On the Road to Emmaus

 

Someone once said the longest walk you’ll ever take is the walk away from the grave of someone you loved. For some it is the feeling that the world as they knew it has come to an end. They walk away and think about what used to be, and what might have been. This walk is a lonely walk that few can understand. Tears have been shed until there are no tears left, just the pain. Words like discouragement, disappointment, disillusionment and even depression come to mind. This is the longest walk.

            Two people were walking that walk out of Jerusalem. They were not alone in this walk but had each other. Passover was completed, Sabbath laws no longer binding, so they left the place of pain and loss. The travelers were not quiet but contemplative, talking about what had happened, asking questions but finding few answers.

            “What did Jesus do to deserve crucifixion? Why would God allow a good man like Jesus to suffer so horribly? We thought that Jesus was the One we were waiting for to bring great changes. What do we do now? What is there to hope in with Jesus gone? Life is not fair. Where is God in this grief we feel?” they may have said. They ask questions we would ask. Maybe you are asking those questions right now.

            These are the questions of a hope that has been dashed. In the darker moments of our lives, we may have a serious crisis of faith due to unrealized expectations. Many Christians today have difficulty making sense of life’s disappointments because they believe they should be immune to suffering. Where is God when life hurts?

            On our own road to Emmaus, however, we will find an unexpected companion. In this narrative from Luke 24:13-27 we will discover a living truth that speaks to us today. In this narrative we will discover not only that Jesus lives, but also how we can recognize him on our own lonely walks down the Emmaus Road.

The Journey Away from Jerusalem (13-16)

 

No one today knows where the village of Emmaus was situated. It has long disappeared from the face of the earth. We know that this is where the two disciples of Jesus were going, and it was only seven miles from Jerusalem. It was likely a casual walk since the conversation was the focus.

            Luke gives us two connections to the previous narrative. First, the narrative begins with, “That very day…” This is the same day that the women went early in the morning and found the tomb of Jesus empty. Verse 29 indicates that it was later in the day. 

            Second, Luke singles out “two of them,” from among the larger company of disciples. These are not the Twelve Apostles, but they were among those who didn’t believe the women’s testimony about Jesus rising (v. 9). We find out that one of the disciples is Cleopas and the other is unnamed. Eusebius, an ancient church historian, tells us that Cleopas was the brother of Joseph, Jesus’s stepfather. The other disciple may have been Cleopas’ wife, Mary, a witness of the crucifixion (John 19:25). Or it may have been Cleopas’ son, Simeon. 

            As far as the scriptures are concerned, they are relatively unknown to us as readers. I find it extremely touching that Jesus should bother to find these two disciples and make a special effort to encourage them. I think it is safe to say that Jesus is the kind of person who seeks out the so-called nobodies, the wallflowers, and engages them. 

            What is the significance of this journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus? The earlier journey with Jesus to Jerusalem was about Jesus’ mission and his revelation as the Davidic king. Now that Jesus has died, the journey away from Jerusalem signifies that the disciples are drifting away from the high hopes they had in Jesus and the community of discipleship. Emmaus represents, for them and for us on our journeys, spiritual drift from trusting God.

The Unexpected Companion (17-19a)

 

These two disciples are walking and talking, discussing the events of the last three days. They are especially bewildered by those women saying that Jesus had risen. 

            Jesus comes upon them, possibly from behind, and asks, “So what are you guys talking about?” It’s coy and kind of funny. Jesus asks nonchalant questions like some kind of foreigner or tourist who has just arrived. Note the emphatic way Luke introduces Jesus into the scene: “Jesus himself drew near…” The reader may have expectations that the two will recognize Jesus and embrace him. But those hopes are dashed quickly. Their failure to recognize Jesus resembles the ongoing inability of the Twelve to see Jesus as the Christ in the miracles and teachings (Mark 4:41; 6:51-52).

            How often doesn’t this happen to us? In the midst of our frustration, grief, or disappointment, we long for the comforting presence of Jesus, but instead we feel abandoned. We too have this inability to see Jesus in this midst of our pain. Where is Jesus when life hurts? Where is Jesus when we feel like our friends misunderstand us? Where is Jesus when the diagnosis doesn’t look good? Where is he?

            Jesus is the unexpected companion on your difficult journey. He’s right with you in the valley. He’s walking with you on the road to wherever, to your Emmaus. Grief has a way of blinding us to his presence. 

            Jesus asked the two travelers what they were talking about. Their response was to stop walking. “They stood still, looking sad,” Luke writes. “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” Don’t you love Jesus’ response? “What things?” 

            The irony is thick. They are astonished at this guy because he doesn’t know about the crucifixion and everything, yet Jesus is really the only one who gets it. But Jesus goads them; he wants them to spill, to share their hearts. 

The Substance of “These Things” (19b-24)

 

Three times the disciples referred to “these things.” Now with Jesus feigning ignorance, he compels Cleopas to explain what “these things” are exactly. 

            Let’s read verses 19-24. 

            As Cleopas gives his view of the events, he draws specific attention to the negatives. He points to what he finds most confounding, that Jesus was a prophet mighty in deed and word…but died at the hands of religious leaders…. we had hoped he was the one to redeem Israel (dashed expectations) ...women of our company…did not find his body… (disciples went to the tomb) but him they did not see.  This apparent oxymoron left all the disciples confused. And then throw the empty tomb rumors into the mix and they don’t know what to make of it. 

            If we look beyond the gloomy attitude of Cleopas, we will see something remarkable in his account of the weekend. First, he uses the expression “the third day” inadvertently recalling Jesus’ prophecies about his resurrection. In the OT, a prophet was confirmed to be genuine when his prophecies came to pass. When you consider all the elements of Cleopas’ account of the weekend, you have the gospel in a nutshell. 

            Second, they had the testimony of the women at the empty tomb. If, as they say, they were part of the group of disciples who had dismissed the women’s testimony (9-11), but now seem to be coming around to consider what the women saw.

            Third, whereas Luke only mentioned Peter going to the tomb to investigate, it now sounds as if more disciples had gone to the tomb to verify its vacancy. 

            Add it up: they were witnesses to the ministry and workings of Jesus and subsequent death, they had the witness of the women to Jesus’ resurrection, and they had the verification of his followers. They had all the raw information of the gospel truth but were unable to interpret it properly. 

            You know the expression “seeing is believing”? They could not see what was in front of them. Cleopas and friend were blind to the presence of the risen Jesus walking with them in their sad state. That’s how it is with us; when we are hurting and disillusioned, we cannot see that Jesus is with us. All the gospel truths we have learned in our lives are elusive wisps of smoke when we crash emotionally. We can’t see him through our tears, but Jesus is with us as we walk to Emmaus.

 

The Place of Suffering in Christ’s Life (25-27)

 

One vital piece was missing from Cleopas’ understanding of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus now tells him what that missing piece happened to be: “Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (26). The suffering of Jesus was not a detour, a failure, or accidental, or even incidental. Jesus’ suffering was necessary.

            Wouldn’t you want to be there when Jesus goes through the whole OT (Moses and the Prophets) and shows them all the references to Christ? That would be the best class ever. As they are walking, Jesus does exactly that: he shows them himself in the OT. 

            Was it necessary? From the disciples’ perspective, NO! From the perspective of Scripture, YES! Jesus repeatedly told his disciples “The Son of Man must suffer.” He didn’t make that up; it was prophesied. We don’t know what passages Jesus referred to, so we can only guess. 

            In Deuteronomy 18:18 Moses tells Israel that God will raise up a prophet like himself and they should listen to him. Luke makes several allusions to Jesus fitting that model in his gospel account. Perhaps Jesus referred to Isaiah 53 and the Suffering Servant motif of that chapter. Then there are the words of Jesus himself when he said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!” (13:34). 

            Jesus’ suffering was inevitable, and it was necessary. As the writer of Hebrews wrote, “…it was fitting that he, for whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering,” (2:10). In other words, it was through suffering that Jesus demonstrated his obedience, and through his perfect obedience he was qualified to die for us. 

            Now if you are a follower of Christ, you know that because Christ suffered, you don’t have to suffer, right? Well, no, not right. As a follower of Christ, we have the privilege of sharing in his sufferings so that through suffering we might be refined, made holy, through those trials. See what Paul says in 2 Cor. 1:5-7 (read). Does this just refer to “spiritual” sufferings? Paul’s tone actually implies “all” sufferings. 

            The suffering of Christ was the plan from the beginning. The Father and the Son knew that we could only be saved through suffering. 

 

There are four lessons we can learn from the Emmaus Road experience.

            First, recognize that when your hopes are crushed, hope will reappear in ways you did not expect. None of the disciples were expecting hope to come from death, certainly not the death of their Lord. Hope may surprise you. Jesus may present himself to you in the least likely places and people. 

            Second, be prepared to have your expectations reconfigured. We tend to make Jesus into an image that we find acceptable, that we can control. We then expect Jesus to fit that mold. Cleopas was shocked at Jesus’ death because, as he said, “we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.” Jesus was the One, but the method surprised Cleopas. It may be that your plans must die so that God can give you a better plan. If Jesus disappoints you by not coming through for you, it’s time to assess your understanding of Jesus.

            Third, do the homework. Jesus tells Cleopas how mistaken he is about the Christ. Do you know Jesus? Do you grasp what he came to do for us? Jesus had to take Cleopas and friend through the Scriptures he thought he knew and show him again what it said. I have found that texts of Scripture I thought I knew, passages that are familiar to all of us, have meant something different that we assume. Not that the meaning has changed, but the meaning is deeper than I thought. Please do not assume that if you have read the Bible through ten times that you have got it down pat. You don’t. There is more to understanding Jesus than reading through the Bible. 

            Finally, learn to listen to the Spirit. Is he speaking to you in times of suffering? Yes. What is he saying? That’s where we go back to lesson 3, reading the Word. The Spirit speaks through our trials, but we must interpret those messages through the Word of God. We need to be a people that pay attention to the impulses of the Spirit. Jesus has given us his Spirit for times like this.

            And take hope. Paul said…    

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18)

 

 

                                                            AMEN

 

 

            

 

                        

 

Pentecost: "What Does This Mean?"

 

Last week we referred to the final words of Jesus to his disciples in Luke’s gospel account. The last thing Jesus said to them was, “…stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high,” (Luke 24:49). They waited. Then, on a certain day, God fulfilled his promise, and the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and some strange things happened. And just as Jesus had said, the disciples were empowered to be witnesses of the risen Christ. 

            We call this day the Day of Pentecost. Some would say this is the day the church was born – I don’t think that is accurate. Others would say that this was when the Holy Spirit came, as if he was nonexistent before this day – that’s not right either. God is eternally Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – he has always been three persons, one God. Pentecost marks the day when God poured out his Spirit on all who called his Son, Jesus, Lord. 

            Luke, the author of Acts, makes a lot of assumptions in his brief account of this Pentecostal event. He assumes that the reader knows what Pentecost means. He assumes that we know about Jewish feasts and their purposes. He assumes that we caught the significance of wind, fire, and speaking foreign languages. In his assumptions, Luke leaves us scratching our heads like the watching crowds in Jerusalem that day who asked, “What does this mean?” 

            What we do know is that without the Holy Spirit, following Jesus would be impossible. Without the Holy Spirit there would be no life in the church since he is the life giver. There would be no truth, no fellowship, no unity, no Christlikeness, no fruit, and thus no witness without the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Church without the Spirit is dead. 

            Would you not agree then that focusing on the Holy Spirit is worthy of our attention this morning? If he is so central to the life of God’s people, asking “What does this mean?” is an unavoidable question for you and me. 

What does the term “Pentecost” mean? (2:1)

 

To answer that question, we need to look at the Lord’s instructions to Israel in Leviticus 23. There we read that there were three great Jewish festivals to which every Jew was bound by the law to celebrate – the Passover and the feast of first-fruits, Pentecost (Feast of Weeks), and the Feast of Trumpets (Tabernacles). You may be thinking: “This Jewish ritual stuff is confusing, and it is beyond me.” But I want to give you a brief glimpse into why it matters.

            You will remember that Passover is a commemoration of when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt and the angel of death came to kill the firstborn male of every family. Unless they sacrificed a lamb and smeared the blood on the doorposts of their homes, someone was going to die. For centuries after this event, the Jews observed Passover in their homes. The next day they celebrated the Feast of Firstfruits, a celebration of the grain offering. 

            When Jesus was hanging on the cross, it is said that the lambs were being slaughtered for the observance of Passover the next day. Jesus, the Lamb of God, died, and his blood covers those who believe in him. Then, the day after Passover, the firstfruits of the harvest were presented to the Lord. That’s the same day that Jesus rose from the grave, the firstfruits of those who would be resurrected on the day of the Lord (1 Cor. 15:20). 

            Fifty days later, another grain harvest was celebrated. “Pentecost” means “fifty.” The feast had a historical significance in that it commemorated the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai. It was also a Jewish day of Thanksgiving for the grain harvest. No work was to be done on that day. It is no wonder that the streets of Jerusalem were crowded on the Day of Pentecost. 

            A possible parallel could be made: Just as Moses went up to receive the law and then brought it down to the people, so also Jesus ascended to the Father from whom he received the Spirit, which he in turn gave to the people. Instead of a law written on tablets of clay, the gift of the Spirit is given to write the law on the hearts of believers.  

            So, we read, “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place,” (1). 

 

Signs that Introduce Something New (2-4)

 

Then in verse 2 we read, “And suddenly…” I want to emphasize that the Holy Spirit is free and sovereign. “Suddenly” means that the disciples were not expecting what would happen next. And the Holy Spirit is not subject to our timing or activities that he should come running when we call. We cannot make him come. When he comes, he comes of his own choosing and blesses us as he decides. 

            It is also important that we acknowledge that the signs we will talk about are not the Holy Spirit, they are signs announcing his coming. Just as the sign “Welcome to Winnipeg,” is not Winnipeg itself, the signs are not the Spirit. At the same time, the signs are not random but carry a weight of meaning. 

1) Why the sound of rushing wind? “And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting,” (2).

            The biblical words for “spirit” (Hebrew ruach; Greek pneuma) are onomatopoeic terms. That means that the words imitate the sound associated with the objects they refer to, like “crack” or “whiz.” Ruach and pneuma sound like rushing wind when you say them. 

            In both the OT and NT, the word for “spirit” is also the word for “wind.” Consider Genesis 1:2 where the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. That was the ruach elohim, the Spirit or wind of God, the creative agent at work in Earth’s first day. Throughout the Bible, wind is associated with God’s Spirit. When Jesus explained what it meant to be born of the Spirit to Nicodemus, he compared the Holy Spirit with wind saying, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So, it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit,” (John 3:8). 

            The “sound like a mighty rushing wind” echoes the imagery of God’s creation power in Genesis suggesting that the Pentecost event was the beginning of the New Creation.

2)Why the tongues of fire? “And divided tongues of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them,” (3). 

            Fire symbolizes God’s holy presence, so it makes sense that tongues of fire would be included in this scene. Moses encountered the burning bush that was not consumed; Israel was led through the wilderness by a pillar of fire. John the Baptist said that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. And Jesus even said, “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled,” (Luke 12:49). I believe he was hinting at the Pentecost event. 

            At times the Holy Spirit makes himself known with visible, audible, and significant manifestations. Sometimes the building shakes (Acts 4); Stephen’s face shone like an angel’s (Acts 7). Why he does this at certain times and other times not is part of his sovereign wisdom. He is not fire, however, nor is he wind or a dove. He is not a warm glow. And we cannot nail him down and say “this is the experience of the Holy Spirit. Why don’t you have it?” The Spirit freely chooses to reveal himself how and when it suits his purposes.

3) Why the speaking in foreign tongues? “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance,” (4). 

            The third sign of speaking languages that the disciples had never learned was as perplexing to the hearers as the other two signs. On the morning of Pentecost, the disciples spoke in various languages so that the visitors to Jerusalem heard the gospel in their own language. Jerusalem was a city of about 30 thousand people on an ordinary day. During these festivals, the population of Jerusalem swelled to two or three hundred thousand. Some scholars even say a million people were present. According to Luke, there were devout men from every nation under heaven (5). They were there for the feasts, but there was also a messianic expectation in the air. If you scan verses 5-10 you will see these nations listed. Look familiar? It is the Table of Nations from Genesis 10:1-32. 

            What happens following Genesis 10? The descendants of Noah decide to build a tower to give themselves a name, to become great. God sees this and knows that this will be trouble. So, he confuses their language, the result being disunity and failure to understand each other. This tower becomes known as Babel, a play on babbling lips. 

            At Pentecost, the curse is reversed. The Pentecost event became the staging ground for the arrest of Babel’s confusion. The message of the gospel of the risen Lord would now be proclaimed in all languages so that both Jew and Gentile would be reconciled into one people of God. 

When the disciples came boiling out of the house they were in, the crowds in Jerusalem heard something new. Luke tells us what the crowd heard, “we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God,” (11). You could say that the disciples were overflowing with worship and praise. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit. And being filled with the Spirit is another way of saying they were overwhelmed with the greatness of God. That’s what it means to be full of the Spirit – when we are filled with the Spirit, we are experiencing what the Spirit knows to be true about the Father. 

Before Pentecost, this experience was limited to a few people like David or the Psalmists. Since Pentecost, this new thing is available to everyone.

 

What Pentecost means for us (11-13)

 

The math of Pentecost is a little disconcerting. If we take the lower number regarding the population of Jerusalem that day, there were near two hundred thousand people present. Of that number, only three thousand were added to the number of believers to form the new church. There is a reason for this and a caution.

            We read of two reactions to the Pentecost event in verses 12-13: “And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others mocking said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’”

            The reason for the lower number given the audience is that whenever the Holy Spirit is poured out in extraordinary power, there is division, even among Christians. There will be those who welcome the Holy Spirit, even with his strange manifestations, and will investigate this experience with eagerness and biblical inquiry. Others will stand apart from the experience with cynicism and skepticism and write off the enthusiasm as hype or emotionalism. Just like the mockers, they will say, “They are filled with new wine.” 

            Mennonites tend to be wary of charismatic experiences, and with good reason. Our own conference has known division and other negative results over the last 200 years. Consequently, we are hesitant to open ourselves up to Holy Spirit movements. 

            I remember a Pentecostal pastor in Winnipeg saying that he admired Mennonites for their knowledge of the Bible. It was a quality missing in his own congregants. But what his congregation possessed was enthusiasm for the Spirit and because of the Spirit. What if we had both? What if we allowed the Spirit to activate our knowledge of the Bible to do greater things for God? 

            In Ephesians we are told to “be filled with the Spirit,” (5:18). Colossians is a near carbon copy of Ephesians in many ways. An almost identical command is given to the Colossians when Paul said, “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly…” (Col 3:16). To let the Word of Christ dwell in you is intimately related to being filled with the Spirit. The Word and the Spirit work together in the believer. Then the Holy Spirit reshapes you to become like Christ. This is what Pentecost means for us; this is what the Holy Spirit does in your life and mine.

        As you are filled with the Word, you are filled with the Spirit – and as you are filled with the Spirit, the Word begins to make sense. The Holy Spirit illuminates the scriptures planted in our hearts. 

  

Dwight Moody was an American evangelist and pastor in the nineteenth century. That’s so long ago it almost seems like another world to us, but I want to share his story because it resonates with our attitude to the Spirit. 

            In the summer of 1871, two women in Moody’s congregation were led to pray for their pastor. They specifically prayed that he would be filled with the Holy Spirit and the fire of his person. Moody would see them praying and was irritated by their efforts. Perhaps there was a resistance to the Spirit, or maybe he felt that they were presumptuous about his needs. But he soon gave in and began to pray with them since he felt like this ministry had gone flat. 

            On November 24, 1871, Moody’s church building was destroyed in the great Chicago fire. He went to New York to see if he could find financial help to rebuild. As he walked the streets seeking help and simultaneously desperate for a touch of God’s power in his life, he suddenly experienced the touch of God.

            He wrote, “One day, in the city of New York – oh, what a day! – I cannot describe it, I seldom refer to it; it is almost too sacred an experience to name…I can only say that God revealed himself to me, and I had such an experience of his love that I had to ask him to stay his hand. I went to preaching again. The sermons were not different…yet hundreds were converted.” (W. R. Moody, The Life of D. L. Moody, New York: 1900, p. 149).

            Can you imagine having to ask God to STOP pouring out his love? I can’t handle it, Lord, not so much. What an experience that would be. That must have been what the 120 disciples felt on Pentecost – overwhelming worship and praise that spills out into the community.    

            I pray that we would know the overflowing power of the Spirit’s presence.                        AMEN

You Are Witnesses

 

One of the most difficult assignments I faced in my first year of Bible College involved witnessing. As part of an introduction to evangelism course, students were asked to go out and witness to three different people and write about the encounters.

            With very little experience in sharing my faith in Jesus, I wondered where to start. A friend suggested that we go to the hospital and share the gospel with the patients. Our motivation for choosing the hospital was our assumption that the patients were a captive audience and couldn’t walk away. Even so, as my friend and I split up and went different directions, I found myself wandering endlessly around the hallways. I couldn’t find the courage to walk into a room and just start talking. I had never done anything like this before. Finally, I chose a room and was determined to go in and do this thing. But just as I was entering the room, I saw a sign on the curtain that said “quarantined.” I had inadvertently chosen the most restricted room to enter. 

            The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association conducted a survey for their trainees. One question asked, “What is your greatest hindrance to witnessing?” Nine percent said they were too busy; 28% felt they lacked the information to share; 12% said that their lives were not consistent enough; but 51% said the biggest problem was fear. Most of us are afraid of how the person we want to witness to will react. Will they reject us? Mock us? Belittle what we have to say? 

            As Luke concludes his gospel account in 24:44-49, he records Jesus’ final instructions to his disciples and says, “You are witnesses of these things.” With these words, Jesus gives the responsibility to his followers to share the gospel. 

            The questions emerging from this text are critical to our sharing of the gospel. What are we supposed to say? What does it mean to be a witness? And where do we find the courage to speak up for Jesus?

The Source of Our Witness (44-46)

 

Jesus had appeared to the disciples in the room where they were discussing his resurrection. He reveals himself, shows his hands and feet, and even eats a piece of fish to show them that he is truly raised from the dead, not a ghost. This is the physical evidence.

            However, Jesus then goes on to teach them what the scriptures had to say about himself. Jesus didn’t try to cover everything he had taught his disciples in the three-year journey they had together. Instead, he zeroed in on one point: how the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms explained God’s plan to save people from their sins through his death and resurrection. Jesus summed this up saying, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead…” (46). 

            This is the source of our witness, the scriptures. When you consider the qualifications of being a witness, it involves seeing, touching, hearing, and experiencing. In the most literal sense, we are disqualified in three out of four categories. That is, unless you consider that we are recipients of the witnesses in scripture. We see through Isaiah’s eyes or Luke’s eyes the prophecy and the fulfilment. Through the testimony of the biblical writers, we are witnesses of the resurrection.

            That seems a little shaky, doesn’t it? We are third party witnesses in a sense. All we have are some ancient documents and a wild story. As Paul reflected on the reactions of both the Jews and the Greeks to the crucifixion, he said the Jews saw the cross of Christ as weakness, and the Greeks saw it as foolishness. Those perceptions continue to cloud peoples’ minds today. They are blinded to what the Bible says unless someone opens their minds to the truth. (1 Cor. 1:22-25)

            Jesus does that. A beautiful little sentence is given to us in this text: “Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures” (45). A few years ago, Sharon and I had the opportunity to see the Grand Canyon. Taking a tour, we were brought to the first lookout point. But the tower and lip of the canyon were covered in a dense cloud. I was very disappointed and thought that our day would be ruined by bad weather. As we were standing at the canyon edge looking into the white denseness, a wind came up. And like the raising of the curtain to reveal the stage, slowly the cloud lifted to reveal the hand of the Artist. It…was…awesome. 

            When we share the prophecies and witness of the biblical writers with people, our task is to take them to the appropriate place and let Jesus open their minds. That’s his task.

 

The Message of Our Witness (47)

 

What are we supposed to tell people? Jesus made it pretty clear, he said, “…the Christ will suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” In these words, Jesus spoke of four things:

            The first was repentance. In Greek thinking repentance meant a change of thinking, while in Hebrew thought it meant a change of action. True repentance involves both. Charles Spurgeon preached a sermon titled, “Christ’s First and Last Subject,” in which he points out that Jesus began his ministry saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near,” and ends it by telling his disciples to proclaim repentance. 

            In the sermon itself, Spurgeon drew out four aspects of true repentance: illumination, where God opens our eyes to the horror of sin; humiliation, where we lay aside our pride and plead with God for mercy; detestation, where we hate our sin; and transformation, where we leave the sin, we formerly loved, outwardly and inwardly. Repentance is a lifelong process. 

            The second thing Jesus spoke of is forgiveness. Jesus was not trying to be heroic or defiant as he hung upon the cross. His purpose was to bear the sins of a disobedient and wrongful humanity in his own body (see Is. 53:4-6). Forgiveness is what we long for. Deep down, every person wants to be freed from guilt and anxiety and the consequences of sin. We want healthy marriages. We want to succeed in life. We want to improve ourselves. But truly, the greatest need humanity has is to figure out how to get right with God. And God responds, you will find forgiveness when you repent – turn away from that which harms your body and spirit – and trust in the power of Christ’s shed blood to wipe your sin away.

            Third, this truth will be proclaimed in his name. People will not find what they are looking for by trying harder, or even praying more or reading the Bible more, or attending every church service. Peter told the religious leaders of his day, those who tried to be better by doing all these things, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name given to mankind by which we must be saved,” (Acts. 4:12). There is only one name that saves you. That’s the name we proclaim.

            Fourth, Jesus said that forgiveness would be preached in his name to all nations. For centuries, the Jews thought that being the “chosen people” meant that they would be saved and the rest of the world would go to hell. Yet the OT prophecies continually speak of the nations coming to God in faith (Is. 49:6). And Jesus’ final words were “go and make disciples of all nations.” In essence, who is the gospel for? It is for everyone.

            Jesus makes it very clear what we are supposed to say.

 

The Medium of Our Witness (48)

 

But what does it mean to be a witness? We spoke of seeing, hearing, touching, and experiencing something and giving an account of it. The question we ask ourselves is unnerving: Have I experienced Christ in my life? Is my faith in him merely rational, or is there a personal piece to it? 

            To illustrate, consider how you might respond to two different messages. If someone said to you, “A new band is coming to Winnipeg. They are probably worth hearing. I have read reviews and they got 4 out of 5 stars,” you might be interested. Maybe not. Or what if they said to you, “You have to hear this new band. I was at their concert and their songs rocked the arena. Their songs were life-changing”? The second person was transformed and promises that you would be too if you go and listen to this performance. 

            You are the medium that Jesus has chosen to share his message of forgiveness. Jesus was not looking for a skilled sales team. And you don’t have to have a dramatic rescue story from drinking and drugs. He wants people whose lives have been changed by his life to tell others how their lives can be changed by Jesus too. “You are witnesses of these things”

            Our witness of Christ is wholistic. In other words, going to the mall and approaching strangers, while effective in its own way, is not the only way to witness for Christ. If you look at 1 Peter 2:9-12, you will see that “witness” is multifaceted (read). 

            There are four aspects of Christian witness in this text. First, there is simply “being” – we are a people belonging to God. In the KJV, it says we are a “peculiar people.” Second, there is “worship” as witness – the mere fact that we are here Sunday morning worshiping God is a witness to the watching world that we are doing something unusual. Third, “purity of life” speaks to our society that we choose not to engage the passions of the flesh out of reverence for God. Fourth, “good deeds” are a powerful defense against the accusations of those who think Christians are a waste of space and out of touch with life. 

            Witness is wholistic in this sense; it involves all that we do as believers. Words are necessary, though, as Peter goes on to say, “…always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you…” (3:15). We share both in word and deed in response to all that God has done for us. It is out of who we are in Christ and whose we are as children of God that we go on to share and act in a way that is pleasing to God.

 

The Power of Our Witness (49)

 

Jesus said that his disciples would be witnesses to the world. But not just yet. They were to wait until the Holy Spirit came upon them. “…stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high,” (49).

            We do not witness on our own strength. Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit to empower and embolden us when we share Christ with others. 

            Think back again to Acts 4 where Peter and John were arrested for speaking about Jesus in the Temple. They were brought before the high priest and his council and interrogated. They said to them, “By what power or by what name do you do this?” Look at what Luke wrote in 4:8, “Then Peter filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them…” and he goes on to explain how it is in the name of Jesus that they spoke and acted. What is astonishing comes next in v. 13 where the council “perceived that that they were uneducated, common men…and they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”

            To be filled with the Holy Spirit sounds amazing and something beyond our understanding. But Peter simply told those who questioned him what he knew. He bore witness to the power of the name of Jesus. That’s what the Spirit empowered.

            Each of us who believes in Jesus has the Holy Spirit living in us. When we are faced with telling what we know about Jesus, he will empower us and give more meaning to our testimony than we will perceive. 

 

If standing on the street corners of Winnipeg and preaching repentance to strangers scares you, you are not alone. That’s not everyone’s calling. And it is something out of the ordinary for people who have life and jobs here in Rosenort; you have to go out of your way to engage that kind of ministry.

            Yet God brings people into our path every day that we can speak to about Jesus. Here are three things to consider as you enter into the week:

1) Do you know the gospel? Can you explain what you believe if you are asked? I am not asking if you know theology or can argue the finer points of the incarnation. The man who was born blind in John 9 but was healed by Jesus confessed that he did not know that much about Jesus. He did say, “One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” That’s a great testimony. It’s personal, experiential, and real.

2) Pray for opportunities to share Jesus with someone. One thing a prayer like this does is it prepares you to go into the day with your eyes open. It also says to God that you are open to sharing Jesus. You may even pray for a specific person you work with or are neighbors with. Even if you don’t have the opportunity to speak Jesus to them, your prayers will be effective.

3) Be a witness. You don’t need to debate, confront, persuade, or convict. You don’t need to argue philosophy or apologetics. Conviction is the work of the Holy Spirit; it’s not your job to convict. Our job is to share what we know. I once was blind, but now I see. 

            Jesus still opens minds to understand the truth about him, and then opens hearts to respond to his love for each of us. You are witnesses of the transforming power of Christ to change a life. Let’s not be afraid to tell others about Jesus. 

 

                                                            AMEN

 

 

Why Can't We See Jesus?

WHY CAN’T WE SEE JESUS?

 

Have you ever had a desire to see Jesus? A vision or a dream of Jesus speaking to you or walking with you would be a very encouraging phenomenon. But the average follower of Christ does not typically receive such a vision. One fellow I read recently shared how he envied those who had seen such a vision of Jesus and wished he could. 

            In the book Heaven is for Real, Todd Burpo writes about the experiences of his young son who, while on the operating table, visited heaven and saw Jesus. Colton, the young boy, described in vivid details what he saw to his parents. Colton attempted to recount the character and features of Jesus. His father showed him artist renderings of Jesus, but none matched what Colton had seen. Then, a young woman who had also had a vision of Jesus, shared a painting she done of Jesus, and Colton cried, “That’s him.” 

            The scriptures tell us that women and men will dream dreams and have visions, so I will not deny that they have them. It is strangely curious to me that the gospel writers NEVER describe Jesus’ physical features. I find it even more telling that Paul, who saw Jesus on the Road to Damascus and was taken up to the third heaven, dares not tell us what he saw. Paul even speaks of himself in the third person as if to distance himself from this vision. It strikes me most profoundly that Paul could have told us what Jesus looks like and refuses to do so, while a little boy’s vision tops the book sales charts. I wonder if any artist rendering of Jesus borders on idolatry. 

            Why can’t we see Jesus? 

As we continue the narrative of the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus, we will come to understand why we don’t see Jesus. At the same time, we will learn how to see and recognize Jesus today. 

Let’s continue the journey in Luke 24:28-35 and see where it takes us.

 

Inviting Jesus to Stay (28-30)

 

In these verses, the two disciples come to a crossroads. They have heard this stranger on the Road to Emmaus explain how the Christ had to suffer using the OT as proof. Now comes the test for their hunger and response to the Lord and his teaching. 

            Then we read, “He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.’ So, he went in to stay with them,” (28b-29). If the disciples want to continue to pursue relationship with this man, they must invite him to stay. Jesus is Lord, but he does not force himself upon them. 

            Jesus would have moved on if they had not invited him to stay. If they had not invited him, they would have remained unchanged by the words they heard. It is not enough to simply hear the Words of Jesus; one must pursue intimacy with Jesus himself. 

             Jesus wants to stay with them. He will not force himself upon them. In John’s vision in Revelation, he portrays Jesus as standing at the door and knocking, and if anyone hears his voice and opens the door, Jesus will come in and eat with him (Rev. 3:20). 

These disciples chose intimacy. They “urged” him to stay. The word “urged” means “to use force to accomplish something” or “to prevail upon.” They were insistent that this stranger stay with them and share a meal. To engage in table fellowship implies hospitality, but also intimate trust. It is an act pregnant with possibilities too in that Luke portrays meals in his gospel account as the site of some sort of revelation of the kingdom of God. 

Then a curious thing happens. The guest becomes the host. “When he was at table with them he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them,” (30). A seemingly simple act becomes the stage for revelation. Did they see his nail-scarred hands as he broke the bread? Or was it the way he acted: Took – Blessed – Broke – Gave. Think of the feeding of the 5000 in Luke 9:16 (read), or the Last Supper (read 22:19). Same actions as he now performed. Was it the simple Hebrew blessing he prayed?  Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, shehecheyanu v-ki'y'manu v-higianu la-z'man ha-zeh. Blessed are you, Our God, Ruler of the Universe, for giving us life, for sustaining us, and for enabling us to reach this season. Or was it the total package? 

I believe it was, in part, the way he broke the bread and gave it to them. He did it in keeping with who he is, the host and not the guest. You see, the Lord Jesus is not just the unseen guest in our homes. He is much more. He comes as the unseen host, to take charge, and to lead in our fellowship to minister, lead, feed, and sustain us. When we invite him into our lives, he blesses us with his leading presence. 

 

Having Our Eyes Opened (31-32)

 

An Italian Baroque painter named Caravaggio produced a painting called “Supper at Emmaus.” Jesus is seen blessing the food, but the two disciples are in a state of surprise. One has his arms outstretched in wonder, while the other looks like he will jump out of his chair. The waiter, meanwhile, has a “duh” moment. This is the moment of revelation. Their eyes are opened. They see Jesus!

            There are two questions we need to ask in response to this scene. The first is this: Why couldn’t they recognize Jesus all this time?

            If we go back in the narrative to 24:16, we read that “their eyes were kept from recognizing him.” A literal translation is “their eyes were overpowered.” Then in verse 31 “And their eyes were opened.” Both actions are passive with respect to the subjects. That means something was done to them that they had no control over. For the purposes of revealing himself, Jesus kept them from recognizing him. 

            We sometimes talk about the lenses we use to see and interpret events. We can take them on and off at will. But here the choice is Christ’s – it is a Christ-centered moment orchestrated for his purposes. He reveals himself to the disciples when the time is right. The human trigger in this revelation, I believe, was in the disciples’ invitation for Jesus to stay, or literally – abide – with them. 

            The apostle Paul explains that the person who is not seeking Christ will not see him because there is a veil over their eyes. “But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed,” (2 Cor. 3:16). They will not understand scripture; sermons will seem pointless; church has no meaning…until the person turns to Jesus. Until then they are blinded by the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:3-4).      

The second question is this: Why did Jesus disappear after they recognized him? 

The consensus among scholars drives home an important truth. Just as Jesus told Mary Magdalene not to hold on to him (John 20:17), Jesus did not want these two disciples to cling to his physical person. From now on there will be another way to see Jesus that are hinted at in this text.

There are two visible signs of the church in which we recognize the person of Jesus: Preaching the Word and Communion. We see this reflected in the Emmaus event when Jesus explained the suffering Messiah to the disciples through the OT, and then as he broke the bread before them. And what was the essence of the new church following Pentecost? In Acts 2:42 we read, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” This is how the community of faith practices the presence of Jesus: teaching the Word and breaking bread.

Why did Jesus disappear after they recognized him? Because he gave them these two signs to remind them of the resurrected Christ. Jesus would soon ascend to the right hand of God to begin to rule over his kingdom. In his absence he left them with these simple but profound reminders.

Not only did the believers share the communion table, but they also broke bread in their homes (Acts 2:46). Every meal is sacred when Christians gather to share it. When we share the Lord’s Supper, we recognize the presence of the Lord with us. But even the meals in our homes are sacred times of table fellowship and a reminder of Jesus’ presence. When we eat together, let us consciously recognize the Lord’s presence. 

 

Going Back to Jerusalem (33-35)

 

Having experienced the risen Christ, the two disciples left the table, gave no care to the clock, and headed back to Jerusalem. This is a great reversal;          a 180 degree turn. If the journey of the two disciples to Emmaus symbolized a journey to despair, the return to Jerusalem symbolized a return to hope. 

            Here is a third critical question: Why did the two disciples go back to Jerusalem?

            With the journey to Emmaus, the community of disciples was breaking apart. To return to Jerusalem, they were willing to re-enter the fellowship of like-minded believers who shared the testimony of the resurrection of Jesus. Remember, NT Wright said that Christianity is a resurrection movement. A movement like this was meant to be shared.

            Note the subtleties of these verses in relation to the church. “And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed,” (33-34a). They arose – they were spiritually restored to a condition of faith; they found the eleven – they went searching for the very people who would be excited about their experience with Jesus; then they told what happened – they explained how Jesus taught them on the road and then revealed himself with the breaking of the bread. These believers were able to encourage one another because they had seen the risen Christ. 

            Do you see it? This…is…the church! We are celebrating the risen Christ every Sunday. We are practicing his presence at the table of fellowship, when we eat our meals. We gather together to share in the faith we have in Jesus Christ. 

            It is often said by various individuals that they prefer to worship God in his natural temple. They mean, of course, being in nature, by a lake or on a mountain, in a forest or by a river. I have no problem with that conviction regarding worship. You can worship God alone. But what you cannot do alone is be the church. Church by its very definition is an assembly of people called out to be God’s people. 

            In the church, we practice the presence of Christ so that we may be the presence of Christ in the world. And as the world observes the church, they are supposed to see that we belong to Christ as we love one another. 

            Covid has really done a number on that ideal. We have been divided in our families and in our church. We have been divided over the vaccines. We have been divided on lockdowns and masks. We have been divided over convoys and health restrictions. These divisions have nearly broken us as the people of God. What we have forgotten is Jesus Christ, risen from the dead. His resurrection binds individual believers together into his body. His body ought not to be fractured and it is our task together with the Holy Spirit to be brought back under the Lordship of Jesus into one new person. So let us forgive one another and let us love one another. Let us go back to being a people of hope for a despairing world. 

 

Why can’t we see Jesus?

            Visions and dreams are ecstatic experiences that give incredible comfort and strength to people who have them. Why don’t all Christians have them? 

            I believe that Jesus meant for us to see himself in each other. We don’t all have visions and dreams of Jesus because God wants us to see Jesus in the ordinary parts of our day, in the encounters we have with each other, and when we share our tables. 

            Remember Jesus’ parable of the final judgment? He said when the Son of Man comes in his glory, he will gather all the nations, and like a shepherd he will separate the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on the right and the goats on the left. 

            “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me,” (Matthew 25:34-36). 

            And the righteous will answer him, “When did we do that?” 

            The King will answer, “Whatever you did to the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did to me.” 

            That’s you and me. Where do we see Jesus? When we do good to each other, when we show grace and mercy to each other, and when we love each other warts and all. 

            The presence of Christ is here. Christ is among us. 

            If we can’t see Jesus, pray the Spirit opens our eyes.

 

 

                                                            AMEN