Luke 24: Sermon Preached for Town of Coeburn Sunrise Service

Introduction: He is Risen!That is the foundation of our joy and faith this Sunday morning, the first day of the week, the Lord’s Day. That Jesus is Alive. That he has Ascended to the right hand of the Father and that he builds his church through the call of the Word and Spirit. This morning, if you could turn to Luke 24:13-25, vv. 25-27 is our focus but 13-25 gives us the whole story.This Account is an Easter teaching by Jesus himself on Easter, or Resurrection Sunday if you will, to two disciples after his resurrection that same day.Read Luke 24:13-35 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, [14] and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. [15] While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. [16] But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. [17] And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. [18] Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” [19] And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, [20] and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. [21] But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. [22] Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, [23] and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. [24] Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” [25] And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! [26] Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” [27] And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. [28] So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, [29] but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. [30] When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. [31] And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. [32] They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” [33] And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, [34] saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” [35] Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. (ESV)Prayer of IlluminationOur Focus is v. 25-27 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! [26] Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” [27] And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted [he expounded] to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.· Were you there? We are not yet even for these disciples they were slow to believe? Believe what? Their eyes? No, the scripture. We too can be slow to believe “all that the prophets have spoken!” That is to say Faith comes by hearing….· When Jesus encounters, after his resurrection, two disciples who were sorrowful, who did not yet know that they were living that glorious first Resurrection Sunday, that first Lord’s Day, they did not yet know that they have the Hope of a Living Savior.· Yet, Jesus does not immediately turn to signs and wonders….No what does he say?· “You are being slow of heart to believe what? What the Prophets have spoken? Which prophets…. “And Jesus beginning with moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to the the things concerning himself.”a. Were you there, Jesus himself says, So what? Let me open for you The written word of God.b. He interpreted. He expounded. He taught them what was really there, he showed them that the things concerning himself.Three things briefly this morning#1 First, Believing on Jesus comes from hearing the word of God (v. 25 & 27)#2 Second, The The Necessity of his death: The necessity of The Sufferings of Christ#3 Third, The Significance of the Resurrection: The subsequent glories#1 First, Believing on Jesus comes from hearing the word of God (v. 25 & 27)· And so Jesus who has this great good news. Jesus who was physically before these disciples has this good news and what does he do?· He gives them the worlds best bible study. The most amazing of bible studies, interestingly an Old Testament only bible study about the Messiah, the Cross, the resurrection of Christ, the Gospel message. I am so thankful that since we were not THERE. That he Still prepares us for the FAITH that comes from HEARING.Romans 10:8–10 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); [9] because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (ESV)Romans 10:14–15 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? [15] And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (ESV)Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (ESV)· Jesus gives us supreme confidence in the Whole bible being the very word of God.· And Christ gives his word; From Genesis-Revelation this is the very word of Christ that he gives them to understand the gospel…· And you must remember the new testament is not finished. And while the apostles are still coming to grips with the resurrection what does Jesus say? Be live what is written of me in the scriptures.Remember this: Jesus is alive, he has the seal and approval of the heavenly Father on his life, ministry, sufferings, and sinlessness, because He is alive. He is proven accepted as the unique son of God. And he, repeatedly endorsed the scriptures.Down to the last jot and tittle, the little iota, the ‘I’. Once He argued the resurrection from the dead must be true based on the verb tense God says, I AM the God of Abraham not I WAS. I AM. If Jesus is alive, and he is, then we must take his view of the Word that it is all true, and that ultimately it teaches us to trust in Jesus!As the disciples responded: v. 32 “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”#2 Second, The Necessity of his death: The necessity of the Sufferings of Christv. 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things… or KJV is there not an Oughtness, ought not Christ to have suffered these things?Jesus accomplishing our salvation in his sufferings and glory is the center and focal point of the bible. He is the center of history. And he will be the center of eternity seated on the throne.· This is what Peter is saying in 1 Peter 1:10-12, saying that the Holy Spirit was indicating and “signifying” Christ to us. – Breaking news! Salvation will come by suffering and not glory! Except Peter didn’t break that news according to Jesus, the disciples on the road to Emmaus just needed a bible study.· Jesus could have gone numerous places in the Psalms and Prophets but in particular Isaiah 53 helps us...· Isaiah 53 says, “Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.o In other words, the Messiah is coming but it may be in a manger…to a poor carpenter…not in a palace! He will be opposed by the scribes and pharisees, suffer opposition, slander, betrayal, and death on a cross. In our place the humble atoning lamb,· Isaiah 53:4–6 Surely, he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (ESV)· Christ’s righteous soul, his sinless life, his perfect righteousness, of infinite value as both God and Man atones for, covers, ransoms, redeems us from the just condemnation of sin. And Jesus left HEAVEN down, down, down in humility in order to accomplish what we could not when we were dead in our trespasses and sins.· But in this wonderful bible study to Emmaus, if our Lord did take our disciples to Isaiah 53, he would get to Isaiah 53 verse 10, saying when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. [11] Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. (ESV)o Jesus by his death causes, makes many to be accounted, reckons many RIGHTEOUS. JUSTIFIED. FORGIVEN. RENEWED. NOT GUILTY!o Instead of us paying the wages of sin death, Jesus clothes us in his righteous robeso Christ has cast off darkness, death is defeated, the penalty of sin is paid and the power of sin is broken, and he clothes us by the spirit poured out in our hearts new hearts, new robes of light, and holiness.o Because Jesus did not stay dead, the Father places his seal of approval on the work of Christ on the cross and raises him to life.Look in verse at the end of v. 26 again, “and enter into his glory?”o That is Christ is risen, He is gloried, He has resurrection life in himself that is poured out, through the Holy Spirit.o The Word of Christ goes forth, in Power by the Holy Spirit, to gloriously bring us from the kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of Light…o That is the subsequent glory that is begun on that easter day, as it continues on the Sunday morning, some 40 days later when the Spirit fall upon the Church.o SO let us close by just reflecting on some of these subsequent glories of our risen savior the implications of it.#3 Third, The Significance of the Resurrection: The subsequent gloriesCredit to Pastor O Palmer Robertson’s reflection here, he says,1. “The Resurrection of Christ is as significant as the Creation of the world.”a. You can see this that the entire work-rest week has shifted from working Sunday-Friday and resting on Saturday to Resting on Sunday because Christ finished his work and sat down at the right hand of the father and to out of that rest we receive on Sunday, The Lord’s Day to work Monday-Saturday.b. Remember what day Luke 24 is, Jesus appears to the disciples in Luke 24 on the first day of the week.c. V. 1 On the first day of the week, at early dawn, they [. Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James]went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared...An empty tomb, on a that first Lord’s Day that Sunday morning with spices for a dead man’s burial who was alive…V. 13, That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmausi. We could consider Rev. 1:10 the Apostle John, the Lord’s Day, Jesus’ breakfast by the sea where he restores Peter, ON the Lord’s Day.d. Jesus resurrection is a Re-creation that shifts the entire 7 days week into a new era.e. Creation is recreated spiritually in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, resurrecting us to newness of life in Christ Jesus.f. He is Alive! Today is His Day 52 weeks a year.i. For the next few Sundays, you can begin worship with “He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Because that is the reality that gathers and enables us to worship.2. The resurrection of Jesus is Glorious because it is: the defeat of deatha. Death could not hold him.b. It is the glory Job saw long before Christ when he says, “I know that My Redeemer lives, Glory, Hallelujah!c. The Messiah is the conquering king who does not conquer with the Sword but by the Spirit.d. When you trust in the risen Savior, it is because Resurrection life is being worked in you by the Holy Spirit poured out by Christ.e. BY the Holy Spirit, we are united to a risen Savior; He has conquered death. Jesus says, I Am the Resurrection and the Life, though you die, yet you will live….Though we still live in a fallen world death does not have power over us. We have a soul that will last forever and though our bodyi. 2 Corinthians 4:8–11 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; [9] persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; [10] always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our bodies. [11] For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (ESV)ii. 2 Corinthians 4:16–18 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. [17] For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, [18] as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (ESV)f. He is Risen, so we will Rise on that last dayThis morning I would invite you to either, remember and worship God for the forgiveness of sins and the joy you have in the resurrection of Jesus.Or for the first time say, “I am perishing in sin, Lord Jesus, you are alive on the Throne in Heaven, forgive me my sins, clothe me in your righteousness, take the throne of my heart, and grant me Resurrection life here and now. Then as one trusting in Christ by faith, Your life is freed from the guilt and power of sin, and one day you will have a heavenly life free from sorrow, tears, and the presence of sin forever. That is our certain hope this morning | Prayer This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jamesensley.substack.com