New Beginings

The Road to Emmaus

New Beginnings

We are just starting a new series New Beginnings

2022 has become a year of New beginnings, 2020 and 2021 were years of shutdowns and deaths many questions and confusion for many people, some lost family members, friends, some lost their business their live hood, others lost their dreams and hopes.

We will begin this series observing what happened right after Jesus Resurrection.

I believe your Heavenly Father has a message for you.

Luk 24:13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.

Luk 24:14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.

Luk 24:15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them;

Luk 24:16 but they were kept from recognizing him.

The two men on the way to Emmaus, what means (hot springs) were not from the 12 disciples circle, but they were 2 of the 120 disciples.

Eusebius of Caesarea a historian from the fourth century, believed that Cleopas was the brother of Joseph the husband of Mary, who was the mother of Jesus. Uncle Cleo. His wife was one of the women who went to visit the Tomb, with Mary, the mother of Jesus.

In John 19 we learn that Mary was the sister of Mary the mother of Jesus

Joh 19:25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene.

Mary was a popular name back then, Growing up I remember we had one of our maids who had 8 sisters, and all of them were called Mary, their second name was different, but they were all Mary’s.

The other disciple no one really knows, but some believed it was Luke.

They were heading back home to Emmaus which was 7 miles from Jerusalem.

The two disciples were very disappointed about everything that happened, their friend was killed, their vision and their future was crushed, they had no hope, they were very disappointed.

Sometimes we find ourselves in the same road.

Let’s pray

On the road to Emmaus,

1 How do we get there?

We get there by holding on to our dreams and opinions

Luk 24:17 He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" They stood still, their faces downcast.

Luk 24:18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"

Luk 24:19 "What things?" he asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.

Luk 24:20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him;

Luk 24:21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.

Luk 24:22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning

Luk 24:23 but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive.

Luk 24:24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."

The disciples and many in Israel, believed in the coming of the Messiah, but they did the same mistakes that we still doing today.

They believe in the scriptures, but not on all of them, only the parts that made them to feel good, and would be helpful to them.

They wanted a warrior King, someone who would deliver them, had to be someone who had supernatural powers. They wanted the Lion of Judah, a savior who was going to crush the enemy.

Jesus came as a king of peace riding on a donkey, as the lamb of God, humble submitting Himself to death. They were very familiar with scriptures, but as we notice in their conversation, they had excluded parts of the bible, they believed in the parts they wanted too.

We do the same things today

And I’m not talking about people who adds verses to the bible, some years ago I was having a conversation with this man and he coated “God helps those who help themselves,”, just to make clear this is not a bible verse.

The modern variant, “God helps those who help themselves,” was allegedly first coined by the English political theorist Algernon Sidney and later popularized by Benjamin Franklin, a Deist.

I’m talking about people who read their bible and are quoting bible scriptures, but on their own wrong understanding.

Take for example Isaiah 53 the forbidden chapter

Isa 53:3 He was despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and pain and acquainted with grief; And like One from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or esteem Him.

Isa 53:4 But [in fact] He has borne our griefs, And He has carried our sorrows and pains; Yet we [ignorantly] assumed that He was stricken, Struck down by God and degraded and humiliated [by Him]. [Mat_8:17]

Isa 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was crushed for our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing]; The punishment [required] for our well-being fell on Him, And by His stripes (wounds) we are healed.

The 17th century Jewish historian, Raphael Levi, admitted that long ago the rabbis used to read Isaiah 53 in synagogues, but after the chapter caused “arguments and great confusion” the rabbis decided that the simplest thing would be to just take that prophecy out of the Haftarah readings in synagogues. That’s why today when we read Isaiah 52, we stop in the middle of the chapter and the week after we jump straight to Isaiah 54.

what about When we read about husbands and wives

Eph 5:21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.

Wives and Husbands

Eph 5:22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

Eph 5:23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.

Eph 5:24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives beto their own husbands in everything.

Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,

Eph 5:26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

Out of this passage I had people coming to me and getting upset because all they can hear is wives submit to your husbands, I read 5 verses they could only hear one.

Or the verse I can do all things in Christ Jesus.

Is important to read the verse prior

Php 4:12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Php 4:14 Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress.

With little or much, to suffer need, is not about getting everything I want.

Is important that we do not interpret scripture how we want but pay attention to all that is written.

Jesus was calling the disciples attention to what the scriptures were saying.

We need to let go of our understanding and believes and agree with our Heavenly Father.

2 Jesus came and walked with them

Is important for us to know that Jesus does not abandon us in our confusion or deep disappointment.

Isa 41:10 'Do not fear [anything], for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you; I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation].'

God is with us, he understands our confusion our disappointments, even when we create them ourselves.

Jesus came and began to walk with them even though they did not recognize Him, Jesus knew they need a fresh start a reset button, a new beginning.

They were disappointed and didn’t expected him, and their eyes were restrain, we don’t know why, but because of it they were able to share what they really thought about Jesus.

We were hopping past tense

When Jesus died on the cross their hopes died with him.

Watch how Jesus reveals himself to them, not by seen, but by hearing the word of God.

The new way Jesus wanted them to relate to Him, hearing the word and believing.

Luk 24:25 He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

Luk 24:26 Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?"

Luk 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

Probably beginning on Genesis 3

Gen 3:15 "And I will put enmity (open hostility) Between you and the woman, And between your seed (offspring) and her Seed; He shall [fatally] bruise your head, And you shall [only] bruise His heel."

Abraham offering Isaac

Gen 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

He probably said I was sacrificed in the same Mountain that Abraham almost sacrificed his son

Isaiah 9

Isa 9:6 For to us a Child shall be born, to us a Son shall be given; And the government shall be upon His shoulder, And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

¼ of your bible is prophetic

Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies in his life time.

Just the odds of one man fulfilling 8 prophecies, the probability it was 1 10^17 a (figure with 17 zeros)

A trillion has 12 zeros

The story we tell ourselves can hold us back or help us.

Tell yourself a story that agrees with God’s story for you. Don’t let the wrong story limit what God has for you.

What is it, that is holding you back? What story are you telling yourself?

For the disciples Jesus was gone, they talked about him in the past tense.

Luk 24:19 "What things?" he asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.

Luk 24:20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him;

Luk 24:21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.

Jesus is right here with you today, tell Him why you are disappointed.

3 Invite Him inn, He will reveal Himself to you.

Luk 24:28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther.

Luk 24:29 But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.

Luk 24:30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.

Luk 24:31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.

They invited Jesus to stay with them, He took bread gave thanks and their eyes were open, and He disappeared.

The disciples went back to tell the others what they had experience, they could stay where they were, or just be thankful that Jesus was alive, but they went back to tell the great news to the others.

Luk 24:32 They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"

Luk 24:33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together

Luk 24:34 and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon."

Luk 24:35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

Luk 24:36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."

Jesus is right here with us today, and He wants to do the same for us, explain our confusion, restore our faith and Hope.

We need to let go of our own understanding, we need to listen to His story, and believe.

Crises and Challenges will come into our lives from time to time, great and small.

I have no idea on what you are walking through, health issues, relationship, lost of loved ones, lost of a business or a financial difficulty, ask your heavenly Father to allow your eyes to be open, so you can see Jesus walking by you, listen to Him.

This week we just spread the ashes of our dear friend Olivier Kolly, he passed away about two months ago from a massive heart attack. We still don’t understand why he needed to go so soon, he was young 52, 4 kids, a wife who loves him, it was a great disappointment to his family and friends, but we can trust that God has a better plan and we can trust Him, because He is always good and faithful.

Your Heavenly Father wants for you to know, that it doesn’t matter what you are going through, He will come right in the middle of your doubts and disappointments, he will come and take care of you, answer your questions give you direction and restore your hope.

God is calling us into a new beginning.

Wherever you are on your Road to Emmaus

1 find out how you got there

2 Know that Jesus is walking with you, right beside you

3 Invite Him in, Ask Him to open your eyes and your ears so you can see Him.

To start a new we need to make Jesus the Lord of our lives

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Joh 3:16

To receive Jesus we need to accept Him as God’s son, repent from our sins and a life of selfishness, and ask Him to be your Lord and savior, not that you deserve it, but is a gift from God.

If this is your desire today, please repeat this prayer after me?

Heavenly Father I’m sinner,

I’m sorry for my sins,

I’m willing to turn away from my sins.

I receive Christ as my savior,

I confess him as Lord

from this moment on I want to follow and serve him,

in the fellowship of his church,

In Jesus name. Amen!