Was It Not Necessary

Wow, I just realized that Ascension Lutheran has been in exile now for an entire month. It has been four weeks since we have gathered together in the Lord’s house, It has been four weeks since we have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, as He reveals Himself to us in the Holy Sacrament. I don’t know about you, but there is a real hunger and thirst going on right now in God’s children. Dearest Family, our Father is allowing us to be tested right now. However, Brothers and Sisters in Christ, although He has hidden Himself from us for a time, He will reveal Himself to us in the breaking of the bread.

Our text today takes us along with two disciples, Cleopas, and his companion Simon on a seven mile journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus. As the text reads, they were discussing amongst themselves Jesus’ arrest, condemnation, crucifixion, and resurrection. And POOF! Jesus joins them as they walked. He asked them what they were discussing, and that’s when things get interesting.

Stopping and looking at each other, Cleopas questions their companion’s knowledge, insinuating that their cloaked companion is a bit daft. Interesting thing about this is that the disciples are the ones who are a bit daft. They relate to Jesus all that happened to Him, even that morning’s event of the discovery of the empty tomb. It is very apparent that these two have very little to no true faith. They just didn’t get it.

They did have faith, don’t get me wrong here. However, their faith was missing guidance. “But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel” (v.21a) They were indeed looking to Jesus to redeem Israel, just as the Law and the Prophets taught. Problem is this stinking veil that covers everyone’s eyes. Earlier in verse 16, we see that “their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.”

It is just as St. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3, “But their minds were hardened. For to this day when they read the old covenant that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.” (vv 14-16). It is the same veil that Isaiah prophesied hundreds of years prior, a great feast, which the Lord Himself will prepare. He gives to us a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. So He gives us this to eat, and He consumes for us this “covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever...” (25:6-8a).

Yes, this veil covers our eyes too. The disciples on the way to Emmaus were looking for Christ to bring in an earthly kingdom, that He would destroy Rome’s dominance over Israel, and would bring Israel back to its glory of yesteryear. They were looking for the temporal…Jesus gave us His eternal.

This veil that covers our eyes is the result of Original Sin. Our perception is corrupted by this sin, and our judgments are also corrupted with sin. We say things we shouldn’t. We do things we shouldn’t. We wrestle with God over our wants and desires that are not Godly, we really do want to live our own way and not have to bear any consequences. We expect God to be our genie in the bottle from time to time. Sin screws everything up.

Anyway, back to the text. Could you imagine yourself being in the shoes, or sandals should I say, when Jesus rebukes? “O foolish ones, and slow of hear to believe all that the prophets have spoken.” Here is where the Lord of Heaven and earth points out to you that your faith has been foolish. They failed to see the big picture of the totality of scripture, the full counsel of God, so-to-speak. They had blinders on that kept them focused on the temporal, worldly stuff.

Jesus continues the rebuke with, “Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory?” Not only had Moses pointed to Christ, but the totality of the OT Scriptures pointed to Jesus and why He would come. Even Jesus Himself told His disciples that He would be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day rise again. It was not just one time Jesus said it, He prophesied His own death and resurrection several times.

So, Jesus begins with Moses and then went into the prophets to show them the truth. I wonder what they said when Jesus reiterated Isaiah 53, the Servant Song that clearly shows that “He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed” (v 5). And the reason for this sacrifice is that “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (v. 6).

Perhaps their jaws dropped to the floor, when the light bulb came on and they did the whole head smack thing. So they finally understood God’s will and His plan of salvation for a sick and dying world. It is all about God’s work through His own Son Jesus, on the cross and completed when He vacated the tomb that morning. He has won for us life and salvation. It is a freedom that the world does not understand, a freedom that even the best Christian pushes to the limits from time to time.

So, here comes an interesting twist in the story. They get to their house, and invite Jesus to stay with them for the night because the “day is now far spent”. Remember, they still don’t know this is Jesus. They now completely understand the Gospel, but God has withheld from them the ability to recognize Jesus. Remember back in verse 16 it says, “But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.”

The interesting part about this is the next verse. Yes, of course Jesus accepts their hospitality, but then the twist. “When He was at table with them, He took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them.” Jesus was an invited guest. Why is it that He is now playing the role of the host? It is not Jesus’ home, He did not invite them to stay with Him.

Back on that road, when Jesus revealed to them God’s plan of redemption was not an earthly redemption—it is for eternal redemption. Jesus then assumed the role or Rabbi, or teacher, and no matter where this Rabbi goes, He is the host. He has earned that office and the respect and honor due it. But as soon as Jesus revealed Himself to them in the breaking of the bread, He vanished. Imagine, the Rabbi blessing the bread, breaking, handing it to you, and immediately you realize who this is! My heart would have hit like 200 bps if that were me sitting there, as suddenly you and Jesus are holding onto the same piece of bread for a moment and you realize its Him and He just disappears right there before you. No wonder they said, “Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked to us on the road, and while He opened to us the Scriptures?” (v.32a)

What joy filled their hearts. After Jesus’ disappearance, they went back to Jerusalem and found the disciples and those who were gathered with them and they related to them the great news, “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.” (vv 34-5).

Two final things here. The outcome of what happened on the road to Emmaus, and what they did with it. So, they themselves had seen him that whole time, had realized it at this wonderful moment. That moment took them back to the upper room where the Passover was celebrated just a handful of days before. At that moment their faith was realized. Now they truly believed.

When the Lord grabs a hold of you, there is much joy and exuberance. By this time it had gotten dark, they got up and returned to Jerusalem to tell the others who did not believe the testimony of the women who were the first eye-witnesses of the miracle of Easter.

He is risen! He is risen indeed. And now that Christ has risen from the grave and lives and reigns for all eternity, His children now have nothing to fear. And right now there is plenty to fear. There is the fear of this COVID-19 virus, especially in the elderly and persons with co morbidity issues. There is no doubt that this virus is a killer. Many of us fear what is coming in November during our national elections. And there are the ever present fear of loss of finances. One think I know for certain:

Jesus lives! The vict’ry’s won!

Death no longer can appall me;

Jesus lives! Death’s reign is done!

From the grave will Christ recall me.

Brighter scenes will then commence;

This shall be my confidence. (LSB 490)

And so with confidence we live our lives today. Not really knowing what all this is about going on in the world around us. Infections, quarantines, stay at home orders, no touching, no hugging, and definitely, no kissing, all this can leave us in a very dark place of isolation, loneliness and despair. And yet, even with all this going on in the world today, you and I can rejoice! You and I have been given faith that even though we have not seen Jesus face to face, through the witness of these two disciples, one late night after Passover as Jesus revealed Himself in the breaking of the bread.

Soon, we will be joining together again. Once again, we will be able to meet here in God’s house, and once again, Jesus will reveal Himself to you as you gather around His table and He stoops down to feed and nourish you with His very body and blood, in, with, and under the physical element of bread and wine.

Yet, until that time we can be ever more refreshed as we walk with Jesus down our own dusty road of life through His comforting Word. He will show you again and again just how much He loves you. And if you sin, we go straight to Him who died in our place and was raised for our justification. Through His Word, He will comfort you in showing that you are not alone. He is there with you, to forgive those repentant sins and to comfort you as He reveals Himself to you through His Word.

Then with repentant joy, after being reassured that the blood of Christ covers all sin, we go out and tell others. You notice that these two disciples didn’t wait until the morning, they didn’t complain because they had already walked 7 miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus, they got up went back to Jerusalem with great excitement because they had seen the risen Jesus and could not help but tell everyone they knew.

May the resurrection of our Lord, His revealing Himself to us through Word and Sacrament, burn so in our hearts that we cannot help but tell every person we see, that Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

In the name of Jesus and for His eternal glory. Amen.