The Walk to Emmaus | A Sermon on Luke 24:12-34

Introduction
Last Sunday, we celebrated the wonderous resurrection of Jesus Christ at Easter.  The resurrection changed everything.  It was so unexpected, unprecedented, and momentous, it took time for the ramifications to sink in.  In fact, by Sunday evening of that first Easter, many of Jesus’ Disciples were still trying to figure out what had happened.  And for forty days, Jesus appeared numerous times to different groups on various occasions to confirm He really was alive and to teach what that means for the world.

Over the next 8-weeks, I’m going to share some of the stories of Jesus’ appearances and what they mean for us today.  The first is one of my favorites—the story of the Walk to Emmaus. …….

Luke 24:13-34
¹³ That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles^[c] from Jerusalem. ¹⁴ As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. ¹⁵ As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. ¹⁶ But God kept them from recognizing him.

¹⁷ He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”

They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. ¹⁸ Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.”

¹⁹ “What things?” Jesus asked.

“The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. ²⁰ But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. ²¹ We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.

²² “Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. ²³ They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! ²⁴ Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.”

²⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. ²⁶ Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” ²⁷ Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

²⁸ By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, ²⁹ but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them. ³⁰ As they sat down to eat,^[d] he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. ³¹ Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!

³² They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” ³³ And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, ³⁴ who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.^[e]”

The Walk to Emmaus Spiritual Retreat
There is a great modern day 3-day spiritual retreat named after this story called "The Walk to Emmaus."  I’ll be working as a chaplain on a the North Georgia Walk to Emmaus April 30-May 2.
If you are interested, I would be glad to talk with you about how you could attend WTE.  It had a tremendous impact on my life when I attend in 1996.

4 Things This Story Teaches Us
Now, back to our Scripture lesson about the original Walk to Emmaus.  It’s an incredible story. 
And it teaches us at least 4 things about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It really happened.  
The 2 Disciples left Jerusalem to walk to Emmaus (about 7 miles—2-3 hours of walking).  Why did they leave Jerusalem?  Scripture doesn’t say directly, but we can read some things between the lines.  In verse 21, they said, “We had hoped he was the Messiah…”  That’s past tense—like they aren’t sure they believe it anymore.  They were probably confused and overwhelmed.  They’d heard the women’s stories, but it doesn’t seem like they believed Jesus was really alive.  

Verse 17 says they were sad; but they may have been afraid too.  That would be a understandable.  The authorities who killed Jesus were probably keen on stamping out his following too  Anyone known publicly to follow Jesus could be in danger of reprisals.  So, the thought was probably, “Let’s get away from Jerusalem to somewhere safer.”

But then, Jesus shows up.  He’s not dead.  He’s alive.  They don’t recognize Him at first, but He’s alive!  The first thing this story teaches us is Jesus really did rise from the dead.  That’s important for so many reasons, but let me share 4.

1. It proves Jesus is who He said He is.  The resurrection confirms Jesus is the Son of God—not just a teacher or prophet.  Jesus is immortal and has power over death.
2. Second, it guarantees our forgiveness. The cross paid for sin, and the resurrection shows that payment was accepted.
3. Third, it gives us hope of eternal life. Because He lives, we will live also—death is not the end.
4. Fourth, it empowers our present life. The risen Christ is alive and active, giving us strength, purpose, and victory now.

The Resurrection was foretold in Scripture.
Another lesson from the Walk to Emmaus teaches is:  This was God’s plan all along; it was foretold in Scripture.  The death and resurrection of the Messiah was a surprise to the Disciples (to everyone really), but it was not a surprise to God or His Son.  The resurrection wasn’t a tragedy that got a positive spin.  It was part of God’s plan all along.  Scripture said it would happen.  So, it validates that God’s Word is trustworthy and true.

It proves Jesus is the promised Messiah.  The fulfillment of prophecy connects Jesus directly to God’s promises to Israel—He is the One they were waiting for.  The fact Jesus’ death and resurrection were foretold in Scripture shows God keeps His promises.  We can trust Him to keep every promise He’s made to us too—including the promise of our resurrection.

When we don’t recognize Jesus, He helps us see.
A third thing the Walk to Emmaus Story teaches us is:  Jesus helps us see Him.  Jesus wants to be known.  He wants us to know He alive and He is with us.  We often have trouble seeing it.  We’re often too busy, overwhelmed, afraid, sad, angry, or lonely to see Jesus.  But Jesus has ways to open our eyes.

Before you were ever thinking about God, He was already thinking of you.  He puts people in your life and lead you into situations that help reveal Him to you and help you see Him.

We see also from this story that God uses Scripture to help us see Jesus.  Scripture—rightly understood—is a powerful way we can understand Him.

Finally, we see that Holy Communion is a powerful way Jesus can open our eyes so we can see Him.  In the story, it was when Jesus broke the bread of Holy Communion that they knew it was the risen Christ with them.  The holy sacrament can open our eyes too.

Knowing Christ is with us empowers us.
A fourth lesson from our Scripture today is: Knowing the risen Christ is with us empowers us.  I want you to notice something.  These 2 disciples walk 2-3 hours to get to Emmaus (possibly running away in fear and disillusionment).  They had planned to spend the night in Emmaus.  We know this because of what they said to Jesus before they recognized Him.  They said, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” (verse 29).  But after recognizing the risen Christ, they were empowered and emboldened to go back to Jerusalem (even though it was already dark)!  No fear of bandits on the road or authority figures who might try to do them in.  They walked 2-3 hours back to Jerusalem in the dark!

One of the most powerful things Jesus did for me when I attended the spiritual retreat, The Walk to Emmaus, was open my eyes to Jesus presence every moment in my life.  Before The Walk, I already knew about Jesus, that He was alive, that He was my Lord.  But somehow, during my Walk, I realized and accepted deep down inside the true reality of His living presence with me.  I can't explain it, but now walking with Christ through life is a very real and powerful experience.  He really is alive and He is with me every day and it is empowering!

The same is true for you if you Jesus is your Lord.  And really knowing it will empower you to live like you have nothing to lose.

Closing Meditation
The two disciples in our Scripture didn’t recognize Jesus at first.  
Jesus walked with them a long time, but they didn’t know it was Him. 
But then something changed.  Scripture says, ‘their eyes were opened.’

I wonder how many of us are walking through life right now, and Jesus is with us, but we just don’t see Him clearly?

I want you to consider for just a minute.
Think about your life this past week.
Contemplate the moments you were too busy or felt overwhelmed.
Consider the times you were afraid or filled with worry.
Remember the moments you felt alone.
What if Jesus was right there with you then and you didn’t recognize Him?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, just like those disciples on the road to Emmaus, we don’t always see You.
But You are with us.  Open our eyes to Your presence, to Your truth, to Your work in our lives.
Help our hearts to burn within us again as we recognize You.
In Your name, we pray.  Amen.

Looking for the Living Among the Dead | An Easter Sermon on Luke 24:1-12

Introduction
Easter is the most important holiday of the whole year for Christians.  Jesus–the Son of God–was arrested, tortured, falsely convicted, and executed on a cross.  His body was hastily placed in a borrowed tomb, but on the third day, Jesus rose to life.  This is the foundation of everything for Christians. 

I want you to know, I believe in the resurrection.  I know Jesus is not dead.  I believe He literally got up out of the grave--a bodily resurrection.  It's not just a great story or an ideal to live up to.  I believe it really happened and it's the Truth I base my life on. 

I hope you believe too.  But if we really believe Jesus rose from the grave, it will change the way we think and live.  That’s what I want to talk to you about today.

Luke 24:1-12
¹ But very early on Sunday morning^[a] the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. ² They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. ³ So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.

⁵ The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? ⁶ He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, ⁷ that the Son of Man^[b] must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”

⁸ Then they remembered that he had said this. ⁹ So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened. ¹⁰ It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. ¹¹ But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. ¹² However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.

Two Angels at the Tomb
The women found an empty tomb.  The stone was rolled away.  The body of Christ was gone.

Luke says, “Two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.”  These are clearly not men, but angels.  They resemble the angels Luke says appeared in heavenly glory at Jesus’ birth.  They also resemble Acts 1:10, where Luke also says “two men dressed in white” appeared when Jesus ascended to heaven

I also can’t help but think about the two cherubim God stationed at the entrance of the Garden of Eden.  Remember, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit and where kicked out of the Garden of Eden, God stationed two angelic figures (Cherubim) to guard the entrance so no one could re-enter.  Those two cherubim were later represented by the golden cherubim atop the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies, which was considered by Jews to be the holiest place on earth and the very footstool of God.  But now 2 angels appear to the women at the empty tomb and say something incredible.

“Why are you looking for the living among the dead?”  In a literal sense, the women were looking for a dead Jesus.  They came to anoint His body with burial spices.  This had not been done at His initial, hasty burial.  Remember, Jesus was crucified and died on a Friday afternoon.  They had to get His body off the cross and into a borrowed tomb quickly, before sunset when the Sabbath started and no work could be done.  So Christ's body had not been properly anointed for burial according to their traditions.

So the women had to wait until Sunday morning to come finish the burial ceremony.  As they approached the tomb, their thinking was completely focused on a dead Jesus, which was totally understandable.  The reality of what they found was so implausible, they couldn’t immediately comprehend the truth.  Their earthly minds struggled to make sense of it with the most reasonable explanations:  Someone has moved or stolen the body.  The authorities must have moved the body.

God knew resurrection would be so far from their thinking they would need help to see the truth.  So, God sent His angels to explain:  “He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead!”  

Some people today still struggle to accept the resurrection.   A dead man coming back to life is incredible (in the literal sense of that word–not credible).  The entire history of human experience as well as modern science cries out as a witness that dead people do not come back to life–not in the way the Gospels describe Jesus’ resurrection.  And so many people cannot make the leap of faith to conclude Jesus rose from the grave as He said He would and as the earliest witnesses and the Bible say He did.

So, many people still look for Jesus among the dead.  What I mean is, they cannot accept that He really, literally rose from the grave and so they try to spiritualize the resurrection.  Maybe they see Christ rising from the grave as a symbol of hope, or a fresh start, or spiritual renewal—but not as a real resurrection that changes everything about how we live and think.  For them, the resurrection has “some” meaning, but they are still looking for the living among the dead—holding onto the idea of Jesus, while missing the reality that He is alive.

They want to find value in the Christian story—and in Jesus as an important religious figure—
without really believing the fundamental claim of Christ.  But if Jesus did not really rise, then the faith He gave us falls apart. It’s not just weakened—it’s false.

The Apostle Paul said it plainly in 1 Corinthians 15:14:   “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”  And he goes even further in 1 Corinthians 15:17:  “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.”

On the other hand, there are many Christians who do believe Jesus truly rose from the grave, yet that reality has not fully transformed the way they think and live. They still turn to the dead things of this world, hoping to find the life and fulfillment that only the risen Christ can give.  

They believe in the resurrection, but still look for life in success, in comfort, in possessions—thinking if they just had a little more, they would finally feel full.

They believe in the resurrection, but still look for life in approval, in relationships, in what others think of them—hoping someone else can give them the worth Christ already secured.

They believe in the resurrection, but still look for life in routine religion—going through the motions without truly setting their hearts on Christ.

They believe in the resurrection, but still look for life in distractions—keeping busy, staying entertained, avoiding stillness—because they’re not drawing from the life that is already theirs in Christ.

They believe Jesus is alive, but still live as if this world is where life is found.

They believe in the resurrection, but they haven’t yet learned to think like people who have been raised with Christ and live like people who have nothing to lose because Christ already won the ultimate victory.

Jesus is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
But that’s exactly what the resurrection offers us–a whole new way to think and a whole new way to live.  Paul said it like this in Colossians 3, “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ… set your sights on the realities of heaven.”

Not someday you will be raised, but you have been raised.  That means the life you’re looking for is not found in the dead things of this world.  It’s found in a living Savior.  

So stop looking for life where there is none.  Stop searching among the dead, and start following the One who walked out of the grave.  Lift up your eyes!   Set your heart on Him!  Because Jesus is not in the tomb!  He is alive!

And if He lives then real life is found in Him.  Not later.  Not someday.  But right now!  So, let’s stop looking for the living among the dead.  And let’s stand together and celebrate the victory we have in Jesus, because He lives.

Closing Invitation
I want to give you this invitation.  Maybe you need to make a decision today.  Maybe you want to start following this Jesus who walked out of the grave.  You don’t have to understand.  The resurrection isn’t logical.  It doesn’t make sense.  It doesn’t follow the laws of nature.   But if God is real and Jesus is His Son, is anything impossible with God?  Maybe today, you just need to choose to have faith in God and His Son.  For then you will find, not just belief,  but life.  Life that is real.  Life that is full.  Life that is eternal.

So, stop looking for the living among the dead. Come to the One who is alive.  Close your eyes.  Tell God you believe, and ask Him to save you and give you new life in Christ.

Christ is Risen - What Now? | A Sermon for Easter

Introduction
We are celebrating the risen Lord! Our Easter cantata tells the whole story—beginning with Palm Sunday, when Jesus entered Jerusalem. The crowds were excited, but they misunderstood His mission. They thought He came as a conquering king to overthrow the Romans and reward the “good” people of Jerusalem.

But as the week unfolded, they realized something deeper—there are no “good” people. We are all dead in our sins and in need of rescue. Jesus came not just to fix a political problem, but to lift us out of our spiritual grave. He died on the cross to save us, and on Sunday, He rose again—defeating sin and death once and for all.

The Resurrection Makes a Difference
Let’s look at Romans 6:4 - “For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.”

The resurrection isn’t just something that happened to Jesus—it’s something that happens in us. When we follow Christ, we die to our old self and are raised to new life.  That new life doesn’t begin after death—it begins now. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 says: “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

Jesus takes off our old grave clothes—the sin, the shame, the brokenness—and clothes us in righteousness, purpose, and hope. Just like many of us put on new clothes on Easter, we put on a new life in Christ.

A New Heart and a New Way
In the Old Testament, God promised to take away our hearts of stone and give us hearts of flesh—hearts that want to follow Him. That’s what happens when we walk with Jesus. He begins to change our desires, our values, and our relationships.

And the kingdom of heaven? It’s not far off in the future. It’s not just for after we die. It’s here and now. Every time we love what Jesus loves, every time we show compassion, we get a glimpse of heaven on earth.

And it’s for everyone—not just the people of Jerusalem or Israel, but the Gentiles, the Romans, and even the people we struggle with today. When Jesus changes our hearts, we begin to see others the way He sees them.

We Need Each Other
Hebrews 10:25 reminds us: “Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.”

Jesus didn’t do ministry alone. He gathered a group of twelve very different people—some of whom would’ve hated each other before they met Him—and He made them a family.

That’s what the church is: a family of faith. We don’t always agree. We’re not always alike. But we’re meant to grow together, encourage one another, and live as a resurrection people together.

An Invitation to New Life
If you’re visiting today, I’m so glad you’re here. You are always welcome at Pleasant Grove Methodist Church. Every Sunday is a little Easter, a chance to worship the risen Lord and grow together.

If you’ve been attending for a while, maybe today is the day to go deeper—join a small group, get involved in a Bible study, or find a way to serve. We grow best when we grow together.

And if you’ve never been baptized or joined a church, maybe today is your day to say yes to that next step of faith. Jesus is calling us out of the grave and into a living, breathing relationship with Him.

Wherever God is calling you, don’t walk alone. The church is where we live out the power of the resurrection together. And if Pleasant Grove is where God is planting you, we would be honored to walk that journey with you.