Luke 24:13-35.                   Jesus revealed?                                                30/4/17

{13)  Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. {15} As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; {16} but they were kept from recognizing him. {17} He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. {18} One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?” {19} “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. {20} The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; {21} but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. {22} In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning {23} but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. {24} Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” {25} He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! {26} Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” {27} And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. {28} As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. {29} But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. {30} When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. {31} Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. {32} They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” {33} They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together {34} and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” {35} Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

Here today we have a strange story of two of Jesus’ disciples, who after his resurrection, when they met him, failed to recognise him. The death and resurrection did not change Jesus’ physical appearance, except for the wounds in his hands and side, yet they did not recognise the resurrected Jesus. Their minds were too fixed on what they and the society around them thought and expected that they just did not comprehend that Jesus could have risen from the dead and been present with them. It is just not humanly possible, so it can’t be.

Now is this not also the case for many people today; even for many who claim to be Jesus’ followers?  Dare I say it? Jesus Christ and his Word does not fit with what is reasonable and so we just will not accept it. They, like those disciples, speak of the things that Jesus had said and done, and of his death and resurrection, but still fail to comprehend that Jesus was and is present with us, and the importance of why the Christ had to suffer these things.

The same lack of seeing and understanding of Jesus and the importance of his death and resurrection and his presence with us, seems to be there again and again across the church scene. The focus has shifted from Christ and what he has said and done, to us and what we say, do and think. We fail to see Jesus glorified presence with us assuring us of the full forgiveness of sins and of the certainty of salvation and eternal life. Jesus Christ is not the Almighty God who is all important for our lives, but more so an example for us to follow.

Even in our own church the same danger and concern is there. Here then each of us also need to look carefully into our own lives as well. We need to look and learn from this text that we have before us. There were two things here which enabled those two disciples to see and comprehend Jesus and the importance of his death and resurrection. It was in the Scriptures and in the breaking of the bread that Jesus was revealed to them, as they needed.

Here it is interesting to note, that even the resurrection and the women’s news of it, was not enough for the disciples to understand. It was only after Jesus said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!  Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. Only then did their hearts burn within them. It was when he broke bread with them that their eyes where opened and they finally recognised him.

So also for us today, it is the Word and the Sacraments which will truly reveal Jesus in all of his fullness to us. Yet it would seem that we want to look everywhere else for our answers and help. It is what the pope has said, or what Rick Warren or some other guru has said, not Scripture alone.

It is feelings, experiences and great crowds that are our revelations today, instead of in the breaking of bread of Holy Communion. Divine Service week after week, through which Jesus reveals and gives himself to us, is paramount for us to see Jesus and to live in that relationship with himself that he won for us through his death and resurrection. Without it we are left wondering why we are downcast and unseeing.

Even worse today, we seem to have this idea that we do not even need to look to the Scriptures and to worship regularly, to know who Jesus is and what he is like. We don’t need to read the Bible and hear what he says in worship, to know what is important for us and for our lives. So Jesus becomes a figment of our imaginations and a god to our own liking.

We have this basic idea that we are good people who have been created in God’s image and so we can have this innate idea of who God is and what he is like, so we are fine. We however fail to come to grips with the reality that because of our sin we are turned in on ourselves and the image of God in us has been totally corrupted.

The Scriptures make all of this very clear. It helps us to see quite clearly why we have all the troubles, difficulties and death that we have in this world. It tells us who this God is, that deep down inside us we all know is there. It also tells us of his love for us and the deep desire that he has to help us out of the mess that we have made for ourselves.

Throughout the Bible God tell us of his plan to help us out. He promised over and over again that he would send his own Son to be our saviour. He promised the Lamb of God would come to be the sacrifice which takes away the sin of the world. He promises through this One’s death and resurrection he would draw people back to himself. Forgiveness of sins, life and salvation would be extended to all.

The Scriptures make it quite clear that the Christ had to suffer and die and then three days later rise again. Jesus death on the cross was critical for our salvation. He had to be punished for all that you and I had done wrong, so that full forgiveness could be extended to each and every one of us. His death then ensures that each and every one of us has been forgiven.

So we are now already forgiven for all of our sin: nothing now stands in our way from being with God in heaven. His resurrection is our assurance that life and salvation is now there for all who are connected to Jesus Christ through faith. Just as he is risen from the dead, so also will we rise to be with him in eternity.

All this has been made known to us in the Scriptures so that we can know for sure that Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection is all important for us. Jesus is revealed to us clearly so that we can be certain of who he is and what his attitude is toward us.

At our baptisms we were joined to Jesus’ death and resurrection and given his Holy Spirit so that we can now simply trust that everything has been taken care of for us. Now we know that nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Then to top it all off, he comes to us personally week by week and reveals himself to us in Holy Communion. The two disciples in our reading suddenly came to the full realization of who Jesus really was when he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.

Here was something unique to the Jesus who celebrated the Passover with them a few nights earlier. In that meal he instituted the Lords Supper by taking the bread, giving thanks, breaking it and giving it them. There he gave them something as a continuing reminder of not only his death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins, but also of his presence with them always.

In the Lord’s Supper he personally comes to us and reveals himself to us. He gives us his very body and blood which he shed on the cross so that we can know for sure that we are forgiven and assured of life and salvation. Jesus himself says, given and shed FOR YOU, for the forgiveness of sins. There at the Altar rail he reveals himself to us as Lord and saviour and goes with us so that we can be absolutely sure that everything will work out for us.

It is true! The Lord has risen. Let us go forward with confidence and the sure hope, that now, in connection with Jesus Christ, we have all that is good and important. The Scriptures and the Sacraments has revealed it all to us. He is for real! He lives and rules eternally. To him alone then be all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN.

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish