Skip to content The Road to Emmaus: Luke 24 Jul 22 · 13 min ...more
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The Road to Emmaus: Spiritual Blindness and Revelation 0:09 Good morning. Welcome to stand on the word. Today, we come to the very last chapter of the book of Luke as we look at chapter 24. And this will have after this, we will have completed our second book0:21 in the New Testament. Before you know it, this 2 year journey through the Bible, we're gonna be finished. It's, it's moving so rapidly. Verse 45, and he opened their understanding that they might comprehend the0:33 scriptures. Now in this final chapter of the book of Luke, there's a lot that we could cover. There's so much here. We could look at the encounters that Jesus had with his followers after the resurrection before his0:44 ascension. When you combine those with the other gospels, there were about a dozen encounters. Jesus appeared and spoke to over 500 people during that period of time. We could also focus on his resurrected0:56 glorified body, which gives us insight into what our resurrected, glorified body will be like. We will have flesh. We'll have bones. We'll be able to eat food, enjoy fellowship with1:08 others. But I wanna focus on 1 aspect that is pretty prominent in this chapter, and that is the lord opening their eyes and their understanding. Let's begin in verse 13. Now behold, 2 of them were1:20 traveling that same day, this was on Sunday, to a village called Emmaus, which was 7 miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened.1:32 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned that Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained so that they did1:44 not know him. Now when I when I read this, I I thought of the various scriptures that talk about spiritual blindness. Psalm 1 15 5. Eyes they have, but they do not see. Not only did they1:55 not recognize him with their eyes, they didn't have the spiritual vision to understand what was unfolding. I mean, we looked at this last time with the disciples. I mean, to the very end, they were they were really2:07 clueless as to what Jesus was doing. Verse 17. And when he said to them, what kind of conversation is this that you have with 1 another as you walk and are sad?2:20 Then the 1 whose name was Cleopas answered and said to him, are you the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have you not known the things which happened there in these days?2:32 Now these are 2 of Jesus' disciples. He had many disciples. These are not from among the 11 remaining Verse 19. And he said to them, what things? So they said to him, the things concerning Jesus of2:44 Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priest and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and crucified.2:56 But we were hoping listen to this. Now we were hoping that he it was he who was going to redeem Israel.3:14 The of the land. They were not seeing him as the Messiah setting up the spiritual kingdom of God, which3:26 would reach to the entire world. Verse 22. Yes. And certain women of our company who arrived at the tomb early astonished us. When they did not find his body, they came saying that they had also3:37 seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. And certain 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.3:49 Verse 25, then he said to them, oh foolish ones in slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken. Now pay close attention to this as Jesus speaks to them4:01 about not believing the word of God. Now we looked at this in the book of Matthew. Matthew was very diligent in going through and comparing the Old Testament4:13 prophecies regarding the Messiah and how Jesus fulfilled them. Verse 26, ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the4:24 prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and he indicated that he would have gone far farther. But they4:37 strained him saying, abide with us for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in, and he stayed with them. Now it came to pass as he sat at the table with them that he took bread,4:49 blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to them. Now this is this is, quite significant. This is a turning point. He is the guest. Alright? But he's5:01 doing the blessing over the meal. Okay? He he is providing what was the Jewish blessing. This is said it is still today. It said at the beginning of the meal as the bled the bread rather is5:12 blessed and broken and passed around. And this is the blessing that is stated. Blessed are you, lord our God, king of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth. And then the bread is broken and passed around.5:24 Verse 31. Then their eyes were opened, and they knew him, and he vanished from their sight. And they said to 1 another, did not our heart burn within us while he talked with5:36 him on the road and while he opened the scripture to us. So they arose that very hour and returned to Jerusalem and found the 11, that's the apostles, and those who were with them gathered together. Now allow me to5:47 provide, you know, some some context of this divine dinner. Jesus, who at this point was a stranger to them, he took the place of the dinner host6:00 by blessing the bread. This is what the host should have done. He had last said that blessing at the Last Supper, and it's it's quite possible there were others that saw6:12 this. And seeing and hearing him, and I'm sure he did this more than once because this this was not only done at the feast. This would be how they would bless a meal. And seeing and hearing him, all of a sudden, it hit6:23 them. We've seen this before. We've heard those words. Then Jesus was gone. So have you noticed how much Jesus is this is kind of a side note here, but it's important.6:35 I mean, have you noticed how much Jesus's ministry was done over food, over a meal? Now I I don't wanna chase a rabbit here, but I do wanna reflect on this reality.6:48 I I I consider how relationships are established and developed over the fellowship surrounding a meal. It's so important to break bread with people, that that term, break bread. This is true of7:00 friendships, but it's even more so in our homes. You know, there have been numerous, numerous secular studies on the importance of the family dinner table. And it's7:12 it's not what it used to be. Not that many families have dinner together anymore because people are so busy and they're out all these activities. I know in our home, some of our most meaningful time of conversation and7:24 interaction is sitting around the dinner table. And and even if you just do it a couple times a week, you you need to really anchor those events in your home, whether it's Sunday, like Sundays. We don't7:36 go out to dinner. We go home. Of course, I like to eat my wife food anyway because she's a good cook. I don't like to eat out in restaurants because I have to do that when I travel. But we can sit7:47 in for a long time. I mean, hour, hour and a half, depending on how the lord is moving in the in this during the course of that week as we discuss the readings as we've been on this journey of stand on the word together.7:59 We just discuss the word, but we discuss its application, and then we talk about other things. We talk about life. We talk about experiences, encounters during the course of the week, world events. It's done8:10 around the dinner table. Alright. Then Jesus appears to the 11 as they are gathered, and they are terrified and frightened thinking they had seen a ghost. He calms8:22 them down and asks for some food. He shows them that he is flesh and bone and then has a final teaching moment with them at that setting. Verse 44, then he said to them, these are the8:34 words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms concerning me. And he opened their understanding that they8:44 might comprehend the scriptures. Now don't miss this. The scriptures referred to, at that time, the Old Testament. They had those scriptures. They were not new, but Jesus is the 18:56 who opened their understanding of the scripture. Paul talks about the mystery, and that's what it is. There was an unveiling. There was an opening. And as Jesus makes the ref9:08 reference to the promise of the father, the Holy Spirit, that is what the Holy Spirit does for us. The Holy Spirit opens our understanding to the word. He's our teacher. And so9:20 not only the Old Testament, but the New Testament because they were their Testament, we need to see the9:31 promises of God coming into fulfillment even in our own day as we move toward them. Verse 46, Then he said to them, thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to9:43 rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sin should be preached in his name to all nations. Alright. This is a this is huge. To all nations beginning at Jerusalem, and you are9:55 witnesses of these things. Right here. Alright? This is the mission of the church. This is our mission. Declare as Jesus did, the need to repent10:07 of our sins and be forgiven in the name of Jesus. And here is the means by which we do it. It's through the power of the Holy Spirit. Look at verse 49. Behold, I send the promise of my father10:19 upon you, but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high. The power of the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. There were Jesus' apostles and10:31 disciples, the majority of whom had spent 3 years, almost 3 years in constant company with him, some more intimately than others, but they knew him pretty well. But yet as they walked10:43 with the resurrected Jesus, it reads that their it reads that their eyes were restrained so that they did not know him. Was it the holy spirit restraining them? Was it the absence of faith, not believing what he had told10:55 them about his death and resurrection, or was it a combination or both? I I I don't know specifically. But here's what I do know. Whether restrained by the Holy Spirit or hindered by lack of faith,11:07 we need our eyes and our understanding to be open so that we can see the Lord in all of his glory and power, and thus, faithfully and obediently follow him. We also need11:19 to pray that those in spiritual blindness would have the eyes their eyes open to the truth word of god.11:31 Now in these morally and spiritually dark times in which we live, you know, often, we we just shake our heads. You know, often, we we just shake our heads at the11:43 insanity that is all around us. We need to pray. Lord, open our eyes to the understanding of your truth and open the eyes of those who do not know you that they might see you11:54 and come to know you as their savior and lord. Open our eyes, lord. We want to see Jesus. To reach out and to touch him. To say that12:06 we love him. Father, we thank you for your word. And, Lord, open our understanding. Open our eyes. Open our spiritual eyes so that we can see what is happening in the world in which we12:18 live. Open our understanding to your words so that we know how to apply it to this world, that it would provide the guidance direction that we need and that we would share that truth with others and see them come to a12:30 place of freedom in Jesus Christ. Father, continue to guide us on this journey. We thank you for your word. We thank you for the Holy Spirit. We thank you for the salvation that comes only through Jesus Christ. For it is12:42 in his name we pray. Amen. Alright. Thanks for joining me this morning, and until next time, keep standing on the word.12:51 Today's study comes from the Stand on the Word Bible Reading Plan available for free at frc dot org slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you13:03 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 The Road to Emmaus: Spiritual Blindness and Revelation
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