The unified story

Good evening and happy Easter! If we haven’t my names Sam. I help with the youth and children’s work here at JPC. Why don’t I pray for us:

Heavenly Father, we praise you for Easter; thank you for Jesus’ sacrifice for us. Would you stir in us an excitement that he is risen and alive. Thank you that you have conquered sin and death. Please help us now as we read your word. Would the words that I say be your words, and would your Holy Spirit be at work within us to give us understanding, open our eyes to understand the cross and resurrection, and give us power to respond rightly. Amen.

Well, come back with me to the first Easter Sunday. It’s probably early afternoon and we come across two of Jesus’ followers on a journey. We’re in Luke 24.13-14 (page 885):

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.

The word talking is a bit light here. It’s more like these two were in an intense discussion. Your Easter Day today has hopefully been filled with lots of celebration and loads of chocolate. And now we’ve come to church we’ve been singing and praying, pouring out praise to Jesus. Easter Sunday for us is a big celebration; Jesus has risen he is Alive! But instead of celebration we find these two disciples in deep confusion, intense discussion about all that has happened over the last few days. They just can’t quite make sense of it all (Luke 24.15-16):

While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.

Jesus joins them but they don’t know it’s him. We don’t know much about these disciples but it’s clear they would have known what Jesus looked like. They know the Apostles and the women who were at the tomb. They were with them all on that very morning. It’s safe to assume they knew Jesus. It’s not that they don’t know what Jesus looks like. It’s that they’re kept from recognising him. Forgive me for this but my mind always imagines that Jesus is wearing one of these disguises with the fake glasses nose and moustache. I reckon the maker and sustainer of all things is able to come up with something a bit better than that. Either way, it’s not relevant how Jesus does it, what’s important is why they’re kept from recognising him. We’ll unpack this as we go, but in short, it helps us symbolically as the reader to understand that they weren’t seeing Jesus rightly. They’d misunderstood what the scriptures told about the Christ. So by keeping them from seeing Him, Jesus is able to give them a much greater and fuller understanding when he does reveal himself.

So Jesus draws near them and after walking a bit says to them (Luke 24.17):

“What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad.

It’s so dramatic isn’t it? They’re walking along and when Jesus asks the question they stop, faces downcast. The disciples aren’t just confused about what happened this weekend, they’re grieving (Luke 24.18):

Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?

Where have you been bro?! It’s quite an encouraging line for us to read isn’t it? The events that took place in Jerusalem over Easter didn’t all happen in secret behind closed doors. It was huge news, Cleopas is shocked. How has this Jewish stranger not heard or seen what has happened here? Jesus continues (Luke 24.19-21):

…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, 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.

On Tuesday after a quick look I counted 16 crosses in this building. It’s a symbol that we as Christians proudly display, a few of us might wear one around our necks or some might even have one tattooed on to our bodies. The cross for us is a sign and symbol of such love and grace shown to us by Jesus, and so we proudly display it. But for the disciples on the road to Emmaus the cross of Jesus was a great defeat, like air into a bouncy castle the hopes of a revolution had been growing and growing in momentum; hopes of freedom from Roman rule building and building, and then as the nails are hammered in, as the spear is shoved into the side - the hopes are deflated, squashed flat.

We see these followers had a high opinion and high hopes for Jesus. They call him a prophet mighty in deed and word. It’s a title used to describe Moses elsewhere; someone who spoke on behalf of God, a leader at a time when Israel was rescued and redeemed from oppressors in Egypt. A leader who brought about a new era for Israel.

This was the disciples hopes for Jesus, this is what they thought the Christ, the messiah, had come to do. So to them the cross makes no sense.
Their confusion continues in Luke 24.21-24:

Yes, and besides all this, it is 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 that they had 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.

If the cross made no sense to them, well neither does a resurrection. These verses are full to the brim with irony. The disciples are lacking in hope but it’s staring them in the face. They mention that it’s the third day, but the irony is they’re disheartened by that rather than being hopeful. They’ve forgotten that Jesus has said earlier in Chapter 9 (Luke 9.22):

The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.

The irony continues with their last line in Luke 24.24 (but him they did not see). They’re full of confused doubt. They’ve heard the women’s account but are almost saying “hey we’ll believe it if we see it, we’ll believe if we see Jesus. Like come on guys he’s right there! You’re speaking to him”. So why doesn’t Jesus take this opportunity and make himself known? Well, he could have done that, but the disciples still would have been thoroughly confused. You could imagine some questions like “why did you let yourself be handed over and crucified?” “It’s great that you’re back from the dead but we’ve lost so much momentum for our movement?!” “How does this all help us to overthrow the Romans?” The disciples and many first century Jews weren’t expecting a suffering messiah. They needed Jesus to open their eyes to see God’s bigger and better plan for what the Christ would achieve. So Jesus rebukes them and then teaches them (Luke 24.25-27):

…he said to them, “O 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.

Don’t you just wish you could have been there for the conversation?! The disciples later say in Luke 24.32:

…didn’t our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road

There’s intense excitement and emotion felt as Jesus opens up their eyes to understand that all of scripture is a unified story that points to Him (a suffering and then glorified Christ). These verses are massive aren’t they?! This changes how we read the rest of the Bible. Suddenly that one line sheds so much light on the start of the book. It makes you want to go back to the start and re read the chapters now with fresh eyes and a better understanding. Is that not a similar thing that we get here? Jesus reveals to his disciples that all the scriptures are a unified story that point us to Him a suffering and then glorified Christ. If you’ve only got the brain space for one line today that’s the one you want to go away with. All the scriptures are a unified story that point us to Jesus, a suffering and then glorified Christ.

So Jesus gives them a Bible study. You wonder which places or verses he might have highlighted particularly. Psalm 118:22:

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

Don’t be discouraged by the rejection from the chief priests and elders. This rejection was predicted and now the rejected stone, Jesus has become the foundation of a new kingdom. Or what about Isaiah 53.5:

He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities

See that it’s not Roman rule that the Messiah was going redeem you from, but instead he redeems you from slavery to sin. I wonder as well if Jesus takes them through Exodus 12; the need for a sacrificial lamb, the need for blood to atone. Or how that all the sacrifices, and all the offerings could let one man, one day, once a year into the holiest place. A better sacrifice was needed. Or Psalm 22.18:

They have pierced my hands and feet- I can count all my bones- they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.

A clear picture of Jesus on the cross fulfilled just days ago for these disciples. Psalm 22 carries on later (Luke 24.27):

All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.

What Jesus achieves in his death and resurrection isn’t just for first century Israel, it’s for all people and all time. There’s many other places he could have gone with it. If you’re up for a seven mile walk in the new creation I’m sure he’d take you through. How incredible it must have been to have Jesus open their eyes up to all the scriptures. We didn’t have the privilege to experience what these two got, but it is exciting to think we can experience a similar understanding. Thomas gets to place his hands on Jesus’ scars but none of us here get to do that. But we do have the exact same scriptures that Jesus teaches from on this journey. We don’t have Jesus right here to talk us through it, but we do have the Holy Spirit. In John 15:26 Jesus says:

When the Helper comes…the Spirit of truth…he will bear witness about me.

Often when persuading people of the Gospel we argue the resurrection from an evidence point of view (which is a good thing); stuff like how we’ve never found Jesus’ bones, how do you explain sudden explosion of Christianity or the Apostles willingness to go to their death. Perhaps though we forget to pray that the Spirit would open people’s eyes to see that all scripture points to Jesus, that this death and resurrection had been foretold and foreshadowed for centuries beforehand. In aiding us in seeing Jesus through all scripture, can I recommend Glen Scrivener’s devotionals book Reading between the lines. Much less helpful than the Holy Spirit, but still helpful none the less at helping us trace Jesus through the whole Bible.

Jesus could have come flying in on a cloud but instead he gives them a Bible study. But through it he gives the disciples a much fuller view of who he is, the suffering and glorified and risen Christ. Well back to the narrative for a quick final point. How do the disciples respond? Destination reached, the two invite Jesus in, and we read Jesus acted as if he were going farther (Luke 24.28). No idea why he does that but I love that Luke chooses to include that detail. If anyone has any thoughts let me know after. Well they urge him to come in and he eats with them (Luke 24.30-31):

When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.

Finally, their eyes are opened, all that Jesus was telling them on the road has clicked into place. Now that they see the Christ rightly they’re allowed to recognise him in his resurrected body. As he breaks the bread you can imagine the disciple’s excitement in knowing what he meant on Thursday when he said this is my body, given for you (Luke 22.19). They get it, and now instead of confusion and grief these two disciples are full of joy, their hearts burning with excitement. Jesus is the Christ who had to suffer but now on the third day he has risen, and repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations! And so we read in Luke 24.33:

And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together

They’ve just got in from their seven mile journey but they’re so excited the sandals are straight back on and they’re off to Jerusalem again! Now the cross and resurrection make sense, now they see that all of scripture tells a unified story of Jesus, now they see him alive, resurrected from the dead. Well there’s no other option than to go and tell others all about it.

Father, thank you that we have the privilege to read this account of the resurrected Jesus. Please give a much fuller view of Jesus. Help us not to read into the Bible our own agenda, but would we see the bigger story, and how you graciously fit us into it. Amen.