“HEARTS ON FIRE” Mark 16:12-13 (Luke 24:13-35)
FBCF – 4/24/22
Jon Daniels
INTRO – “It Is Well with My Soul” – Written by Horatio Spafford, successful lawyer & businessman in Chicago. Married to Anna – 5 children. In 1871, young son died. Lost most of business in great Chicago fire.
Nov. 21, 1873, Mrs. Spafford & 4 daughter on French ocean liner headed to Europe. Mr. Spafford had an unexpected business problem to tend to & couldn’t go w/ them. Told wife to go ahead & he would catch another ship & join few days later.
4 days into trip, the ship collided w/ another ship & suddenly everyone was in grave danger. Mrs. Spafford brought her daughters to deck & prayed w/ them as ship began to sink. Within 12 minutes, the ship slipped beneath the water taking the 4 Spafford daughters to their death. Mrs. Spafford was picked up, taken to Wales where she sent a telegram to her husband, “Saved alone. What shall I do?”
Mr. Spafford booked passage on next available ship. The captain called him when they crossed over the point in the ocean where his 4 daughters died, & it was then & there that he penned these words: “When peace like a river attendeth my way; when sorrows like sea billows roll. Whatever my lot thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well w/ my soul.”
Today, we conclude this series from the Gospel of Mark as we look at 2 disciples who were deep in grief, confusion, & fear, wondering what their future would hold, just like Horatio & Anna Spafford.
EXPLANATION – Mark 16:12-13
Mark’s Gospel – smallest of the 4. Emphasized Jesus’ actions more than His words & teachings. Moved quickly from one event in the life of Jesus to the next. Action-oriented. Words “immediately” & “at once” used multiple times throughout the book.
That’s why we only have 2 verses about these disciples’ experience, whereas Luke used 22 verses to tell this story of the Road to Emmaus encounter. As one pastor wrote, “The journey to Emmaus is both a literal & a spiritual journey.” (https://www.lifeway.com/en/articles/sermon-jesus-opens-our-eyes-luke-24)
- It’s the literal journey of 2 unnamed disciples making the 7-mile trip from Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus after Jesus had been crucified & rose again. Their walking & talking, trying to make sense of all the crazy things that they had seen happen.
- But it’s also a spiritual journey as it helps us all consider the importance of encountering Jesus in our lives, recognizing His voice as He calls to us, & then responding by telling others that He’s alive!
Over 20 years ago – Desert Storm, Ruth Dillow received a very sad message from Pentagon. Msg was that her son, Clayton, killed – stepped on a landmine in Kuwait. Ruth later wrote: "I can't begin to describe my grief and shock. It was almost more than I could bear. For 3 days I just wept. I expressed anger and loss. For 3 days people tried to comfort me but nothing worked ... the loss was simply too great.”
But 3 days after she received that message the phone rang. Voice on other end: “Mom, it's me! It's Clayton. I'm alive!” Ruth: “I couldn't believe it at first. But then I recognized his voice and realized he really was alive. The message was all a mistake…I laughed, I cried, I felt like turning cartwheels because my son who I thought was dead was actually alive." (https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/79795/emmaus-road-by-sermon-central)
That’s the story of Emmaus!
APPLICATION – If we truly believe that Jesus is alive & is the Savior of the world, then we have work to do.
HE SHOWED UP & SHARED – v. 12 – Mark tells this portion of story in 1 verse – Luke uses 17 – The bulk of the story.
- Jesus joined them as they walked
- Engaged them w/ question: “What is this conversation you are holding w/ each other as you walk?” (Luke 24:17)
- They couldn’t believe that He didn’t know what had happened, so they told Him the whole story.
- Then Jesus takes over the conversation. Started w/ THEIR Scriptures & told them about HIMSELF from the OT.
o Isaiah 53:3 – “…despised & rejected by men, a man of suffering…”
o Isaiah 53:7 – “"He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter, and like a sheep silent before His shearers, He did not open His mouth."
o Zech. 12:10 – "Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the house of David and the residents of Jerusalem, and they will look at Me whom they pierced.”
Romans 10:17 – “Faith cometh by hearing, & hearing by the Word of God.” (KJV) CSB – “So faith comes from what is heard, & what is heard comes through the message about Christ.” Jesus was plowing & cultivated the soil of their hearts w/ the seed of His Word, the truth about HIM, which is the whole message of the whole Bible!
THEY RECOGNIZED & RESPONDED – Luke 24:31-32 – Mark doesn’t include the disciples’ invitation for Jesus to stay for supper w/ them as was customary in that day. But after pouring the Word into their hearts & shining the light of truth into their dark circumstances, “…their eyes were opened & they recognized Him” (v. 31). Gk lit – “their eyes were COMPLETELY opened” & “they came to FULLY COMPREHEND Him.”
V. 32 – Spurgeon: “Oh, blessed heartburn!” They were set on fire b/c the living Word of God – Jesus, the Word made flesh – had been right in front of them speaking the Word of God into their lives. And when the Word of God lights you up, you’ve got to do something. Can’t be just a hearer of the Word – you’ve got to be a doer of the Word!
THEY WENT BACK & WITNESSED – v. 13 – “And they went back & TOLD the rest…” – Gk – apangello – report, tell, proclaim, declare – They HAD to! You can’t keep this kind of good news to yourself!
H. Ernest Nichol (1896): “We’ve a story to tell to the nations…We’ve a song to be sung to the nations…We’ve a message to give to the nations…We’ve a Savior to show to the nations…”
WE ARE NOW CALLED & COMMISSIONED – Mark 16:15 – Remind you & call you to obey:
Matthew 28:19-20 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father & of the Son & of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Luke 24:47-49 – “…that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
Acts 1:8 – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
CONCLUSION/TAKEAWAYS – One simple challenge: If your heart is burning within you right now – you know this is the truth that has been shared today – you know that the Word of God has been preached today & has impacted your heart, then make this commitment or renew this commitment today:
WIN 1/DISCIPLE 1: Share the Gospel w/ 1 person between now & the end of the year. Lead them to Christ & bring them to be baptized. You can even baptize them yourself if they want you to, & as long as you understand what baptism is all about.
Come on, Church! Jesus is alive. Jesus is the Savior of the world. And we’ve got work to do!
