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Amen.
His heart beats.
Praise the Lord.
That's good news, isn't it?
We've done that throughout this service to celebrate the risen, living Jesus.
It goes beyond one Easter Sunday, doesn't it?
He's alive today.
His heart beats today.
Never more to die.
That's why we're here, to rejoice in him.
He meets with us this morning.
In fact, the living Jesus shows up in people's lives all the time, doesn't he?
That's what he does.
He's like that.
We're going to see it as we keep studying.
We're getting to the very end of Luke.
Two people in my family this week said, so what are we doing now that Luke is over?
I said, hold on.
Just because we got to the resurrection doesn't mean we finished the book.
Let me hang on a little longer.
Jesus is going to appear now in several instances, show up in people's lives between his resurrection and his ascension to heaven.
He's only got a few chances to share his heart with his followers.
What's important to the risen Jesus?
We're going to see one of those stories this morning.
I've always wished I was there for.
This is Luke 24.
It's on page 885 of the Bible in the pew in front of you.
You may find that helpful to follow along as we're going to read this story together as we go.
This morning of Jesus meeting two of his followers who are sad and heading home.
Let's pray and then we'll talk together.
Holy Spirit, we need you.
We ask for your help because we are discussing things too great for us to know and understand.
The fact that our Savior is alive is too much for us to get our minds around.
And so we ask that you would help us, that you would teach us as we look at the word of God together.
Be with us and work in each of our hearts that none of us would miss Jesus this morning.
We ask it in his name.
Amen.
It's amazing how easy it is to miss someone great even when they're right near you.
A couple years ago, Christy and I got to go to an Auburn football game.
Now, Alabama fans, we already sang a song with Crimson Tide in it this morning.
So don't get jealous.
They were playing another Orange Tiger team that we'll go without naming.
But we were hanging out before the game with our friends at a tailgate when all of a sudden I noticed a small group of people walking down the road near our tailgate.
And I looked up and this is what I saw.
You see who it is?
You see him right there?
You can't tell from the great picture I got who that is?
Right there in the middle is Cam Newton.
See, he's got a...
There it is.
That's Cam Newton right there.
Cam Newton, the Auburn quarterback, Heisman Trophy winner, national champ.
This guy's great.
And I wasn't the only one who noticed.
A handful of us out of the hundreds at the tailgate started walking quickly behind this crowd trying to get a picture that good.
And so we were walking behind them.
And this was what was really amazing to me.
This is why I tell you this story.
Do you know how many Auburn fans came up to me as they saw us following this crowd and said, hey, who is that?
Who is that?
Y'all, they had cheered for him.
They'd spent Saturdays together for multiple falls.
Hours cheering for him.
They'd watched him on TV over and over.
They admired him greatly.
But he walked right by him.
And without his name on the back of his jersey, they didn't know who it was.
Cam Newton was right there.
And it was really easy to miss it, even if you were standing right beside him.
That same thing can happen with Jesus, can't it?
For different reasons, perhaps, and in different contexts, we can be near Jesus.
We can know lots about him.
We can cheer for his team.
But we may not truly know him.
That's where the tension develops in this story that we're going to read this morning.
As we read this story, it's still Easter Sunday.
Remember, in Luke's account, no one yet has met Jesus.
He hasn't appeared to anyone.
Several have seen the empty tomb.
But so far, no one has seen the risen Jesus.
And then, he shows up.
Luke 24, verse 13.
That very day, two of them who'd been in the room hearing these reports from the empty tomb,
two of those 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.
While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them.
Jesus himself, he showed up.
Two of those followers of Jesus who've been in Jerusalem and hearing reports are now walking home a few miles.
And Jesus himself shows up.
And we expect next to be, ta-da, it's me.
Verse 16.
But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
When you see that passive voice in the Bible, it often is referring to God's work.
What God is doing.
Somehow keeping them from recognizing him.
We know Jesus' resurrected body is a bit different.
But there's also divine activity going on here.
We don't know exactly why right now.
But I think we'll see a little bit as we keep reading what God is up to.
Notice what Jesus does.
Verse 17.
And he, Jesus, said to them,
What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?
And they stood still looking sad.
Jesus enters into their situation and he listens.
There's a lot we could learn from that, by the way, isn't there?
But he still does that today.
Entering into our doubts, our fears, our disappointments.
And these two followers have plenty of those, don't they?
Let's keep reading.
One of them, named Cleopas, answered him,
Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened these days?
I want you to feel the pain of what they're about to say to Jesus.
There's a lot of things they've seen happening in Jerusalem.
And this is more evidence of the historical reality of Luke's account.
Listen, these things, everybody knows about them, right?
Everybody's talking.
You can ask anyone.
They'll tell you what's been happening.
And they're standing right there.
Feel the pain of what they're about to say to the risen Jesus right there beside them.
Jesus said, What things?
And they said, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth.
Ever heard of him?
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 these things happened.
Moreover, some women of our company amazed us.
They were at the tomb early in the morning.
And when they did not find his body, they came back saying they'd even seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive.
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.
Y'all, these are the things we talk about and celebrate.
Usually when you give this report of Easter morning, it's with joy.
He's not here.
The angels told the women he's alive.
But they're discouraged, aren't they?
Him they did not see.
We're usually celebrating our redemption by Jesus.
His mighty words and deeds.
His death.
His empty tomb.
And they've witnessed all of it.
But they're sad.
Let down.
Missing Jesus.
He's walking right there with them.
And they don't know him.
Isn't it so easy for that to happen?
These followers are right there near Jesus but miss him completely.
They have an extraordinary amount of Bible knowledge.
We'll see.
They know the prophets.
They're good Jewish people.
They're in the inner circles in Jerusalem for the Passover and the crucifixion.
So what keeps them from recognizing Jesus?
Disappointed expectations for one.
They thought he would do different things in their lives.
And the fact that he's not delivering them from Roman oppression is frustrating and confusing to them.
They had hoped that.
But the cross put that hope out really fast, really strong.
That's why they're still down.
Have you felt that in your own life before?
Some of you keep coming to church but deep in your heart you gave up on a living Jesus years ago.
In the midst of grief or heartache.
They've also witnessed evil perpetrated by religious leaders.
I bet there's more than a couple of you in here today who find it hard to see Jesus because of the marred vision of him that someone in church leadership has given you at some point in your life.
How about the chief priests and leaders gave the Messiah, the Son of God, over to be killed?
You think that could leave your hopes discouraged?
Your vision of Jesus disenchanted really fast?
I bet it would.
Maybe you've felt that.
How about being distracted from Jesus by busyness?
They've had so many things going on.
All these things that have been happening.
Plans they've been making.
And they've missed who he really is for them.
Now the good thing is I know that none of you are busy with the cares of this life.
But if you ever are.
If you ever see that day.
I warn you and I plead with you.
Be careful not to miss Jesus in the rush of lesser priorities.
It's so easy.
Perhaps missing Jesus can even be caused by information overload.
What do I mean by that?
Well, they seem to know everything about Jesus, don't they?
They can tell you all sorts of things he's been doing, what he's like.
But they've missed who he really is.
I grew up in church as a pastor's kid and learned a lot of stuff about Jesus.
And spent several years knowing about Jesus without actually knowing Jesus.
I knew in so much in some ways that I could keep my personal need for him at arm's length.
There were probably people at my tailgate that day who could have told you the score of every game that Cam Newton ever played in.
Could have given you lots of statistics on him.
Knew lots of things about him.
But when he walked by without his name on the jersey, they didn't know him.
Kids, is Jesus just some questions and answers that you've memorized?
Is Jesus just someone you've heard some stories about when you come to church?
Or have you actually met Jesus in your life and seen how much you need him to die and rise for you?
Are you starting to feel a little uncomfortable for Cleopas and his companion?
Him they did not see.
We just can't find this Jesus anywhere.
They've heard all these reports and they've concluded, oh well.
Empty tomb.
Time to move on, I guess.
Going home sad.
On Easter Sunday.
Jesus is really not okay with where his followers are stuck.
Sad.
Disenchanted.
Missing him.
Verse 25.
Jesus said to them,
Oh foolish ones.
And slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?
And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
One of the reasons Jesus is not revealed to them right away is that apparently he has a sermon that he wants them to hear and to understand.
Remember, he's mighty in word and in deed.
Here are some words he wants them to know and understand in new ways because Jesus himself in the flesh is not always going to be there with them, is he?
And he wants them to know and understand his word.
Now two reasons I'm jealous.
First, because Jesus preaches probably a two hour sermon.
They're walking seven miles.
And it's a really powerful one.
So starting next week in an effort to be more like Jesus among you.
Just kidding.
The real reason I'm jealous, y'all, is can you imagine that sermon?
You just sat through this two hour sermon.
You'd walk out on me, but you just sat through this one.
Jesus unfolding everything in the Bible, beginning with Moses and all the prophets.
He interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Listen to me.
The risen Jesus wants to open your Bible with you and help you meet him there.
Isn't that good?
He wants to meet you there and help you know him.
At Southwood, we are committed to being Christ-centered.
Giving glory to Jesus, proclaiming the good news of his finished work is the goal of our corporate worship,
all of our ministries, and our life and community together.
That's what we're about.
So there's a reason that at a church committed to being Christ-centered,
every single Sunday, this book is open on this pulpit.
It always points us to Jesus.
That's what he's telling us.
Since every page of the Bible points us to Jesus,
every sermon, every Sunday school lesson,
every conversation we have should point us back to Jesus
so that we live each day in his strength rather than our own
and for his glory rather than our own.
Amen?
That's why God has us here.
The angels did this last week, didn't they?
Remember what they pointed the women at the tomb back to?
Remember his words?
Remember how he told you that this would have to happen?
Jesus is going to do it again with his followers in the next passage,
the next time he appears to them,
and he does it again here,
pointing them back to Scripture so that they understand who he is.
Here's where you know him, he says.
I want you to know who I am.
Open your Bibles.
In this case, he especially wants you to know
why he had to suffer and die
to then enter into his glory.
I'll admit I don't know everything that Jesus said to these two
on the road to Emmaus,
but I think we get some idea from the way his followers
will write things in the New Testament.
They make many connections back to the Old Testament,
I suspect, because many of them heard them from him.
The words here indicate that Jesus told them
how the whole story of the Hebrew Scriptures
pointed to a Messiah
who would die to rescue God's people
and reunite them to God in covenant relationship.
Maybe he started with Genesis.
How God's people were created for a relationship with him
that they broke by eating the fruit,
and how in that moment God's promise to fix that relationship
would come at a cost.
The painfully bruised heel of the one promised
to crush the head of the serpent.
Maybe he mentioned the ram caught in the thicket
that died as a substitute offering
in place of Abraham's son Isaac.
Certainly he reminded them of the Passover lamb, right?
Whose blood had to be shed
to deliver God's people from Egypt
and bring them to the promised land
where they could worship him.
How as soon as God took up residence
in the tabernacle or in the temple,
what had to happen?
Sacrifices had to be there
for a sinful people to be able to live
in relationship with a holy God.
All of those sacrifices had to start.
And maybe even mentioned that the Messiah
was the new temple in his flesh.
Had they heard of the torn curtain yet?
Did you hear what happened a couple nights ago?
The new temple is here because the Messiah has come.
Maybe he explained how the bronze serpent
was lifted up in the wilderness
so that those who would look up at the serpent
at what was killing them would live.
And how someone had to be lifted up
as sin for God's sinful people
so that as they looked up at what was killing them,
they too would live with God again.
And when God's people are run out of God's land
and they're far from him,
he sends prophet after prophet to call them home,
to remind them he forgives,
to reassure them that he loves them.
He will never give up on this relationship
that he created them for.
And all the prophets are saying
that someone's coming to make sure it happens.
And I bet you he talked about the prophet Isaiah
who said there's gonna be a suffering servant.
The one coming to make this happen
will not just be a glorious king,
he'll be one.
In order to bring many back
into right relationship with God,
will suffer.
be pierced,
crushed,
wounded,
sorrowful,
to the point that the psalmist would say
that he cries out,
my God, my God,
why have you forsaken me?
And Jesus said,
have you heard those words lately?
Do you see how it's all coming to this Messiah?
Don't you see, Jesus says,
that the Messiah had to suffer and die
for you to know God?
It was the only way.
Before then,
a glorious,
triumphant resurrection.
Friends,
don't let anyone
discourage you from your Old Testament.
Jesus wouldn't have it.
I can't believe you're hearing that
in churches these days.
Every page of the Old Testament
is preparing us
to long for
and rejoice in
a Savior who brings us
back to God,
who fixes the relationship
we broke
at great personal cost
to himself.
Jesus says,
you'll meet me
and know me better
there.
That's my story.
And it's yours too
if you trust in me.
Amazing words,
I'm sure,
was much better than that.
It was longer.
But the story continues.
And it leaves us in suspense
for
Cleopas and his companion.
They still don't understand.
So they drew near to the village
to which they were going
and Jesus acted
as if he were going farther
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.
Jesus diverts to
Emmaus.
I think Cleopas
and his companion,
something's going on
in their hearts
but they're not,
don't let this guy go yet.
We're still not sure
we've got it figured out.
But Jesus stops
not just because it's dark
but because he wants them
to know him.
Their eyes aren't open yet.
Verse 30,
when he was at the table
with them,
he took the bread
and blessed it
and broke it
and gave it to them
and their eyes
were opened
and they recognized him
and he vanished
from their sight.
Luke doesn't tell us
for sure what God
used to open
their eyes
to see their Savior
but we know
it was as he sat
and ate
with them
as he blessed
and broke bread.
Maybe
maybe seeing
his nail-pierced hands
up close.
Maybe watching
the way he
blessed the bread
and spoke to his father
in a way no one else did.
It was like he did
before the feeding
of the 5,000.
Maybe that helped
but whatever it was
they have an experience
with the risen Jesus.
An experience
of his deeds.
Deeds that match
his words.
Not isolated deeds.
Deeds that match
his words.
They've heard
and confirmed
the truth
of a living Savior.
It's not just
that he was promised
to rise from the dead.
He's actually here.
We're seeing him.
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?
Cleopas said
when that happened
did you feel
something?
I was feeling something.
That's why
it was Jesus.
Even
even the empty tomb
and the discarded
grave cloths
hadn't
hadn't helped them
believe
but now
they see
Jesus.
Jesus wants them
truly to encounter
and experience
him.
That
experience
of meeting him
and knowing him
personally
is different
for each of us
isn't it?
But Jesus still
makes himself
known
today.
How has it
happened in
your life?
Maybe through
an answered prayer?
Through a
burning heart
as you were
reading or
listening to
God's word?
Through an
unmistakable voice
calling you
to follow
and trust
him?
What was it
like for you?
Pastor Chunu
is one of many
I got to know
in India
a few weeks
ago.
His story
is remarkable
but not at
all unusual.
Chunu grew
up in a
Hindu family
that prayed
to many
different gods
and goddesses
but never
heard anything
back from any
of them.
Never had
anything like
a relationship.
Never
considered that
a possibility.
As a young
man he got
seriously ill
and doctors
were perplexed.
Multiple
Hindu priests
praying to
multiple gods.
They were
getting desperate
and nothing
was helping
but he had
a friend
who got
really concerned
for his
life.
It looked
like perhaps
he had
days to
live and
so his
friend took
him to
a Christian
pastor.
He'd never
heard anything
about Jesus
but he went
to this
pastor who
prayed for
him and
for his
healing and
Jesus met
him.
Healed
him.
And ever
since that
day Chunu
has been
learning more
of this
living God.
a God
that he
knows now
he can
actually
have a
relationship
with.
He's been
learning from
the Bible.
He studied
God's word.
He's sharing
with others
about the
Jesus who
met him.
And so I
got to go
and as I
taught that
week we
talked through
the stories
of Ruth
and Jonah
and others
in the Old
Testament and
he would say
oh yeah
that's my
God.
I recognize
Jesus there.
That's what
he's like.
I've met
him.
He met
God in
his deeds
first.
first and
then in
his words.
Maybe your
story is more
like my
story.
Kids I
was in
church like
you remember.
I told you
I knew a
lot about
Jesus.
I'd learned
a lot of
things.
I knew he
loved people.
I knew that
he died for
sinners but
I really
wasn't sure
I was one
of them.
I mean I
was supposed
to be true
that I was
a sinner but
I don't know
it didn't
always feel
like that.
And so it
took some
time as I
got older
for me
personally to
realize my
need for
Jesus.
I remember
one night
when my
sin was so
overwhelming to
me that I
got really
scared.
I was afraid
of what a
big sinner I
was and I
didn't know what
to do about
it.
I went to
talk to
my dad.
I said
dad help.
I'm scared.
And he
told me about
God's love
for me.
And other
people at my
church told me
about God's
love for me
so that Jesus
met me there
and I had this
overwhelming sense
not just that
Jesus loved
people and died
for sinners but
that Jesus loved
this sinner
and died for
me.
I recognized
the Jesus that
I'd heard about
over and over
in the Bible
since my
birth.
In fact
there's several
ladies here this
morning from the
church I grew up
in and since
they're here I
might as well
just say they
taught me in
Sunday school
what Jesus was
like.
They taught me
in eighth grade
literature class
what Jesus was
like and then
I met him.
then he showed
up and all the
things I'd learned
about made sense
and I knew him
and I praise the
Lord for how he
works in our lives
like that.
For me words
first and then
an experience.
Jesus meets us
often in very
ordinary ways.
If you've never
met him or if he
seems distant
today lean into
his word and his
people he will
meet you.
I love this
beautiful picture
of what happens
when the risen
Jesus shows up
in your life.
This is the end
of the story.
Cleopas and his
friend realize
they've been with
Jesus.
Their hearts have
been burning
within them and
despite the
darkness it's not
safe anymore
without finishing
their dinner.
They hurry back
to Jerusalem to
tell everyone the
big news.
Verse 33 they
rose that same
hour and returned
to Jerusalem and
they found the
eleven and those
who were with
them gathered
together saying
the Lord is risen
indeed and has
appeared to Simon.
Then they told
them what had
happened on the
road and how he
was known to
them in the
breaking of the
bread.
It's kind of funny
to imagine them
rushing in with
their big news
only to find
everyone already
talking about
meeting Jesus.
Hey y'all guess
who we met?
Hey Peter just
talked to Jesus.
Oh man no more
surprise.
It's like me
running to find
my friends.
Hey I saw
Cam Newton and
they're standing
there comparing
autographs they've
already gotten.
But we might
think of that as
discouraging.
It doesn't dampen
their enthusiasm
does it?
No way.
Y'all the risen
Jesus is not about
who has the best
story is it?
It's about sharing
together all night
about the Jesus
who met them.
Brothers and
sisters here's a
glimpse of gospel
community.
You want to taste it
this morning?
Just imagine
Peter says he
met me.
Let me tell you
about his grace
for failures.
And Mary says he
met me in the
garden.
Let me tell you
how he showed up
in the midst of my
grief and transformed
my life.
And Cleopas says
hey yeah he met us
too on the road.
In fact he was
breaking bread and
then we recognized
him.
And hey y'all
get your scrolls
out.
Open up.
Turn to Leviticus.
Look what it says
about him.
I never saw it
before.
He told us this.
Can you imagine
what that night was
like?
One of them after
another.
Do you see how
Jesus is setting up
his church to work?
People with
different experiences,
different stories,
different gifts,
now sharing how
he met them.
them and sharing
his word together.
Is your small group
like that?
How could you help
make it more like
that?
Stay for a connect
community today.
Connecting with each
other around God's
word.
Why?
So that we all know
Jesus more.
Right?
See this story
shows us how
committed the
risen Jesus is to
our knowing
him.
He wants us to
know him.
In his word,
in our personal
experience, in
particular through
his people, he
patiently and
persistently lingers
with us through
our doubts,
our pain,
our struggles,
struggles,
because he
doesn't want us
to miss him.
He wants you
to know him
and he'll keep
working with you
patiently.
It doesn't always
happen once in a
moment.
Jesus will stay
with you.
He wants you to
have the relationship
with your father
that he went to
the cross to give
you.
We're going to see
in the next
passage how
committed the
risen Jesus is to
our making him
known.
But here he
begins by walking
with us, opening
his word to our
burning hearts,
breaking bread in
the midst of our
lives, really
showing up so
that we will know
and have
relationship with
him.
The risen Jesus
is so committed
to you knowing
him that he's
here this morning.
That's how
passionate he is
about it.
He doesn't want
you merely to
hear his word
preached.
He wants you to
see and touch
and taste his
love for you.
So by his
spirit he meets
you in a meal.
Jesus said that
he sat with his
followers that night.
This is my body
which is broken
for you.
Do this in
remembrance of
me and so I
ministering in his
name.
Give this bread to
you and say take
eat.
This is the body
of Jesus broken
for you.
And after supper
he took the cup
and said this cup
is the new covenant
in my blood.
Shed for many
for the forgiveness
of sins.
Drink from it
all of you.
This table is not
Southwood's table
or the Presbyterian
churches.
It's the Lord's
table.
So if Jesus who
died and rose for
you is your only
hope, your living
trust today, then
please come eat,
celebrate with us.
Come touch and
taste and know
Jesus more.
But no matter how
much you know
about Jesus,
if you don't
personally trust
him, if you
haven't placed
your faith in
him and entered
into a relationship
with him, then
we'd invite you
this morning not
to come to
these elements,
but to Jesus
himself.
Contemplate
these as you
see them, the
body and the
blood of Jesus
given for you.
We'd love for you
to still come
forward to these
tables.
You can ask us
to pray with you
if you'd like.
We'd love the
chance to talk
with you longer,
maybe even after
the service, and
tell you more
about Jesus.
He's the one
we'd want you
to take this
morning, not
this picture of
him that we
celebrate.
And then some
of you will be
coming to this
table to celebrate
with us for the
first time.
And it's really
special that you
get to do that.
We're so excited.
Our prayer for you,
young ones, is that
every time you come
to this table, some
of you maybe
thousands of times
in your life, that
you will remember
how much Jesus
loves you, that
you would taste
that, that you
would know him, and
that you'd never
forget that.
Let's pray and
we'll celebrate
together.
Jesus, thank you
for revealing
yourself to us
again this morning.
by your spirit, would
you open our
hearts, open blind
eyes, bring life
where there's been
dryness and
distance.
Help us to see
you and know you.
Use these common
elements for that
holy purpose that our
faith in you would
grow.
We would know you
more.
We ask in Jesus'
name.
Amen.
For more
information, visit us
online at
southwood.org.