FINISHING HIS WORK
Luke 24:13-49
Introduction
Today is Resurrection Sunday. Have you let the Resurrected Lord change your life? Then Jesus spoke about you on Resurrection Sunday so many years ago when He said to His disciples, ”Because you have seen Me, you believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” I’m sure you will agree that is a blessing beyond description to know the Resurrected Lord.
Yet have you ever thought about what it must have been like to have been one of those who did see Him – see Him after the resurrection. At least 500 people could have claimed that blessing.
Well, using a little holy imagination, just maybe we can make a visit with one of those who saw Him. You have to understand that the one I’m referring to has some age on him by now. But let’s drop in on him for a few moments. So put on your imagination glasses and picture a clearing with a few large rocks and some grassy spots. In fact our eye witness has claimed one of those large rocks for himself. He is about to address us and others who have come out to hear him tell his story.
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Monologue
Shalom. Come have a seat – there a few rocks to rest yourself on – or find a grassy spot.
Thank you for coming out to hear an old man jabber on. In fact I never tire of telling this story you are about to hear. What happened to me has changed my life permanently. That is why I have decided to tell my story to anyone who will listen. I guess I’ve related these events hundreds of times. My name is Cleopas – but my friends call me Cleo.
You might have heard someone speak of this day as Resurrection Day. Do you know what they are referring to? This is where my story comes in. Resurrection Day occurred about 19, 20, 21 years ago. I’m not sure exactly, but what I am sure about is that I met the One who was raised from the dead on the day that He rose. Yes! I thought that would stir your interest. But you have no idea how exiting that real life event was and still is.
Let me begin this way. My wife and I, as Jews, had gone up to Jerusalem to observe the Passover – an event we attended every year. We were hoping also to see Jesus, our beloved teacher. I remember being filled with expectation and joy during the three hour walk from our quiet little village of Emmaus to the bustling big city. My mind was full of excitement wondering if Jesus would use this opportunity to proclaim who we believed Him to be – our long-awaited Messiah – and would He begin His move to reestablish a Jewish nation and sit on the throne of David.
Now, you may ask, “What was so special about this Jesus that made you believe He was the Messiah”? Jesus was perfectly exceptional. He worked all kinds of miracles. He healed more people than I can count – some of whom, in fact, were people who had been ill and crippled from birth. He freed people who long had been possessed of demons. He even raised the dead. There was simply no limit to His abilities.
But it was not only His miracles – it was His teaching. He was a great story teller. Now, I’ve tried to improve my story telling skills over the years, but He was the master story teller. Every story made me think. Every story challenged my established beliefs. Every story gave me new insight into our Scriptures, into God’s involvement with humankind, and into my specific life. Every story left me wanting to hear more. Yet His teaching also revealed how much of the accepted religious thinking of our day was contrary to our own Scriptures. That didn’t set well with our religious leaders. They would often prepare a debate; send their chosen spokesman to corner Jesus in a clever argument, to discredit Him before the growing crowds. Time and time again they returned having their argument showed to be full of flaws. This carpenter from Nazareth knew the Scriptures better than men who had studied them for years.
With Jesus it was impossible to be neutral. People were either for Him – believing Him to be a great prophet or even the promised Messiah – OR – people were against Him – believing He was an imposter and for some a very dangerous person. I wish you could have seen the crowds that gathered around the gate in Jerusalem to hail Jesus as king when He arrived for the Passover. People of all ages were shouting out of joy and laying palm branches along the path He traveled. Those folks were all for Him. But they were not the only ones who had strong opinions about Him. The hatred in the hearts of our religious authorities was much deeper than I could have ever imagined. It had reached the boiling point. But more of that in a moment.
My wife and I were disciples of this Jesus. We weren’t chosen to be among the twelve who traveled with Him constantly, but we did follow Him as much as we could. We listen to Him preach. We believed His words. We submitted to His instruction. And we expected Him to establish God’s kingdom on earth. Yet this Passover was to take unexpected turns that we never could have imagined.
Instead of being a Passover feast for us it turned out to be a Passover death for us. Instead of Jesus being lifted up as King – as we had anticipated in His arrival – He was lifted up on a Roman cross where He was murdered. I guess the mounting support for Jesus drove those who were against Him to act quickly. The religious elite bribed one of the twelve to reveal Jesus’ secret location. They put Jesus through several mock trials throughout the night so that His supporters would not have a chance to defend Him. Eventually they were able to convince the Roman governor, Pilate, to agree to His death. Later that same day they crucified Him along with two criminals. Crucifixion was one awful way to die and one horrendous thing to watch and witness.
My wife and I awoke that morning in the inn, hearing loud talking outside. The city was a stir with the fact that Jesus was being taken to Golgotha, a high hill outside the walls of the city, to be killed. We dressed quickly and upon arriving we saw our King already hanging between earth and heaven. My wife asked me if that was really Him. He had been beaten so badly that His face was marred, swollen, and full of blood. His smile, directed toward us, was undeniable. The One we had put all our hopes in – the One to whom we had given much of the last three years to – was now closing in on death. Everything we believed was being made a lie. Everything we sacrificed for was now to be a lost cause. All our hopes and assurances for eternity we had pinned to Him and He was pinned to the cross. If God, after all that Jesus had done, would abandon Him, then it became clear that all of our hopes had been misplaced.
We stayed until the end. I can still hear his final weak cries from that cross. “It is finished” He said. I remember thinking, “Did I hear Him wrong? ‘It is finished’. Surely He meant, “I am finished”. That would make more sense; for certain all our assurances in Him are finished”. While I was lost in my grief Jesus spoke one last time. “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit”. And then His head fell and His struggling body went limp. Then from deep within my soul came the cry, “No! No! We don’t want You to go to the Father! We want You here! I need You with me!” I couldn’t take it any longer. With tears streaming down my face, my wife trying to be as quiet as possible in her wailing, we somberly walked back into the city. Have you ever known emptiness? Well it filled my soul. Anger toward those responsible for His death filled my heart. I was in complete ruin.
The crucifixion was Friday. We stayed in the city through the Sabbath. We couldn’t even force ourselves to eat. We were in shock and in despair. The weight of His death grew on us each hour until it seemed we would be completely crushed. On the morning of the first day, we prepared to return to Emmaus. There was nothing more to do in Jerusalem. There was some chance the authorities would arrest any disciples of Jesus they could find. Those who stayed in the city were keeping out of sight.
As we prepared to leave, we heard rumor that His grave was empty. Someone heard it whispered that some women had visited the tomb that morning only to find the stone rolled back, the tomb empty, and something about angels saying Jesus had risen. Another snatch of news had it that a couple of the twelve had been to the tomb and also found it empty. But this kind of thing was simply impossible! And we didn’t believe them. As much as I would have loved to believe Jesus was alive, I just couldn’t. Why? Because I actually saw Him die!
So the two of us, even more perplexed about Jesus death than we had been, set off for home. It was springtime. Do you think we heard the birds singing? No! Do you think we noticed the awakening of nature all around us? No! We were coming home, as it were, from a funeral. We walked in sad conversation and mostly in silence. That is probably why we became aware of footsteps approaching from behind us; a man was walking by Himself. We let Him join us. He asked what we were talking about. “Why do you look so glum?” He said. At first neither of us responded. Was this fellow traveler in sympathy for us or would He betray us?
Finally I risked it. “Where have you been these last few days? Haven’t you heard what has happened in Jerusalem? Are you a stranger to this area?” How could anyone within miles of the city or even several days journey not know what had happened? This had been no common execution. Three hours of thick darkness covered all the land. Never had earthquakes accompanied a crucifixion. How could this stranger be ignorant of all this? But He seemed sincere. We told Him that the One we expected to redeem Israel had been crucified and placed in a grave. His death was the end of our hopes and our dreams. There could be no deliverance now. We even told Him of the rumors we had heard a few hours earlier. We admitted the stories were hard to believe.
The stranger shook His head at our confusion. He chided us for not believing the promises of our own Scriptures regarding the Messiah. Then He began to teach us. He quoted passage after passage from Moses and the prophets, from the Psalms, showing us how the promises in our Scriptures must be fulfilled. This stranger began by sharing how in the Garden of Eden God had promised deliverance from the Tempter through the bruising of the Deliverer. He reminded us of the Passover where God delivered our ancestors from the Death Angel in Egypt through the sacrifice of a spotless lamb and how that blood was applied to the lintels of the door so that it spoke of a cross. He reminded us of the whole sacrificial system that had to be repeated constantly, actually pointed forward to a greater Sacrifice – a once-for-all Sacrifice. He quoted passages from Isaiah speaking of how God would make His Servant a guilt offering for the sins of people. He told how the Messiah must suffer first before He began His reign. He showed us how the Messiah’s death would atone for our sins, and that God would not leave him in the grave, but would raise Him to life again. We were showed how Jesus was the fulfillment of so many prophecies of Scripture and the answer to all of our anticipations. The smoldering embers of our faith began to flicker again. Our hearts were lifted up as we heard these words of promise and new hope.
The truth was settling in. Jesus’ death was no accident! God had not allowed things to get out of hand. God had sent His Son on purpose to die – a death for all who would trust in Him. And in the death of Jesus my salvation had been secured.
For five or six miles of our journey of seven miles back home were filled with the joy of hearing the Scriptures being opened up to our grieving hearts. The time passed by too quickly. We found ourselves just a house or two away from our humble dwelling. The stranger said He was going to continue on, but both of us pleaded with Him to stay with us for the evening. Traveling after dark was dangerous because of thieves and wild animals on the road. He accepted our invitation and came in to dine with us. As my wife prepared the meal, the stranger and I continued our conversation. Wow, it was wonderful to hear about the sacrifice of Isaac, about the brazen serpent lifted up on a pole, or to hear Him give explanation of Psalm 22.
Soon the meal was ready. Our guest asked if He could give thanks. After blessing the food He then lifted up the bread and broke it. I gasped. For as He raised the bread, His robe slipped back on His arms – and I saw the marks on His hands. They were nail prints. I immediately looked Him full in the face. His eyes held my gaze. And I knew Him. Jesus was our guest. My heart pounded in my chest. I was looking into the face of Israel’s Redeemer, Jesus, the Messiah, our Teacher, alive from the tomb. Those who were rumored to have visited an empty tomb were right. He was alive, in my house, reclining at my table. No wonder this stranger knew so well the whole plan of God. It was the plan of His very own making and of His own doing! I looked across at my wife. She, too, had recognized our Master. When we both looked back in His direction, Jesus was gone.
Yet I knew our faith in Jesus was vindicated. He was alive! All of a sudden we didn’t need to finish the meal, even though it had been days since we last ate. For the second time that day we walked the seven mile distance between our home and Jerusalem, never once thinking about our previous fears over traveling at night. Once in the city we searched for the hiding disciples. That was not an easy task, especially at night. When finally God brought us together with them, we burst into the room to give them the good news – but before we could say a word they all shouted – “Jesus is alive! He appeared to Peter!” As it turned out we were not the only ones Jesus spoke with. There were also the women and Mary Magdalene. Finally it was our turn to thrill them with our encounter with the Risen Christ. We told them how He had opened the Scriptures and set our hearts aflame.
Now mind you, we were behind locked doors. We were still not sure what the authorities might do. But as I told them of Jesus appearance to us – there He was again, standing in the room with all of us. There was a united gasp within the group. He just asked, “What are you afraid of? Look at My hands, My feet – you can see that it is I. Touch Me and see. Have you ever heard of a ghost with flesh and blood?” And then He took food, and began to eat in front of us. It became clear to all, even to the most skeptical among us. It really was Jesus!
He then proceeded to teach us from the Scriptures how it was necessary for Him, the Messiah, to die and rise from the dead on the third day. Wow, once again God’s Spirit opened my understanding while He taught. And then – POW – it hit me. He really did mean it when he cried on the cross “It is finished”! Everything that He and Father God had determined in eternity past, and had the Scripture writers record for us in Scripture that would be necessary for God to offer salvation to those who believe had all been accomplished in Jesus’ life, His death, and His resurrection. “Finished!” is what He said. “Finished!” is what He meant. And “Finished!” is what He also requires of your striving to earn God’s favor and His salvation. Stop it right now! You can’t add to something that has been “Finished”. But you can accept what Jesus did for you on that cross and know His “finishing” power in your life. When you turn to Him in faith – finished is sin’s rule over you – finished is your membership in Satan’s family – finished is sin’s punishment hanging over you like a dark cloud – finished are your days of walking in darkness.
All of that was finished for me that day in the presence of the Risen Savior. Wow, you should see the new work He is working on in me each day and one day He will once again cry “It is finished!” when His work in me is complete. That Risen One is here – in this grassy spot. You can’t see Him, just as my eyes were closed to His presence along the journey back home so many years ago. But will you trust Him with your life. He longs to reveal Himself to you and to do His new work in you.
His work of providing salvation for you is FINISHED! His work of completing His life in you, once you come to Him in faith, will continue until He takes you to glory. Then it will be FINISHED. Jesus rose from the grave victorious in dying for your sins, only to begin His new assignment – and that has to do with your life. Will you let Him finish His work in and through you or will you stand in His way? The choice is yours.
