Deep Dive: The Greatest Story Never Told
People who know me know that one of my favourite
Bible stories is one that Greg briefly touched on in his sermon. I’d like to
give that story a bit more air in today’s post.
The scene is sometime on Resurrection Day.
A group of women had already discovered the empty tomb and had an encounter
with angels. The women ran to report their findings to the men disciples, some
of whom then ran to the tomb to confirm the women’s account. Let’s pick up the
story in Luke 24:13-49, NIV.
13Now that same day two of them <disciples> were going to a
village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14They
were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15As
they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up
and walked along with them; 16but they were kept from
recognizing him.
17He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"
18They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"
19"What things?" he asked.
20"About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21but 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. 22In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."
25He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
28As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. 29But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.
30When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 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?"
33They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
36While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."
37They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have."
40When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" 42They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43and he took it and ate it in their presence.
44He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."
45Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."
17He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"
18They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"
19"What things?" he asked.
20"About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21but 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. 22In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."
25He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
28As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. 29But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.
30When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 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?"
33They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
36While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."
37They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have."
40When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" 42They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43and he took it and ate it in their presence.
44He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."
45Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."
As
a romantic I can’t help feeling a bit jealous for the amazing experience those
two disciples had with Jesus. Later when reminiscing about their encounter they
confessed to having their hearts burn as He “opened the Scriptures to them” (v.32).
Luke
doesn’t record what Jesus taught them … or did he? He says that, “beginning with Moses and all the
Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures
concerning himself” (v.27).
All
the Prophets. All the Scriptures.
And
does “beginning with Moses” mean from the time Moses lived and beyond, or does
it mean beginning with the writings of Moses? If it’s the latter then that
includes the books right back to Genesis. In other words, Jesus blessed these
two followers with the Sunday School lesson to end all Sunday School lessons …
and on the Sunday when the crucified Messiah rose to fulfill the remaining
prophecies. Yes, I’m a bit jealous.
It
must have been a long walk because there are hundreds of prophecies about the
Messiah. So they must have heard Jesus explain to them that He was Ezekiel’s “Son
of Man” … and that He was One who Nehemiah expected to restore all things
broken down … and that He was Samuel’s “prophet, priest and king” … and that He
was the Deliverer from injustice whom the Judges looked for … and that He was
Moses’s Passover Lamb … and that He was Isaiah’s “Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty
God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” … and that He was the Root of Jesse,
the Son of David, and the Ruler greater than Solomon … and that He was
Zephaniah’s “Warrior Who saves” … and that He was the Lion from the tribe of
Judah … and that He was the One Who would one day crush the Serpent’s head.
No
wonder their hearts burned because Jesus opened the Scriptures to them. They
had no idea who it was they were walking with … just that He seemed to know
everything about how Jesus fulfilled all of Scripture. But He opened more than
just the Scriptures to them. When He dined
with them after their long walk Luke says that when Jesus broke the bread at
the table, “their eyes were opened and they recognized Him” (v.31). Finally,
when Jesus was with these disciples again later when they were all together,
including the Eleven, Jesus opened all their minds so that they could
understand the Scriptures (v.45).
Haven’t
you ever wondered why, when they were walking on that road, Jesus didn’t just
say, “Look guys, it’s me – I’m Jesus”? Here’s
my reason why He didn’t … they would have been so excited at seeing their
resurrected Master that they wouldn’t have learned to see that He had been in
front of them their whole lives whenever they read The Word. Jesus knew that
until He ascended, He was still a teacher … and this was too good a teaching
moment to miss. Because of the way that Jesus taught The Word, the disciples
had both their eyes opened to recognize The Word standing before them, and
their minds opened to finally understand The Word Who had always been with
them.
Suggestion for a Prayer: Heavenly Father, please open the Scriptures to me that I may see The
Word, open my eyes that I may recognize Jesus as The Word, and open my mind
that I may understand the plans that You laid before the foundation of the
world. Amen!
Your
writing team this week is Rob Tudball, Claire Walker and Peter Bowyer.
For the next month or two, the weekly
agenda for these "stretching the sermon" posts will be:
Monday - Questions for reflection and
discussion (for individuals, families and groups)
Tuesday - Deep dive: exploring one aspect
of the sermon beyond what the preacher has time for
Wednesday - Reflection on the sermon for
personal application
Thursday - Nerd corner: examining a
technical or contextual aspect of the sermon
Friday - Reflection on the sermon for
personal application
And Saturday will continue to be a story
from one of your HCC brothers or sisters about how they are seeing God in this
crisis.
Comments
Post a Comment
Please feel free to share your comments to other readers.