Cleopas

Someone read Luke 24:13-14

Bits and pieces were adapted from an Easter Sermon by Fred G. Zaspel. Slideshow setting the stage for Luke coming into a house and sitting down with Cleopas: 58 AD, Paul is in jail in Caesarea Maritima awaiting trial by Felix. While there He sends his beloved physician Luke into Israel to prepare another historical account of the life of Jesus. Luke interviews Mary, Peter, James, John, and others, and one of them mentions Cleopas, and says that Luke should speak to him.

Emmaus in the dark of night

(Knock on the door)

Cleopas: Who is it?

Luke: Just a friend in the Way

Cleopas (turning to others in the room): it is one of the brethren

(Opens the door, let’s Luke in)

Cleopas (not knowing Luke): welcome brother, who are you?

Luke: I am Luke, a traveling companion of the Apostle Paul, and I am on a mission

Cleopas: Ahh, how is Paul doing these days? It has been so long since I have seen him. I guess the last time would’ve been about 10 years ago when he came to Jerusalem to meet with the elders about that whole keeping the law thing.

Luke: Paul is not doing to good. He is in jail over in Caesarea waiting on all the politics to line up for Felix to stop delaying his trial. Eventually, he will probably have to appeal to Caesar for a trial. And who knows where it could go from there.

Cleopas: I had heard rumors, but I wasn’t sure it was true. God is faithful, and will be with him. Now, why have you come here? You could put us in danger, you know.

Luke: Yes, my apologies, but Paul sent me to work on another account of the life of Jesus; one that will help the Gentiles understand who Jesus was better than Matthew’s. (You know, Matthew had the Jews in Jerusalem in mind when he wrote his gospel, and some of his stuff is lost on the Gentiles.) He and I have an acquaintance name Theophilis, who has asked for an accurate account. So Paul wanted me to make use of this time to gather info.

So after talking with Mary about the birth of Jesus, and Peter and the other apostles, your name kept coming up. And I was told to find you, and get your account. So here I am. No one has said exactly what your account is; only that it is very special. So please share with me who you are, and what your testimony of Christ is, so that I may decide if I can use it.

Cleopas: I would love to help, get out a pen, and we will light another oil lamp. Well, let me see; where do I start… (scratching his face and thinking)

WHO I AM

I am the father of one of the 12 apostles. My name in Latin is Alphaeus, you have probably heard by now of James the son of Alphaeus, not to be confused with James the son of Zebedee. I am the husband of one of the women who stood near the cross--and who went early that Sunday morning to Jesus' tomb. My family was at the very heart of the circle of Jesus' followers throughout his ministry and up to the very end. I am the brother of Joseph of Nazareth--Jesus' legal father. Jesus, you see, was my nephew--"Uncle Cleo" He used to call me. My acquaintance with Jesus goes back as far as His very birth. I have seen his life and ministry from the beginning. But you have probably heard most of the accounts of his ministry.

BEGINNING OF THE PASSION WEEK: MONDAY

I’ll start on Monday before He died: A few days before His death, as Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on a young donkey, the crowds were larger than ever, and they were beside themselves with excitement. And they all were shouting as Jesus rode by, "Hail, Son of David! Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Glory in the highest!"

Here Jesus was finally being rightfully received as Messiah. For all of us this was the greatest day of our lives--all of us, that is, except for Jesus. He saw through it all as a selfish desire for mere political freedom, and that without any regard for deliverance from sin.

BETRAYAL, ARREST, CRUCIFIXION

But still this was simply too much for the religious heavy-weights to tolerate. Jesus just had to be stopped before things got any worse. And so in the most awful miscarriage of justice in history, they bought off Judas Iscariot, one of the 12, who agreed to identify Jesus as one guilty of teaching blasphemy. Then the arrest, the interrogations--from Caiaphas to Pilate to Herod and back to Pilate--in it all His innocence was clear, but because of the great stir created by the religious leaders, Pilate--who admitted publicly that he could find nothing in Jesus worthy of punishment--ordered Him whipped. But that was not enough. They wanted Him dead. And death they demanded. "He claimed to be a king! He is then a rival to Caesar! And if you do not crucify Him we'll make sure Caesar knows of your complicity with treason!"