STUDY THEME: ONE SOLITARY LIFE:”THE LIFE OF JESUS. 7-22-01

UNIT 7, JESUS IS ALIVE: “LEARNING FROM THE RISEN LORD.”

LUKE 24: 13-18, 19-24, 25-27, 28-36.

PLEASE OPEN YOUR BIBLE TO LUKE 24.

I don’t remember ever realizing before how difficult it was to convince the apostles that Jesus was risen from the dead. Unlike Peter and John, the other disciples didn’t run to the tomb to see for themselves. Instead the disciples carried on their normal business while they discussed the days reports and tried to understand what they meant. Please look back with me at Luke 24: 9-11. (TEACHER READ THESE VERSES.)

In Mark 16:14 Jesus appeared to the eleven as they sat eating and upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they did not believe Mary’s report in Vs. 11. Again in Vs. 13, they did not believe the report of the two who walked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus on Sunday afternoon. Those present will finally believe in next Sunday’s lesson when Jesus appears to them on that first Sunday night.

We have doubters today who are just as hard to convince as those early disciples. They like Thomas demand hands on proof. For most of them that will come too late.

The title of today’s lesson is “Learning From The Risen Lord.” One thing we hope to learn is how, during His earthly ministry, Jesus knew and lived by the Scriptures. Luke points this out in Luke 4: 1-13. He goes ahead to say in vs. 21 that Jesus fulfilled the Scriptures. In Matt. 5: 21-22 we see that He went behind the outward letter of the Law to reveal the inner meaning. In Matt. 22:29 He condemned the Sadducees, who accepted only the first five books of the O.T. authoritative, and for not knowing or believing the Scriptures. In John 5:35-40 He condemned the Pharisees for searching the Scriptures but rejecting Him, who is the heart of the Scriptures. In Mark 7:9 He also condemned them for breaking the Law of God by putting their own interpretations before the clear teachings of Scripture. In Luke 24: 25 He rebuked His disciples for their blindness to what the Scriptures said concerning Him, and in Luke 24: 26-27 and 44-48 He opened the Scriptures and showed them the need for His suffering, death, resurrection, and worldwide mission.

On the night before He was crucified, He told the disciples, in John 14:26, that He was going away, but that He was sending the Holy Spirit to call to their remembrance what He had said and done. According to Luke 1:1-4 His Spirit inspired the disciples in telling the saving gospel of Jesus, and in either writing their testimony of Jesus or having someone else write the apostolic message of Jesus. This inspired testimony became our N.T. Scripture. The Spirit of the Lord inspired it, and leads us into understanding and applying it to our lives. Thus Jesus continues to be our Teacher through His Spirit.

There have always been different views of the Bible and its purpose. But today in the secular worldview, the Bible is either rejected or ignored. People with this view look elsewhere to determine what they are to know and do. Many of them know little about the Bible.

In the Biblical Worldview, the Scriptures reveal who Jesus is and what He wants believer in Him to know and do.

After His resurrection Jesus appeared to two of the larger group of His disciples, but they failed to recognize Him. They told Him how they had hoped that Jesus would redeem Israel. He rebuked them for slowness of heart in failing to understand what the O.T. told about Jesus, and then He opened their hearts to hear His teaching from the O.T. about the suffering and glory of the Christ. Later they realized that Jesus had been speaking to them, they recalled how their hearts had burned within them.

The words we will read now recount one of the immortal short stories of the world.

1. PLEASE READ LUKE 24: 13-18.

In last Sunday’s lesson shortly after the appearance to Mary, Jesus appeared to the other women, probably near the entrance of the city . They had just left the sepulcher and were now hastening to tell the disciples, when the Master met and saluted them. They fell before Him, laid hold of his feet, and worshipped Him.

As the afternoon wore on, two of the disciples left Jerusalem for the village of Emmaus, a village some seven miles N.W. of Jerusalem. But let’s see how Luke told the story.

The Gospel of Luke has often been called “the most beautiful book in the world,” and it probably is. If so, then the most exquisite passage in all of literature is Luke’s account of the walk to Emmaus, unique in this Gospel (being mentioned only briefly in Mark 16:12-13.). Cleopas is not identified in the record, and it is not of advantage to speculate as to who his companion might have been. Remember, these two men were not members of the apostolic company; the longest interview that Jesus had on this first Easter Su9nday was not with the Twelve, nor even, apparently with those who had been close to Him through the years, but with these two comparatively obscure disciples.

The distance from Jerusalem to Emmaus, three-score furlongs, is the equivalent of about seven miles. While they were talking together of the stupendous events which had just transpired in Jerusalem, the Lord drew near and walked along with them, “but their eyes were holden that they should not know Him.” Luke understands that the non-recognition of Jesus here and the recognition of Him afterwards to be the result of Divine volition. Others think that their unbelief blinded them to who He was. Barclay said the setting sun dazzled them so they couldn’t recognize Jesus.

One of the most remarkable characteristics of those forty days between the resurrection and the ascension is that it was possible for Jesus to be with disciples and they not know Who He was, until He desired to make Himself known. Here we see Him walking with them, and they did not know Him.

Breaking into the conversation, Jesus asks them, “What communications are those that ye have one with another, as ye walk?” In other words He said, “What are you talking about.” The text tells us that their countenances were sad. Why were these two disciples sad? One of them, Cleopas, is about to explain, and, at the same time, he is surprised that the One walking with them does not know. He could not imagine anyone being in Jerusalem for the last few days and not knowing what had been going on.

There is no story of the post-resurrection period more full of fascination to me than this. If any one can read this story, and not believe that there is even in that resurrection life the manifestation of the humor of God, I do not understand that person. There is a tender and beautiful playfulness in the way He dealt with these men. Humor is as divine as pathos, and I cannot study the life of Jesus without finding humor there. He, the risen Lord, the Lord of life and glory, having triumphed over death and sin, joined these two desolate disciple travelers who were thinking of Him as dead, and said to them, “What are you two talking about.”

And they stood still, looking sad. And one of them named Cleopas, answering said unto Him “Are you the only man in Jerusalem ignorant of what has been going on? “He said unto them, What things?” Just imagine Him asking them, “What things?” He was drawing them out. He wanted them to talk, and they did. They summarized several facts about Jesus. I can imagine the risen Savior smiling to Himself as they reviewed their knowledge and beliefs concerning Him.

2. PLEASE READ LUKE 24: 19-24.

Cleopas words form a brief summary of the life of Christ: “He was a prophet, mighty in deed and word before God and all the people; He had been delivered up by the ecclesiastical authorities to be crucified; it had been their hope that this would be the redeemer of Israel; they had heard form the women that the tomb was empty, and that they, the women, had been told by angels that Jesus was alive, which report was confirmed by some who had gone to the tomb and found it empty.”

In these words we see their attitude, and in it a wonderful revelation of what the Cross had done for the disciples of Jesus. It had not destroyed their love for Him, nor their belief in Him, and His intention, but it had slain their hope. In the Cross, they saw failure. “we hoped,” is past tense! Yes, but they had not quite done; “And certain of them that were with us went to the tomb, and found it even as the women had said; but Him they saw not.”

That is where the whole Christian movement would have ended, had there been no resurrection. The final proof of the resurrection is in the Christian Church. Now Christ began to talk, and from now until the end of the walk, His emphasis is upon one theme,--that all that had taken place was according to the Scriptures in which these events had been predicted, by which, of course, He means the O.T. Scriptures. Notice Christ called these men “foolish and slow of heart to believe.”

3. PLEASE READ LUKE 24: 25-27.

I never read this without having the feeling that I would have given anything to travel that road, and hear what He had to say;. One could almost imaginatively follow some of the things as one thinks of the O.T. They listened to this Stranger as He took their own sacred writings and interpreted their deepest meaning. They listened to Him as He revealed to them the profoundest depths in the suggestive ritual of the Mosaic economy, as He breathed in their ears the secret of the love which lay at the heart of the ancient Law. They listened to Him as He traced the Messianic note in the music of all the prophets; showing that He was David’s King, “fairer than the children of men,” and in the days of Solomon’s well-doing, He was “the altogether lovely” One.

He was Isiah’s Child-King with a shoulder strong enough to bear the government; and the name Emanuel, gathering within itself all the excellencies. He was Jeremiah’s “Branch of

Righteousness, executing justice and righteousness in the land.” He was Ezekiel’s “Plant of renown,” giving shade and giving fragrance. He was Daniel’s stone cut without hands, smiting the image, becoming a mountain, and filling the whole earth. He was the ideal Israel of Hosea, “growing as the lily,” casting out His roots as Lebanon.”

To Joel, the Hope of the people, and the Strength of the children of Israel; and the Usher in of the vision of Amos, of the “Plowman overtaking the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; “ and of Obadiah the “Deliverance upon Mount Zion and holiness;” the Fulfillment of that of which Jonah was but’ a sign.

He as the “turning again” to God, of which Micah spoke. He was the One Nahum saw upon the mountains publishing peace. He was the Anointed of Whom Habakkuk sang as “going forth for salvation.” He was the One Who brought to the people the pure language of Zephaniah’s message, the true Zerubbabel of Haggai’s word, for ever rebuilding the house of God; Himself the dawn of the day when “Holiness—shall be upon the bells of the horses,” as Zechariah foretold; and He the “Refiner,” sitting over the fire, “the Sun of Righteousness” of Malachi’s dream. He explained in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

It is very evident that Christ desired to focus the thoughts of these two disciples with whom He was talking, not so much upon His risen person or body, as upon the Scriptures which spoke of Him; and no doubt there was a definite reason for this. If He had simply shown them His hands and feet, to prove to them that He was the Lord risen from the dead and then had vanished, they might have thought among themselves that they had seen only a vision. By showing them that all they had witnessed concerning His death was according to the prophecies of the Word of God, and that His resurrection was also clearly predicted in the O.T., He was placing at their disposal evidence which would continually confirm their faith in Him even after He had gone, and confirm the message which they would proclaim to others. In other words, it is far more expedient for us to preach Christ from the divine Scriptures, than from our own personal, individual, changing experiences.

Already the hearts of these two disciples are aflame with joy and wonder at what they had heard from the lips of the Lord. Little did they know what that afternoon would bring forth.

4. PLEASE READ LUKE 24: 28-36.

The phrase “He sat down with them to meat” applies to a common meal, and does not involve the idea of a holy supper. It is not only at the communion table we can be with Christ but at the dinner table too. He is not only the host in His church; He is the guest in every home. Acting as Head of the family, Jesus takes the bread and gives thanks. At the very moment that He distributes the bread to the two who were with Him, their eyes were opened and they knew Him. The moment He was recognized on this occasion, He disappeared. Contrast the phrase “were opened” with “were holden,” in Vs. 16. This implies a divine operation. No doubt the experience exercised upon their heart by the preceding conversation and by the thanksgiving of Jesus, as well as the manner in which He broke and distributed the bread, had prepared them for this awakening of the inner sense.

The Lord remained visible to the two disciples just long enough to remove the last doubt of His identity, and then, as the old familiar intercourse was about to be resumed, He withdrew Himself from their eyes, and they learnt the truth, not less needful for them to learn, that He belonged to a new order, and that the claims of the invisible world were upon Him, a world into which they could not follow Him as yet.

Many learned and eloquent men have expounded Moses and David, and Isaiah since the Emmaus afternoon; but human ears and human hearts have never heard such another exposition of Holy Scripture as Cleopas and his companion heard at this stranger’s lips. For this was an Interpreter, one among a thousand! When this Interpreter gave His first interpretation of Scripture in Nazareth three years before, there was delivered to Him the book of the prophet Isaiah. But they had no book to deliver to Him on the way to Emmaus. Nor did He need a book.

This stranger, whoever He was, seemed to Cleopas to have the whole book unrolled within Himself. He seemed to have Moses, and David, and Isaiah, and Jeremiah, absolutely by heart. And the way He spake to them, called to His two companions’ remembrance all that they had ever heard or read in Moses, and the Prophets, and the Psalms.

There is not in all the Scriptures amore wonderful testimony to the deep inner joy and spiritual fervor that results from an understanding of the Word of God as that found here. His companionship destroys the monotony of the most monotonous way, and the steepness of the most uphill way, and the peril of the most declivitous way. He causes a vulgar road to be crowded with the angels of God. But is His companionship the prerogative of every one? Not so. These men were disciples of Christ. Only such can say “He spake to us in the way.”

Their discipleship was at the lowest ebb. I should not wonder that they had left Jerusalem that morning all but determined to quit the disciple-band forever. Yet it is with such the Savior walks and talks! Divine fellowship does not depend upon the merit of the disciples, but upon the grace of the Master.

Too great attention cannot be called to our Savior’s holy enthusiasm for the Word of God. He lived and died devoted to it wish peerless devotion. I should have imagined that the Risen Lord wou9ld be independent of the Bible. But no! He cleaves to it with all the old affection. He came up from the grave and hastened to the Holy Book. He flooded it with the glory of His countenance, and the precious pages retain the luster.

Nothing reveals to me so clearly the indispensability of the Bible. This is of a truth the token of its authority…He loves to set hearts aflame. And none can come under His influence without realizing the secret mystery of the burning heart. The glow He leaves attests His supernal influence. He inflames the heart with Love to God and to Himself, and to all disciples, and to the Word of God, and to everything that is divine.

While these two disciples of the Emmaus road were not in the apostolic group of twelve, they must have been well-known, and close to the Twelve, for, the moment they came back to Jerusalem, they went straight to the upper room, where this group had assembled. The Christian message is never fully ours until we have shared it with someone else.

They had become evangelists of the resurrection, who could not rest until they had told the tidings to their mourning companions. It was a peculiar dispensation of providence which made them thus hasten by night as the first messengers of Christ from the heathen of the west (he calls these two Greeks) to Jerusalem to announce there the tidings of Christ’s resurrection.

Some of you may be old enough to remember an old, old hymn by Lyte titled “Abide With Me, Fast Falls The Eventide.” The whole idea of the hymn is this, “Come in, and take care of me, come in and look after me.” I won’t read all nine verses but I would like to share one verse which says:

So in the calm of that blest evening hour

Those two disciples learn the secret power

Of close communion with their unknown Lord,

Whom before had seen—but now adored.

I think Jesus still loves to hear us sing: “Oh, come to my heart Lord Jesus. There is room in my heart for Thee.”

This appearance of Jesus to Simon Peter, here spoken of, took place sometime Easter Sunday morning. Though this is the only reference to it in the Gospels, it must have been a well-known event, for Paul lists it in his catalog of these appearance In 1 Cor. 15:5. The last time Peter saw the Lord before the crucifixion was at the time of his three denials, when, weeping, he left the hall of Pontius Pilate in Luke 22:6l.

It is a lovely thing that Jesus should make one of His first appearances to the man who had denied Him. It is the glory of Jesus that He can give the penitent sinner back his self-respect. Peter, long after, writing of this experience said, ”He was born again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.”

Summary:

The two disciples on the Emmaus road were sad and discouraged because Jesus’ death had destroyed their hope that He was the Messiah. The risen Lord joined them, but they did not recognize Him. He rebuked them for their lack of understanding of the Scriptures, which predicted the Messiah’s death and glory. He opened the Scriptures to them, as He later did for the apostles. After they recognized Him, they recalled how their hearts burned within them when the Risen Lord spoke to them.

The O.T. Scriptures pointed ahead to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The N.T. contains the inspired testimony of the apostles to what Jesus said and did and what He taught believers to be and do. The Spirit of the Risen Lord is our Teacher as we open the Bible. People who either reject or ignore the Bible miss the life that is in Christ Jesus.

NEXT SUNDAY FROM JOHN 20 WE STUDY THE APPEARANCE OF CHRIST TO THE ASSEMBLED BELIEVERS ON EASTER NIGHT. YOU MAY WANT TO READ OF IT ALSO IN MATT. 28, MARK 16, AND LUKE 24. A.V. DAUGHERTY 7-22-01

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