Risen, He Justified Freely Forever

13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that 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 him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Last week in Fellowship Hall Sunday School Brendan reminded that our Bibles are a mixture of Propositions/Poetry/Prophecy and Narratives. In the poetry and narrative sections it is especially important to remember what is descriptive and what is prescriptive: When the Holy Spirit is telling and when is He commanding.

Today’s text is one of those telling passages, where the relevance to our application is nuanced. Luke describes events that we have to contemplate then consider how we need to change to best glorify our God.

By the time Luke is writing this gospel biography, several years have passed since the crucifixion and resurrection. It is clear that Jesus has not come back yet, so He must have some plans for us between Resurrection and Heaven.

One term the Bible uses to describe our lifestyle and our behaviors is our walk.

The 1970 Christmas movie tried to tell us that walking is just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other.

But 1 Thessalonians 2:12 calls us to walk a particular way.

1 Thessalonians 2:12 ESV:2016

12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

Transition: Today’s text demonstrated at least 4 different ways to walk. The first is…

An Unaccompanied Walk (vv.13-14)

Two Travelers with no presence of God

1. We read later in the narrative that they knew Jesus to be a mighty prophet (v.19) who had disappointed them (v.21). In vv.22-24 they include themselves with the disciples so they probably had an awareness of God as Creator and Supreme. So the Father was distant, the Spirit had not yet come, and to their understanding, Jesus was nowhere to be seen.

2. Doesn’t that sound like many of our neighbors? They have some concept of “a higher power”. They’ve never felt the comfort of the Holy Spirit, and to be honest, just the idea of a Spirit is kind of spooky. And Jesus is just some guy who lived and died and is nowhere to be seen.

Transition: Compared to an unaccompanied walk, the next walk is not much better.

An Uninformed Walk (vv.15-18)

· Jesus appears and supernaturally keeps these two from knowing who He is (vv.15-16)

· Jesus asks them what they were talking about, and Cleopas incredulously says, “Don’t you know what happened?” (vv.17-18)

1. Cleopas made a mistake that many of us make to this day. We assume that other people know what we know.

Conflicts arise when we assume that other people see situations the same way we see them. One of my favorite movies is Remember the Titans. It is the story of a High School in Virginia where a predominantly black school and a predominantly white school are combined and the football team has to learn to work together if they expect to win. In one scene after a victory, Sunshine (a white boy from California) wants to take a couple of his black teammates into a diner for a burger. The African-American players had been discriminated before and knew trouble would rise if they went in. The white boy from the beach convinced them it wouldn’t be a problem. The boys are humiliated when the restaurant manager refuses service and tells them to go around to the alley if they want to be served through the back door. Because Sunshine had never personally experienced that level of racism, he was blissfully naïve. Two boys never knew what it was like to be served in a restaurant, and 1 boy never knew what it was like not to be served in a restaurant.

2. Just as Sunshine needed his eyes to be opened, there are many around us who will never place their trust in Christ unless we tell them.

3. There are a lot of crazy ideas out there in the name of Christianity. You and I have neighbors who have many wrong ideas about what is required to enter Heaven.

Romans 10:14 ESV:2016

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

4. Cleopas assumed that this stranger knew what he knew, but Jesus plays the role of the uninformed to illustrate how it is essential that we tell the story because not everybody knows.

Transition: There are people around us who are walking away from God. There are people around us who are uninformed of the gospel of Jesus, The third walk is for those who learned what Jesus taught on the mountain about His kingdom and earthly concerns.

An Unencumbered Walk

Back in Luke chapter 9 several said that they wanted to follow Jesus, there were other priorities they had to handle first. The details of this life can easily distract us from God’s higher purpose.

An earthly perspective (vv.19-24)

1. Cleopas describes for Jesus what had happened the previous week, from a purely earthly point of view.

2. It is like he is giving a news report with all the who, what, where, when, and why.

3. Their limited understanding left them with disappointment and crushed hopes, because it is only earthly.

4. But Cleopas’ summary misses the point-of-view that Jesus was playing a part in…

An eternal plan (vv.25-28)

1. Prophecy

a. Jesus says that to understand the events, one has to listen to the prophecy. (v.25)

b. Jesus had said at least 3 times that Luke records that earthly suffering would lead to a glorious result. (v.26)

2. Proclamation (v.27)

· In Fellowship Hall S.S. we just looked at things recorded by Moses that pointed forward to the time when Jesus would come as Redeemer in the triune God’s eternal plan to ransom mankind from sin.

· Notice v.28 – As they approached Emmaus, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. Jesus told these two the plan, but there are others who need to hear. When we look forward to Luke’s 2nd volume (Acts) we see the spread of the gospel story.

Transition: We know from other Scriptures that Jesus did go and tell others before he ascended. But here he decides to do more in depth discipleship with these two. In the next 6 verses the plan for our Christian walk is displayed.

An Uninhibited Walk (vv.29-35)

Forgiveness Liberates

John 8:36 ESV:2016

36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Galatians 5:1 ESV:2016

1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

John 10:10 ESV:2016

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

· When we are liberated, we lose our inhibitions

Fellowship (v.30)

· We need each other!

Discipleship (v.32)

· We all need to open the Scriptures! I’m still learning and I have heard so many of you tell me how time in God’s Word has been life-giving and challenging.

Testimony (vv.33-35)

1. That same hour – They thought it was too late for Jesus to continue on, but after a meal they up and walked the 7 miles back to Jerusalem because good news cannot be contained!

2. Told what had happened – The simplest testimony that any of us can tell is 3 simple points:

a. What I was like before Jesus

b. What Jesus did for me

c. What my life has been like since I repented and believed.

Transition: Some are walking Unaccompanied (away from God); Some are walking Unaware of what Jesus death accomplished; Some are walking Unencumbered by the concerns of earthly life; and some are Uninhibited in the freedom of the Spirit.

Conclusion:

A story is told of a little boy who had just started school. The first week his father walked with him to show him the way and to build his confidence. On Friday the father praised his son for being so attentive to the crossing traffic and learning the way to school. Dad told his son, “I think you’re ready to do this alone on Monday.” The little guy was both excited in the father’s trust and somewhat frightened of the 3 block walk to school alone. Monday came, the father hugged his son and waved goodbye as the little boy began his solo voyage. Upon arriving at school, he turned around and saw his father following with a watchful eye ½ block back. The boy smiled to know he was being guarded and kept safe should he make any wrong turns. This followed each day for that 2nd week. The 3rd week of school began and the boy said to his father, “You don’t need to follow me this week, I think I can do it on my own.” The first week the two enjoyed companionship as they traveled together. The 2nd week the boy enjoyed guardianship, but the Father missed the companionship. The 3rd week the boy asserted independence, got distracted by a puppy and was late to school.

The book of Genesis records that God made us for companionship and that man and God walked together. By chapter 3 the Father steps back and allows Adam and Eve to walk and make choices at a distance, yet under His watchful eye. The first humans then chose to do life apart from God’s companionship and care, and disaster happened.

It would require a sinless life and a horrific innocent death to restore what was lost by the disastrous choices when man walked apart from God.

Today and throughout this week you face the same 3 choices: Will you walk in fellowship and enjoy God’s companionship? Will you walk courageously, trusting in God’s care? Or Will you walk dangerously arrogant away from the love of companionship and care?

Our final song is a newer song, it was only written 110 years ago, so the first 1900 years the body of Christ never sang it. Over the last century is has become of favorite of some and brought comfort to many more.

Song of Response #425.. “In the Garden”

Benediction: Hebrews 13:20–21 (ESV) — Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

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