The Risen Hope: Encountering Jesus on the Road to Emmaus

of the chains are released, I can sing I am free and not die but through Christ in me. For Jesus, what he has said that he will bring me home, and day by day I know he will renew me, until I stand rejoicing for the throne. Jesus, all my hope is only Jesus, all the glory evermore to him. When the grace is complete, still my lips shall repeat, I will not die but through Christ in me. Jesus, all my hope is only Jesus, all the glory evermore to him. When the grace is complete, still my lips shall repeat, I will not die but through Christ in me. In the grace is complete, still my lips shall repeat, I will not die but through Christ in me. He said to them, how foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken.

Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the scriptures concerning himself. As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he was going further, but they urged him strongly, stay with us, for it's nearly the evening, the day is almost over. So he went in to stay with them.

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognised him, and he disappeared from their sight. 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? They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, it is true, the Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon. Then the two told what had happened on the way. They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven and those with them, assembled together, and saying, It is true, the Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.

Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognised by them when he broke the bread. Thank you, John. Sorry, that was my fault.

I said read up to verse 34. I meant 35. I don't think we're going to sing the next song. I think this is the opportunity for those of primary school age to go through to Outback. Are you taking them this morning, Peter? So if that's you, follow Peter.

And once the youngsters have gone, we'll pray, and then we'll look at God's word together. Perhaps you would open your Bibles again if you'd closed them, or keep them open if you haven't closed them. And we're going to focus for a little while this morning on these verses that John read to us just a few moments ago. That's right. I wonder, can you imagine living without hope? Without hope, we very quickly become discouraged, and we may even feel like giving up altogether. Hope is something that keeps us going. Hope is something that gives us something to look forward to.

The Parade magazine, sorry, from the Parade magazine, comes the story of a self-made millionaire, Eugene Lang, who greatly changed the lives of a sixth grade class in East Harlem. Lang had been asked to speak to a class of 59 sixth graders, but what could he say to inspire these students, most of whom would drop out of school? He wondered how he could get these predominantly black and Puerto Rican children even to look at him. Scrapping his notes, he decided to speak to them from his heart. Stay in school, he admonished, and I'll help pay the college tuition for every one of you. At that moment, the lives of these students changed. For the first time, they had hope. Said one student, I had something to look forward to, something waiting for me.

It was a golden feeling. Nearly 90% of that class went on to graduate from high school.

We all need hope. Well, I want to say this morning that the resurrection of Jesus Christ gives hope.

It gives a certain and glorious hope. So what is the hope that it gives?

Well, I do want to talk about the hope that it gives, but I'm going to speak about it at the end of the sermon. First, I'd like us to get into the text that we're looking at today. And we're going to look at these verses under four headings. Let me tell you what they are so you know where we're going.

Dejected, rebuked, instructed, elated. Firstly, dejected.

In these verses, we see two of Jesus' disciples walking along the road from Jerusalem to a little village called Emmaus. It's about seven miles down the road. Now, we don't know who these two disciples are, other than the fact that one of them is called Cleopas.

And as they walk along the road, they're in deep discussion with one another about all the things that have happened in Jerusalem in connection with Jesus. And then out of nowhere, it seems, this man joins them. Now, we know who he is.

It's Jesus. But they don't know that.

And verse 16 tells us that they're kept from recognising him. I wonder how they were kept from recognising him. I've often wondered, as I've read this story, why it is that they didn't recognise him. Was it because he looked so different in his resurrection body? Was it because as they walked down the road, their heads were down all the time and never actually looked at him? I don't know. Perhaps there's some other explanation for it. I think all we can really do is to speculate.

But in verse 17, we see that Jesus asks them a question. What are you discussing together as you walk along? Now, Jesus knows what they're discussing.

But his purpose is to draw them out and to get them talking to him. Upon hearing this question, we see that they stand still with their faces downcast. And it's the word downcast that really tells us how they're feeling. Verse 18, one of the names.

Jesus knows what they're discussing. But his purpose is to draw them out and to get them talking to him.

Upon hearing this question, we see that they stand still with their faces downcast. It's the word downcast that really tells us how they're feeling. Verse 18, one of them named Cleopas asked him, are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?

Cleopas can't quite get his head around the fact that this stranger who is with them doesn't know anything about all that's been going on in Jerusalem. How can that be? Jesus of Nazareth has been the talk of the city. His suffering and death has been front page news of the Jerusalem Gazette. What things? Jesus asks. About Jesus of Nazareth, they replied. He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people, but chief priest and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death and they crucified him.

But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. Now verse 21 spells out why these two men are so dejected, why they are so downcast.

They had hoped, past tense, that Jesus would be the one who would redeem, who would save his people. But he'd been put to death.

And now it was the third day since his death. And as far as they were concerned, all hope of redemption, all hope of salvation had gone. And then we read in verse 22 and following, in addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find the body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. And some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.

Now this news should have renewed their hope, shouldn't it? But clearly these two disciples did not believe what the women said.

I think we can conclude that that is the case from what Jesus goes on to say. Maybe they thought these two women were a bit delusional. I don't know. So here we have these two disciples who are downcast.

They are dejected. And we can almost imagine, can't we, their posture as they walk along the road. A bit like the schoolboys I sometimes see walking to school on a Monday morning. So what does Jesus do?

Well we might have expected Jesus to say, hey, look fellas, it's me. Look at my hands.

Look at my side. I'm alive. But he doesn't do that, does he?

Instead he rebukes them. I wonder whether that surprises you. So secondly, rebuke.

He said to them, how foolish you are and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory? Interestingly, Jesus does not rebuke these two disciples for failing to believe the testimony of the women. He rebukes them for failing to believe the testimony of the Old Testament scriptures. He rebukes them, in other words, for failing to believe the word of God. They should have believed, you see, what the Old Testament said about the Messiah's death and resurrection. But it seems as if the Jews, when they read the Old Testament, only saw certain things about the Messiah.

That is his victory and his glory. For whatever reason, they did not see that the Messiah would suffer and die and then enter into his glory. And you may remember that conversation that went on between Jesus and Simon Peter. Jesus said to his disciples quite clearly that they were going to Jerusalem and there he would be arrested and killed and on the third day be raised to life again. What did Peter do? He rebuked Jesus. And Jesus had to say to him, get behind me, Satan. But you see, to Peter it was inconceivable that the Messiah would suffer and die if only Peter and these two disciples and others had read their Old Testament scriptures more carefully.

And Jesus had to say to him, get behind me, Satan. But you see, to Peter it was inconceivable that the Messiah would suffer and die.

If only Peter and these two disciples and others had read their Old Testament scriptures more carefully. But Jesus not only rebukes them, he also instructs them.

And so thirdly, instruct it. Verse 27, and beginning with Moses, that's the first five books of the Bible, and all the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the scriptures, all of the Old Testament concerning himself.

We've talked a lot about this, haven't we, in recent days on a Sunday morning. The Old Testament is all about Jesus. The Old Testament points to Jesus. What wonderful instruction these two disciples received on this day. Look at what they say about it in verse 32.

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? Now I know that everything we need to know about God and the way of salvation and how to live the Christian life is found in the Bible.

It is sufficient. But if I'm honest, let me say that I would have loved Luke to record at least some of the conversation on this particular day.

I wonder what Jesus said. I wonder what particular scriptures he pointed to. I wonder if Jesus began by referring to Genesis chapter 3 and verse 15. These are the words of God to Satan, and I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and hers. He will crush your head and you will strike his heel. What is God talking about? He's talking, I think, about Jesus. Satan would strike the heel of the offspring of the woman, that is Jesus, and he did so on the cross.

But Jesus would crush Satan's head. In other words, he would gain a decisive victory over him on the cross. I wonder if Jesus moved on to the book of Exodus and spoke about the Passover lambs that were sacrificed in Egypt and their blood put on the doorposts of the Israelite house. I wonder whether Jesus pointed out to these two disciples that those Passover lambs pointed to him, the great Passover lamb. See, the Apostle Peter speaks of Jesus as our Passover lamb. 1 Corinthians 5 and verse 7, get rid of the old yeast so that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are, for Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. I wonder whether Jesus moved on to the book of Leviticus and focused particularly on chapter 16, which speaks of the Day of Atonement. I wonder whether he showed them that all that went on on this particular day pointed to his great once and for all atoning sacrifice on the cross. I wonder whether he moved on to Isaiah chapter 53 to impress upon them that he was the suffering servant.

I wonder whether he expounded verses 3 to 6. Let me read them to you.

He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces, he was despised and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions.

He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray. Each of us has turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. I wonder whether he went on and commented on verse 11. After he had suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied. A reference to his glorious resurrection. I wonder how long it took for Jesus to take them through the Old Testament scriptures.

There's so many questions that I have, but how wonderful it must have been. Well, fourthly, elated.

Elated. As they approach the village of Emmaus, it looks as if Jesus is going to continue on, but they don't want Jesus to continue on, they want Jesus to stay with them. It's getting late, maybe they're concerned about this stranger, whoever he is. They still don't know who he is. They're wandering. Well, fourthly, elated.

Elated. As they approach the village of Emmaus, it looks as if Jesus is going to continue on, but they don't want Jesus to continue on. They want Jesus to stay with them. It's getting late. Maybe they're concerned about this stranger, whoever he is. They still don't know who he is. They're wandering off in the dark when there are robbers around and perhaps wild animals. Or maybe they just want him to be with them for a bit longer because they've become enamored by him and they want to learn more from him.

Well, Jesus agrees to stay with them. And interestingly, I've never really noticed this before, Jesus takes charge. Do you see that in the text? Jesus is not the host. It's not his house. He's just a visitor. But he takes charge.

He takes the bread. He gives thanks. He breaks it. And he begins to give it to them. And at this point, their eyes are opened and they recognise who it is. What a wonderful moment that must have been. It's Jesus. It's our Lord.

I wonder what led to them suddenly recognising him. Was it because they saw the nail marks in his hands? Was it because of the way that he took charge and gave thanks for the food? Was it the way that they saw him breaking the bread? Probably seen him break lots of bread at the feeding of the 5,000. What a moment this was. How elated they must have been. And then all of a sudden, Jesus disappeared from their sight.

What do these disciples do? Well, look at verses 33 to 35.

They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. It doesn't seem to matter anymore that it's dark and dangerous. There they found the 11 and those with them assembled together and sang. It is true, the Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon. Then the two told what had happened on the way and how Jesus was recognised by them when he broke the bread. On this day, there were two dejected disciples of Jesus who get to see the risen Lord Jesus. And they are elated and filled with renewed hope. Yes, renewed hope.

But surely we must say that their hope has become a much better or greater hope because it has become an informed hope. You see, Jesus has taken the time to explain to them not only that he had to die and rise again, but why. Why he had to die and rise again. You see, it's so important, isn't it, for us to understand why Jesus had to die and rise again. Someone might say from the front of a church like this that Jesus died.

Well, yes, that is wonderful, but why is it? Everybody dies. Why was it so significant that Jesus died? Jesus rose from the dead. Yes, he did, and that's wonderful. But why was that so important?

You see, there were people in the Old Testament who rose from the dead. And there are a number of people in the New Testament that we read came alive again, not in exactly the same way, I appreciate that, as Jesus did. But what's so significant about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus?

Over recent weeks, we have focused our thoughts very much upon the death, the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. And we've learned why Jesus died. So I want to just conclude our time this morning by thinking about why Jesus rose from the dead.

But obviously there's a connection, an all-important connection between the two events. Let me just spell out briefly three reasons why Jesus rose from the dead.

Firstly, so that we might be made alive together with him. So that we might be made alive together with him.

Or to put it another way, so that we might be born again. The Apostle Peter writes these words. He does so in 1 Peter chapter 1 verses 3 and 4. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy, he has given us noobah into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. And into an. I be born again. The Apostle Peter writes these words.

He does so in 1 Peter chapter 1 verses 3 and 4. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. Secondly, Jesus rose from the dead so that we who believe, so that we who trust, might be assured of our justification.

Listen to what Paul writes in Romans chapter 4 and verse 25. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. But by raising Jesus from the dead on the third day, the Father was in effect saying to the world, I accept the sacrifice that my son made on the cross.

Sin has been paid for in its entirety. There is nothing more to be paid. Forgiveness of sins has been secured. Righteousness can now be the gift that I give to all who trust in my son. And then thirdly, Jesus rose from the dead to assure us who believe that we will one day receive perfect resurrection bodies too. To assure us who believe that we will one day receive perfect resurrection bodies too. Let me quote the Apostle Paul, firstly from 1 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 14.

By his power, God raised the Lord from the dead and he will raise us also. And then 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 14. We know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. Oh, how important the death of the Lord Jesus. In dying on the cross, he deals with the problem of sin, but he rises again so that we might share in his resurrection life forevermore. As I was preparing for this morning, I listened to a Dick Lucas sermon. Dick Lucas was the minister at St. Helens Bishop's Gate in London.

I listened to a sermon of his on these verses and during the sermon, he spoke about a friend of his who worked in London and had come towards the end of his career, his working life, and sat down with his employers to talk about his retirement deal, his golden handshake or whatever you call it. Now, his employers wanted to know how long he planned to live because that would determine how much money they gave to him.

Now, according to Dick Lucas, his friend was not only a Christian but also a bit of a card, a bit of a joker. And so he said, I think with a straight face, although I'm not entirely sure, I'm going to live forever.

And apparently, the employers quickly got out their cigarettes, lit them, and took a puff in order to calm their nerves. Now, Dick Lucas was not commending his listeners to do the same thing, neither am I.

But the point he was making and the point that I am making this morning is that because Jesus Christ died and rose again, we who trust in him can indeed live forever with God, with Jesus, in resurrected bodies forever and forever. I'm going to conclude our time together this morning by singing an Easter hymn. And it's entitled, I Know That My Redeemer Lives. I wonder, do you know that your Redeemer lives? Do you believe that he lived and died for you, paid the price for your sin, and that he lives forevermore so that you might share in his resurrection life ever and forever? Let's stand and sing this song with hope and with joy. I know that my Redeemer lives, for joy his great assurance gives. He lives, he lives, he was, was, and he lives, I am a living God.

He lives, my God, good from the grave, he lives, he's ever, he's the same. He lives to bless me with his love, he lives to be for me a God. He lives, my God, my chosen friend, he lives and loves me to the end. He lives and while he lives I'll sing, Jesus, my God, lives, peace and me. He lives and calls me daily, he lives and I shall always end. He lives, my dwelling, to repair, he lives to bring me safety there. He lives, for glory to his name, he lives, my tenderly the same. For joy his great assurance gives, I know that my Redeemer lives.

To him he was able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy. To the only God, our Saviour, be glory, majesty, power and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord before all ages now and forevermore. Amen.