Untitled Sermon (6)

Sermon on the Mount – An Introduction

Matthew 5:1-2

1. Introduction – This morning we are concluding our look at the different meal scenes through Luke by looking at one of the most vivid descriptions of Jesus’ post resurrection appearances.

a. As we look into this story, it comes as no surprise that Jesus is revealed to these disciples only in the act of breaking bread together. It is around the dinner table that they finally see this stranger on the road for who he really is, the Risen Christ.

i. As we have seen throughout this series, the table was the place for fellowship in the ancient world and Luke has underscored the importance of table fellowship through his Gospel. The table was the place where Jesus was heard and where his presence came across most intimately.

1. It shows us that Jesus reveals himself in the midst of the basic moments of life; that he is at home in the midst of our everyday activities.

a. It wasn’t in his teaching that he was revealed, though he is a great teacher, it wasn’t because of his resurrected state that he was revealed, through it is a glorious state, it was in the everyday, but important act of breaking bread, of having table fellowship, of eating a meal, that these disciples came to realize they were eating with Jesus.

2. Retelling the Story. The Emmaus story is a literary and spiritual jewel.

a. It is at once a moving story, a testimony to the Resurrection, an explanation of the empty tomb, and an occasion for Luke to summarize several of his major themes.

i. So I again I want to take some time to really look at the importance of this story. I want to retell it to you looking at different aspects of it.

1. This is a familiar story to some of us, but I want us to look at it with fresh eyes and hear it with fresh ears, so that we can once again stand in awe of our resurrected Saviour.

b. The story begins that very day, meaning that this event took place on the same day that the women discovered the empty tomb.

i. Two men are walking down the road between Jerusalem and Emmaus. Emmaus was a small little town seven miles outside of Jerusalem.

1. These two men were presumably in Jerusalem for that Passover, but they were talking about the events that had just taken place. There was a great deal to discuss, from the triumphal entry to the empty tomb, and they were probably taking their time doing it.

a. We know from the words used to describe them later in the chapter that they were disappointed, sad, and bewildered. Indeed, they were grieving, because their beloved Jesus had died and was now missing.

i. As they made their slow, sorrowful way to Emmaus, a stranger overtook them on the road. This third traveler didn’t pass them by, he didn’t greet them and keep on going, but he stopped and engaged them in conversation. We know as readers that this stranger is Jesus, but it says that these disciples were kept from seeing him. What prevented these disciples from seeing Jesus? Perhaps it was their unbelief, for as we shall see, they didn’t yet have faith in the resurrection. Maybe they failed to recognize Jesus because they never expected to see him again. This is very mysterious. If they know Jesus well enough to love him, they must have known what he looked like. Yet they didn’t or couldn’t recognize who he was – a common occurrence in the resurrection appearances of Jesus. Maybe these disciples were too weighed down with grief to lift their heads and take a good look at him.[i] But Luke simply says that their eyes were kept from recognizing him, which implies some sort of divine hindrance. Jesus was traveling incognito because this was the gracious will and saving purpose of God. If the disciples couldn’t see Jesus, it was because God wouldn’t let them see Jesus, at least not yet.[ii]

3. So Jesus fell into stride beside these two disciples and he asks a common question: “What are you folks taking about?” The disciples were downcast and dispirited, still grieving the loss of their beloved teacher. But they weren’t too sad to be surprised that the third traveler didn’t know what they were talking about. As far as they were concerned, this man had just interrupted their conversation to ask what seemed to be a rather stupid question. With irritated astonishment, Cleopas, the only disciples named in this passage, responded, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that have happened there in these days?” This comment indicates that everybody who traveled to Jerusalem for Passover knew of the events of Jesus’ crucifixion. This verse creates one of the best examples of irony in the whole Bible. “Are you the only one who doesn’t know what took place?” Remember who he’s talking to, he talking to Jesus. Far from being the only one who didn’t know, Jesus was the only one who really knew what happened. Jesus knew it all, better than anyone, for it had happened to him. He alone could explain what had transpired during his Jewish and Roman trials. He alone could testify what it is like to be mocked and tortured and to die in disgrace. He alone had felt the thorny crown upon his brow and the steely nails through his hands and feet. He alone could describe the inside of the dark tomb and the warmth of the first light of the resurrection. Instead of being the only person who didn’t know what was happening, Jesus was the only person who did! But rather than acting like a know it all, he took the time to help these disciples see their salvation.

4. Jesus, the one who knew all things, asks again, “What things?” In the verses that follow, verses 19-24, we have what some have described as ‘The Gospel According to Cleopas.” It includes almost all of the basic facts one would find in the Gospel according to Anyone. Yet something still seems to be missing. In fact, it reads like an unfinished creed. Can you tell what’s missing?”[iii] Cleopas started with the life of Jesus. He said that Jesus was a man and a prophet. Like the prophets of old, Jesus had worked mighty miracles and spoken timely truths that came from the mind of God. Cleopas gives a fair summary of Jesus’ earthly ministry.[iv] Cleopas moves now to talk about the tragic death of Jesus. He rightly says that it was the chief priest and rulers of Israel that handed Jesus to be killed. As a result, Jesus the mighty prophet was condemned and crucified. This broke the travelers hearts, because they had hoped that Jesus would redeem his people Israel. They were at the place where – and maybe you have been to a place like this in your own life – where all their expectations were dashed and all their hopes disappointed.[v] Then Cleopas talked about the extraordinary things, which had happened that very day. They specified that this was now the ‘third day’ since Jesus was crucified. This phrase is a signal of the resurrection, reminiscent of the prophecy that on the third day Jesus would rise again. But for the Emmaus disciples it seems to have meant that the situation was beyond earthly hope. They were not thinking in terms of resurrection at all, so when the third day came, they thought Jesus was as dead as he could be.[vi] At this point the disciples weren’t sure if the report of the empty was good news or bad news. Notice how the Gospel According to Cleopas ends, without hope. “They did not see him,” another situational irony in Luke’s Gospel. This explains why Cleopas and his friend were still so sad. They didn’t know for sure that Jesus was alive. If they didn’t know the truth of the resurrection, they couldn’t know that their sins were forgiven through the cross or that the empty tomb was God’s guarantee of eternal life.[vii] His gospel, his creed was unfinished.

5. Then Jesus, after giving time to hear the concerns of his disciples, begins to talk. “O foolish one.” This was not an unkind rebuke, but more like saying, “O clueless ones.” The Saviour was staring them straight in the face, but their minds and hearts would not let them believe it.[viii] The disciples didn’t yet understand that far from proving he was not the Messiah, the sufferings of the cross proved that Jesus was indeed the promised Deliverer. So Jesus proceeded to preach them the Gospel According to the Old Testament. Wouldn’t you love to hear what Jesus said to these two men? We don’t know exactly what Jesus said on this occasion. If we needed to know, then undoubtedly God would have told us. But the fact is that we really don’t need to know because we still have the same Old Testament that Jesus used as the text for his sermon. Here Jesus gives us the golden key to unlock the meaning of the Hebrew Scriptures: they are all about him! So beginning with Moses, who wrote the first five books of the Bible, Jesus proves that suffering is part of the Messiah’s job description. He may have used Genesis 3:15, Exodus 12:13, Leviticus 16:14-16, Numbers 21:9 and Deuteronomy 27:1-26. All of these find their fulfillment in the person, work, and suffering of Jesus.

6. Jesus then moves on to the prophets. He may have used Isaiah 53:5, Jeremiah 20:7-10, and Zechariah 3:9. These prophesies also find their fulfillment in the suffering and death of Jesus, who was wounded, pierced, rejected, and abused in offering himself as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.[ix] Jesus teaches them that the Messiah had to suffer in order to receive glory and he used the entire Old Testament to prove it to these disciples. They shouldn’t be without hope because of Jesus’ death, but they should be rejoicing because God’s salvation plan is in motion, in fact, since they are talking with the risen Jesus, his plan is completed.

7. As they near the village, it is getting late and Jesus acts as if he was going on to the next town. The disciples ask him to stay and he does and we see another meal scene in the gospel of Luke. There are a couple of amazing things that happens at this dinner table. Yes, it is unusual for people to vanish, but the other amazing things we see hear is Jesus taking on the role of host, even though he is an invited guest. Luke uses almost identical words for this meal scene as he used for the feeding of the five thousand or the institution of the Lord’s Supper. And it is in the breaking of bread that the disciples recognized Jesus. Perhaps it was in the way he prayed, by some inflection in his voice, perhaps they saw the nail prints in his hands, or maybe God opened their eyes to allow them to see who was at their table. Whatever it was, they finally realized that the one they had been walking and talking with, who they shared a meal with, was Jesus the risen one. No sooner did the disciples recognize Jesus than he completely vanishes, unusual, yes, but notice that is not was the disciples dwell on. The news they have they can’t possible keep it to themselves. So they make that same seven-mile journey back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples. But the two trips couldn’t have been more different. The first was sad and sorrowful, this one they ran with joy and celebration. They burst into the room where the other Eleven had been waiting and praying. But Jesus had already appeared to some of them and they then begin to share stories of their encounters with the Risen Jesus.

8. Doctrine – what do we learn from this dinner scene?

9. Now I realize I’ve taken quite a long time retelling this story, but it’s an important story to tell. It adds to what we already know about the resurrection by giving us another eyewitness account of people who actually saw the risen Christ. They walked with; they talked with him; they even had supper with him.[x] But there are a couple things that I want us take away from this story beyond the fact of the resurrection. Even in his post resurrected state, Jesus still teaches us about life as a Christian. There are three things that I want to very quickly point out from this story that can help us in our lives here on earth.

10. Jesus coming alongside us. First, we see Jesus coming alongside these disciples in their despair. These disciples were despondent. They were full of sorrow and grief because their hope was gone. They didn’t yet believe in the power of resurrection and they thought that Jesus, they one they hoped would deliver Israel, was dead. Jesus gives them companionship; he was there to strengthen these weak disciples in their time of need.

11. Jesus does the same thing for us today. When we are in despair and without hope, he overtakes us on the road, falling in stride with our sorrow and confusion. Then he will ask what we know about him, hoping that we will listen to the gospel and see him as our Saviour.[xi] Jesus brings comfort to the grieving; joy to the sad; knowledge to the foolish, and he is a light in the darkness. Jesus will come alongside each and everyone of us, and he will never abandon us on this road of life, but will be with us every step of the way. This Emmaus road story is really the story of all Christians everywhere. Without a Risen Christ we are without hope. But, like in this story, when we least expect it, we are encountered by the Risen Jesus. He shows us through his love and mercy that he died for our sins, but he also shows us that he is resurrected and has been raised to glory by God the Father. Jesus will come alongside us, but there is one important step that we have to take. When we are encountered by the Risen Jesus we have to, like the disciples in our story this morning, invite him to stay. We have to invite him in. We have to show the same hospitality that the disciples showed. The most important hospitality of all is to open the home of your heart and ask Jesus to come in. If Jesus happened to overtake you on the road, would you recognize him and invite him to stay? Are you drawn to him the way these disciples were drawn to him?[xii] Don’t miss the opportunity to see Jesus. Imagine what the Emmaus disciples would have missed if they had let Jesus go on his way instead of asking him to stay. They would have regretted it for the rest of their lives. “I can’t believe we didn’t invite Jesus to stay with us that night,” they would have said. “What we were thinking?” Don’t let that be the story of your life. When Jesus comes alongside you in your despair or when you are encountered by the Risen Christ, allow him to fall into stride with you and when the opportunity arises, ask him to stay, and he will stay with you forever.

1. Jesus walks with us. Secondly, much like the first, we see Jesus walking down this road with his disciples. Similar to the first point where Jesus comes alongside us, in this point we see actually see Jesus falling into stride, not greeting us on the road and then passing us by, but walking alongside us, talking with us, and even instructing us in the Christian life. We see God’s promise in action here, “I will never leave you, or forsake you.” Jesus overtakes the disciples on the road, but he doesn’t pass them by leaving them in their sorrow and grief, but he engages them in conversation and allows them share their story, their faith and even their doubts.

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14. Here we see Jesus journeying with these disciples. In this story Jesus got the conversation going by asking a question and the disciples responded with the Gospel According to Cleopas, which we saw was no gospel at all. The Emmaus disciples were on the road somewhere between faith and unbelief, but that is when Jesus started walking alongside them. He walked them through the Old Testament, showing them all the prophecies about the Messiah’s suffering and glory. He walked them through their unbelief until their eyes were opened and they could see the Jesus had indeed risen from the dead.

15. Jesus does the same thing for us today. He walks beside us in our faith and even in our doubts. He allows us to tell him our stories, our joys, our concerns; he allows us to voice our faith and our doubts. He doesn’t condemn us, but he walks us through, journeying on this road with us. Jesus falls into stride with us, with our sorrow and confusion, with our faith and our doubts. He will ask us questions, hoping that we will listen to the gospel and see him as our Saviour. Obviously we don’t have a physically present Jesus with us today, but we can experience is presence by the power of the Holy Spirit and in the reading of his word. It is in the reading of the Bible and through prayer that we are encountered by the living Christ. It is by believing everything spoken in the word that we know Jesus for sure. Have you met this Jesus before on some gospel road, or is he only now overtaking you? Let him fall into stride and walk beside you like a friend. Listen to his words. See who he is. Believe him as your Saviour and your God.[xiii]

16. Unlike the Emmaus disciples, we do know how Jesus is. Therefore, we should feel even more urgency about the time that we spend with Jesus, wanting to hear more of what he says about his cross and empty tomb and yearning to know him better than we know him. Again, we have to invite Jesus in. It seems so obvious: given the chance, of course we would ask Jesus over for dinner. But is that really the decision we are making every day – the decision to stay with Jesus and to ask him to stay with us. Do you linger with him longer in prayer, listening to more of what he wants to say to you in his Word? Or are you always rushing off to do the next thing? Make sure that when Jesus falls into stride with you along your road that you invite him to stay for dinner and beyond. Allow him to walk you through your faith and your doubts; allow him to walk with you on this gospel road as you either discover what this Jesus guy is all about, or as you solidify the faith that you already have.

17. Application

18. The Joy. The third point that we see from this passage this morning is serving double duty, as it will be our application too. What we see in this passage is the joy of someone who has just been encountered by the Risen Lord. It is hard not to envy these disciples. They were there for the first Easter. They were the first to hear the good news of the resurrection and the first to see the Risen Christ. Don’t you wish that you could see what they saw and rejoice the way that they rejoiced? Well I can tell you this morning that you too can have this experience. As Luke tells us this story from the Gospel, he wants us to know that we can see Jesus as clearly as these disciples saw him, and in virtually the same way.[xiv] The fire of that first Easter is rekindled anyone that anyone sees Jesus in the Scriptures. It leaps into flame whenever people see Jesus for the first time and trust him for salvation. It happens when you read and study the Bible. In fact, it happens to me almost every week as I prepare to preach: I see something new about Jesus, or something old about him in a new way, and a flame is kindled in my cold heart. Anyone who has the Word of God can see Jesus as clearly as the Emmaus disciples saw him.

19. We can see him in the pages of his Word. Allow the Scriptures to kindled or rekindled a flame of love for Jesus. Allow yourself to experience this kind of first Easter joy, where you go running to tell others about what you’ve just witnessed. Don’t sit in envy of these disciples, but experience it for yourself. Jesus is waiting for you to invite him in. See Jesus in the pages of Scripture and then burn with that same fire those disciples did on that first Easter. The benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection are available for us today for our use and strength. Don’t let Jesus pass you by on the road, but invite him to stay with you forever.

20. Perhaps this first Easter was the first time that great Easter responsive saying was used. The Emmaus disciples, having just encountered the risen Lord, they couldn’t keep it to themselves and that very hour ran back to Jerusalem. And after running back there with the flame of the gospel under their feet, burst into the room and while catching their breath they say, “He is risen,” and others reply, “He is risen indeed!” Amen.

21.

[i] Ryken, Luke 2, REC, 544.

[ii] Ibid.

[iii] Ryken, 645-647.

[iv] Ryken, 647.

[v] Ibid.

[vi] Ibid.

[vii] Ryken, 648.

[viii] Ryken, 649.

[ix] Ryken, 651.

[x] Ryken, 643.

[xi] Ryken, 646.

[xii] Ryken, 656.

[xiii] Ryken, 652.

[xiv] Ryken, 662.