Remember and Believe

Can you guess what the earliest creed of the Christian Church was? “He is Risen.” Our entire existence as a church and as the people of God stands or falls with this truth. Because records this phenomenal event, the world would never be the same. All four Gospels contain the truth of the resurrection.

Can you guess what the earliest creed of the Christian Church was? “He is Risen.” Our entire existence as a church and as the people of God stands or falls with this truth. Because records this phenomenal event, the world would never be the same. All four Gospels contain the truth of the resurrection.

If there is no resurrection, then there is no Christianity, and as Paul stated in , your faith is worthless. In fact, if one considers the reality, appears to be the end to Christ’s life. However, the exact opposite is true; it’s the beginning of our lives who have claimed Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Historically, this is why the church has normally met on Sunday. It’s not because there is anything special about this day. It’s simply the reminder that Christ’s resurrection proves the death on Friday absolves us of our sin and that Sunday proves the Father’s acceptance of Christ’s purchase of our salvation, giving us eternal life. If there is no resurrection, then the cross is meaningless.

John MacArthur states: Only those who understand the Bible can know the truth about salvation from sin and eternal damnation in hell; only those who obey Biblical truth can live fulfilled, obedient, blessed, effective, joyful lives. To understand Scripture is to understand everything from God’s perspective, which is the only true view.

24:1-12

Luke 24:1–12 NASB95

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? “He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” And they remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.

We can recite the Scriptures and intellectually understand the Bible and still not believe the God of the Bible. That is why I believe it to be imperative to teach the Bible truths as thoroughly and as often as I am able. For one day, the Holy Spirit will bring to the mind and heart the remembrance of what has been taught. He will then enlighten the individual and convict that person so that they come to the point where they will believe unto salvation.

In this whole passage today, we see individuals who remembered and believed. As they continued to seek after God, they finally understood when it was revealed to them.

In all of life, it is important to remember what the Bible says, letting that lead you to believing in God’s promises.

24:13-31

Distressed & Doubtful - 24:1-12

Luke 24:13–31 NASB95

And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. 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. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad. One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. “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. “But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also 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 exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.” And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther. But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them. When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? “He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” And they remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.

We recall the women going to see where Jesus body was being buried and how they had then left to go home to prepare the burial spices for after the Sabbath. We recall also that they were going to come back and finish taking care of the body, a very special, loving duty they wanted to complete. However, we can assume there was some concern about how to open the tomb by moving the huge stone which had been placed in front of it. gives us insight into this, as we see the women discussing what they should do.

When they came to the tomb, this concern was no longer an issue, as the stone had been rolled away from the tomb. We remember that an angel had been there and had rolled the stone away from the entrance to the tomb. In addition, another Gospel lets us know that the posted guard of soldiers had been so frightened by the angel that they had left. As a result, the women went inside to go about their business. However, upon entering, the body of Jesus was not to be found.

As they were considering this unforeseen problem, accompanied with some perplexity, they found themselves face-to-face with two individuals that were definitely not earthbound people. The Bible says that they stood near them in dazzling clothing. We also see that the women recognized that these must be God's messengers, since they bowed to the ground.

24:32-35

Luke 24:32–35 NASB95

They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.” They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.

At this point, one of the angels ask a question with an answer built-in so as to explain what exactly had taken place. Most of us assume that when we go to a grave, we will find a dead body. Yet, the two angels stated that this was not logical in this situation, as Jesus was not dead, but rather alive. They go on to explain how Jesus had indeed risen from the dead. The Greek wording is actually in the passive voice which states, “He has been raised.” Here, we find the first announcement of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They added how Jesus had made clear what would happen when he spoke to them at Galilee.

Luke 24:32-35

At this point, Luke informs us that the women had actually remembered His words. Implied in this, is the fact that in remembering, they believed it to be true. As a result, they went back to where the disciples and others were and reported what had been told to them and what they had observed. Matthew tells us they went quickly with fear and great joy. We’ve all probably experienced that unique mix of emotions. Luke also goes on to tell us who these women were, listing three of them. This may not seem significant, but I daresay it is quite important. In , we are told that a matter is confirmed on the evidence of two or three witnesses.

Isn’t it wonderful how the simple loyalty and commitment these women showed would be rewarded with being the first people to hear this amazing message that Jesus was alive!!

alive!!

Sadly, the remaining 11 disciples and the others did not believe the words of the women to be true. Even though the women had no flaws in their testimony, the disciples considered all of this absurd. This actually is further proof that the story was not made up by the disciples, as they actually didn’t believe the initial reports.

Yet, we see that Peter could not just sit still. We know this to be fact, in that he got up and ran to the tomb. We know that from John's Gospel, the apostle John was there with Peter at the tomb, as well. What Peter did see, caused him amazement. Actually, it is what he did not see; there was no body, only the linen wrappings.

It was at this point, that Peter went to his home, marveling and reflecting at what had happened.

Disappointed & Disillusioned - 24:13-31

And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. 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. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad. One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. “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. “But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also 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 exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.” And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther. But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them. When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.

and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther. But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them. When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.

We are introduced to two men who are walking together on their way to the village of Emmaus. This encounter is only shared by Luke, giving us an insight into God’s working and the mystery of the new birth. With all that had been going on which they had observed, there was a great deal of discussion between the two of them. They probably were going over the events of the past week and how it had ended in such disappointing tragedy. Most likely, they were in a state of confusion and bewilderment as to the the whole situation. After all, from what is written, we can assume that their hopes had been dashed with his crucifixion.

In verse 15, we see that Jesus joins them in their walk and talk. These men probably assumed that this fellow was just another Jew traveling down the road, as so many people were. As a result of them being prevented from recognizing who He was, we are given insight into their genuine state of thought and heart. As Jesus questions them about their conversation, it almost appears as if they are stunned by His apparent lack of knowledge of current events.

They actually stop their walking and sadly ask Jesus if He was even aware of all that happened recently. As Jesus questions them regarding specifics, they reveal what they understood about Jesus the Nazarene and how the religious leaders had wrongly had Him executed. They had the understandable facts accurate, yet not complete.

I find myself amazed at these two men. As far as they were concerned, this individual to whom they were speaking was a total stranger who was oblivious to what was happening in their world. However, they are willing to pour their hearts out to this stranger. They described what they knew and felt without any fear of reprisal.

In this exchange, it becomes obvious to us that these two men did not understand the prophecies from the Old Testament. They did not realize what the Messiah had to do in order to accomplish God’s purposes. We see in verse 21 that they had a great hope that Jesus would be the One to redeem Israel. You can sense their disappointment as they shared that it was the third day and nothing has yet happened.

In addition, they explain how the women had amazed them with what they had shared. They elaborated how when the women went to the tomb, there was no body and how an angel had told them that Jesus was alive. Further, they explained to Jesus, whom they still did not recognize, that others had also gone and had verified the empty tomb without Jesus. You see, they heard indisputable information, but had not been able to connect any belief yet. They had not been able to clearly remember what the Scriptures taught.

It is at this point in verse 25, that Jesus lovingly reprimanded them in His explanation. The people then were not much different than we are in the fact that they believed the promises about the glory of the Messiah; but for some reason, ignored the prophecies about the suffering of the Messiah.

Jesus then goes on to explain the Old Testament more thoroughly, starting with Moses and all the prophets. This was not a General Old Testament survey class. This was teaching about what Scripture taught about the Messiah.

Most likely, this all took place while they were walking towards the village. Even though the unrecognized Jesus looked as if He were walking farther, they prevailed upon Him to stay with them as it was getting towards evening time. It was at this time He sat down to eat with them and proceeded to bless and break the bread and distributed it to them.

What happens next in verse 31 is a miraculous event in many ways. Obviously, the fact that Jesus just disappeared from their sight was miraculous. But even more importantly, though they had been learning about the Messiah from the Scripture, they had not yet recognized Him until now. What a wonderful personal revelation they had just experienced.

Jesus had removed that which had prevented them from recognizing Him. Suddenly they understood what He had been teaching them from the Scriptures.

Recognition & Relating - 24:32-35

They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.” They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.

At this point, the two men were by themselves. However, there is a sense of keen recognition as they reflected on what had been happening. They weren’t caught up in the fact that Jesus had somehow just disappeared. They recalled that their hearts were strangely warmed, or on fire, while Jesus was teaching them from the Scriptures.

Something which we often overlook is that these men did not stay and sleep overnight as they had planned. Who cares that it is nightfall? So what if Jerusalem is 7 miles away and it will probably take nearly two hours to get there? Verse 33 is very clear that they immediately got up at that hour and headed back to Jerusalem from where they had earlier come.

What a reminder to us. When we have come to the point where we believe, there is nothing that should slow us down or delay us as we share the message.

Once they arrived there, they went to meet the eleven and all of the others who were with them. With great confidence and clarity, they shared what they believed; Jesus Christ, the Lord, had really risen. Luke states that the others had reported that Jesus has appeared to Simon. That makes sense because of what says.

These men then proceeded to share with the group all that they had experienced on the road to their village. By the fact that they remarked how they recognized Jesus when he broke the bread, reveals further the incredible, miraculous event that took place in their lives.

Conclusion

There are many things which we could glean from these verses today. One of them was the fact that God used some very unlikely individuals to be his ambassadors of the Resurrection message. It was a small group of dedicated women who has been faithful to Jesus the whole time.

Something which draws our attention is the fact that individuals who had spent nearly every waking moment and had been involved deeply in ministry with Jesus, the eleven, were those who would not believe at the time. I recognize that Peter and John were the two who went to check it out. However, the Bible just tells us that they were perplexed and bewildered.

Can you identify a bit with this situation? When you first understood that Jesus Christ wanted to be your Lord and Savior, you rejoiced. You then go and share this Good News with others and find yourself totally bewildered as to why other people aren’t as excited as you are. You can’t figure out why people come up with such lame excuses or why they seem to want to run from you lest some Jesus might rub off on them. But you just keep sharing.

We are also blessed and challenged to see that Jesus can take these courageous and responsive individuals and transform them into joy-filled witnesses for Christ.

It is also an encouragement to us to know that God is acting even in the darkest times of our lives. It is a truth that He allows Himself to be known when He chooses. It is also a truth that even with all the understanding we might have of Scripture, we still need the Lord to enlighten us and enable our understanding.

MacArthur states: when the truth of Scripture becomes clear, the heart is set on fire for joy and for testimony.

In all of life, it is important to remember what the Bible says, letting that lead you to believing in God’s promises.