Jesus is risen. Let us now pray together. Glory
be to you O God the Father who did raise your
son Jesus Christ from the dead and has made us
partakers of his victory over sin and death.
Glory be to you O Lord Jesus who for our sakes
became flesh and has overcome death and has opened
up the gates of eternal life for us. And all
glory be to you, O Holy Spirit, who has made
us your people, your temple, and who day by day
does lead us in all truth in Jesus Christ. We
ask that you please make the words of my mouth
and the meditations of all our hearts acceptable
in your sight, O Lord, our nearest kinsman, Redeemer,
Jesus Christ. Amen. Let's once again hear words
from Luke chapter 24, beginning in verse 13.
Now behold two of them were traveling that same
day to a village called Emmaus which was seven
miles from Jerusalem and they talked together
of All these things that had happened so it was
while they conversed and reasoned that Jesus
himself drew near and went with them But their
eyes were restrained that they did not know him
and he said to them What kind of conversation
is it that you are having with one another as
you walk? and are sad. Then one whose name was
Cleopas answered and said to him, are you the
only stranger in Jerusalem? And have you not
known the things that have happened these days?
And he said to them, what things? So they said
to him, the things concerning Jesus of Nazareth,
who was a prophet, mighty in deed and word before
God and all the people. And now the chief priests
and our rulers delivered him to be condemned
to death and crucified him. But we were hoping
that it was he who was going to redeem Israel.
Indeed, besides all this, this is the third day
since these things happened. Yes, and certain
women of our company who arrived at the tomb
early astonished us. And when they did not find
his body, they came saying that they had also
seen a vision of angels who said he was alive.
And a certain of those who were with us went
to the tomb and found that it was just as the
women had said. but him they did not see. Then
he said to them, O foolish ones, slow of heart
to believe in all that the prophets have spoken,
ought not the Christ to have suffered these things
and entered into his glory? And beginning at
Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them
and all the scriptures the things concerning
himself. Then they drew near the village where
they were going, and he indicated that he would
have gone farther. But they constrained him,
saying, Abide with us, for it is toward evening,
and the day is far spent. And he went in to stay
with them. Now it came to pass, as he sat at
the table with them, that he took bread, blessed,
and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their
eyes were opened, and they knew him, and he vanished
from their sight. And they said to one another,
did not our heart burn within us as he talked
with us along the road? And while he opened the
scriptures to us, So they rose up that very hour
and returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven
and those who were with them gathered together,
saying, The Lord is risen indeed and has appeared
to Simon. And they told about the things that
had happened on the road and how he was known
to them in the breaking of bread. These are the
words of Almighty God. Receive them in your hearts.
Today is the third week of Eastertide. Today,
we have our final look of this Easter Tide season
of the day of resurrection. On Easter Sunday,
we focused on Jesus' resurrection at dawn, the
women's encounter, the puzzling circumstances
for the disciples, and Jesus' garden encounter
with Mary Magdalene, reminding us of the single
story of the Scriptures. A man in a garden with
a woman. And here we see not just that first
man who failed the woman in that garden, but
we see now that this man, Jesus, had laid down
his life to redeem his sin -stained bride. And
in this place, this garden, we find a meal. Last
week we saw the doubt and fear ridden disciples
encounter Jesus who declares his peace to them
and sends them out as the Father had sent him
out. And so it was for them a life of serving
others that others might know Christ Jesus to
proclaim that Jesus is the remedy for all men.
Now like a movie or a TV show, today's text provides
a relevant backstory to last week's text. Having
already studied the beginning of the day of resurrection
and the end of the day of Jesus' triumphant resurrection,
we now get an opportunity to see a little bit
of what Jesus was up to throughout that first
day of the new creation. Now there are three
things that I want you to try to gather out of
this text today. First off, God sovereignly accomplishes
His will with certainty. God sovereignly accomplishes
His will with certainty. And I want you to especially
pay attention to that word, certainty. Second,
left to ourselves, we are foolish and slow to
believe. Left to ourselves, we are foolish and
slow to believe. And last, but not least, Jesus
is revealed and abides with His church in the
breaking of bread. Jesus is revealed and abides
with His church in the breaking of bread. In
our human frailty, we all suffer from time to
time with uncertainty, whether it's from ignorance,
misplaced trust, or just the overwhelming circumstances
of life. Our faith, our certainty, needs two
things. Our certainty needs two things, intellectual
reminders from God's Word and the mystical work
of the Spirit in our lives. So we need intellectual
reminders from God's Word and the mystical work
of the Spirit in our lives, especially in the
sacrament of the Lord's Table of Peace. Now when
I say mystical, I don't mean magic or physical
transformation of the bread and wine, but rather
the unknowable mystery of the work of the Holy
Spirit. As one commentator puts it, the Holy
Spirit makes Jesus present to us in the Supper,
so that He is not only our host, but also our
food and drink. We eat the bread of heaven, and
we drink His blood given for the life of the
world. So He now abides in us, and we abide in
Him. This is a great mystery, more to be enjoyed
than explained. Let me read that last line. So,
now he, Jesus, abides in us, and we abide in
him. And this is a great mystery, more to be
enjoyed than explained. Now the Gospel of Luke,
the whole book of Luke is written with our certainty
in mind. At the very beginning of Luke chapter
1 it says this, Inasmuch as many have taken in
hand to set in order a narrative of those things
which have been fulfilled, right, made certain
among us, just as those who from the beginning
were eyewitnesses and ministers of the whole
world delivered them to us. It seemed good to
me also having a perfect understanding, and that
word perfect is really a complete, really means
for us in modern language, a complete understanding
of all things from the very first to right to
you. And so this is now he's given us this reason.
He's saying to write to you an orderly account,
most excellent theopolis, that you may know the
certainty of those things in which you were instructed.
So he's telling us, I'm giving you an orderly
account. I know these things. I have a complete
understanding of these things. I'm giving you
an orderly account so that you may know the certainty
of those things in which you were instructed.
Here today in our text found at the end of the
book of Luke his account It is also for our certainty
Now remember, what did it say it told us that
there were two of them? That's disciples traveling
to that same day the day of resurrection To the
city of Emmaus the town of Emmaus seven miles
or as it says actually more accurately 60 stadia,
but that gives us about a seven mile distance
So it's not a terribly far walk, but it isn't
close either. You know, on average flat ground,
the average person walks about three miles an
hour. So it's a little more than two hours, and
it's not exactly flat either in this terrain.
So they had a little chance to have a talk. And
it says they talked together of all things which
had happened. And it says, so it was that while
they conversed in reason, Jesus himself drew
near. went with them. Their eyes, but their eyes
were restrained so that they did not know him.
So these two disciples, they've left Jerusalem,
they're in despair and they've probably left
to flee their own execution. You see the Roman
way of dealing with people who would rise up
in rebellion and insurrection was to publicly
murder the leader and then exterminate all of
the followers. And so, it's very possible that
they were leaving town, perhaps, to avoid execution.
Now, we know the disciples' names of only one
of the disciples walking along. His name is Cleopas.
And one of the early church historians suggests
that Cleopas is the uncle of Jesus, and that
Cleopas is walking along with his wife, Mary.
It's interesting just as a side note that their
son Cleopas and his wife Mary this uncle their
son Simeon later becomes the leader of the Jerusalem
church after James is put to death With all that
in mind we see that Cleopas perhaps his wife
are traveling away from Jerusalem in the middle
of the day and Jesus is intentionally pursuing
his disciples right says While they conversed
in recess, Jesus himself drew near and went with
them. What a great comfort to see that when his
disciples are demoralized and feeling defeated,
that Jesus draws near to them and goes with them.
And yet, their eyes are restrained. God is teaching
them and us today something very important. You
see Jesus here is fulfilling Deuteronomy 31 verse
6 You're familiar with this verse Be strong and
courageous Do not fear or be in dread of them
For it is Yahweh your God who goes with you.
He will not leave you or forsake you And of course
God repeats that same promise to Joshua in Joshua
chapter 1, before he goes in to conquer the world,
conquer the promised land. We as his disciples
are called to go out and conquer the nations,
to disciple the nations. Now David also reminds
these very same words to his son Solomon in 1st
Chronicles 28. God is constantly with his people
and is working for his glory. and our benefit.
The circumstances of our lives are not about
what God is doing to me, but rather what God
is doing for me. And their eyes were restrained
initially. Why was he doing that? For their certainty.
You ever feel like, you know, you're trying to
make a decision, you're trying to figure out
things in life, and you're like, I wish God would
just make it really clear. Just cut to the chase.
Make me see and understand everything. And here
we see that He is promised and that He is with
them. And yet, their eyes are restrained for
the benefit of their certainty. And why? To show
that their assurance in Jesus' abiding presence.
Jesus in pursuit of His disciples inquires of
them. What kind of conversation is that you're
having with one another as you walk? And the
Greek here where it says, and sad, it's almost
like a stopping in how this Greek is laid out.
So you're walking along. What are you talking
about? And he pauses for this effect. And why
are you sad? And of course, we know what a Cleopas
say. And he does this. such a way in a manner
that sounds kind of snarky and disrespectful
right he says are you the only stranger in Jerusalem
that doesn't know the things that have happened
these days are we ever like that with God sometimes
God don't you see what's going on in my life
don't you see all the present troubles and difficulties
and what did Jesus say Jesus is leading him along
and he says what things an utter disbelief Cleopas
responds Are you a stranger do you not know what's
going on? And so he says of course the things
concerning Jesus of Nazareth who was a prophet
mighty indeed and word before God and all the
people How the chief priests and our rulers delivered
him to be condemned to death? The fire to get
him and we were hoping that it was he who was
going to redeem Israel and Indeed besides all
this It is the third day since these things happen
Why does he say that because the one thing that
they're certain of after three days is what?
Jesus is dead He goes on, of course, talks about
the women of their company. They arrived early,
and they astonished us. Why? Because his body
wasn't there, and they had visions of angels
who said Jesus was alive. And he talks about
how some ran to Peter and John. They run to the
tomb, and they see that Jesus is not there, but
they don't see him. Cleopas and for that matter
it seems that all the disciples could not reconcile
their hopes and dreams of What of Jesus to what
is happening all around them? They had certain
expectations Right, they were certain of some
things about Jesus that he was a prophet and
he was mighty in word before God and man they
were certain that Jesus was proclaiming the words
of God and that Jesus did many miracles before
all the people their hope was that Jesus was
going to redeem Israel but the question is how
was he going to do this and of course the chief
priests and the and the rulers they had rejected
their redeemer and condemned him to death and
crucified him And now three days later, they
were certain that Jesus was dead. And yet they
had the reports of the women saying that his
body wasn't in the tomb, and of course that Peter
and John were there. And they confirmed the testimony
of the women. These two committed disciples could
not reconcile what had happened to Jesus with
their own expectations, even though Jesus had
repeatedly told them. that he would rise again.
He said in Matthew 16, in Matthew 17, in Mark
8, and in Luke 9, and in Mark 10, he actually
said that he must give his life for the ransom
of many. Like Cleopas, the modern church struggles
so much because the Old Testament is ignored,
or worse, despised. Sometimes the Old Testament
is simply misunderstood because it has been disconnected
from the one single story of God's redemption
That is God's redemption of sin of the bride
for his son Jesus responds oh Foolish ones slow
of heart to believe in all that the prophets
have spoken on not the Christ to have suffered
these things and to enter into His glory. Think
about this. Jesus has drawn near to them for
their certainty. They don't recognize Him. So
far, He's been leading them along, walking along.
They think they're kind of driving it because
they've come across this guy down the path. And
then Jesus says, you fools who don't understand.
You are so unwise Psalm 49 20 tells us a man
who is in honor and yet does not understand is
like the beasts that perish Foolishness right
makes us beastly children look up here Now your
parents probably wouldn't be quite as direct
as Jesus, but your foolishness You behaving beastly
now in some ways simply be instructed in other
ways remember that you are a Christian a new
creature in Christ So act like it not beastly
Jesus also points out that they are slow that
is and our modern language stupid or slow to
take hold or believe Think about this Jesus had
been talking to these folks for three years and
Been making all kinds of connections and even
directly told them these things and they still
have their own Expectations don't we do that
we have a certain amount of expectation about
what it means to be a Christian This is important
So Jesus though he's gracious he never leaves
them without remedy In verse 27, it says, beginning
with Moses and all the prophets, he expounded
to them in all the scriptures the things concerning
himself. So Jesus unpacked and expounds. He opens
up and explains thoroughly in the scriptures
concerning himself. Jesus teaches the word, and
they begin to understand. They begin to put things
together. Jesus reveals Himself intellectually
to these two disciples. He makes it plain what
Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms are all about,
and that is Him. And that He did, in fact, come
to serve, suffer, die, and rise again to redeem
His church, His bride. Of course, it says they
then drew near the village where they were going
and he indicated that he would have gone farther
I think part of that is pointing to his ascension.
That's where he's going to end up and It says
they constrained him saying abide with us For
it is toward evening and the day is far spent
and he went in and stayed with him Here in the
late afternoon. They say to the unrevealed Jesus
abide with us All of Jesus' teaching and explanation
helps them to see the why and the what of Jesus.
And they still do not know Jesus. They know about
Him, but they do not know Him. They're going
to know Him in what? In the intimacy of a meal.
They unknowingly make the point of Jesus' words
when they say, abide with us. Right jesus words
in john 15 says as the father loved me. I have
also loved you abide in my love And then he says
a little bit farther these things I have spoken
to you that my joy may remain in you And that
your joy may be made full Dearly beloved the
joy is right around the corner They just don't
know it yet. It's all up here in their heads
But their joy isn't full. It says, now it came
to pass, as he sat at the table with them, that
he took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and
gave it to them. And then their eyes were opened,
and they knew him. And he vanished from their
sight. Now in the scriptures, the first time
someone takes and gives food, that action in
the garden where Eve took the food, gave it to
Adam. Adam failed to protect Eve from the serpent
and what happened? Death entered into the world.
Separation from God fell into place and death
entered into the world. But on this first Easter
afternoon we see the reversal of this judgment
of God for the redemption of many. Jesus sat
at the table with them and he took the bread
and he blessed it. broke it and gave it to them
and Then their eyes were opened and they knew
him and He vanished from their sight. So here
we have a pattern set forth for the church We
are to come together on the first day of the
week responding to his call confess our sins
Hear the word read sung and preached And the
culmination of this service, our worship, is
not what I'm doing right now. And a lot of churches
today, they think, oh, the culmination of the
church is the sermon. No, this is also just a
presentation of God's word. It certainly is helpful.
It helps us understand all kinds of things about
God. Brothers and sisters, saints of God, the
culmination of our service is here at the table.
the Lord's table his joyous table of peace remember
what he said right in abiding that your joy may
be full where does their joy come from they have
all the intellectual knowledge right they've
got that part together but their joy is in full
where does that come from it comes from the breaking
of the bread the spirit brings us into the abiding
presence of Jesus The table is the Spirit's work
of abiding, of the abiding presence of Jesus
for us, for all of us. The Lord's table is a
tangible means of grace for strengthening our
faith. The word precedes this sacrament on that
day, and their eyes which were held back are
now opened. God takes real bread and real wine.
The glorified things of his creation by his spirits
and makes them a means of grace Jesus body and
blood His very life confirming of his work for
the forgiveness of our sins and the renewing
the unity of the church And we see that in first
Corinthians 10, but I want to back up just here
for a second. These are glorified things of creation
Right you have bread over there. It grew up in
plant as grain somebody had to grow it harvest
it grind it and Then other things were added
to it and then put into the oven the fire and
it is transformed into bread Right, that's why
you don't see the breaking of bread writing in
The beginning of creation at the fall there wasn't
bread yet Right. What is wine? Wine is you have
grapes. You crush them. The juice comes out.
And by the way, whether you do it professionally
and add specific yeast at certain proportions,
if you grow grapes right at the time that they're
ready to start being made and turned into wine,
yeast shows up miraculously. Scientists still
don't know how that works. It happens. It begins
to ferment. And then when all the alcohol is
All the sugars are consumed, and it is produced
alcohol. You know what happens? The yeast all
dies. It rests. And then it turns into a glorious
thing, wine. And here, all of this is a means
of grace. These real elements, both of them,
destroy Gnosticism and intellectualism, both
problems in our faith. What is Gnosticism? It's
the idea that everything in the creative world
is evil. We're evil. The world is evil. It's
all cursed. It's all bad. So what we have to
do instead is go to the other side and be all
intellectual. It's all about what's in our heads.
No, these real elements and the work of the spirit
in these physical things Turns intellectualism
of our faith on its head. We need to know But
God is at work You see God by the power of his
spirit uses real things in his creation For each
of us needs to understand our work is not towards
simply some spiritual heavenly end alone But
here now in this world is not about getting so
spiritual so that you're just in connection with
The ethereal out there, the esoteric, the secret
knowledge out there, no, no, no. The gospel transforms
you. And God uses physical means of the sacraments
in water of baptism and at this table to, by
His Spirit, transform us. Jesus, through this
sacrament, assures with certainty that His abiding
presence is with His people. Dearly beloved this
includes you all of you We must remember that
all the gifts we are given by God are for us
to give to others That is a life giving to serve
others that they may know Christ Jesus So what
is their response to their eyes that are open?
They said this they said to one another did her
heart not burn within us while He talked to us
on the road and while He opened the scriptures
to us. So they rose up that very hour and returned
to Jerusalem and found the eleven, and those
who were there with Him gathered together. And
what did they do? They declared, the Lord is
risen indeed. He has appeared to Simon. And they
told about the things that had happened on the
road and how He was known to them through the
breaking of the bread. The words of Jesus were
made certain in the breaking of the bread so
that they would be made ready for a life serving
others, that they may know Christ Jesus and that
he is to be proclaimed.