Seeing The Risen Christ

INTRO

Good morning, everyone! Praise the Lord we are able to meet again online.

• We thank God for the hope we have in Jesus, the salvation He has prepared for us, by grace through faith in Jesus.

• His death and resurrection has brought us life! So wherever we are, let’s worship Jesus.

• Let’s proclaim He is risen! With this hymn: Christ the Lord is Risen Today (108)

Let us pray. We sing Alleluia and praise you Jesus, for your love and sacrifice. In you, we now share in the victory over sin and death today. Thank you Father, for the gift of salvation through your Son. Bless this time as we look into Your Word. Shine your light and help us see you. In Jesus’ Name we pray, AMEN.

SCRIPTURE READING

Let’s us read from the Gospel of Luke 24:13-35. The encounter of the disciples with the risen Christ. We’ll just read it in Mandarin, those reading English can follow along on your screen.

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SERMON

Luke ended his Gospel recounting the interactions between the risen Christ and His disciples, in Luke 24.

• In the first part of the chapter, we see His conversation with two disciples walking along the road to Emmaus.

• In the second part, we have His appearance before the rest of His disciples.

• What is most significant in these encounters is the way Jesus directed their attention, not to Himself, but to the Scriptures.

The two disciples were talking with each other about what has happened.

• Jesus their Messiah has been crucified and placed in the tomb. His death was unexpected. They have hoped for Him to save Israel.

• Adding to that sorrow was the news that His body was now missing.

In their sadness and confusion, along came Jesus who walked with them and initiated a conversation.

• That was the repeated pattern of Jesus post-resurrection. The risen Christ appears before His disciples to assure and encourage them.

• He knows what they were thinking and talking about, even in His absence. He knows about Thomas’ doubt. He knows their fears. Jesus came to strengthen His own.

Luke 24:25-27 25He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter His glory?" 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

They were led to see Christ from the Scriptures, not with their physical eyes but with eyes of faith to believe what was written in the Word of God.

• This is rather unusual. If they have been thinking of Jesus being dead and His body missing, the best way to convince them otherwise would be to point them to Himself.

• “Do not be afraid, it is I. I’m Jesus. Look at me. I’m alive. I’ve risen from the dead. Can you not recognise me?”

• Rather, Jesus directed them to the Scriptures concerning Himself.

Later, while He was eating with them, the disciples’ eyes were opened and they recognised Him (24:31).

• And 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?" (24:32)

They were so overwhelmed by the encounter that they decided to head back to Jerusalem immediately.

• While they were telling the rest of the disciples, Jesus appeared suddenly (24:36).

• He ate with them and then said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." 45Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. (24:44-45)

Again Jesus did not draw their attention to Himself but to the Scriptures, concerning Himself.

• The truth is, directing their attention to Himself can only be for the moment, because Jesus will eventually leave after 40 days.

• But seeing Him from the Scriptures is different. They have the Scriptures with them and the Scriptures testify to Christ.

THE SCRIPTURES REVEAL THE TRUTH OF CHRIST

They see and know Him through the Scriptures.

Jesus said to Thomas: "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29)

• How can ‘those who have not seen’ believe? Through the Scriptures.

• Clearly seeing Him physically is not as essential as seeing Him through the Scriptures.

Jesus helps the disciples understand the Word of God. He opens their mind so that they understand (verse 45) what is written (verse 46).

• And what is that? That 46the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem (24:46-47).