Jesus Appears to the Confused

Context

Easter day.

Jesus was crucified on Friday. Dead in the tomb on Saturday. Easter morning, the women followers of Jesus reported the empty tomb. Mary Magdalene saw the Lord and told the disciples that he had appeared to her. The disciples are doubtful, fearful and in hiding.

Two disciples have left the city of Jerusalem and are walking to the nearby town of Emmaus.

One of them is Cleopas, the wife of one of the Marys who had gone to the tomb in the morning, and who may have lived in Emmaus. The other disciple is unnamed.

Both are confused and sad over all that has happened. Let us notice how the risen Lord engages with them…engages them in their confusion.

Text

Luke 24:13–35 “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. 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. 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. 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.” 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?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 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. 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. 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?” 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.”

Introduction

Exegesis 1: Jesus walks along with the disciples

Two disciples are walking to Emmaus.

Just a few miles from Jerusalem.

As they walk they are discussing all that had happened over the past few days.

They are filled with grief over the loss of their friend and rabbi.

They are also confused. They ‘had’ thought that Jesus was the one to redeem Israel — the Messiah or Christ — but events seem to have overturned that expectation.

Nothing seemed to make sense…hopes were dashed.

Jesus appears and joins them in their walk.

But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.

A power of Jesus in his resurrected state to be recognized or not.

Jesus, seemingly a stranger, joins them and asks what they are discussing.

Jesus “plays dumb.”

Of course he knows. He was the central actor in the whole affair.

He asks what has happened to sound out their faith.

He has come alongside them because he knows their faith has been deeply shaken. They may even be going home to Emmaus to quit the whole affair.

So he comes to them and asks them what has them so rattled, so that they can say all that is troubling them to him…though they will only know it to be him later.

What a picture. Two disciples sad and confused. Jesus listening and walking along with them.

Fulfilling his promise to them.

Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.””

The risen Lord saves them from confusion by walking with them.

Application 1: Jesus is alongside us when we are confused

It is inevitable that we will have experiences in life that unsettle our minds and our spirits.

How valuable it is to have a christian brother or sister alongside us to talk about what is going on.

For when we support one another, another spiritual reality also unfolds.

Jesus comes too.

Let us go through difficult time together, on this earthly walk, so that Christ too will be with us.

I usually visit people in the hospital. I get my turn too. I was in the hospital once, a presbytery pastor came to visit me. It was like Jesus himself might show up too.

I was eager for him to talk about Jesus. For us to pray together.

Jesus comes to us when we are confused and shaken in our faith, even if we don’t see him with our eyes.

When we are grieving because of death.

Jesus comes alongside us. He draws forth our faith. He says,What is going on…tell me it all.

“What a friend we have in Jesus, all our griefs and pains to bear!”

So let us be there for one another…So Jesus too will be there for us.

Exegesis 2: Jesus teaches the disciples

When the disciples have exhausted themselves with catching Jesus up with all that has happened, Jesus surprises them.

He both offers them both chiding and teaching

How slow you are to believe the prophets and to understand that the CHRIST must suffer and then afterwards enter into his glory.

He scolds them because He himself told them several times that he would suffer and die and then on the third day rise again

Matthew 16:21 “From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

Matthew 17:23 “and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” …

Matthew 20:18–19 ““See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.””

Cleopas himself curiously noted that it was “now the third day” since all the tragedy, indicating that he knew Jesus’ prophecies…he just didn’t yet believe them.

As an unknown travelling companion, Jesus remonstrates them for not yet understanding and believing.

And beginning with Moses and all the prophets he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

Oh! to have been in that conversation!

Yet much of it has come down to us.

John 3 - Jesus compared himself to the bronze serpent story from the Old Testament book of Numbers.

Luke 11 - Jesus said Jonah was a sign — that just as Jonah was three days in the belly of the fish, so the Christ would be three days in the tomb.

As Jesus taught them, they remembered how Jesus had said even to the religious leaders:

John 5:46 “For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.”

The result is that their hearts begin to burn within them

The Holy Spirit warms their hearts as the Word of God comes to them.

The risen Lord saves them from confusion by teaching them the Scriptures.

Application 2: Jesus removes confusion by interpreting Scripture to us

When are in times of confusion, we need to turn to the Scriptures.

The Scriptures and Jesus go together.

Jesus, through his spirit, speaks to us through the Scriptures to comfort us.

And conversely, the Scriptures enflame our hearts with renewed clarity of Jesus.

Some of us endure too long and too deep a confusion because we are unwilling to open the Bible and read and believe.

Some of us deprive ourselves of the Scriptures by trying to make sense of them without Jesus at the center.

let us allow Jesus loving chide us

Open the Bible

Let allow the Scripture to point us to Jesus

Pray, O Spirit, help me to hear and see Christ now.

Jesus and the Bible go together.

Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Exegesis 3: Jesus is known in the breaking of the bread

As the disciples and Jesus near Emmaus, Jesus makes like he is going to go on ahead.

But it is the evening.

They prevail upon him to stay with them.

Our evening prayer: stay with us Lord for it is evening and the day is far spent.

Jesus goes in to stay with them.

Luke 24:30 “When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them.”

Jesus is certainly casting their minds back to the last evening together.

Luke 22:19 “And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.””

In fulfillment of that commandment: The disciples eyes are opened, they “remember” him, and he disappears.

Jesus has linked awareness of himself to sacramental worship — the word, the bread, the wine, …by extension the water of baptism, the prayers.

The whole story is like a worship service.

Jesus GATHERS the straying disciples to himself as they walk on the road.

He speaks his WORD to them.

He shares a meal with them. RESPONSE

in new clarity and energy they are SENT back to the community of disciples.

In other words, Jesus saves his two disciples from confusion by connecting them to communal worship.

Application 3: Jesus keeps us in clarity through community

When we are going through times of confusion Jesus helps us by placing us in a worshiping community.

The more regularly we are in worship, the more resilient we are during times of confusion.

Most healthy spiritually when in church.

Because here we are told again, He is Risen!

And we experience, rehearse it over and over again.

Because here a template is pressed upon us — we are gathered, spoken to, remember, and get sent out.

Sunday like an anchor to the week and to life!

Hebrews 10:24–25 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

Conclusion

The first disciples were confused. The risen Lord appeared to them to bring them clarity.

He does that for us today also.

As we walk together

As we read and believe the Scriptures

As we worship together.