Discouraged Covid-19 Disciples
Notes
Transcript
This has been an intense 9 months and it just keeps going. Here in New Hampshire the cases of COVID-19 are rising at a faster rate than we have seen previously and so there are some new mandates and guidelines. It’s not just in the cities, but in the towns and rural counties as well. So we as a church have to keep talking about this.
I want to take a week break from our Galatians study to do just that for a few minutes.
Have you ever been disappointed in life. Maybe someone has not lived up to your expectations. Maybe you didn’t get that dream job that you had applied for. Maybe you woke up one day and just felt like you weren’t living the life you were meant for. Whatever they may be I would dare say that we have all been disappointed. And difficult times can cause lots of disappointment for us as well.
Thanksgiving being the next in line.
I think by this time in the year we had hoped for the end of COVID. Some of us had hoped for a vaccine. Many of us had hoped that we could stop wearing these darn masks. We had hoped….. We had hoped….. But…..
Maybe we are disappointed by the times we are in and things we miss. But we don’t have to be discouraged. During this global pandemic, there is a lot we have in common:
The most common of these things right now might be our DISAPPOINTMENTS. The reality is that in this life, DISAPPOINTMENTS are inevitable.
But our disappointments do not have to lead to DISCOURAGEMENT.
And the Bible has a story, a few stories actually, about disappointment that could or was leading to discouragement.
13 Now that same day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 Together they were discussing everything that had taken place. 15 And while they were discussing and arguing, Jesus himself came near and began to walk along with them. 16 But they were prevented from recognizing him. 17 Then he asked them, “What is this dispute that you’re having with each other as you are walking?” And they stopped walking and looked discouraged.
18 The one named Cleopas answered him, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that happened there in these days?”
19 “What things?” he asked them.
So they said to him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet powerful in action 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 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.”
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.
28 They came near the village where they were going, and he gave the impression that he was going farther. 29 But they urged him, “Stay with us, because it’s almost evening, and now the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
30 It was as he reclined at the table with them that he took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, but he disappeared from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us?” 33 That very hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and those with them gathered together, 34 who said, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they began to describe what had happened on the road and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
In this story, Jesus appears to two of his disciples on the road between Jerusalem and Emmaus. These two individuals who meet with Jesus in this scene are not from the inner circle of 12 disciples, but probably members of the outer circle of disciples. Emmaus is said to be about seven and a half miles from Jerusalem. Definitely a walkable distance. Emmaus was a newly founded suburb of Jerusalem and was called Colonia by the Romans and was mostly inhabited by discharged Roman soldiers. As these two believers were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus, they are talking between themselves as to all the events of recent days.
Verse 21 says, “but we had trusted that it had been He the one...”
They had hoped, they had anticipated ….. but they were very disappointed. Remember, they knew of the crucifixion and burial ….. but nothing else. They didn’t know, like we do, that Jesus had actually risen from the dead 3 days later. And after that He had appeared to Mary Magdalene (Mark 10). He had appeared to some other women (Matthew 28). He had appeared to 10 of the disciples. And now Jesus appears to these two disappointed and discouraged disciples on a road. Jesus pops in on a journey. He could have appeared in other more exciting places. Wouldn’t it have been fun to drop by Pilate’s palace for a few minutes? Wouldn’t it have been wild to show up at the High Priest’s house unannounced? Maybe even show up at the Roman guards’ barracks– just for some shock and awe? But He left the Roman rulers and the Religious leaders alone!
Instead, Jesus decided to drop in on these two disciples. These two disciples that had given up and were heading back home. These two disciples who were dejected, disappointed and discouraged.
17 Then he asked them, “What is this dispute that you’re having with each other as you are walking?” And they stopped walking and looked discouraged.
As Jesus joins Himself to these two disciples, He questions why their conversation is so gloomy, mournful, and angry. God never asks question in order to get information He’s omniscience, which is a big word that means He knows everything. He is asking so that WE can answer HIS questions. In Verse 16 we see that they didn’t recognize Jesus – He had veiled Himself from them.
These two dejected, disappointed and discouraged disciples couldn’t believe that someone coming from Jerusalem didn’t know of the events concerning Jesus of Nazareth. So they began a review, for this stranger, of the things concerning Jesus’ mighty miracles, of the trial leading to Jesus’ condemnation and crucifixion. They also related how that some of the women among the disciples had gone to the sepulcher and found it empty and they claimed to have seen a vision of angels who said that Jesus was risen from the dead.
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.
“But we trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel” “But we trusted” – but we had expected – but we had hoped… These two dejected, disappointed, and discouraged disciples were in need: and what does Jesus do?
FIRST of all Jesus shows up with His presence.
15 And while they were discussing and arguing, Jesus himself came near and began to walk along with them.
Jesus is not scared of our grief, Jesus is familiar with disappointment, Jesus is acquainted with pain. Jesus’ presence brings Peace, Calmness, and Satisfaction. Those of us living right here and right now don’t have to go thru this COVID-19 trial alone – He is with us.
The SECOND thing he does is that Jesus opens up their minds with His Word.
27 Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.
Jesus is alive – and they are now witnesses of that fact. But also – They need to understand that it is so because God’s Word said it would be so. We need to get our eyes off of our agenda, our expectations, our hopes, our dreams, even our disappointments. We need to get our eyes onto God’s agenda. What is God doing? How do we get onboard with His agenda?
Jesus went with them until they came close to the village He would have gone further but they constrained him to stop and He did stop to dine with them. Over supper, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to them. Immediately, their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus. And right at the “AMEN” moment, right at the “HALLAJUH, “PRAISE THE LORD” moment - Jesus just vanishes!! Jesus just leaves them!! Poof - He is Gone!!!
Did you ever wonder why? Why would Jesus just take off. Well what was their reaction to recognizing Jesus and Him vanishing? They hotfooted it back to Jerusalem. They went to be reunited with the believers in Jerusalem because they had GOOD NEWS that needed to be shared! Maybe their brothers/sisters in Christ were dejected, disappointed, and discouraged – and needed their support and GOOD NEWS they had.
Another thing they needed to be used to prepare the disciples. When they returned to Jerusalem, they “found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them.” These two disciples relayed their meeting with Jesus and confirmed that “The Lord is risen”. As they were relating their message to the gathering, (V36) “Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.” You might say that these two disciples were used to prepare others for Jesus’ presence. And finally they needed something else for their long-term mission. The needed the Power that Jesus had promised them.
4 While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about;
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
They needed to be in place (and that wasn’t Emmaus) and prepared for the coming of the Holy Spirit – which gives them/us POWER to spread the Good News.
Hey Church – Are we WHERE we are supposed to be?
Encouraging, Edifying, Serving, Supporting our fellow believers.
Are we PREPARING OTHERS for Jesus’ presence?
Are we helping other believers to grow nearer to Christ? And are we letting other believers help us grow nearer to Christ? And I’m not just talking about pastors or elders doing that. Are we leaning into the full body of Christ to help us grow?
Are we helping to prepare unbelievers to trust Christ as their Savior?
And are we using the POWER that comes by having the Holy Spirit and being submissive to the Holy Spirit?
Jesus is the one who turns disappointment into joy instead of discouragement. Just like these disciples we have recognized Jesus as our risen Savior. And just like these disciples Jesus has given us the power and tools that we need to bring that hope and joy to a world that is hurting and walking in disappointment and discouragement.