The Son of Man is Jesus' favourite way of introducing himself.
The Gospels tell us that the Son of Man came. We saw that a few weeks ago.
The Son of Man came, Mark 10, 45.
! The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Luke 19, verse 10.
The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
And they are purpose statements, aren't they?
That's what he came to do.
That is why Jesus came into this world.
He came into this world to rescue you and me and us.
But there is a third way that the sentence is used in Mark 7.
The Son of Man has come eating and drinking.
And that is a slightly different statement, isn't it?
That isn't a purpose statement.
It's not telling us what Jesus came to do.
It is telling us what was Jesus' life like.
It's telling us the method of Jesus' life.
If you want to know how Jesus came, how Jesus did life, the Gospel tells us he came eating and drinking.
I don't know about you, but I love that.
What can you not like about someone who came eating and drinking?
There's something very, very attractive to that.
At the heart of our faith is a Saviour who wants you to give your life to him.
And what does that look like?
What is that like?
Well, it's eating and drinking with him and other people.
So there are six stories in Luke's Gospel of him eating with people.
One scholar says that in Luke's Gospel Jesus is either going to a meal, at a meal, or is coming from a meal.
And there's something, isn't there, immediately attractive about that.
And we're looking at the meal after Jesus rose from the dead.
And this is Luke's primary post-resurrection account.
None of the other Gospel writers write about it.
Now, whatever your view of the historicity of Luke's Gospel,
I think you've got to admire what he's written here.
You've got to admire the level of drama.
He's got everything, isn't he?
This passage that Alison read just, it's got everything.
It's got sorrow.
It's got puzzlement.
It's got the glorious dawning of life.
It's got suspense.
It's got unexpected actions.
It's got astonished recognition.
And it closes with a flurry of excitement and activity.
But as well as actually being historical and a wonderful tale,
as well as giving us another account of a meal that Jesus is at,
Jesus here addresses people with dashed hopes.
So as we go through the story,
we're going to see that that is at the heart of what he's saying.
At the heart of this story is disappointment.
It's disappointment on the part of those whom Jesus meets.
Disappointment expressed by those two disciples
in the form of dashed hopes.
So do you see it in the middle of the account?
In the middle of the account, it says,
We had hoped.
Verse 21.
And I'm guessing there are quite a few of us here
that know the melody line of those three words, don't we?
We had hoped.
Among us as a congregation,
there will be those who've got dashed hopes financially.
We've got dashed hopes romantically.
We've got dashed hopes medically.
We've got dashed hopes in their work vocationally.
And some of you here may be feeling very disillusioned about life.
Maybe even cynical about it.
Definitely sad about it.
And as Jesus addresses the seeming hopelessness of these travellers,
I would suggest to you that he addresses your hopelessness as well.
And what I want us to discover today
is how does the risen Jesus give hope to the hopeless?
How does he give hope to the hopeless?
How does he encourage them?
We're going to see three things.
The first thing is,
we're going to see the humility of the risen Jesus.
The humility of the risen Jesus.
Look how Jesus operates in this passage.
Right from the start, look at verse 13.
That very day,
two of them were going to a village named Emmaus,
about seven miles from Jerusalem.
And they were talking with each other
about all these things that had happened.
And while they were talking and discussing together,
Jesus himself drew near and went with them.
But their eyes were kept from recognising them.
Right from the start,
Jesus is undercover, isn't he, here.
He draws alongside these two people
travelling from Jerusalem to Emmaus,
and he is incognito.
They don't recognise who is walking with them.
And Luke is actually more specific than that.
He says, to see verse 16,
they were kept from recognising Jesus.
Whether there were physical reasons for that,
I don't know.
However, the wording is such that
Luke wants you and I to know
that it was God who prevented them
from seeing it was Jesus.
Now let me say a quick word
about these two travellers,
before we look specifically at Jesus' humility.
Look at verse 18.
Alright?
You'll see that one of the travellers
is called Cleopas.
It's worth asking the question, isn't it?
Why does Luke give us the name of one
and not the other?
Some commentators think that it was Cleopas
and his wife that were walking through the church.
I think there's a good argument for that.
We might come back to that later.
But we're only told the name of one.
We're told the name of Cleopas.
Why is that?
Well, one of the things that's become
really, really popular,
I don't know whether you've heard it,
you've heard it if you go
slightly to different churches,
you've heard that it's fine to believe
in Jesus.
It's great to believe in Jesus,
but just forget the church.
Have you heard that?
I love Jesus,
I just don't like the church.
So you can believe in the divinity
and the person of Jesus,
and the focus needs to be
less on the doctrines,
the truths of who Jesus says he is,
and more just on his instruction
and on his teaching.
And that will solve
the credibility problem
in Christianity today, they say.
So, the church, bad,
Jesus, good.
Jesus, teaching, good,
but don't worry about the doctrine.
The problem with that,
the New Testament,
completely disagrees with it.
In the New Testament,
the history of Jesus,
the historicity of who Jesus said he was,
and what he said,
is absolutely central
to the Christian faith.
So, 1 Corinthians 15 tells us
that Christianity hangs
on the historical nature
of the resurrection.
People say,
whether it's actually true,
the miracles of the resurrection,
that isn't the big point.
You've got to understand
the way the story works.
The big point is not actually
whether it happened,
this kind of meaning
of the event.
The Apostle Paul says,
that is nonsense.
The Apostle Paul says,
I will send you to hell.
He puts his cards on the table,
and he said,
if this is true,
then your life can never
be the same again.
If this man died,
and rose again,
never to die again,
your life has got to be
affected by it.
If it's not true,
you and I are wasting
our Sunday morning.
The whole thing hangs
whether this is true or not.
And the whole thing
hangs on an incident
like this one.
And Luke says,
this was an historical event,
which brings us back
to Cleopas.
Why tell us his name?
Richard Bocum,
is a New Testament scholar,
and he argues that
the Gospel writers
deliberately named
their sources
within the text.
It's a brilliant sentence.
The Gospel writers
deliberately named
their sources
within the text
to assure the readers
of the authenticity
of the accounts.
It was the ancient way
of footnoting.
You know,
we put footnotes
at the bottom of the page
to check out the source.
That's what Luke is doing here
by giving you the name.
Luke didn't need to tell us
the name of either
of these people.
I mean,
if Cleopas is not named,
it doesn't affect
the story at all,
does it?
Richard Bocum argues
that Luke includes
the name
because readers
of this Gospel of Luke
would have known Cleopas.
And so would have been
able to go to Cleopas
and say,
listen,
I've read this,
did this really happen?
So Luke is right
in between the lines,
isn't he?
This is what happened.
If you want,
go and ask him.
It is an important
piece of evidence
for the Gospel.
that there were
these eyewitnesses
who could vouch
for the authenticity.
Luke is telling us
there was a man
called Cleopas.
This man,
Cleopas,
doesn't even recognise
who is walking with him
yet,
does he?
And I would suggest
to you that there are
three times in this encounter
where if you or I
had been in Jesus' shoes,
we would have let
the cat out of the bag
as to who we were.
So the first thing
is that he comes into
the company of Cleopas
and his companion.
Here are two people
who are relatively
insignificant
in the grand scheme
of things.
And Jesus chooses
to spend the afternoon
of his resurrection
walking with these
two nobodies
to Jerusalem,
to remit.
I mean,
if you or I
had been the first
person to rise
from the dead,
never to die again,
I am guessing
that is probably
not the way
that you would have
done it.
I would have called
a press conference,
I would have commissioned
the best hotel
in Jerusalem,
I would have made sure
the BBC were there,
and I would have been
tempted to look
straight into the camera
and say,
Pilate,
I told you so.
But Jesus doesn't
do that,
does he?
He comes alongside
these two travellers
and he starts to
walk with them.
And he asks them
a question,
verse 17,
doesn't he?
He asks them
a question,
what are you
talking about?
And it's a question
that stops the two
of them in their
tracks,
their downcast
feces,
reveal broken
hearts.
And it's probably
a question that
made them look
at Jesus
with two heads,
isn't it?
They say,
you're a visitor,
right?
You're not from
here.
It would be like
going up to
somebody in New
York on September
the 11th,
2001,
and asking,
what are you
talking about?
It didn't make
any sense at all.
Cleopas said,
don't you know
the things that
have happened
in Jerusalem
these days?
Cue opportunity
number two.
Surely now
is the great
moment of
revealing
who he
actually is.
But look how
he replies.
Look how he
replies.
He says,
verse 19,
I think it
is probably
the most
shocking
question of
the whole
of the
gospel.
What
things?
Isn't that
priceless?
Jesus has
gone through
the three
most excruciating
days in
human history
that any
human being
has ever
known before
or after
Jesus.
Not just
the physical
anguish of
death on
the cross
that was
terrible enough
but hell
itself.
As the
father pours
his wrath
upon the
son whom
he loves.
Judgment
upon Jesus.
So he
bears the
weight of
our sin
on our
behalf.
And he
pours it
out on
Jesus.
And now
when Jesus
is asked if
he knows
what has
happened in
the last
few days
and
Jesus says
what things?
The humility
of Jesus.
Well they
proceed to
tell Jesus
what they
somehow figure
that he's
missed.
Here is what
they say.
Look at
verse 19.
And he
said to
them what
things?
And they
said to
him concerning
Jesus of
Nazareth of
course.
A man
who was
a prophet
mighty in
deed and
word before
God and
all the
people.
And how
our chief
priests and
rulers delivered
him up to be
condemned to
death and
crucified him.
But we had
hoped that he
was the one to
redeem Israel.
Yes and
besides all this
it's now the
third day since
those things
have happened.
Moreover some
women in our
company amazed
us.
They were at
the tomb
early in the
morning.
But when they
did not find
his body they
came back saying
that they'd seen
a vision of
angels who'd
said that he was
alive.
Some of
those who
were with us
went to the
tomb and
found it just
as the woman
had said but
him they did
not see.
It's a very
interesting summary
on their part.
In many ways it
presents the
facts.
Many of the
elements of the
gospel are here.
It spoke of
Jesus' death.
They mentioned
the empty tomb.
But the crux of
the summary is in
verse 21.
We had hoped.
We had hoped
that he was
the one who
was going to
redeem Israel.
In other words
they'd hoped
that Jesus was
the Messiah.
They'd hoped
that this
Jesus was
God's
promised
king.
But if
Jesus had
been the
one to
redeem Israel
then he
would have
been defeating
the pagans
not dying
at their
hands.
And so they
said we'd
hoped.
We were
wrong.
How wrong
can you be?
How did
they know
they were
wrong?
Because Jesus
had been
killed.
That is not
the way the
script was
supposed to
go.
In their
minds at
best he
was a
prophet.
But he
was clearly
not who
he'd hoped
he would
be.
And it's
opportunity
number three
isn't it
for Jesus?
Here's the
perfect chance
to put them
out of their
misery and
so say I'm
back.
It's me.
Wouldn't
you do
it?
No glum
faces anymore.
Let's call
everybody.
Let's get
the gang
together.
Let's have
a party.
But Jesus
doesn't do
that.
Three
opportunities
where you
and I
would have
been.
We would
have
busted
guts to
tell people.
And Jesus
doesn't even
give them a
whiff.
And here
is unbelievable
supernatural
dare I say
it humility.
humility.
Here is
somebody who
I am
guessing that
everyone would
like to get
to know.
Because humility
is a very rare
commodity isn't
it?
And yet here
is a
personality with
something that
is absolutely
magnetic.
Something that
draws us in
and says to
us I've never
met anyone like
this before.
Here is the
humility of the
risen Jesus.
But if Jesus
isn't going to
reveal his
identity to
the travellers
what does
he do?
How does
Jesus give
hope to
the hopeless?
Well what
does he do?
Secondly he
points them to
the message.
The message
of Jesus.
In telling
them the
message Jesus
initially
well he
he seems
almost deep
in their
misery by
rebuking
them.
Look at
verse 25.
And he
said to
them oh
foolish ones
slow of heart
to believe all
that the
prophets have
spoken.
Was it not
necessary that
the Christ
would suffer
these things
and enter
into his
glory?
Jesus sounds
so insensitive
doesn't he?
These poor
people are at
rock bottom
downcast
hopeless
and Jesus
says you're
a bit slow
aren't you?
It's hardly
the politically
correct thing to
say is it at
the time of
grief?
But look at
what he makes
the accusation.
He says you
fail to
understand the
message that's
already been
given to you.
it's not
as if they
hadn't been
told this.
But the
Christ had
to suffer
these things
and enter
his glory.
And suddenly
for us
the reader
things become
a little bit
clearer.
Because Jesus
is showing us
here that he
hadn't revealed
himself to
these two
people because
they didn't
understand the
big picture.
Jesus seems
to be saying
that unless you
understand why
Jesus had to
die on Friday
you're never
going to understand
why you had to
rise on Sunday.
Or to put it
another way
the resurrection
really is only
good news if
you understand
the cross.
You see the
big mistake
that Cleopas and
his mate have
made is they
misunderstood about
the cross.
They thought
the cross meant
defeat and
Jesus says no
the cross means
victory.
They thought
the cross had
come as a
great shock
or surprise
nobody was
expecting it.
But Jesus
needs them to
understand not
only has he
been expecting
for it he's
been planning for
it with his
father from
all eternity.
They thought
that they
needed Jesus
to be a
mighty king
who would
get rid of
the Romans.
Jesus needed
them to
understand that
he was a
king who
would go
to a cross
because the
cross is the
only way to
deal with
your greatest
need.
And your
greatest need
of mine is
forgiveness.
Forgiveness from
a holy God
whom you have
offended.
Against whom
we have
rebelled.
Whom we have
derided and
ignored every
single one of
us.
And the reason
Jesus had to
go to the
cross and
not stick
around to
write his
memoirs.
To write
Jesus'
soup for the
soul or your
best life
now is because
the cross is the
only way.
The only way
that you and
I can be
forgiven and
restored into a
relationship with
the God who
made us.
The only way
that there is a
message of hope
for hopeless
people is if
we understand
that that hope
only comes through
the forgiveness
of a loving
God for our
rebellion against
him.
The only way
there is hope
for eternal
life is if we
have that
relationship with
God restored
because of what
Jesus has done
for us.
But the good
news is that
is what the
resurrection is
all about.
That Jesus
came into this
world not just
to set you an
example of how
you or I
should live.
He came to
give his life.
The Son of
Man came to
seek and to
save the lost.
The Son of
Man came not
to be served
but to serve
and to give
his life as a
ransom for
many.
He came to
take the
punishment that
you deserve.
Jesus came to
take hell so
that you and
I don't have
to take it.
The Son of
Man had to
suffer these
things and
then enter
his glory.
And that is
the message of
the risen
Christ.
The message
of the risen
Christ primarily
is not just
be like me
which is a
ridiculous message
isn't it?
Because believe
it or not you
can never be
like Jesus.
Jesus was
kind, you
be kind.
Or try it.
No, the
message is
salvation
is what you
need.
And this is
the message
Jesus communicates
to them while
incognito.
Because he
knew that those
two need to
know why he
had died on
Friday before
they get excited
about him
rising on
Sunday.
The humility
of Jesus,
the message
of Jesus,
which brings
us lastly to
the meal of
the risen
Jesus.
Don't forget
Jesus here is
incognito.
They don't
know who he
is.
He's been
speaking about
the Messiah
and his
suffering in
the third
person.
But that is
not enough
for Jesus.
Because Jesus
doesn't want
these two to
have a theology
lecture and
know a little
bit more about
Jesus.
He wants them
to know him.
He wants them
to know the
risen Jesus.
He wants a
relationship with
them.
Just like he
wants a
relationship with
you.
And he wants
more than a
formal relationship
with you.
He wants you
to know him.
Not just
about him.
And the
thing is he
can't give
hope to the
hopeless unless
that relationship
is there.
So the
question is how
can you and
I know this
Jesus?
And Luke
shows us here
that we get
to know Jesus
through his
word and
around his
table.
through his
word and
around his
table.
If I was to
ask you if you
know this
passage at
what point
do these
two travelers
begin to
hope again?
At which
point do
these two
travelers begin
to hope again?
I think most
of us would
say that it
came at the
table.
It came
when Jesus
was at their
home and he
broke the
bread and
their eyes
were opened
and they
recognized him
that it
was Jesus.
But that
isn't their
testimony.
After they
got to the
village and
Jesus had
actually come
in and their
eyes were
opened and
they recognized
him and
then he
vanished from
their sight.
Look at
verse 2.
They said to
each other,
what did
they actually
say?
Did they say
that was
amazing when
he broke
the bread I
realized Jesus
was alive?
No, that is
not what they
said.
Look at
verse 32.
They said
to each
other, did
not our
hearts burn
within us
while what?
What was
the turning
point for
these two
and their
helpless
hearts?
It says
there, doesn't
it?
While he
talked to
us on
the road,
while he
opened to
us the
scriptures.
It wasn't
actually the
breaking of
bread, although
that is very
important, we'll
see that in a
moment.
But it
was as
Jesus opened
the scriptures
to them.
And it
must have
been one
amazing Bible
study, isn't
it?
Verse 27,
beginning with
Moses and
all the
prophets, he
interpreted to
them in
all the
scriptures the
things concerning
himself.
Basically,
Jesus says,
if you want to
understand what
the Old
Testament is
about, it's
about him.
The whole
Bible is
about Jesus.
And this
afternoon Bible
study, with
two people
walking this
road from
Jerusalem to
Emmaus, in
order to
convince them
he was
alive, Jesus
doesn't reveal
his identity
to them,
but he
takes them to
the Bible,
and their
hearts burn.
Isn't that
something?
It strongly
suggests to
you and I
that if we're
looking to
know Jesus,
if we want
Jesus to
give us
hope, and
to comfort
us, and
to strengthen
us in the
midst of our
troubles, do
you know
where he
will take
you?
He'll take
you to the
Bible.
And he's
going to
take you to
the scriptures
which are all
about him.
And Jesus
gives hope to
the hopeless
by taking us
to the
scriptures.
And it is
why we as
a church
family,
unashamedly,
teach the
Bible Sunday
by Sunday
by Sunday.
And it is
why we are
making a song
and a dance
about Sunday
school, because
we want you to
go and have
more teaching.
And it's why
we want you to
encourage to get
along to a
house group, so
that you will
have more
teaching.
It is why in
every part of
church life, if
you cut it
open, there is
the teaching of
the Bible there.
Because it is
in the teaching
of the Word
that God
makes himself
known.
Because Jesus
models to us
here, if you
want to know
Jesus, he
takes you to
his Word.
He takes you
to the Bible.
But Luke
wants us to
see this.
He wants us
to know, to
get to know
Jesus, not
only in his
Word, but
around the
table.
Look at
verse 30
and 31.
When he
was at
table with
them, I
don't know
why the
ESV does
that.
What's the
difference between
at table and
at their
table?
Anyway, at
table, he
took the
bread and
blessed and
broke it and
gave it to
them.
And their
eyes were
opened and
they recognised
him and he
vanished from
their sight.
Finally, their
eyes are
opened and
they see who
they've been
travelling with
that
afternoon.
These two
travellers, they
are kept from
recognising
Jesus until
the three of
them started
eating together.
Food, meals
are so central
to Luke's
gospel.
In a sense, we
come to the
end, we
shouldn't be
surprised at
all.
The Son of
Man came
eating and
drinking with
sinners and
that is what
he will do
tonight at
the Lord's
table.
people.
But let me
give you one
specific pointer
on this
meal.
Listen to
this.
He broke
it and
gave it to
them.
They ate and
their eyes were
opened.
Mean anything
to you?
Mean anything
to you?
They ate and
their eyes were
opened.
should.
Way back in
Genesis chapter
three, the
beginning of
the Bible, we
read the first
recorded meal in
the Bible.
And it reads
like this.
She took of
its fruit and
ate and she
also gave some
to her husband
who was with
her and he
ate.
Then the eyes
of both of
them were
opened and
they knew that
they were
naked.
They ate and
their eyes
were opened.
They ate and
their eyes
were opened.
And for
centuries that
story had been
told from
generation to
generation, from
child to
child.
And the
hopelessness, it
was an
explanation.
Why is the
world as it
is?
Because she
took and she
ate and her
eyes were
opened.
It's the
explanation for
the hopelessness
and the
despair and the
alienation and
the frustration
that all
creation and
all of us
have experienced
ever since.
And if you
want to trace
death back and
hopelessness back
to its source,
that is where you
come to Genesis
3.
The point of
rebellion, when
Adam and Eve
would not trust
that God had
their best interest
at heart.
And at that
point, everything
unravels.
It's when your
life starts
unraveling.
When you don't
trust God, that
God has your
best interest at
heart.
But look what
Luke does here.
Luke takes some
of the language
of Genesis 3
and he describes
the first meal
of the new
creation.
He took bread,
he gave thanks,
and he broke
it, and he
gave it to
them, and their
eyes were opened
and they
recognised him.
For these two
people, possibly
a couple like
Adam and Eve,
they discovered
that the long
curse,
has been
broken.
But there is
no hope,
and there is
no comfort
for the
hopeless.
But the
curse has
been reversed.
Why has
the curse
been reversed?
Why?
Because our
greatest enemy,
death, has
been defeated.
And you
cannot
underestimate
how huge
this is.
The curse
from Genesis
3 has been
lifted,
because Jesus
has defeated
death.
But not
only that,
the Son of
Man having
defeated death,
what does
he do?
He eats.
And Jesus
shows that
life after
death is
still physical.
Life after
death is
still physical.
He eats with
his resurrection
body.
So that we
understand that
in the new
creation, it's
it's not that
reality is
negated, and
we're all
spiritual beings.
No, it's
renewal.
It's
fulfilment.
The resurrection
of Jesus is
the beginning
of the promise
of the renewal
of all things.
And the
future,
therefore, is a
physical future.
And because
it's a physical
future, do you
know what we
will do?
Do you know
what we will
do in the
new creation?
We will
feast.
And the
best feast
that you've
ever had
is a shadow
of the feast
that has
come in.
The prophet
Isaiah says,
the Lord of
hosts will
make for all
people a feast
of rich food,
of well-aged
wine, full of
marrow, aged
wine, well-refined,
Isaiah 25.
That is the
future.
That is the
future hope.
Even in the
midst of present
struggles, we
come to the
Lord's table, and
we think that is
the future.
Even in the
midst of
discouragement, but
it is a future
that calls for
response.
And Jesus is
calling for
response, a
call for
involvement, a
call to
participate, to
pull up a
chair at the
table.
And Jesus
says, I
want you to
know.
And you
see, you
cannot remain
a passive
observer.
You can
reject the
invitation, but
with Jesus
there is never
neutrality.
humility.
The question
is, why
would you
ever want to
reject this
invitation?
The Son of
Man came
eating and
drinking.
Don't you
want to get
to know
him?
This Jesus
of disarming
humility,
wouldn't it be
great to get
to know him?
This Jesus who
gives hope to
the hopeless.
Pull up a
chair, come to
the feast, sit
at the table,
and come to
know the risen
Jesus.
Let's pray.