Resurrection Series: “Redeemed”
Walking With The Risen Savior
Luke 24:13-32
Maybe you have seen the television show “Undercover Boss”. It is a reality show that takes the owners and CEO’s of major corporations and put them in a disguise and send them out to work with the employees of their company. I watched one a while back where the CEO of “Roto Rooter” went from his cozy office out on the road with a technician and had to fix toilets and clean clogged drains. The low level employees begin to talk about the company and the things they would like to see changed. And at times they are brutally honest. I saw one episode where a lady was venting her frustrations about the CEO to…the CEO!!! Always at the end of the show the CEO will reveal his true identity (to the shock and sometimes embarrassment of his employees).
In our selected text we find a situation where Jesus was walking with some men who were talking about Him. They spent the better part of a day with Him and just before He left, their eyes were opened and they realized who He was. The key verse for this message is v 32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?This verse refers back to the events that are recorded in verses 13-31.These two men were walking on “the road to Emmaus” and they encountered a man and had no idea who he was.They were discouraged about the events of the past few days and began to share with Him their thoughts.Little did they know that they were walking with none other than Jesus Christ? God had hidden the fact that this was Jesus from these men. Jesus asked them “what they were discussing”.In verse 18 Cleopas, responded, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.” Jesus asked “what things”.They began to describe Jesus and the things that He had suffered and His rumored resurrection. Jesus began to “reveal the scriptures” to these men and spent the evening with them. Eventually their eyes were opened and they saw Jesus for who He was. Jesus then left them and they said “our hearts burned within us, while he talked with us, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”Though these men were unaware that they were walking with Jesus, there is much that we can learn from their story.
Today I want to preach on the subject “Walking With The Risen Savior” .........These men said that their “hearts burned within them as Jesus opened up the scriptures”
The English word “burn” takes the place of two Greek words in this instance. Notice:
1.(ēn – ane) “I was”
2.(kaiō - kah'-yo) “to set on fire”
I have an intense desire to see Stockdale Baptist Church “set on fire” for Jesus! Folks, it can happen …it should happen! But it will not come as a result of
o New programs
o Reviving old programs
o A series of “revival” meetings
o Bible conferences
o Singings
o Or any gimmicks churches may use to attract people into the church
If we are to become a church that is “set on fire for Jesus” it will come when people truly encounter the Savior! Many of you have experienced that fire in the past but for some reason it has burned out. Maybe your fire has burned out and you don’t realize it just yet. Well, we find some evidence of that “burning fire” in our selected text today. When that fire is burning:
i. There Will Be A Desire To Connect With The Scriptures.
ii. There Will Be A Desire To Commune With The Savior.
Let’s let the scriptures prove those 2 points. This event happened on the day Jesus rose from the grave. The followers of Christ were confused and concerned and grieving the loss of their Master. These men were walking the Road to Emmaus. Jesus approaches them and joins the conversation. They tell Jesus the story of …JESUS!
They described His life - v19 …Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. - They also proclaim that they had hoped that Jesus was the Messiah - v21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel:..........
Apparently, they had heard the prophecy concerning His resurrection - and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.
They had heard from eye witnesses that He had been resurrected - v22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; 23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. 24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.
Notice Jesus’ response v25 He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" 27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
Jesus started with Moses and worked His way to the prophets. Moses represents the Law… The Law pointed to Jesus! The prophets revealed prophecy… They spoke of Jesus! As Jesus revealed these things to these men, He ignited a fire within their hearts. I pray that He will light a fire in your heart today. When He does, certain things will happen. Notice:
I. THERE WILL BE A DESIRE TO CONNECT WITH THE SCRIPTURES- Did our hearts not burn within us: - “while he opened to us the scriptures?” -- Opened - (dianoigō - dee-an-oy'-go) {G} - to open thoroughly, to expound.
The burning within these men came when Jesus “opened up the scriptures”. Jesus revealed the truth of the scriptures …and the scriptures reveal the truth of Jesus . Do you want to encounter the risen Savior? ….Open His Word. I cannot stress enough, the importance of personal time in God’s Word. It is not enough to simply read your Bible… you must STUDY YOUR BIBLE. God’s Word has the answer to all of your questions. You can see Jesus Christ from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21! We are told that Jesus “Expounded” the Word to these men.
Expound - {G} (diermēneuō - dee-er-main-yoo'-o) - to explain thoroughly.
This is my goal when I preach. Some people want to hear exciting sermons. Some want to be entertained but I would rather see people informed! I believe when the Word is expounded and people truly see Christ for who He is and what He has done there will be excitement. When you get into His Word you will have an encounter that can change your life! Let’s see a couple of things about the scriptures:
A. THE SCRIPTURES REQUIRE FAITH- v25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: - The literal translation for the phrase “Slow of heart” means to have a dull understanding. Jesus is saying “You should have listened to (and believed) the prophets!”. Notice that Jesus did not show them His scars as He did with Thomas.He shared with them the scriptures. This is a matter of faith.We have not had the opportunity to view the nail prints in His hand. We have not seen the imprints from the crown of thorns. We have never seen the piercing in His side. Everything we know of Jesus comes from the scriptures! - Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. .........If you have been truly saved it is because someone shared with you the precious infallible Word of God!
And if you are going to grow in you walk with the Risen Savior it REQUIRES time in His Word! Believing the Word of God requires faith! - Consider:
We read about a God we have never seen
Who sent His only Son to earth to be born of a virgin
To live a perfect sinless life
A man who was 100% man while at the same time being 100% God
He was to be the Savior of mankind
He would to die on a Roman cross
Through dying this death he was to die for the sins of the whole world
After this horrible death He rose from the dead on the third day
Then He ascended to heaven and is sat down at the right hand of the Father
Through His sacrifice He has delivered us from Hell (a horrific place of torments that we have never seen)
He is coming back to take us to our home in Heaven (another place we have not seen)
Folks, believing all of this REQUIRES FAITH!!! But through faith and the scriptures we can “Walk With The Risen Savior” Not only do the scriptures require faith, they also reveal fulfillment of the prophecies!
B. THE SCRIPTURES REVEAL FULFILLMENT- v26 ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 27And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Jesus asked the question “ought not Christ to have suffered these things” - “These things” were prophesied many years before, by the prophets. - Isaiah 53:3 He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. 4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! 5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.
The prophecies, the Law, the Old Testament and The New Testament all confirm that Jesus is Messiah.And it is the scriptures that show us the fulfillment of the prophecies. The scriptures (through prophecy) also show us what is to come. (The rapture, millennial reign, judgment and eternity)
1) If you are saved it is because you connected with the scriptures
2) If you desire to live a life pleasing to God it will happen when you connect with the scriptures!
3) If you are going to fight the daily battle against the enemy it will require a connection to the scriptures! - Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Do you seek the opportunity to “Walk With The Risen Savior”? Open up His Word and you can have an encounter that will set your heart on fire for Him! When you have that burning fire within your heart: There Will Be A Desire To Connect With The Scriptures and we also see that:
II. THERE WILL BE A DESIRE TO COMMUNE WITH THE SAVIOR- “Did our hearts not burn within us: - while he talked with us by the way”
If we are honest there are people in this life that we would rather not have to deal with. But there are some people that we have a desire to be around and spend time with. When you heart is on fire for Jesus, there will be an intense desire to spend time with Him. Do you have that desire to commune with your Savior? Notice:
A. THE SPIRITUAL HUNGER INVOLVED- v28 and they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. 29 but they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
These men come to their destination and it appeared that (Jesus) was going to continue on His journey. So they invited Him to remain with them. Remember, “their eyes were holden” - They had no idea who they were with. They were simply excited about this man who had “opened up the scriptures to them.” Jesus “expounded the scriptures” and revealed the truth about the Messiah to them and they desired for Him to continue. They had a hunger for more! Have you ever sat down with the goal of reading only one chapter of the Bible and find yourself reading many chapters instead? Have you sat down to hear a sermon and when it was over you still wanted more? Have you ever been in a worship service and when the last amen was said you were not ready to leave? When you truly “encounter the risen Savior” you will NOT want that experience to end! There will be a “spiritual hunger”. And when we possess that spiritual hunger Jesus will remain with us just as He remained with these men on the “Road to Emmaus”. Consider:
B. THE SPECIAL HONOR INVOLVED- v30 and it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
Jesus agreed to tarry with these men. They went in and broke bread together. During this fellowship “their eyes were opened” and they knew that Jesus was with them. When we have a burning desire for Jesus in our heart and we have a spiritual hunger Jesus is there. Not only is He there but He will make His presence known. We take it for granted that we have this “special honor” to have Jesus reveal Himself in our lives. How long has it been since you have experienced this special honor? How long has it been since you have communed with the Savior? When you encounter the Risen Savior you will have a heart on fire for Jesus!
A. Do you have a desire to connect with the scriptures?
B. Do you have a desire to commune with the Savior?
Have you ever accepted Jesus as your Savior? If you have then you can walk with the Risen Savior. If not I implore you: Look to the scriptures:
The prophecies have been fulfilled. Jesus is the Messiah.
He came to die for your sins!
Come to Him today and you can commune with the Savior!
