So even the personal testimony of Mary Magdalene was not
swaying the believers as yet. But let us
back the train up just a little bit.
Taking us back to the angel descending from heaven to the tomb of Jesus,
the entire Roman company fell before that angel as dead men locked in fear they
had never known. Watching that stone
roll away as nothing, watching those chains snap as tissue paper, watching that
seal be broken in two as nothing. And
then out of the tomb emerges Jesus Christ in a brilliant light. Imagine the fear and guilt that burns within
the heart of each soldier there. They
had asked for proof of His divinity while torturing Him, never believing for a
second in some Jewish version of God, in some Jewish version of Messiah of all
power. But here He walks right out of
the tomb from death to life, by the power of His own will. If there were ever a doubt in the mind of a
Roman soldier about who Jesus was, and more importantly what Jesus was, that
doubt vanished in terror at what each of them saw with their own eyes. It was more than just the angel who descended
from heaven to unlock the door and get their attention. It was the risen Lord who walks out of the
grave in a brilliant robe of light, by the power of His own will.
But there is something else.
Had this been Jupiter, or Mars, or some other form of any Roman idea of
deity, where all their gods demanded obedience and sacrifice for favor; and
should they fail to please their gods, they visited great destruction upon
them. Jesus is different. Jesus is certainly God, He is proving that
now is mind bending ways. But the expression
on His face is NOT one of anger. Jesus
is not looking for revenge. None of them
are hurt, not at all. Jesus stares at
them with such love in His eyes, that love breaks their hearts and tears at the
very fabric of their souls. Jesus is not
angry and full of righteous fury. He
should be. He deserves to be. He should be wreaking revenge upon them and
tearing the flesh from their backs, revisiting the crown of thorns driven deep
into their heads, beating them, punching them, and finally driving spikes or
spears deep into their flesh. They have
it coming. They laughed at Him. They did all this while laughing and spitting
on Him. They made fun of the shame of
His nakedness. They still had His stolen
clothes in their possession. Even though
He seems not to care about any of this at all.
He is looking into each of them deeply, with a look of love that would
break the hardest heart of stone. And
everything they knew, or thought they knew, was now going to change.
What the priests hoped to contain was now to backfire on
them. Instead of guards to keep Jesus in
the grave, a full Roman detachment now moves from non-believer to personal
witness of the resurrection of Jesus.
And it gets worse … for them. More
than just one grave opens. And not just
in one place. All over Judea, specific
graves tear themselves open at the call of Jesus, and patriarchs and prophets
from the history of Gods people from Adam until Christ, begin to come forth at
the call of Jesus. A first fruits offering
for God the Father. These men and women
who bear testimony to the divinity of Jesus will come forth and begin spreading
the gospel about what has happened throughout Judea. A personal testimony to a resurrection called
by a living Lord, a risen Lord. And when
the ascension happens, these first fruits will ascend with Jesus to heaven
forevermore. Wakened from the sleep of
death, and transformed into what we are all to become, perfect in the eyes of
our Creator, who re-creates us thus as He intends us to be. Now throughout all of Judea, the dead will
also bear testimony to the divinity of Jesus the Christ.
The gospel message is beginning to explode. Yet still the disciples are unaware of all of
this. They still congregate in fear in
an upper room. And fear crushes belief …
for now. Luke continues the story in
chapter 24 of his letter to his friend about what we believe and why. Picking up in verse 13 it says … “And, behold,
two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from
Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. [verse 14] And they talked together of all
these things which had happened.”
Two of those disciples gathered in that upper room decide to strike out
for a small village of Emmaus. It could
be they had family there to hide them.
It could be it was just friend.
But while they walked, they had much to talk about. Rumors of Roman soldiers who give testimony
as to a risen Lord, until the Priests could buy their silence with some story
about sleeping on duty. But if they were
sleeping, they would not be bragging about it, because the penalty for that was
death. So you know some small fortunes
must have changed hands to keep them alive and quiet as to the real truth. And still the truth was leaking out. Then even more rumors about past prophets
arisen, maybe one of them was supposed to be in Emmaus. Then the testimony of the women. They claim to have seen angels. They claim the angels spoke of the Lord as
among the living, a risen Lord. Could it
be?
Luke continues in verse 15 saying … “And it came to pass, that,
while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went
with them. [verse 16] But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.” And once again God does something we did not
expect. And He does it in a way we did
not expect. These men did not expect
Jesus but here is Jesus. Yet their eyes
are “closed” in such a way they are unable to see Jesus for who He really
is. Ever wondered if you have
encountered Jesus and did not recognize Him for who He is? Ever wondered why? Why would Jesus appear to us and keep us from
recognizing Him? Perhaps because the
words matter, the truth matters, and source is less important. Our favorite religious preachers are capable
of getting the message wrong. And the
homeless man on the street is capable of getting the message right, even when
we are not comfortable with it. It is
the truth that matters. Truth will not
disagree with truth that came before it, for truth cannot change. But sometimes truth will shatter our
interpretations of truth. Take these two
disciples for example. They believed the
Messiah would come and end Roman oppression.
But Jesus did not do that. They
believed Messiah could be the very Son of God, and Jesus did that. But then Jesus was tortured and killed, how
could God allow Himself to go through that.
The truth was consistent. But our
interpretations and expectations were simply completely wrong. And perhaps Jesus would shield the eyes of
these disciples to first correct their beliefs, founded in the truth of
scripture, before He revealed Himself.
Let them accept the correct truth of scripture, not the incorrect
expectations of our past.
Luke continues in verse 17 saying … “And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to
another, as ye walk, and are sad? [verse 18] And the one of them, whose name was
Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and
hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?” Luke reveals one of the two disciples was
Cleopas, although not one of the twelve he may well have been one of the 70 and
had been with the others in the upper room to hear what was going on. Jesus asks them what they are talking about
and why they are so sad. Cleopas asks
this stranger if effectively he has been living under a rock? How could he not know what was going on in
Jerusalem this past weekend? Luke
continues in verse 19 saying … “And he said unto them, What
things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet
mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: [verse 20] And how the
chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have
crucified him. [verse 21] But we trusted that it had been he which should have
redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these
things were done. [verse 22] Yea, and certain women also of our company made us
astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; [verse 23] And when they
found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of
angels, which said that he was alive. [verse 24] And certain of them which were with
us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him
they saw not.”
Jesus asks the two disciples “what things” in order to probe
from them what they have heard, and deeper what they believe. Cleopas and his companion begin with a
description of Jesus, a “prophet” mighty in word and deed before God and all
the people. It is here where the
foundation of their faith just did not quite go far enough. The story of prophets come to an end. The story of God does not. Have you ever considered that the problems
you have in life, or in your relationship with God come because your faith just
does not go quite far enough. You trust
God. But do you trust God a little, or
completely? You believe in God, but
believe a little, or with everything you have?
Put it this way, do you trust and believe, even when things make no
sense to you, even when it is not logical, even when it looks stupid to do
so? Maybe your life is coming up short,
because the foundation of your faith has had some artificial limit you set for
it. Many believe as long as it makes
sense. Many will love others, as long as
others love them back. But loving the
stinky, the repellant, the difficult is just too hard. And so we live lives of mediocrity, content
to have a notion of God within us, but never giving Him everything.
Then Cleopas continues telling of the betrayal of Jesus by
the chief priests and rulers. And these
two disciples believed Jesus would have redeemed Israel. Not from sin mind you, but from the
Romans. But it is the third day since
all of this took place and Israel is still under Roman rule and Jesus was
killed. But then, the story should have
taken a turn for the better. Strangely,
it did not. Cleopas tells of the women
who “had seen a vision of angels”. Again
their faith was not large enough to embrace the truth of what the women said,
it was no vision, it was an encounter.
But the angels said He was alive.
Even though the men who went to the same grave found everything as the
women had said, but did not find angels.
We need men to prove out what the women said? We refuse to embrace the truth, because we
can only accept the words when it comes from a source that meets with our
standards. And in so doing, we join our
Pharisee forefathers and reject the Truth of Jesus, for what good thing could
ever come from Nazareth? And sometimes
our accepted sources are just like the men who went to the same grave, and saw
not. The Truth was right there, it came
from the mouths of the women, it was the truth.
The men could not give testimony to it, because they did not embrace it.
And our biases are not just a male / female thing. They extend to age-ism. Someone is too young, or too old to be a
proper source of truth. Too new in the
faith. From a different denomination or
brand of Christianity to have a message from God for me. Our biases extend to race. We refuse truth because the source does not
share our racial experiences or past. Our
biases extend to wealth. Surely the very
poor or the very rich could never really understand the Truth of God, in a
message for us. The poor are too
lazy. The rich are too spoiled and
greedy. And so Jesus must disguise
Himself in order to get through to us, and we so biased, are not even willing
to hear Jesus because He does present Himself in “right package” for us to pay
attention to. But it has never been the
package that matters. It has always only
been the message that matters. If the
message is truth, then it is truth.
Because it comes from the lips of a sinner or saint does not make truth
less true. Nor can it make a lie more
true. It can however, make a lie look
more appealing, when it comes from a package that is appealing to our biases.
Jesus listens to the whole story of the gospel already laid
out by these two followers, who despite saying it, have yet to believe it. Then Luke continues in verse 25 saying … “Then he said
unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe
all that the prophets have spoken: [verse 26]
Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? [verse
27] And
beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he
expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” “Fools”, a word Jesus does not use
lightly. And yet are we any
different? We have all the truth we need
in front of us, preserved at great cost in the Bible we now want to throw away
as nothing but stories. And yet the
first thing Jesus does to prove Himself, is NOT a great revelation of divinity
and power, but instead just a walk through of the scriptures taught the right
way. Jesus wipes out the bad
interpretations. Jesus shows them in the
printed word, everything that would come to pass exactly as it has. He reveals what was there all along. If we were willing to let go our ideas of
certainty we might have found it from the beginning. If we were willing to let the past go, we
might have seen what God was trying to show us in the present and for the
future. Trusting God first, letting
Jesus lead, letting Jesus teach our hearts and minds. Jesus was validating the message of the women
who carried that gospel to them, validating it through scripture. What was true is still true.
This conversation had changed. While they still did not recognize Jesus in
physical form, there was something distinct about what this man was saying. Luke continues in verse 28 saying … “And they drew
nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he
made as though he would have gone further. [verse 29] But they
constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day
is far spent. And he went in to tarry with
them. [verse 30] And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to
them. [verse 31] And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.” Jesus pretends as if He has farther to
walk. But the two disciples are eager
for Him to stay the night. So He
agrees. Sometimes Jesus likes to be
asked for things. Sometimes our prayers
accomplish just that. Our prayers teach
us what we really want, or perhaps should want.
Jesus stays with them. He visits
with them through the evening. And when
supper comes, He takes the bread and blessed it as He had done thousands of
times before, and broke it and gave it to them.
And at that moment their eyes were opened, and they saw what was there
right in front of them all along. It was
Jesus. Jesus was alive.
Luke continues in verse 32 saying … “And they said one to
another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way,
and while he opened to us the scriptures? [verse 33] And they rose
up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered
together, and them that were with them, [verse 34] Saying, The
Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. [verse 35] And they told
what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of
bread.” And Luke reveals the name
of the other disciple here along the way as Simon. He is not specific as to whether this was
Simon Peter, or Simon the former Zealot (probably the latter). But now Cleopas and Simon talk about how
their hearts burned within them as Jesus had opened the scriptures to them the
right way along their journey. They
became so excited, they left to run back to the upper room, braving the night. For fear had departed, they had been with
Jesus. The coming of Jesus into your
heart will displace the fear you might otherwise carry.
They burst into the upper room, startling everyone there
quite a bit. And the first words out of
their mouths was the same as that of the women who preceded them. The Lord is risen indeed. He appeared to both Simon and Cleopas along
the way to Emmaus and at dinner breaking bread as He always did, in the same
manner and habits. The first two male disciples
to carry the gospel were not Peter and John still locked away inside the upper
room fighting incorrect perceptions, sadness, and fear. But were instead Cleopas and Simon who had
left the safety of the upper room to travel to small village called
Emmaus. Have you ever wondered if God is
waiting for you to take action first? To
leave the safety of your home or church pew, in order to join with you in your
mission. God may radically redirect what
you were intending to do. The women went
to ordain a dead body with spices and ointments, that task of love was not
needed or finished, a greater task of carrying the gospel was assigned
instead. These two men went to Emmaus
for whatever reason, and they barely stayed there, a greater task of carrying
the gospel back to the others was something that called them past their fears. It does not matter what you set out to
do. It matters what you may find God
assigns you to do, even if it is something completely different then what you
intended, and something totally different than anything you would have ever
thought of on your own. But the point
is, your first action out the door is required, before those assignments are
ever presented. You need to be
moving. Stepping out in faith. Then listen, follow, and do what God leads
you to do.
When we finally embrace the truth, the gospel is opened to
us. When our humility trumps our pride,
the Truth is able to break down the barriers we have erected for it, and the
gospel is opened to us. Are you brave
enough, and humble enough, to hear past the biases you have long carried to the
voice of God calling just to you, with a message He has just for you. Its there.
God is not silent. Can you
listen, in spite of what you might think about the source, or the package it
may come in? …
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