WEBVTT 00:00:00.640 --> 00:00:10.259 Jesus is risen. Let us now pray together. Glory 00:00:10.259 --> 00:00:12.779 be to you O God the Father who did raise your 00:00:12.779 --> 00:00:15.660 son Jesus Christ from the dead and has made us 00:00:15.660 --> 00:00:18.160 partakers of his victory over sin and death. 00:00:18.800 --> 00:00:21.820 Glory be to you O Lord Jesus who for our sakes 00:00:21.820 --> 00:00:24.899 became flesh and has overcome death and has opened 00:00:24.899 --> 00:00:27.730 up the gates of eternal life for us. And all 00:00:27.730 --> 00:00:30.329 glory be to you, O Holy Spirit, who has made 00:00:30.329 --> 00:00:34.210 us your people, your temple, and who day by day 00:00:34.210 --> 00:00:37.469 does lead us in all truth in Jesus Christ. We 00:00:37.469 --> 00:00:39.850 ask that you please make the words of my mouth 00:00:39.850 --> 00:00:43.009 and the meditations of all our hearts acceptable 00:00:43.009 --> 00:00:46.549 in your sight, O Lord, our nearest kinsman, Redeemer, 00:00:46.890 --> 00:00:52.969 Jesus Christ. Amen. Let's once again hear words 00:00:52.969 --> 00:00:56.490 from Luke chapter 24, beginning in verse 13. 00:00:56.859 --> 00:01:00.060 Now behold two of them were traveling that same 00:01:00.060 --> 00:01:03.380 day to a village called Emmaus which was seven 00:01:03.380 --> 00:01:06.180 miles from Jerusalem and they talked together 00:01:06.180 --> 00:01:09.700 of All these things that had happened so it was 00:01:09.700 --> 00:01:12.560 while they conversed and reasoned that Jesus 00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:15.700 himself drew near and went with them But their 00:01:15.700 --> 00:01:19.239 eyes were restrained that they did not know him 00:01:19.239 --> 00:01:23.180 and he said to them What kind of conversation 00:01:23.180 --> 00:01:25.640 is it that you are having with one another as 00:01:25.640 --> 00:01:29.849 you walk? and are sad. Then one whose name was 00:01:29.849 --> 00:01:32.569 Cleopas answered and said to him, are you the 00:01:32.569 --> 00:01:34.950 only stranger in Jerusalem? And have you not 00:01:34.950 --> 00:01:37.069 known the things that have happened these days? 00:01:38.450 --> 00:01:42.390 And he said to them, what things? So they said 00:01:42.390 --> 00:01:45.230 to him, the things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, 00:01:45.430 --> 00:01:47.870 who was a prophet, mighty in deed and word before 00:01:47.870 --> 00:01:50.569 God and all the people. And now the chief priests 00:01:50.569 --> 00:01:52.870 and our rulers delivered him to be condemned 00:01:52.870 --> 00:01:56.790 to death and crucified him. But we were hoping 00:01:56.790 --> 00:02:00.010 that it was he who was going to redeem Israel. 00:02:00.390 --> 00:02:03.430 Indeed, besides all this, this is the third day 00:02:03.430 --> 00:02:06.590 since these things happened. Yes, and certain 00:02:06.590 --> 00:02:08.590 women of our company who arrived at the tomb 00:02:08.590 --> 00:02:11.169 early astonished us. And when they did not find 00:02:11.169 --> 00:02:14.150 his body, they came saying that they had also 00:02:14.150 --> 00:02:17.370 seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. 00:02:18.250 --> 00:02:21.750 And a certain of those who were with us went 00:02:21.750 --> 00:02:23.909 to the tomb and found that it was just as the 00:02:23.909 --> 00:02:28.120 women had said. but him they did not see. Then 00:02:28.120 --> 00:02:31.819 he said to them, O foolish ones, slow of heart 00:02:31.819 --> 00:02:34.400 to believe in all that the prophets have spoken, 00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:37.219 ought not the Christ to have suffered these things 00:02:37.219 --> 00:02:40.719 and entered into his glory? And beginning at 00:02:40.719 --> 00:02:43.400 Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them 00:02:43.400 --> 00:02:45.500 and all the scriptures the things concerning 00:02:45.500 --> 00:02:48.840 himself. Then they drew near the village where 00:02:48.840 --> 00:02:50.719 they were going, and he indicated that he would 00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:53.780 have gone farther. But they constrained him, 00:02:53.819 --> 00:02:56.379 saying, Abide with us, for it is toward evening, 00:02:56.419 --> 00:02:59.900 and the day is far spent. And he went in to stay 00:02:59.900 --> 00:03:03.159 with them. Now it came to pass, as he sat at 00:03:03.159 --> 00:03:06.300 the table with them, that he took bread, blessed, 00:03:06.539 --> 00:03:09.340 and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their 00:03:09.340 --> 00:03:12.840 eyes were opened, and they knew him, and he vanished 00:03:12.840 --> 00:03:15.719 from their sight. And they said to one another, 00:03:16.120 --> 00:03:18.340 did not our heart burn within us as he talked 00:03:18.340 --> 00:03:23.080 with us along the road? And while he opened the 00:03:23.080 --> 00:03:26.439 scriptures to us, So they rose up that very hour 00:03:26.439 --> 00:03:29.060 and returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven 00:03:29.060 --> 00:03:32.300 and those who were with them gathered together, 00:03:32.340 --> 00:03:36.180 saying, The Lord is risen indeed and has appeared 00:03:36.180 --> 00:03:38.840 to Simon. And they told about the things that 00:03:38.840 --> 00:03:41.360 had happened on the road and how he was known 00:03:41.360 --> 00:03:45.000 to them in the breaking of bread. These are the 00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:48.620 words of Almighty God. Receive them in your hearts. 00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:54.199 Today is the third week of Eastertide. Today, 00:03:54.219 --> 00:03:58.460 we have our final look of this Easter Tide season 00:03:58.460 --> 00:04:01.960 of the day of resurrection. On Easter Sunday, 00:04:02.080 --> 00:04:05.840 we focused on Jesus' resurrection at dawn, the 00:04:05.840 --> 00:04:08.819 women's encounter, the puzzling circumstances 00:04:08.819 --> 00:04:12.800 for the disciples, and Jesus' garden encounter 00:04:12.800 --> 00:04:16.899 with Mary Magdalene, reminding us of the single 00:04:16.899 --> 00:04:21.720 story of the Scriptures. A man in a garden with 00:04:21.720 --> 00:04:29.300 a woman. And here we see not just that first 00:04:29.300 --> 00:04:34.420 man who failed the woman in that garden, but 00:04:34.420 --> 00:04:38.139 we see now that this man, Jesus, had laid down 00:04:38.139 --> 00:04:44.139 his life to redeem his sin -stained bride. And 00:04:44.139 --> 00:04:50.689 in this place, this garden, we find a meal. Last 00:04:50.689 --> 00:04:54.110 week we saw the doubt and fear ridden disciples 00:04:54.110 --> 00:04:57.949 encounter Jesus who declares his peace to them 00:04:57.949 --> 00:05:01.170 and sends them out as the Father had sent him 00:05:01.170 --> 00:05:07.009 out. And so it was for them a life of serving 00:05:07.009 --> 00:05:10.970 others that others might know Christ Jesus to 00:05:10.970 --> 00:05:15.629 proclaim that Jesus is the remedy for all men. 00:05:16.360 --> 00:05:20.819 Now like a movie or a TV show, today's text provides 00:05:20.819 --> 00:05:24.620 a relevant backstory to last week's text. Having 00:05:24.620 --> 00:05:27.800 already studied the beginning of the day of resurrection 00:05:27.800 --> 00:05:31.779 and the end of the day of Jesus' triumphant resurrection, 00:05:32.600 --> 00:05:36.000 we now get an opportunity to see a little bit 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:38.519 of what Jesus was up to throughout that first 00:05:38.519 --> 00:05:42.480 day of the new creation. Now there are three 00:05:42.480 --> 00:05:44.720 things that I want you to try to gather out of 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:49.879 this text today. First off, God sovereignly accomplishes 00:05:49.879 --> 00:05:55.800 His will with certainty. God sovereignly accomplishes 00:05:55.800 --> 00:06:01.259 His will with certainty. And I want you to especially 00:06:01.259 --> 00:06:06.459 pay attention to that word, certainty. Second, 00:06:07.339 --> 00:06:12.060 left to ourselves, we are foolish and slow to 00:06:12.060 --> 00:06:17.540 believe. Left to ourselves, we are foolish and 00:06:17.540 --> 00:06:25.639 slow to believe. And last, but not least, Jesus 00:06:25.639 --> 00:06:29.500 is revealed and abides with His church in the 00:06:29.500 --> 00:06:34.160 breaking of bread. Jesus is revealed and abides 00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:40.100 with His church in the breaking of bread. In 00:06:40.100 --> 00:06:42.759 our human frailty, we all suffer from time to 00:06:42.759 --> 00:06:46.620 time with uncertainty, whether it's from ignorance, 00:06:47.459 --> 00:06:52.180 misplaced trust, or just the overwhelming circumstances 00:06:52.180 --> 00:06:57.720 of life. Our faith, our certainty, needs two 00:06:57.720 --> 00:07:02.699 things. Our certainty needs two things, intellectual 00:07:02.699 --> 00:07:07.639 reminders from God's Word and the mystical work 00:07:07.639 --> 00:07:11.379 of the Spirit in our lives. So we need intellectual 00:07:11.379 --> 00:07:15.660 reminders from God's Word and the mystical work 00:07:15.660 --> 00:07:19.319 of the Spirit in our lives, especially in the 00:07:19.319 --> 00:07:23.040 sacrament of the Lord's Table of Peace. Now when 00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:26.300 I say mystical, I don't mean magic or physical 00:07:26.300 --> 00:07:29.740 transformation of the bread and wine, but rather 00:07:29.740 --> 00:07:33.600 the unknowable mystery of the work of the Holy 00:07:33.600 --> 00:07:37.730 Spirit. As one commentator puts it, the Holy 00:07:37.730 --> 00:07:41.810 Spirit makes Jesus present to us in the Supper, 00:07:42.069 --> 00:07:45.629 so that He is not only our host, but also our 00:07:45.629 --> 00:07:48.850 food and drink. We eat the bread of heaven, and 00:07:48.850 --> 00:07:51.009 we drink His blood given for the life of the 00:07:51.009 --> 00:07:57.110 world. So He now abides in us, and we abide in 00:07:57.110 --> 00:08:01.649 Him. This is a great mystery, more to be enjoyed 00:08:01.649 --> 00:08:08.930 than explained. Let me read that last line. So, 00:08:09.230 --> 00:08:12.110 now he, Jesus, abides in us, and we abide in 00:08:12.110 --> 00:08:15.730 him. And this is a great mystery, more to be 00:08:15.730 --> 00:08:20.430 enjoyed than explained. Now the Gospel of Luke, 00:08:20.569 --> 00:08:24.029 the whole book of Luke is written with our certainty 00:08:24.029 --> 00:08:26.930 in mind. At the very beginning of Luke chapter 00:08:26.930 --> 00:08:30.449 1 it says this, Inasmuch as many have taken in 00:08:30.449 --> 00:08:33.980 hand to set in order a narrative of those things 00:08:33.980 --> 00:08:36.879 which have been fulfilled, right, made certain 00:08:36.879 --> 00:08:40.480 among us, just as those who from the beginning 00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:44.019 were eyewitnesses and ministers of the whole 00:08:44.019 --> 00:08:46.840 world delivered them to us. It seemed good to 00:08:46.840 --> 00:08:49.600 me also having a perfect understanding, and that 00:08:49.600 --> 00:08:52.200 word perfect is really a complete, really means 00:08:52.200 --> 00:08:55.519 for us in modern language, a complete understanding 00:08:55.519 --> 00:08:59.600 of all things from the very first to right to 00:08:59.600 --> 00:09:01.679 you. And so this is now he's given us this reason. 00:09:01.899 --> 00:09:05.179 He's saying to write to you an orderly account, 00:09:05.580 --> 00:09:10.399 most excellent theopolis, that you may know the 00:09:10.399 --> 00:09:14.259 certainty of those things in which you were instructed. 00:09:14.460 --> 00:09:16.960 So he's telling us, I'm giving you an orderly 00:09:16.960 --> 00:09:19.759 account. I know these things. I have a complete 00:09:19.759 --> 00:09:21.600 understanding of these things. I'm giving you 00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:25.460 an orderly account so that you may know the certainty 00:09:25.460 --> 00:09:28.240 of those things in which you were instructed. 00:09:28.870 --> 00:09:32.370 Here today in our text found at the end of the 00:09:32.370 --> 00:09:38.309 book of Luke his account It is also for our certainty 00:09:38.309 --> 00:09:42.149 Now remember, what did it say it told us that 00:09:42.149 --> 00:09:44.710 there were two of them? That's disciples traveling 00:09:44.710 --> 00:09:48.750 to that same day the day of resurrection To the 00:09:48.750 --> 00:09:51.649 city of Emmaus the town of Emmaus seven miles 00:09:51.649 --> 00:09:55.029 or as it says actually more accurately 60 stadia, 00:09:55.049 --> 00:09:57.529 but that gives us about a seven mile distance 00:09:58.009 --> 00:10:00.509 So it's not a terribly far walk, but it isn't 00:10:00.509 --> 00:10:04.289 close either. You know, on average flat ground, 00:10:04.450 --> 00:10:07.110 the average person walks about three miles an 00:10:07.110 --> 00:10:09.149 hour. So it's a little more than two hours, and 00:10:09.149 --> 00:10:11.909 it's not exactly flat either in this terrain. 00:10:13.370 --> 00:10:16.330 So they had a little chance to have a talk. And 00:10:16.330 --> 00:10:19.370 it says they talked together of all things which 00:10:19.370 --> 00:10:22.669 had happened. And it says, so it was that while 00:10:22.669 --> 00:10:26.669 they conversed in reason, Jesus himself drew 00:10:26.669 --> 00:10:31.250 near. went with them. Their eyes, but their eyes 00:10:31.250 --> 00:10:33.629 were restrained so that they did not know him. 00:10:34.149 --> 00:10:37.269 So these two disciples, they've left Jerusalem, 00:10:37.570 --> 00:10:40.289 they're in despair and they've probably left 00:10:40.289 --> 00:10:44.909 to flee their own execution. You see the Roman 00:10:44.909 --> 00:10:47.509 way of dealing with people who would rise up 00:10:47.509 --> 00:10:50.690 in rebellion and insurrection was to publicly 00:10:50.690 --> 00:10:54.549 murder the leader and then exterminate all of 00:10:54.549 --> 00:11:00.200 the followers. And so, it's very possible that 00:11:00.200 --> 00:11:04.059 they were leaving town, perhaps, to avoid execution. 00:11:05.580 --> 00:11:08.379 Now, we know the disciples' names of only one 00:11:08.379 --> 00:11:14.039 of the disciples walking along. His name is Cleopas. 00:11:14.340 --> 00:11:17.039 And one of the early church historians suggests 00:11:17.039 --> 00:11:20.799 that Cleopas is the uncle of Jesus, and that 00:11:20.799 --> 00:11:24.519 Cleopas is walking along with his wife, Mary. 00:11:26.259 --> 00:11:29.799 It's interesting just as a side note that their 00:11:29.799 --> 00:11:33.980 son Cleopas and his wife Mary this uncle their 00:11:33.980 --> 00:11:36.919 son Simeon later becomes the leader of the Jerusalem 00:11:36.919 --> 00:11:41.600 church after James is put to death With all that 00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:44.039 in mind we see that Cleopas perhaps his wife 00:11:44.039 --> 00:11:45.940 are traveling away from Jerusalem in the middle 00:11:45.940 --> 00:11:50.700 of the day and Jesus is intentionally pursuing 00:11:50.700 --> 00:11:55.549 his disciples right says While they conversed 00:11:55.549 --> 00:12:00.090 in recess, Jesus himself drew near and went with 00:12:00.090 --> 00:12:03.970 them. What a great comfort to see that when his 00:12:03.970 --> 00:12:06.750 disciples are demoralized and feeling defeated, 00:12:07.250 --> 00:12:12.190 that Jesus draws near to them and goes with them. 00:12:12.809 --> 00:12:18.049 And yet, their eyes are restrained. God is teaching 00:12:18.049 --> 00:12:21.190 them and us today something very important. You 00:12:21.190 --> 00:12:25.210 see Jesus here is fulfilling Deuteronomy 31 verse 00:12:25.210 --> 00:12:30.230 6 You're familiar with this verse Be strong and 00:12:30.230 --> 00:12:33.590 courageous Do not fear or be in dread of them 00:12:33.590 --> 00:12:37.129 For it is Yahweh your God who goes with you. 00:12:37.549 --> 00:12:41.789 He will not leave you or forsake you And of course 00:12:41.789 --> 00:12:46.240 God repeats that same promise to Joshua in Joshua 00:12:46.240 --> 00:12:50.700 chapter 1, before he goes in to conquer the world, 00:12:51.000 --> 00:12:54.600 conquer the promised land. We as his disciples 00:12:54.600 --> 00:12:57.539 are called to go out and conquer the nations, 00:12:58.279 --> 00:13:02.139 to disciple the nations. Now David also reminds 00:13:02.139 --> 00:13:06.259 these very same words to his son Solomon in 1st 00:13:06.259 --> 00:13:11.639 Chronicles 28. God is constantly with his people 00:13:11.639 --> 00:13:15.509 and is working for his glory. and our benefit. 00:13:16.210 --> 00:13:18.769 The circumstances of our lives are not about 00:13:18.769 --> 00:13:22.409 what God is doing to me, but rather what God 00:13:22.409 --> 00:13:28.169 is doing for me. And their eyes were restrained 00:13:28.169 --> 00:13:33.450 initially. Why was he doing that? For their certainty. 00:13:34.490 --> 00:13:36.950 You ever feel like, you know, you're trying to 00:13:36.950 --> 00:13:38.409 make a decision, you're trying to figure out 00:13:38.409 --> 00:13:42.250 things in life, and you're like, I wish God would 00:13:42.250 --> 00:13:45.250 just make it really clear. Just cut to the chase. 00:13:45.950 --> 00:13:49.269 Make me see and understand everything. And here 00:13:49.269 --> 00:13:52.990 we see that He is promised and that He is with 00:13:52.990 --> 00:13:58.889 them. And yet, their eyes are restrained for 00:13:58.889 --> 00:14:05.549 the benefit of their certainty. And why? To show 00:14:05.549 --> 00:14:09.230 that their assurance in Jesus' abiding presence. 00:14:10.649 --> 00:14:13.409 Jesus in pursuit of His disciples inquires of 00:14:13.409 --> 00:14:16.389 them. What kind of conversation is that you're 00:14:16.389 --> 00:14:20.289 having with one another as you walk? And the 00:14:20.289 --> 00:14:22.870 Greek here where it says, and sad, it's almost 00:14:22.870 --> 00:14:26.950 like a stopping in how this Greek is laid out. 00:14:26.990 --> 00:14:28.889 So you're walking along. What are you talking 00:14:28.889 --> 00:14:34.230 about? And he pauses for this effect. And why 00:14:34.230 --> 00:14:39.269 are you sad? And of course, we know what a Cleopas 00:14:39.269 --> 00:14:43.620 say. And he does this. such a way in a manner 00:14:43.620 --> 00:14:46.559 that sounds kind of snarky and disrespectful 00:14:46.559 --> 00:14:50.379 right he says are you the only stranger in Jerusalem 00:14:50.379 --> 00:14:52.419 that doesn't know the things that have happened 00:14:52.419 --> 00:14:57.740 these days are we ever like that with God sometimes 00:14:57.740 --> 00:15:01.480 God don't you see what's going on in my life 00:15:01.480 --> 00:15:04.159 don't you see all the present troubles and difficulties 00:15:04.159 --> 00:15:13.100 and what did Jesus say Jesus is leading him along 00:15:13.100 --> 00:15:18.360 and he says what things an utter disbelief Cleopas 00:15:18.360 --> 00:15:24.879 responds Are you a stranger do you not know what's 00:15:24.879 --> 00:15:30.940 going on? And so he says of course the things 00:15:30.940 --> 00:15:33.279 concerning Jesus of Nazareth who was a prophet 00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:35.759 mighty indeed and word before God and all the 00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:39.279 people How the chief priests and our rulers delivered 00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:42.620 him to be condemned to death? The fire to get 00:15:42.620 --> 00:15:46.039 him and we were hoping that it was he who was 00:15:46.039 --> 00:15:50.700 going to redeem Israel and Indeed besides all 00:15:50.700 --> 00:15:54.700 this It is the third day since these things happen 00:15:54.700 --> 00:15:56.980 Why does he say that because the one thing that 00:15:56.980 --> 00:15:59.600 they're certain of after three days is what? 00:16:00.259 --> 00:16:06.570 Jesus is dead He goes on, of course, talks about 00:16:06.570 --> 00:16:08.669 the women of their company. They arrived early, 00:16:09.009 --> 00:16:11.490 and they astonished us. Why? Because his body 00:16:11.490 --> 00:16:13.769 wasn't there, and they had visions of angels 00:16:13.769 --> 00:16:16.529 who said Jesus was alive. And he talks about 00:16:16.529 --> 00:16:20.370 how some ran to Peter and John. They run to the 00:16:20.370 --> 00:16:25.149 tomb, and they see that Jesus is not there, but 00:16:25.149 --> 00:16:30.450 they don't see him. Cleopas and for that matter 00:16:30.450 --> 00:16:33.429 it seems that all the disciples could not reconcile 00:16:33.429 --> 00:16:37.769 their hopes and dreams of What of Jesus to what 00:16:37.769 --> 00:16:40.950 is happening all around them? They had certain 00:16:40.950 --> 00:16:45.549 expectations Right, they were certain of some 00:16:45.549 --> 00:16:48.230 things about Jesus that he was a prophet and 00:16:48.230 --> 00:16:51.730 he was mighty in word before God and man they 00:16:51.730 --> 00:16:54.629 were certain that Jesus was proclaiming the words 00:16:54.629 --> 00:16:57.850 of God and that Jesus did many miracles before 00:16:57.850 --> 00:17:01.730 all the people their hope was that Jesus was 00:17:01.730 --> 00:17:05.869 going to redeem Israel but the question is how 00:17:05.869 --> 00:17:09.450 was he going to do this and of course the chief 00:17:09.450 --> 00:17:12.410 priests and the and the rulers they had rejected 00:17:12.410 --> 00:17:14.490 their redeemer and condemned him to death and 00:17:14.490 --> 00:17:18.269 crucified him And now three days later, they 00:17:18.269 --> 00:17:21.670 were certain that Jesus was dead. And yet they 00:17:21.670 --> 00:17:23.769 had the reports of the women saying that his 00:17:23.769 --> 00:17:26.150 body wasn't in the tomb, and of course that Peter 00:17:26.150 --> 00:17:29.529 and John were there. And they confirmed the testimony 00:17:29.529 --> 00:17:34.009 of the women. These two committed disciples could 00:17:34.009 --> 00:17:36.990 not reconcile what had happened to Jesus with 00:17:36.990 --> 00:17:42.750 their own expectations, even though Jesus had 00:17:42.750 --> 00:17:47.880 repeatedly told them. that he would rise again. 00:17:48.680 --> 00:17:53.279 He said in Matthew 16, in Matthew 17, in Mark 00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:57.700 8, and in Luke 9, and in Mark 10, he actually 00:17:57.700 --> 00:18:00.759 said that he must give his life for the ransom 00:18:00.759 --> 00:18:07.019 of many. Like Cleopas, the modern church struggles 00:18:07.019 --> 00:18:10.420 so much because the Old Testament is ignored, 00:18:10.660 --> 00:18:14.930 or worse, despised. Sometimes the Old Testament 00:18:14.930 --> 00:18:18.349 is simply misunderstood because it has been disconnected 00:18:18.349 --> 00:18:21.829 from the one single story of God's redemption 00:18:21.829 --> 00:18:26.509 That is God's redemption of sin of the bride 00:18:26.509 --> 00:18:34.589 for his son Jesus responds oh Foolish ones slow 00:18:34.589 --> 00:18:36.970 of heart to believe in all that the prophets 00:18:36.970 --> 00:18:41.190 have spoken on not the Christ to have suffered 00:18:41.190 --> 00:18:45.730 these things and to enter into His glory. Think 00:18:45.730 --> 00:18:51.230 about this. Jesus has drawn near to them for 00:18:51.230 --> 00:18:56.950 their certainty. They don't recognize Him. So 00:18:56.950 --> 00:18:59.250 far, He's been leading them along, walking along. 00:18:59.309 --> 00:19:00.769 They think they're kind of driving it because 00:19:00.769 --> 00:19:04.609 they've come across this guy down the path. And 00:19:04.609 --> 00:19:08.930 then Jesus says, you fools who don't understand. 00:19:09.859 --> 00:19:16.000 You are so unwise Psalm 49 20 tells us a man 00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:19.819 who is in honor and yet does not understand is 00:19:19.819 --> 00:19:27.140 like the beasts that perish Foolishness right 00:19:27.140 --> 00:19:33.299 makes us beastly children look up here Now your 00:19:33.299 --> 00:19:35.019 parents probably wouldn't be quite as direct 00:19:35.019 --> 00:19:39.740 as Jesus, but your foolishness You behaving beastly 00:19:39.740 --> 00:19:43.240 now in some ways simply be instructed in other 00:19:43.240 --> 00:19:49.819 ways remember that you are a Christian a new 00:19:49.819 --> 00:19:56.640 creature in Christ So act like it not beastly 00:19:56.640 --> 00:20:00.720 Jesus also points out that they are slow that 00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:05.299 is and our modern language stupid or slow to 00:20:05.299 --> 00:20:08.400 take hold or believe Think about this Jesus had 00:20:08.400 --> 00:20:13.740 been talking to these folks for three years and 00:20:13.740 --> 00:20:15.619 Been making all kinds of connections and even 00:20:15.619 --> 00:20:19.160 directly told them these things and they still 00:20:19.160 --> 00:20:22.099 have their own Expectations don't we do that 00:20:22.099 --> 00:20:24.299 we have a certain amount of expectation about 00:20:24.299 --> 00:20:27.779 what it means to be a Christian This is important 00:20:27.779 --> 00:20:34.759 So Jesus though he's gracious he never leaves 00:20:34.759 --> 00:20:39.869 them without remedy In verse 27, it says, beginning 00:20:39.869 --> 00:20:42.069 with Moses and all the prophets, he expounded 00:20:42.069 --> 00:20:45.690 to them in all the scriptures the things concerning 00:20:45.690 --> 00:20:50.029 himself. So Jesus unpacked and expounds. He opens 00:20:50.029 --> 00:20:52.450 up and explains thoroughly in the scriptures 00:20:52.450 --> 00:20:58.009 concerning himself. Jesus teaches the word, and 00:20:58.009 --> 00:21:00.109 they begin to understand. They begin to put things 00:21:00.109 --> 00:21:05.880 together. Jesus reveals Himself intellectually 00:21:05.880 --> 00:21:10.799 to these two disciples. He makes it plain what 00:21:10.799 --> 00:21:13.940 Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms are all about, 00:21:14.420 --> 00:21:18.920 and that is Him. And that He did, in fact, come 00:21:18.920 --> 00:21:23.559 to serve, suffer, die, and rise again to redeem 00:21:23.559 --> 00:21:28.079 His church, His bride. Of course, it says they 00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:30.559 then drew near the village where they were going 00:21:30.559 --> 00:21:32.900 and he indicated that he would have gone farther 00:21:32.900 --> 00:21:35.440 I think part of that is pointing to his ascension. 00:21:35.460 --> 00:21:40.019 That's where he's going to end up and It says 00:21:40.019 --> 00:21:43.859 they constrained him saying abide with us For 00:21:43.859 --> 00:21:46.660 it is toward evening and the day is far spent 00:21:46.660 --> 00:21:49.519 and he went in and stayed with him Here in the 00:21:49.519 --> 00:21:53.720 late afternoon. They say to the unrevealed Jesus 00:21:53.720 --> 00:22:00.220 abide with us All of Jesus' teaching and explanation 00:22:00.220 --> 00:22:04.599 helps them to see the why and the what of Jesus. 00:22:05.039 --> 00:22:08.680 And they still do not know Jesus. They know about 00:22:08.680 --> 00:22:14.180 Him, but they do not know Him. They're going 00:22:14.180 --> 00:22:18.839 to know Him in what? In the intimacy of a meal. 00:22:20.799 --> 00:22:24.039 They unknowingly make the point of Jesus' words 00:22:24.039 --> 00:22:26.859 when they say, abide with us. Right jesus words 00:22:26.859 --> 00:22:30.660 in john 15 says as the father loved me. I have 00:22:30.660 --> 00:22:35.160 also loved you abide in my love And then he says 00:22:35.160 --> 00:22:37.579 a little bit farther these things I have spoken 00:22:37.579 --> 00:22:41.920 to you that my joy may remain in you And that 00:22:41.920 --> 00:22:47.980 your joy may be made full Dearly beloved the 00:22:47.980 --> 00:22:51.839 joy is right around the corner They just don't 00:22:51.839 --> 00:22:54.140 know it yet. It's all up here in their heads 00:22:54.509 --> 00:22:59.109 But their joy isn't full. It says, now it came 00:22:59.109 --> 00:23:01.269 to pass, as he sat at the table with them, that 00:23:01.269 --> 00:23:03.829 he took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and 00:23:03.829 --> 00:23:06.829 gave it to them. And then their eyes were opened, 00:23:06.849 --> 00:23:10.289 and they knew him. And he vanished from their 00:23:10.289 --> 00:23:14.589 sight. Now in the scriptures, the first time 00:23:14.589 --> 00:23:19.170 someone takes and gives food, that action in 00:23:19.170 --> 00:23:22.960 the garden where Eve took the food, gave it to 00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:25.960 Adam. Adam failed to protect Eve from the serpent 00:23:25.960 --> 00:23:28.500 and what happened? Death entered into the world. 00:23:29.039 --> 00:23:34.960 Separation from God fell into place and death 00:23:34.960 --> 00:23:40.799 entered into the world. But on this first Easter 00:23:40.799 --> 00:23:43.380 afternoon we see the reversal of this judgment 00:23:43.380 --> 00:23:47.640 of God for the redemption of many. Jesus sat 00:23:47.640 --> 00:23:50.380 at the table with them and he took the bread 00:23:50.380 --> 00:23:54.240 and he blessed it. broke it and gave it to them 00:23:54.240 --> 00:23:58.200 and Then their eyes were opened and they knew 00:23:58.200 --> 00:24:02.599 him and He vanished from their sight. So here 00:24:02.599 --> 00:24:05.779 we have a pattern set forth for the church We 00:24:05.779 --> 00:24:07.640 are to come together on the first day of the 00:24:07.640 --> 00:24:11.960 week responding to his call confess our sins 00:24:11.960 --> 00:24:16.750 Hear the word read sung and preached And the 00:24:16.750 --> 00:24:19.470 culmination of this service, our worship, is 00:24:19.470 --> 00:24:22.589 not what I'm doing right now. And a lot of churches 00:24:22.589 --> 00:24:24.829 today, they think, oh, the culmination of the 00:24:24.829 --> 00:24:28.990 church is the sermon. No, this is also just a 00:24:28.990 --> 00:24:31.490 presentation of God's word. It certainly is helpful. 00:24:32.170 --> 00:24:34.730 It helps us understand all kinds of things about 00:24:34.730 --> 00:24:39.329 God. Brothers and sisters, saints of God, the 00:24:39.329 --> 00:24:43.089 culmination of our service is here at the table. 00:24:45.130 --> 00:24:49.130 the Lord's table his joyous table of peace remember 00:24:49.130 --> 00:24:52.849 what he said right in abiding that your joy may 00:24:52.849 --> 00:24:55.769 be full where does their joy come from they have 00:24:55.769 --> 00:24:59.529 all the intellectual knowledge right they've 00:24:59.529 --> 00:25:01.509 got that part together but their joy is in full 00:25:01.509 --> 00:25:05.930 where does that come from it comes from the breaking 00:25:05.930 --> 00:25:10.630 of the bread the spirit brings us into the abiding 00:25:10.630 --> 00:25:14.710 presence of Jesus The table is the Spirit's work 00:25:14.710 --> 00:25:18.230 of abiding, of the abiding presence of Jesus 00:25:18.230 --> 00:25:23.329 for us, for all of us. The Lord's table is a 00:25:23.329 --> 00:25:27.490 tangible means of grace for strengthening our 00:25:27.490 --> 00:25:32.869 faith. The word precedes this sacrament on that 00:25:32.869 --> 00:25:37.150 day, and their eyes which were held back are 00:25:37.150 --> 00:25:41.690 now opened. God takes real bread and real wine. 00:25:42.119 --> 00:25:46.059 The glorified things of his creation by his spirits 00:25:46.059 --> 00:25:49.799 and makes them a means of grace Jesus body and 00:25:49.799 --> 00:25:54.480 blood His very life confirming of his work for 00:25:54.480 --> 00:25:58.140 the forgiveness of our sins and the renewing 00:25:58.140 --> 00:26:02.400 the unity of the church And we see that in first 00:26:02.400 --> 00:26:04.680 Corinthians 10, but I want to back up just here 00:26:04.680 --> 00:26:08.200 for a second. These are glorified things of creation 00:26:09.000 --> 00:26:12.160 Right you have bread over there. It grew up in 00:26:12.160 --> 00:26:15.920 plant as grain somebody had to grow it harvest 00:26:15.920 --> 00:26:19.960 it grind it and Then other things were added 00:26:19.960 --> 00:26:23.420 to it and then put into the oven the fire and 00:26:23.420 --> 00:26:28.940 it is transformed into bread Right, that's why 00:26:28.940 --> 00:26:31.660 you don't see the breaking of bread writing in 00:26:31.660 --> 00:26:36.440 The beginning of creation at the fall there wasn't 00:26:36.440 --> 00:26:41.470 bread yet Right. What is wine? Wine is you have 00:26:41.470 --> 00:26:44.269 grapes. You crush them. The juice comes out. 00:26:44.490 --> 00:26:46.589 And by the way, whether you do it professionally 00:26:46.589 --> 00:26:50.269 and add specific yeast at certain proportions, 00:26:50.630 --> 00:26:54.109 if you grow grapes right at the time that they're 00:26:54.109 --> 00:26:56.930 ready to start being made and turned into wine, 00:26:57.029 --> 00:26:59.410 yeast shows up miraculously. Scientists still 00:26:59.410 --> 00:27:03.569 don't know how that works. It happens. It begins 00:27:03.569 --> 00:27:07.809 to ferment. And then when all the alcohol is 00:27:07.759 --> 00:27:10.039 All the sugars are consumed, and it is produced 00:27:10.039 --> 00:27:13.339 alcohol. You know what happens? The yeast all 00:27:13.339 --> 00:27:19.619 dies. It rests. And then it turns into a glorious 00:27:19.619 --> 00:27:27.579 thing, wine. And here, all of this is a means 00:27:27.579 --> 00:27:32.259 of grace. These real elements, both of them, 00:27:32.339 --> 00:27:36.559 destroy Gnosticism and intellectualism, both 00:27:36.559 --> 00:27:40.039 problems in our faith. What is Gnosticism? It's 00:27:40.039 --> 00:27:42.500 the idea that everything in the creative world 00:27:42.500 --> 00:27:45.640 is evil. We're evil. The world is evil. It's 00:27:45.640 --> 00:27:47.660 all cursed. It's all bad. So what we have to 00:27:47.660 --> 00:27:51.160 do instead is go to the other side and be all 00:27:51.160 --> 00:27:53.559 intellectual. It's all about what's in our heads. 00:27:55.480 --> 00:27:58.839 No, these real elements and the work of the spirit 00:27:58.839 --> 00:28:04.720 in these physical things Turns intellectualism 00:28:04.720 --> 00:28:08.180 of our faith on its head. We need to know But 00:28:08.180 --> 00:28:12.619 God is at work You see God by the power of his 00:28:12.619 --> 00:28:17.599 spirit uses real things in his creation For each 00:28:17.599 --> 00:28:20.460 of us needs to understand our work is not towards 00:28:20.460 --> 00:28:25.059 simply some spiritual heavenly end alone But 00:28:25.059 --> 00:28:28.700 here now in this world is not about getting so 00:28:28.700 --> 00:28:32.059 spiritual so that you're just in connection with 00:28:32.220 --> 00:28:35.680 The ethereal out there, the esoteric, the secret 00:28:35.680 --> 00:28:39.799 knowledge out there, no, no, no. The gospel transforms 00:28:39.799 --> 00:28:43.500 you. And God uses physical means of the sacraments 00:28:43.500 --> 00:28:46.920 in water of baptism and at this table to, by 00:28:46.920 --> 00:28:53.160 His Spirit, transform us. Jesus, through this 00:28:53.160 --> 00:28:58.440 sacrament, assures with certainty that His abiding 00:28:58.440 --> 00:29:02.839 presence is with His people. Dearly beloved this 00:29:02.839 --> 00:29:09.299 includes you all of you We must remember that 00:29:09.299 --> 00:29:12.660 all the gifts we are given by God are for us 00:29:12.660 --> 00:29:16.900 to give to others That is a life giving to serve 00:29:16.900 --> 00:29:22.359 others that they may know Christ Jesus So what 00:29:22.359 --> 00:29:24.839 is their response to their eyes that are open? 00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:28.880 They said this they said to one another did her 00:29:28.880 --> 00:29:32.539 heart not burn within us while He talked to us 00:29:32.539 --> 00:29:35.079 on the road and while He opened the scriptures 00:29:35.079 --> 00:29:39.240 to us. So they rose up that very hour and returned 00:29:39.240 --> 00:29:41.660 to Jerusalem and found the eleven, and those 00:29:41.660 --> 00:29:44.819 who were there with Him gathered together. And 00:29:44.819 --> 00:29:47.940 what did they do? They declared, the Lord is 00:29:47.940 --> 00:29:51.480 risen indeed. He has appeared to Simon. And they 00:29:51.480 --> 00:29:53.299 told about the things that had happened on the 00:29:53.299 --> 00:29:56.839 road and how He was known to them through the 00:29:56.839 --> 00:30:02.460 breaking of the bread. The words of Jesus were 00:30:02.460 --> 00:30:05.539 made certain in the breaking of the bread so 00:30:05.539 --> 00:30:08.339 that they would be made ready for a life serving 00:30:08.339 --> 00:30:14.779 others, that they may know Christ Jesus and that 00:30:14.779 --> 00:30:16.240 he is to be proclaimed.