40 Days: Road to emmaus
•Download as PPTX, PDF•
1 like•790 views
This is the second sermon in the post-Easter series 40 days. This sermon focuses on Luke 24:13-35 concerning Jesus appearance to the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus.
Recommended
More Related Content
What's hot
What's hot (16)
Similar to 40 Days: Road to emmaus
Similar to 40 Days: Road to emmaus (20)
More from Stephen Palm
More from Stephen Palm (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
40 Days: Road to emmaus
- 3. First Point
- 4. Luke 24 13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem,
- 5. Luke 24 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened.
- 6. Luke 24 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them.
- 7. Luke 24 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
- 8. Luke 24 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.
- 9. We don’t know the precise location of Emmaus ???
- 10. We don’t know the precise identity of these two disciples ???
- 11. Luke 24:18a Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him… John 19:25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
- 14. Luke 24 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
- 15. We don’t know why Jesus chose to conceal his identity. ???
- 16. 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,
- 17. Luke 24 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him.
- 18. Luke 24 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.
- 19. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”
- 20. Second Point
- 21. Luke 24 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning,
- 22. Luke 24 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.
- 23. Luke 24 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. Third Point
- 26. Luke 24 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!
- 27. Luke 24 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”
- 28. Luke 24 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
- 29. Luke 24 28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther,
- 30. Luke 24 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.
- 31. Fourth Point
- 32. Luke 24 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them.
- 33. Luke 24 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.
- 34. 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?”
- 35. 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together,
- 36. 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Luke 24
- 37. 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. Luke 24
Editor's Notes
- Today we will look at the journey that the two disciples made with Jesus as they walked together along the Road to Emmaus. As I look at this familiar account, I am struck by this fact… that many of us are on the same journey that they were. If you are a follower of Jesus, then you too are walking with the risen Christ. My purpose this morning is that we would observe a few of the key moments along their journey and gain valuable insight on our walk of faith.
- First Point The story of this post-resurrection road trip with Jesus begins with lots of “unknowns.”
- Luke 24 13 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.
- We don’t know the precise location of Emmaus The Bible identifies Emmaus as being 7 miles from Jerusalem. • Bible scholars have located several possible sites, all north of Jerusalem. • This would put Emmaus in a very dangerous place today, the Palestinian “West Bank.” • Emmaus is referred to as a city, not a village. • These two men are doing what most of us do after momentous events. • They are debriefing. • They are trying to make sense of it all.
- We don’t know the precise identity of these two disciples Jesus joins two disciples on the road to Emmaus. One of them is named, although we don’t know precisely who he is. The other is entirely unnamed. Are there any clues that would help us to unlock their identities. There are.
- In Luke 24:18 we see that the named disciple is Cleopas. The name Cleopas is not a common name. Thus, if we find someone else close to Jesus bearing that name, they are likely the same person. In John 19:25 we find a very similar name. One of the woman present at the crucifixion of Jesus is identified as Mary, the wife of Clopas. Now, for us, a single letter is typically exclusionary. Even spelling is exclusionary. My son is Erik with a “k”. I know lots of Erics with a “c”. Not the same name. However, in the Holy Land during Jesus’ day, it was common for people to have both a Hebrew name and a similar Greek form of that name. For example, Peter’s given Hebrew name was Simeon. His Greek name was Simon. The same would be true of Cleopas… that is the Greek version of the Hebrew Clopas. Given the rarity of the name and the compatible forms, it is likely that one of the men on the road to Emmaus was the husband of one of the Marys who was standing beside Jesus’ mother at the crucifixion of Jesus. But can we learn anything else about this man, other than his wife’s name? There is a very interesting possibility. One of the earliest historians of the Christian church was Eusebius of Caesarea. During the early fourth century he began recording a detailed history of the first few centuries of the Christian Church. At times he quoted an earlier historian, Hegesippus, who lived from 110 – 180 B.C. Hegesippus history is lost to us except for 8 fragments quoted by Eusebius. In one of those fragments Hegesippus recorded that Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph, had a brother named Clopas. This means that the named disciple who speaks to Jesus could well have been his uncle. But what about the unnamed disciple walking with Cleopas and Jesus? Can we know anything of him? It may well be that this disciple’s identity is obscured by our assumptions. First, there’s the artwork.
- Whether you look at the Dutch Masters or more modern artwork, all the paintings include an assumption that both disciples were men. Luke’s gospel simply identifies those on the road to Emmaus as “two of them”. Cleopas was a man, but the gender of the second Christ-follower is not stated. Some theologians have theorized that the unnaming of the second disciple makes more sense if that disciple is a woman. And if Cleopas is Jesus’ aunt, it is very possible that the unnamed companion is his wife. Thus, it is entirely possible that Jesus is walking with his aunt and uncle!
- Thus, it is entirely possible that this would be a more accurate picture… that Jesus was walking to Emmaus with his aunt and uncle! Now, perhaps your wondering what’s the take-away here? Why does it matter whether these were two men or Jesus’ aunt and uncle? I think that there is a very important lesson here concerning our personal bible reading. Be careful about the assumptions you bring into the text. We are such a visual culture. I think our understanding of the Bible is equally shaped by the movies and art we see. Thus we come to believe that Eve offered Adam an apple… the Bible never identifies the fruit. Since the 3rd century there has been a powerful assumption that there were 3 wisemen. The Bible mentions three gifts. Since the 6th century Mary Magdalene has been depicted as a prostitute. Also not in the Bible. It is hard not to bring our cultural assumptions into the text, but this can distort our understanding of scripture, or limit us from seeing broader possibilities. Now, whether Jesus is walking with two male disciples or his aunt and uncle, there is an obvious question. How were they unaware of his identity. Although we don’t know exactly where Emmaus was, or the name or gender of the second disciple, this we do know. Verse 16 tells us:
- 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
- Yet, from this known fact comes the biggest unknown of all. We don’t know why Jesus chose to conceal his identity. Jesus may have concealed his identity to Mary Magdalene initially. He seems to have done so when He first appeared to the seven disciples by the Sea of Galilee. I don’t think it was a part of His personality. I do think that it is a part of His strategy concerning how best to reveal truth. Jesus spoke in parables. The disciples called him out on this. They asked him why He didn’t speak more plainly. But I think what happens next provides us with an insight. Let’s resume Cleopas’ statement to Jesus.
- 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. Notice that Jesus’ lack of immediate disclosure has led to a pondering of His ministry and claims about Himself. As Cleopas instructs the stranger as to recent happenings, he reflects upon Jesus’ prophetic ministry. He spoke of the future. Jesus performed signs and wonders. After 400 years without a prophet, clearly a prophet had come in their midst. Cleopas also relates the cruel actions of the religious leaders who delivered Jesus up for crucifixion. And then, Cleopas shares his heart. He reveals his shattered dreams in a carefully chosen tense. In Greek, Cleopas’ words are uses the imperfect tense. “Had hoped” is not the best translation of this tense. Had hoped suggests that these disciples have now abandoned all hope. It suggests that they have given up on Jesus. However, the imperfect active is used to express a past action with continuing activity into the present. There is no good way to express this in English, except in my birthplace of Brooklyn, New York, where my Dad grew up. At times my Dad would say, “we was hoping” That is the imperfect indicative. It means that Cleopas had not abandoned all hope. But clearly, there was a crisis here. Jesus death had upset all the apple carts.
- I came across a great quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Referencing the frustrating ups and downs of the civil rights movement, he said, ““We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” There is the difference between “We had hoped” and “We was hoping”. It’s that glimmer of hope that remains that preserves the truth that God may yet show up and intervene in marvelous ways. The ability to accept finite disappoint but not lose infinite hope is the very essence of the walk of faith. Be careful in the midst of life’s many disappointments not to lose that vital spark of trust in God’s goodness and power.
- Second Point The story of this post-resurrection road trip with Jesus journeys towards a great possibility.
- 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.”
- Third Point Putting the pieces together
- 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.
- Fourth Point Hearts Aflame
- 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!”