them.
39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”
“This is really Me.”
Not an illusion.
Not a spirit.
Not wishful thinking.
But they still felt it was news too good.
40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?”
Luke telling us they disbelieved for joy” captures the emotional state where overwhelming happiness produces momentary doubt—
not skepticism rooted in rejection, but skepticism born from encountering news too wonderful to immediately accept.
The disciples’ disbelief stemmed not from rejecting God’s Word or refusing the evidence Jesus provided, but from the sheer magnitude of the good news itself.
The phrase mirrors how people today say “I can’t believe it!” when experiencing unexpectedly joyful events—they genuinely believe, yet the news seems almost too good to process
And Luke presses it even further:
“He took it and ate before them.” (v. 43)
This is not random.
This is Jesus saying:
“You are not mistaken—I am truly alive.”
Jesus does not simply say:
“Stop being afraid.”
He reveals Himself.
And as He reveals Himself:
fear begins to give way
confusion begins to settle
reality becomes clearer
This Is the Key for Us
We often think:
“If I could just fix my fear… then I could trust Jesus.”
But this passage shows us the opposite:
We do not overcome fear to come to Jesus—Jesus reveals Himself, and that is what begins to drive out our fear.
If I were to ask you, what are you afraid of right now, what would you say, perhaps write it down.
It is easy to be uncertain about our futures, something heavy in our families, something we do not understand.
What are you assuming about that situation?
What lens are you using to interpret it?
The lens of fear, or the reality of the risen Christ?
We fear not only because life is uncertain, but because we forget who stands in the middle of it.
When Jesus reveals Himself, fear is confronted with reality.
But even after seeing Him…
even after touching Him…
something is still missing.
They have seen Jesus…
but they do not yet fully understand Him.
And that is where Jesus takes them next.
He moves from revealing His presence…
to opening their minds to understand His Word.
II. Revelation That Clarifies Truth (Luke 24:44–45)
II. Revelation That Clarifies Truth (Luke 24:44–45)
Jesus Moves from Proof to Explanation
44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
Do you hear what He is saying?
“I told you this already.”
This is not new information.
This is forgotten truth now being rightly understood.
“everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
That word “must” (δεῖ) is so important.
It means:
necessary
inevitable
part of God’s sovereign plan
Jesus is saying:
“What just happened—the cross, the resurrection—this was not unexpected. This was required.”
All of Scripture Points to Him
The entire Old Testament
From beginning to end—He is the focus.
Not just a few verses.
Not just isolated prophecies.
Everything is moving toward Him.
If you remember last week Luke 24, on the road to Emmaus, Jesus did something similar.
He walked them through the Scriptures and showed:
how it all pointed to the suffering and glory of the Messiah.
Now He is doing it again—but this time with the whole group.
This tells us something important:
Understanding Jesus is inseparable from understanding Scripture.
But how does that understanding come?
45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,
This is the turning point.
That word “opened” (διήνοιξεν) means:
to open fully
to unlock
to remove what was closed
It is the same idea used earlier when:
the Scriptures were opened
their eyes were opened
Now their minds are opened.
I mentioned this little booklet last week, I want to bring it up again -
Before You Open Your Bible
In it, the author goes through 9 different heart postures as we approach our Bibles
Prayerfully
Humbly
Desperately
Studiously
Obediently
Joyfully
Expectantly
Communally
Christocentrically
The Bible is the primary place that we meet Jesus and that He reveals Himself to us today.
And if we seek Him, He will open our minds to understand the scriptures as well.
Understanding is not merely intellectual—it is spiritual.
The disciples needed Jesus not just to give information…
They needed Him to enable understanding.
The same is true for you and I.
Many of us approach the Bible -
“If I just study harder…”
“If I just try to figure it out…”
“If I just read more…”
Now—those things matter.
But this passage reminds us:
You can have the Bible in front of you and still miss what it is saying without Christ opening your understanding.
It is possible to:
Read Scripture regularly
Hear sermons week after week
Know Bible stories
…and still not truly see how it all points to Jesus.
True understanding happens when:
The risen Jesus, through His Word, opens our minds to see Him clearly.
Think of it like this:
The Scriptures are like a room filled with truth.
But apart from Christ, the lights are off.
You can feel around.
You can make guesses.
You can piece some things together.
But when Jesus opens your mind…
It is like the lights come on.
And suddenly:
You see connections
You see purpose
You see Him at the center
Jesus helps us move from confusion to Clarity
Fragmented understanding → Unified truth
Misread expectations → Right interpretation
And This Changes Everything
We have all read the Bible and felt confused?
“I do not quite understand what this means…”
“I do not see how this connects…”
“I know the stories, but I am not sure I see the big picture…”
You are not alone.
Even the disciples were right there.
The answer is not:
“Try harder on your own.”
The answer is:
Come to Jesus and ask Him to open your understanding through His Word.
Perhaps offer a simple prayer before you read you Bible next if you don’t normally.
“Lord, open my mind to understand Your Word.”
When Jesus reveals Himself through His Word, confusion gives way to clarity.
Now that their eyes are opened…
Now that their minds understand…
Jesus does not leave them wondering what to do next.
III. Revelation That Defines the Gospel (Luke 24:46–47)
III. Revelation That Defines the Gospel (Luke 24:46–47)
The question becomes:
What exactly are they to understand?
What is the message that all of this is pointing to?
Jesus Clearly Defines the Message
46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,
“This is the consistent message of Scripture.”
And then He summarizes it in two parts:
The Christ must suffer
The Christ must rise
This Was Always the Plan
The Old Testament weaves together two seemingly contradictory portraits of the coming figure—one of humiliation and suffering, the other of exaltation and kingship—that find their convergence in Christ.
Isaiah’s Suffering Servant passages depict a figure who is “despised and rejected by men” yet “exalted,” one who “was pierced for our transgressions” and “crushed for our iniquities.” (Isa 52:13–53:12)
Psalm 22 foreshadows this suffering with vivid detail: “they have pierced my hands and feet” and “they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.”
The Old Testament simultaneously announces a risen and reigning king. Psalm 16 promises that God “will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption,” pointing to resurrection.
Psalm 110 presents the Lord saying to this figure, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool,” establishing royal authority.
Daniel 7 envisions one “to whom was given dominion and glory and a kingdom” with “an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away.”
Psalm 2 declares God’s anointed king will inherit “the nations” as “heritage” and “the ends of the earth” as “possession.”
Jesus opens their minds so they truly understand everything you have read has been leading here.
The Messiah’s suffering was not a contradiction of God’s plan—it was the center of it.
And Then Jesus Expands the Message
47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
Jesus moves from:
what happened
to what must now be proclaimed
The Gospel Is Not Just Events—It Is a Message
The gospel is not just:
Jesus died
Jesus rose
It is What that means for us.
And Jesus defines it clearly:
1. Repentance
A turning:
from sin
from self
from our own way
2. Forgiveness of Sins
Not partial forgiveness.
Not earned forgiveness.
Complete forgiveness through Christ.
This Is So Important
Because we often assume the gospel.
We think:
“People know what it is…”
“Everyone understands this…”
But Jesus does not assume it.
He defines it.
When you compare this with Matthew 28, you see a similar moment.
Matthew emphasizes:
“Make disciples of all nations”
Luke emphasizes:
What message those disciples are to carry
And in John 20, Jesus speaks about:
forgiveness and the authority connected to it
Luke pulls it together in a very clear way:
The message is repentance and forgiveness in the name of Jesus.
“to all nations…”
This is not just for Israel anymore.
This is for:
every people
every place
every kind of person
And it begins:
“from Jerusalem”
The very place where:
Jesus was rejected
Jesus was crucified
That is where the message begins.
No one is beyond the reach of this message.
Not:
the ones who got it right
but the ones who got it wrong
Many Christians today operate with a gospel that is not clearly defined.
Something like:
“Be a good person…”
“Try harder…”
“God will help you…”
But that is not what Jesus says.
Jesus Defines It Clearly
The gospel is:
Christ suffered
Christ rose
You must repent
You can be forgiven
Think about it like this.
Imagine someone is seriously sick.
And you tell them:
“You should try to feel better…”
“You should improve your health…”
That is not helpful.
They need:
a diagnosis
and a clear treatment
The gospel is that clarity.
It tells us:
what is wrong (sin)
what Christ has done (cross and resurrection)
how we respond (repentance)
what we receive (forgiveness)
When this is clearly understood:
We stop trying to save ourselves
We stop minimizing sin
We start seeing the cross rightly
We begin to live in the freedom of forgiveness
And It Shapes What We Share
If this is the message Jesus defines…
Then this is the message we must not change.
Which many churches are doing today.
If someone asked you:
“What is the gospel?”
Could you clearly explain:
Christ’s death
Christ’s resurrection
repentance
forgiveness
Or would it come out vague?
Because This Matters
We cannot be faithful witnesses…
if we are unclear about the message.
When Jesus reveals the gospel, we know exactly what must be proclaimed.
We cannot move from fear to faithful witness on our own…
Jesus has:
revealed Himself
opened their minds
defined the message
There is one final step.
He turns to them and says:
“You are the ones who will carry this.”
And not only that…
He promises the power they will need to do it.
IV. Revelation That Sends the Witness (Luke 24:48–49)
IV. Revelation That Sends the Witness (Luke 24:48–49)
Jesus turns to them and says something that changes everything:
48 You are witnesses of these things.
This Is Not Just a Role—It Is an Identity
Jesus does not say - You should consider being witnesses…”
Not - Some of you might be called to this…”
Jesus the present tense -“You are witnesses.”
They have:
seen Him
heard Him
touched Him
understood the message
And because of that…they are now responsible to speak of Him.
What Is a Witness?
A witness is someone who:
has seen something real
and tells others about it
Someone who says: “This is what I have seen. This is what I know to be true.”
When you compare this with Matthew 28:
Matthew emphasizes authority
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me…”
And discipleship
“Make disciples of all nations…”
Luke emphasizes something slightly different:
You are witnesses of what you have seen and heard.
And when you look ahead to Acts (also written by Luke), this becomes central:
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
If we are honest, this is where many of us start to feel uncomfortable.
Because we hear:
“You are witnesses…”
And we think:
“I am not ready for that…”
“I would not know what to say…”
“I am not bold enough…”
And the disciples likely felt the same way.
Jesus Anticipates That
49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
That word “sending” (ἀποστέλλω) is where we get the idea of being sent out on mission.
They are not sent alone.
“…the promise of my Father…”
This is a reference to the Holy Spirit.
Something Jesus had already promised:
in His earlier teaching
and which will be fulfilled in Acts 2
Then He says:
“…until you are clothed with power from on high.”
“Clothed” (ἐνδύσησθε) means:
to be dressed in
to be covered with
to be equipped from the outside
This is not something they produce.
This is something they receive.
Jesus does not say:
“Now that you understand everything—go.”
He says:
“Wait… until you are empowered.”
Why did they have to wait?
Because the mission is too big for them.
And it is too big for us.
Think about it like this.
Imagine being told:
“I want you to go speak to every nation in the world about the most important message in history.”
Your first thought would be:
“I cannot do that.”
And you would be right.
That Is the Point
Jesus never intended for them to do this in their own strength.
And He never intended for you to either.
This should Change How We Think About the Christian Life
So often, we think:
“I need to be more courageous…”
“I need to be more capable…”
“I need to be better prepared…”
But Jesus points us somewhere else.
Dependence, not self-sufficiency, is the key to faithful witness.
Where do you feel inadequate when it comes to your faith?
Talking to someone about Christ?
Living consistently in front of others?
Taking a step of obedience you know God is calling you to?
And what is your instinct?
To pull back?
To stay quiet?
To wait until you feel stronger?
Jesus Gives a Different Answer
He does not say:
“Get stronger first.”
He says:
“You will be clothed with power from on high.”
We are not waiting for Pentecost the way they were.
But we are still dependent on the same Spirit.
Which means:
We do not witness in our strength
We do not grow in our strength
We do not obey in our strength
We live the Christian life in the power that God provides.
Look at what Jesus has done in these verses.
He met them in their fear
He opened their minds
He defined the message
And now He sends them with power
This Is the Pattern for Us
Are you afraid to share your faith, Jesus will meet you
Are you afraid you don’t know enough - Get in the Bible and Jesus will open your mind.
Jesus will more clearly define His gospel for you, to you, that you might share it with His power.
Jesus:
reveals Himself to us
opens our understanding
gives us the gospel
and sends us into the world
The question is not:
“Are you called to be a witness?”
The question is:
Will you depend on the power Jesus provides to live as one?
When Jesus reveals Himself, He does not just change us—He sends us in His power.
You do not have to have:
all the answers
perfect confidence
or impressive ability
You simply need:
a clear view of Jesus
a heart that trusts Him
and a willingness to depend on His Spirit
And as we respond this morning…
the call is not to try harder.
The call is to:
look again at Christ
trust what He has done
receive His Word
and walk forward in His power
Because the same Jesus who stood in the middle of that room…
still meets His people, transforms them, and sends them today.
