Luke 24:13-35 - People of the Word

Introduction

At Graceland, we believe the Bible.

The Bible is the perfect Word of God

God has revealed Himself through the Bible

We know who God truly is because He wrote it down for us.

We want to be People of the Word

We’re looking at an instance where the Word of God was crucial because all hope was lost for two disciples

This is Easter Sunday.

Jesus was crucified two days ago.

They buried Him.

The disciples slowly went into hiding, with cold hearts, filled with grief.

They watched Jesus breath his last breath, and they looked on as the sun glistened from His blood that dripped from His body

Their sadness was so deep, no one had the slightest thought of a resurrection

Now it’s Sunday morning

Mary/Martha/Peter and John have all seen the empty tomb

But instead of believing they went away wondering.

The Word reminds us of the gospel in darkness

Luke 24:13–17 ESV

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.

So this is Easter Sunday Morning

The Passover weekend was coming to a close in Jerusalem

This was a Passover weekend unlike any other.

A Jewish man was crucified because the religious ruler did not like Him

Put a damper on the entire weekend for many Jews/especially the disciples of Jesus

These two men were on their trip home

They were disciples of Jesus and had just come from the upper room

They were discussing the events that had taken place over the weekend

How the one they’d hope to redeem the Jews was murdered.

Jesus appears to them

Resurrected and glorified, but hidden from their view.

He looked just like any other man.

Luke 24:18–24 ESV

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.”

He just shared the gospel to Jesus

Yet, because he was so distracted and confused by the circumstances, he couldn’t make the obvious connection

Applications

Our lives contain hopeless times

Relational struggle; Financial trouble; Health issues

Some points in our lives are filled with hopelessness.

If you’ve ever been depressed or has tried to help someone who is depressed, you know that people are amazingly resourceful in finding reasons not to be comforted.

They are determined to hear everything as bad news.

Cleopas: “Someone must’ve stolen the body!”

Our hope is damaged by circumstance all the time

“I was hoping things would go this way, but it didn’t.”

These guys did just that: “we had hoped that He was the one to redeem Israel” (v. 21)

These guys had the idea that Jesus was the Messiah that had come to deliver the promised salvation for the Jewish people.

But their current circumstances (Jesus’s death) put a hardship to their hope

How can He redeem us if He’s dead?

We’re just like these men!

How can Jesus heal my marriage if I had to live here and He’s in heaven?

How can Jesus heal my illness since He’s not healing me now?

How can Jesus help my finances if He doesn’t hand out cash?

In moments like this, we often forget about everything that Jesus said.

Jesus continually told His disciples that He was going to go to Jerusalem, be crucified, and rise again three days later!

Luke 18:31–33 ESV

31 And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.”

Yet here they are, 2/3 of the way through what Jesus told them, and they already forgot what He told them.

They needed reminded of the gospel in their darkness.

They voiced their hopelessness and depression

Jesus listened patiently.

Jesus coaxed them into revealing their true thoughts, which were led by doubts

The Word reads us

The Word knows us

It will not let us get away with lying about our doubts and struggles

“I’m fine.” No you’re not. And Jesus knows this.

God honors spiritual honesty

These guys needed reminded of who they were hoping in.

The Word reveals Jesus for who He is

Luke 24:25–29 ESV

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.

You’d think that He could just reveal Himself resurrected

That’d made it a lot easier

But these men were Jewish men of the Word.

They’d simply forgotten everything that Jesus told them ab

So Jesus would use the Word, making the point that all the Scriptures were about Him.

30 authors over 1500 years

Hundreds of stories with one single point… Him

In Genesis, I was the Word of God creating the heavens and the earth

In Exodus, I was the Passover Lamb that was sprinkled over the doorposts of your heart

In Leviticus, I was the Temple where you could meet with God

In Numbers, I was your ever-present God; the pillar of cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night

In Deuteronomy, I was the coming Prophet who would be greater than Moses

In Joshua, I was the conquering Warrior who would lead you victoriously

In Judges, I was the unlikely Savior who would rise from weakness to rescue you.

In Ruth, I was your kinsmen redeemer

In 1-2 Samuel, I was your humble, shepherd-king who rushed out to face the giants all by myself

In 1-2 Kings, I was your righteous ruler

In 1-2 Chronicles, I was your restorer of the kingdom

In Ezra, I was the faithful scribe

In Nehemiah, I was the rebuilder of the walls

In Ester, I was your advocate in the throne room

In Job, I was your living Redeemer

In the Psalms, I was the One who hears your cries

In Proverbs, I was wisdom personified

In Ecclesiastes, I was the meaning in the madness

In the Song of Solomon, I was your lover and your Groom

In Isaiah, I was the Son who would be born to you who would be called the Almighty God, Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace

In Jeremiah, I was the Spirit who writes God’s laws on your heart

In Lamentations, I was the Weeping Prophet

In Ezekiel, I was the river of Life

In Daniel, I was the fourth man in the fire

In Hosea, I was the ever-faithful husband who was pursuing His ever unfaithful bride

In Joel, I was the restorer of all that the locust had eaten

In Amos, I was your burden bearer

In Obadiah, I was the judge of all the earth

In Jonah, I was the prophet cast out into the storm that you could be brought in

In Micah, I was the ever-lasting ruler who would be born to you in Bethlehem

In Nahum, I was the avenger of God’s elect

In Habbakuk, I was your reason to rejoice even when your fields were empty

In Zephaniah, I was the Great Reformer

In Haggai, I was the cleansing fountain

In Zechariah, I was the pierced Son who one day, every eye would behold

In Malachi, I was the son of righteousness rising with healing in His wings

The entire Bible is all about Jesus!

He walks with these guys and lays all this out for them!

One instance, by one instance He REMINDS them of His faithfulness that they already knew!

Jesus peels back the curtain for these guys

Now notice that Jesus spends the afternoon and evening with these guys incognito reminding them of the Scripture teachings about the Christ

They don’t know it’s Him the entire time!

He spends time with them in the Scriptures before they begin to understand why the tomb is empty

Their belief in the empty tomb came from an understanding of the Scriptures, not from experience

Their belief in the resurrection came solely from the Scriptures before they saw Jesus for who He is!

God’s Word is sufficient for us to know God!

It’s all about the gospel!

Because the gospel gives us our lives back

The Word gives us our lives back

Luke 24:30–35 ESV

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.

What an explosive moment

The moment they finally recognized Jesus was burned into their minds for eternity

Their hearts were set on fire in that instance!

Do you hear the reinvigoration in their voice?

“Did our hearts not burn within us?!”

They were sad earlier that day talking about what happened to Jesus

This exact same thing occurs to us when the Bible comes to life in your soul and Jesus is at it’s center

We are people of the Word because in it we find Jesus, and He gives us our lives back.

Conclusion

This moment Jesus knows exactly where you are.

He knows the sorrows, the pain, the questions, and the doubt.

He knows the sin, the pride, the lusts that draw us away from Him

Regardless of where you are, His method is the same

He meets us where we are with the Word.

He meets us with the life-giving truth that Jesus suffered and died for our sins, “in accordance with the Scriptures” and that He was risen “in accordance with the Scriptures.”

Jesus delights in bringing fire into our cold hearts with the Word

Will you trust Him as Lord?

Will you believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus for your sin?

Will you share this good news with the Word?

You can do this with us!

Prayer Prompts

Graceland Church - Dearborn

God’s Favor

Faithfulness to the Mission

Needs

Location

Children’s and Worship Minister

Dearborn County

Lost neighbors, coworkers, friends, and family

Move of the Holy Spirit

People would come to know Jesus and come to Graceland

Future Kingdom Impact

Church Planting

Missions