An Unexpected Discovery - Easter Sunday

An Unexpected Discovery . . . Journey to Easter and Beyond #6 Luke 24:13-35 April 12, 2020 Have you ever made an unexpected discovery? In 2018, the Washington Post reported that a Sco?sh farmer named Bruce Grubb received what he called the “fright of his life.” One evening when he went to check his pregnant cows, Bruce spoKed something very wrong. A wild animal was si?ng between his cow pens. It was a Mger. Bruce franMcally called police who quickly arrived at his farm armed to the teeth. A 45-minute standoff began. As police mulled over their opMons, Bruce began to noMce a strange lack of movement in the animal. With police shadowing him, he moved in for a closer look. The animal was, indeed, a Mger . . . a full-sized, stuffed Mger, apparently placed there as a prank. The Mger appeared so realisMc that Bruce had been convinced it was alive and had escaped from a local wildlife farm. However, he made an unexpected discovery. He discovered what he thought to be a real-life Mger, was nothing but a toy. Our story today from God’s Word is about two followers of Jesus who also made an unexpected discovery. Like Farmer Bruce, they discovered that something they believed to be true was false. They made an unexpected spiritual discovery. So, what’s their story? In Luke 24:13, we read that three days a[er Jesus had been crucified, two of his disciples, Cleopas and an unnamed friend, are walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus, a village located 7 miles west of Jerusalem. What are Cleopas and his friend doing as they walk? Verse 14 reveals they are talking and arguing about all the things that have recently happened with Jesus. Somewhere along their journey, they’re joined by a third traveller. This traveller is none other than the resurrected Jesus. But the Scripture says in v. 16 that Cleopas and his companion were prevented from recognizing him. Jesus asks them a seemingly straight-forward quesMon: What are you discussing? V. 17 says that the disciples stopped and looked discouraged. Cleopas replied, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that happened there in these days?” (Luke 24:18 CSB) Jesus responds, “What things?” Cleopas and his friend must have rolled their eyes. They couldn’t believe that someone could be so thoroughly unaware of current events. Beginning in v. 20, we read their reply, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet powerful in acNon and speech before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him. 21 But we were hoping that he was the one who was about to redeem Israel. Besides all this, it’s the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women from our group astounded us. They An Unexpected Discovery 2 arrived early at the tomb, 23 and when they didn’t find his body, they came and reported that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they didn’t see him.” Like most Jews of the Mme, Cleopas, his friend, and all of Jesus’ disciples had been looking for a Messiah who would be a poliMcal and military ruler . . . a king who would govern Israel, conquer their enemies, and free them from Roman oppression. They obviously weren’t expecMng a Messiah who would suffer and die, much less rise from the dead despite the fact that Jesus had repeatedly foretold these events. Cleopas and his fellow disciple weren’t stupid. They knew dead people don’t give encores. Yes, some of Jesus’ female disciples who had gone to the tomb that morning said that it was empty and reported seeing angels who had told them “Jesus is alive.” But that all sounded like nonsense. If Cleopas and his friend had believed these reports they would not have been sad, they would not have been aKempMng to understand what went wrong, and they would not have been headed away from Jerusalem, they would’ve been speeding toward it. How did their unexpected discovery unfold? First, Jesus rebukes them for being foolish and slow of heart to believe the OT prophets. In v. 26, he says, Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then Jesus gives them a long Sunday School lesson from the OT. In v. 27, we read that . . . beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures. The unknown traveller explains to them that the death and resurrecMon of Jesus had been a part of God’s Grand Plan since CreaMon. He shows them verse a[er verse in the Old Testament where God had foretold these events in advance through the prophets. Jesus knows that a spiritual discovery for Cleopas and his companion must start in the Scriptures. Jesus knew they needed more than an experience. They needed to be grounded in truth. The Bible is the primary means of God’s revelaMon to humankind. This was true in Jesus’ day. And it’s sMll true in our day. What happened as they listened to Jesus explain that the OT Scriptures spoke of, and pointed to, him? In v. 32, we learn that their hearts were burning within them and that the Scriptures were coming to life. God’s Word was beginning to make sense like it never had before. God was revealing his truth and his Grand Story to their minds and hearts. Do you believe that reading and studying God’s Word can lead to life-changing spiritual discovery in your life? If so, are you invesMng Mme in reading and studying it? Do you have a reading plan to discipline yourself in this regard? An Unexpected Discovery 3 Perhaps you believe the Bible to be irrelevant and boring? Have you ever read it? Have you read the biographies of Jesus by his friends, MaKhew, Mark, Luke, and John to learn what he said about himself and the kingdom of God? Have you asked a ChrisMan friend to read the Bible with you and help you understand it? Jesus used the truth contained in the Word of God to prepare these two disciples on the Emmaus road to make an unexpected spiritual discovery. God sMll prepares the hearts of people to discover him through hearing, reading, and understanding the Bible. Jesus knew that spiritual discovery starts in the Scriptures. Jesus also knew that spiritual discovery requires an unforced invitaMon. As the threesome neared the village to which the two disciples were travelling, Jesus gave the impression that he was travelling farther. But Cleopas and his companion extended an invitaMon to Jesus. In v. 28, we read that it was late in the day and they urged him to dine with them and stay the night. The two disciples could have said, “Well, friend, it’s been nice chaZng. You certainly have some most interesNng views on this whole Messiah debate. I hope we get a chance to talk, again.” They could have chosen to shake hands and go their separate ways. But they didn’t. They made an intenMonal decision to become more vulnerable and invite this traveller who had sparked curiosity and hope in their hearts into the community and inMmacy of their home. The invitaMon that Cleopas and his companion made to Jesus would soon lead to a spiritual discovery. An invitaMon you make to Jesus can lead to spiritual discovery in your life. What invitaMon might Jesus be waiMng for you to make to him to move toward spiritual discovery? Perhaps, it’s inviMng him to show you that he’s real, that he really is who he claimed to be. Maybe it’s inviMng him to help you to trust him with some crisis you’re facing . . . a lost job or financial hardship, a broken relaMonship in need of restoraMon, a loved one who is ill with Covid-19. Perhaps it involves inviMng Jesus to help you to let go of hatred and anger and to extend forgiveness to someone who has wronged or vicMmized you. Maybe it involves inviMng him to take up residence in your spiritual house, your spirit? If you choose to issue an invitaMon to Jesus, he will not ignore you. In Rev. 3:20 we read Jesus’ promise: See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. (Rev 3:20 CSB) Jesus knew that spiritual discovery starts in the Scriptures and that spiritual discovery requires an invitaMon. Spiritual discovery also requires something more. It requires surrender. A[er Cleopas and friend invited Jesus to stay for the night, they dined together. As they prepared to begin their meal, they made a criMcal decision that led to unlocking a life-changing spiritual discovery. They chose to surrender control to Jesus. An Unexpected Discovery 4 You say, Kent, where do you see surrender to Jesus in this passage? Dining together is one of the most inMmate acMviMes that people engage in with friends. But in Jewish culture in biblical Mmes, eaMng a meal together was even more inMmate than in today’s world. Those sharing a meal laid down on pillows and reclined on an elbow around a low table as they enjoyed food and drink together. To begin the meal, the patriarch of the home said a blessing over the bread, broke it, ate a piece, and then passed the blessed bread to his spouse, and then to his children. Guests in the home might be invited to also partake of the blessed bread, but they were served last. It would have been highly unusual for a guest in a Jewish home to pronounce the blessing over the bread, and to serve it. But we learn in v. 30 that this is exactly what occurred. In v. 30 we read, It was as he [Jesus] reclined at the table with them that he took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. This would have only happened if Cleopas and his fellow disciple chose to give Jesus this honour to pronounce the blessing, break the bread, and to distribute it to those at the table. They chose to release control of their situaMon to Jesus. They chose to let Jesus take charge. The result was an unexpected spiritual discovery. Verse 31 says, . . . then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him . . . They were enabled to see the idenMty of the unknown traveller that had explained the Scriptures to them, that they had invited to dine with them, and to whom they had surrendered control. It was Jesus! The women had been right. He was no longer dead. He had risen. He was alive and si?ng beside them. Like Cleopas and his friend, perhaps the only thing between you and spiritual discovery is to release control to Jesus. Perhaps, for you, the key to unlocking spiritual discovery is to let go of some vice or addicMon that you’ve turned to for comfort and to allow Jesus to remove the chains of bondage that have shackled you. For others, perhaps surrendering means laying down your pride, ceasing to aKempt to earn God’s favour through perfecMonism, and receiving his forgiveness. For some, surrendering to Jesus might involve removing yourself from the throne of your life, and acknowledging Jesus as your master, your king. He’s the most benevolent dictator that you could ever know. He’s a king who loves you and cares deeply about you. Is Jesus in charge in your life? Have you surrendered control to him? SomeMmes spiritual discovery can produce some interesMng twists. It did for Cleopas and friend. We learn in v. 31 that no sooner had the discovery that Jesus was risen and si?ng beside them dawned upon them, he vanished from their sight. What? What’s that all about? An Unexpected Discovery 5 A[er Jesus rose from the dead, he was no longer limited by bodily constraints. The Bible tells us that while he ate food and had skin and bones like yours and mine that others could touch and feel, his body could now transcend the finite limitaMons of space and Mme. Did Cleopas and his sidekick let this twist (Jesus’ disappearance) discredit their discovery? No, it only solidified their new belief that Jesus had risen and is the Messiah, the Son of God. In vv. 33-35, we read that they were so ecstaMc, they immediately returned the seven miles to Jerusalem, likely running and out-of-breath most of the way, to share their new discovery with their fellow disciples. “The Lord has truly been raised,” they said, “and has appeared to Simon!” (pause slightly) The two disciples on the road to Emmaus made an unexpected discovery that first Easter. They discovered that Jesus is not dead. He is alive! Jesus is sMll in the business of revealing himself to those who will search for him in the Scriptures, who will choose to invite him in, and who will surrender control to the risen Lord. Like Cleopas and his companion on the road to Emmaus, God is providing an opportunity to you to encounter the risen Lord. Will you choose to respond to him today in faith and trust? Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed! (Let’s pray)