1 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:05,480 It's good to be with you all. I've enjoyed a number of things 2 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:08,600 being here this weekend. Every year in the Diocese of 3 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:12,120 Christ, our hope a Bishop will visit one of our churches. 4 00:00:12,120 --> 00:00:16,600 And this was my weekend to come here and it's been really great 5 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:19,800 to get to spend some time with Dan, of course. 6 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:23,760 And then yesterday morning I got to meet with the parish council 7 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:27,240 and engage them and hear some things on their heart. 8 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:29,200 Then to meet with the conferman's. 9 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:32,000 You'll see a number number of them up on the stage in just a 10 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,240 moment. And then I got the construction 11 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:39,360 tour and got dusty. Watched Dan cut a tree from the 12 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:42,600 3rd 2nd floor window with the 30 foot pole. 13 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:45,960 Very impressed. And then of course getting to 14 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:49,000 eat dinner last night with the Claire's Eden. 15 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:51,600 Great job reading. We were locked in mortal 16 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:57,040 survival over the card game Scout, and it was a great joy to 17 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:00,720 play games with you all. It's an honor also to be here 18 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:03,800 and to serve here at Church of the Resurrection. 19 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:07,960 We are going to look today at this amazing passage out of 20 00:01:07,960 --> 00:01:12,680 Luke, chapter 24, where Jesus encounters people. 21 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:18,600 They see the risen Lord, and Luke in his wisdom has recorded 22 00:01:18,960 --> 00:01:21,680 three stories. And then at the very end of the 23 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:26,480 chapter, it's the ascension of Jesus, and off he goes as if it 24 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:29,080 was a short and sweet condensed package. 25 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:33,400 Luke tells first the story of Mary and some other women at the 26 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:37,120 tomb, and then of course, the road to Emmaus that we'll look 27 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:40,680 at, and then Jesus meeting the disciples. 28 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:45,320 And it's a great opportunity for us even again, to be reminded of 29 00:01:45,320 --> 00:01:47,960 the power of the resurrection in our life. 30 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:51,320 And what could be more fitting than to preach about the 31 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:55,880 resurrection in the Church of the Resurrection in the diocese 32 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:59,000 when a new church has started? They actually asked the Bishop 33 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:02,000 now to approve the name. And I love the name Church of 34 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,640 the Resurrection. There's four churches. 35 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:06,800 And some people are saying we've got too many Church of the 36 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:08,639 Resurrections. It's kind of confusing. 37 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:12,280 And another church came and said, we really love this name. 38 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:14,200 Can we do it? And I said, yes, but don't tell 39 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:17,840 anyone I said so. So what a awesome thing. 40 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:22,160 I was also really blessed to see so money and the dramatic play. 41 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:26,000 And we certainly know Miriam is the talent and brains behind 42 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:29,880 that outfit. That was such a great dramatic 43 00:02:29,920 --> 00:02:33,720 presentation of Lazarus being raised from the dead. 44 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:40,880 We're looking at Luke 24 and the Road to Emmaus, and it might be 45 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:42,800 important for us to consider this. 46 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:48,360 Why are these three stories so important and particularly for 47 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:53,960 us, why the Road to Emmaus? And I would submit to you today 48 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:58,840 because these three encounters of the Risen Lord have so much 49 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:01,080 to teach us. In fact, a few years ago, I 50 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:06,560 preached through the Road to Emmaus story over 6-7 weeks. 51 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:11,080 It is so chocked full of some things and I can only briefly 52 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:15,120 give you some of that today. The encounter by Mary and the 53 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:19,120 others, the encounter by the disciples bookend this great 54 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:24,040 story of Jesus meeting disciples on the road and we know that he 55 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:27,040 appeared to many. But again, Luke for some reason 56 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:29,840 wants us to know these three stories. 57 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:34,640 So today when I want to put before you are three things out 58 00:03:34,640 --> 00:03:38,680 of the road to Emmaus. First, a long walk with Jesus. 59 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:45,760 Secondly, things that happened. And 3rd, burning bushes and 60 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:48,920 burning hearts. So a long walk with Jesus, 61 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:53,280 things that happened, burning bushes and burning hearts. 62 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:56,320 Let's pray. Thank you, Lord, for this chance 63 00:03:56,320 --> 00:04:01,280 to have Your word open to us, just as it was open to the 64 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:05,080 disciples. And may our hearts burn with a 65 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:10,280 fire to know you and to desire you and to love you. 66 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:14,960 And we pray, Holy Spirit, that you would come now and open this 67 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:19,440 word to us and be our teacher. And we pray this in Jesus name, 68 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:24,640 Amen. So first, a long walk with 69 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:28,840 Jesus. Now, I love to kind of poke the 70 00:04:28,840 --> 00:04:36,800 bear prod folks who put stickers on their cars of distance races. 71 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:42,320 So if you have a sticker on your car that says 26.2, raise your 72 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:46,120 hand. One of you and the others that 73 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:49,720 have it are afraid to admit it. So I'm not coming after you. 74 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:53,680 Don't worry, I'll be gentle. So 26.2, you see, that's like, 75 00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:57,080 look what I've done. 26.2 miles, right? 76 00:04:57,240 --> 00:04:59,480 She's turning red. OK, I shouldn't have called on 77 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:01,000 you. It's all good. 78 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:03,400 We're very impressed that you ran a marathon. 79 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:06,520 I have a body designed to watch sports. 80 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:12,400 So now I do like it when someone backs down a little bit from 81 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:15,960 that kind of boasting. They have 13.1 on their car. 82 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:18,880 Isn't that great? It's kind of humble bragging, 83 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:24,560 right? I'm not 26.2, I'm 13.1. 84 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:27,040 I'm better than most of you, right? 85 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:32,200 13.1 I did see a sticker on a car one time, fell in love 86 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:36,880 immediately. It had 0.01. 87 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:39,760 Like that's my kind of runners, right? 88 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:43,560 I tried to take a few steps and I gave up. 89 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:49,240 So in the Bible, one of the most common metaphors to describe our 90 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:52,600 relationship with God is walking together. 91 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:56,760 God walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden. 92 00:05:57,160 --> 00:06:02,400 Enoch and Noah walked with God. The prophet Elisha says walked 93 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:05,280 with God. What happens when we walk with 94 00:06:05,280 --> 00:06:09,280 someone is we talk, we laugh, we listen, we share our hearts, 95 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:12,360 we're in harmony, we enjoy camaraderie. 96 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:16,080 Sometimes you have to walk to talk through difficult things. 97 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:19,920 Either way, walking is revealing your heart. 98 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:25,480 And when we are walking with God, we get to experience a real 99 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:28,200 and personal dimension to our Lord. 100 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:32,640 It's one of the most common ways of describing our relationship. 101 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:36,600 But walk with God. Walking with God also involves 102 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:40,880 how we live our life. The apostle Paul tells us in the 103 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:45,320 New Testament that we are to keep in step sounds like walking 104 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:48,600 with the Spirit. So it is this dimension of 105 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:52,600 living our life in a way that the power and the work of the 106 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:57,960 Spirit is in US and through us to walk with God can also imply 107 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:03,240 that we are choosing A pathway where we love and see the 108 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:06,680 goodness and the mercy of God versus another pathway, pathway 109 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:09,120 that may draw us from the love of God. 110 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:13,640 One of the most famous verses on this is Micah chapter 6, verse 111 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:17,240 8. It gives us a glimpse into God's 112 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:22,760 desire for us, for us today. Even He has shown you, immortal, 113 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:29,000 what is good and what does the Lord require of you to act 114 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:34,200 justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. 115 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:39,680 Walking with God is not just an activity reserved for a select 116 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:43,480 few, it's the call of God on all of us. 117 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:48,680 God desires all of His children to know Him and to walk with Him 118 00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:52,720 and to walk humbly with Him. On the road to Emmaus, Jesus 119 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:56,480 takes a long walk with two disciples. 120 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:01,600 They say that Emmaus, there's a couple of sites that they think 121 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:05,320 are the former place called Emmaus, but all of them are at 122 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:09,920 least 7 miles from Jerusalem. So I want you to think about 123 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:16,840 this in the passage. Why would Jesus spend 7 miles 124 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:21,920 walking and talking with two disciples who had formerly fled 125 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:27,280 and left and left in despair? Why would he do that? 126 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:30,600 Why did Jesus take this long walk? 127 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:35,400 There are certainly a number of plausible reasons for this, and 128 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:38,840 you can read different scholars and thinkers on the different 129 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:42,799 reasons why they think Jesus chose to walk this long walk 130 00:08:42,799 --> 00:08:47,400 with these two disciples. Either way, I've concluded and 131 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:51,400 believed this. He pursued these disciples to 132 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:57,840 reveal himself to them. It is an example of God's great 133 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:03,680 initiative always to us. We don't get right, get right 134 00:09:03,680 --> 00:09:08,280 thinking, pull ourselves up and get religious and seek God. 135 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:14,600 It is always and firstly his drawing of us, his pursuit of us 136 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:18,480 through his Holy Spirit, through his grace to call us. 137 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:23,640 So Jesus demonstrates practically and tangibly A 138 00:09:23,680 --> 00:09:27,680 theological truth. He initiated the walk. 139 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:31,520 He showed up and he walked with these disciples. 140 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:34,200 And this brings me to my second point. 141 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:39,000 Things that happened. Jesus asked the disciples, why 142 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:41,960 are you so sad? Why are you so downcast? 143 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:47,040 And one of the disciples named Cleopas asked him, Are you the 144 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:51,040 only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that 145 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:52,800 have happened there in these days? 146 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:57,720 They were in despair, and they're in despair because of 147 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:02,400 this. If you are living a life without 148 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:06,880 hope in the resurrection, despair will be a common journey 149 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:12,640 mate for you through life. It's why even today, after all 150 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:16,040 this time, after all the technology and advancement and 151 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:22,560 knowledge that we have, the number one fear humans face is 152 00:10:22,560 --> 00:10:25,760 death. Without the hope of the 153 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:32,400 resurrection, we have this fear. About a month ago, I was flying 154 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:35,120 from LaGuardia Airport to Albany. 155 00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:38,240 I've flown a lot, so I'm used to turbulence and bumps and bruises 156 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:40,760 on the plane, but I'm flying now. 157 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:44,240 I'm not a physics major nor a pilot, but I know when your 158 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:50,840 plane does this and then it does this, that's not good, right? 159 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:56,440 I'm smart enough to know that. And in that moment, you could 160 00:10:56,440 --> 00:11:04,840 feel the audible gasp of fear. I was convinced we're not going 161 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:09,680 to make it on this flight. And the pilot who afterwards, I 162 00:11:09,680 --> 00:11:12,600 saw him, he was 23. He looked like he was 23 years 163 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:14,080 old. But everyone looks younger to me 164 00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:17,360 now these days. During the middle of this, he 165 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:21,160 said hang in there. It was really like, well, of 166 00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:25,200 course, hang in there. Sure, we're all about to die and 167 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:26,880 you're telling us to hang in there. 168 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:31,880 So this grip of fear comes to all of us. 169 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:37,520 These disciples had despair because they did not believe the 170 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:40,200 resurrection. They did not believe in the 171 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:47,280 power of the resurrection. Jesus says in verse 19 what 172 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:50,920 things have happened? Tell me curiously, think of the 173 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:53,840 irony. Jesus, this stranger 174 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:58,400 unrecognized, is the only one who doesn't know what has 175 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:00,080 happened. The only one. 176 00:12:00,680 --> 00:12:05,960 And yet Jesus is the one who knows everything about what 177 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:10,240 happened and everything about why it happened. 178 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:17,200 Cleopas sees in Jesus all the ways that Moses was seen and 179 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:19,080 other great Old Testament people are seen. 180 00:12:19,080 --> 00:12:24,320 Listen to what he says to Jesus, that this Jesus was powerful in 181 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:30,560 Word and deed, as well as before God and all people expecting him 182 00:12:30,560 --> 00:12:34,560 to redeem Israel, to be the promised Messiah who would 183 00:12:34,560 --> 00:12:37,320 deliver them from their oppression. 184 00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:43,240 But what these disciples don't understand is why these things 185 00:12:43,480 --> 00:12:47,760 happened. One Christian writer says that 186 00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:53,880 every single text of Scripture points to Christ, from Moses to 187 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:58,480 the prophets. He is the focus of every single 188 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:03,000 word of the Bible. The great British preacher 189 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:04,840 Charles Spurgeon says it this way. 190 00:13:05,520 --> 00:13:11,840 The Old Testament is Christ concealed and the New Testament 191 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:16,440 is Christ revealed. What these disciples and the 192 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:21,400 other disciples could not fathom in their expectation of this 193 00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:26,320 Messiah is that the Messiah would have to suffer and die and 194 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:30,320 endure the cross in order for their true freedom. 195 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:34,000 Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 16. 196 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:39,040 He said the Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of 197 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:43,880 sinners, be crucified, and on the third day raised again. 198 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:49,840 Jesus announced his plan in advance and most of the 199 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:53,000 disciples didn't want to accept it or believe it. 200 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:55,760 Even Peter outright challenged it. 201 00:13:55,800 --> 00:14:00,920 Only one, Thomas said let's go to Jerusalem and die. 202 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:04,640 Everyone else thought this cannot be a good idea. 203 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:08,520 This cannot be the way, my friends. 204 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:13,240 The cross and the suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ will 205 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:17,440 always be a stumbling block to our human intuition. 206 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:23,800 It will always not make sense to us unless, as it says in First 207 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:29,120 Corinthians 118 in the Amplified Bible, the message of the cross 208 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:34,520 is foolishness. It is absurd and illogical to 209 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:38,960 those who are perishing and spiritually dead because they 210 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:46,000 reject it, but to us who are being saved by God's grace, it 211 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:49,880 is the manifestation of the power of God. 212 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:57,640 To all the disciples the cross was a shame and defeat, except 213 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:02,360 the very victory of God was walking with them. 214 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:08,240 Jesus says how foolish you are and how slow to believe all that 215 00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:13,920 the prophets have spoken. He says did not the Messiah have 216 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:17,080 to suffer these things and enter into his glory? 217 00:15:18,040 --> 00:15:23,640 Verse 27 beginning with Moses and all of the prophets, the 218 00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:26,440 whole sweep of redemptive history. 219 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:30,800 He explained to them what was said in all the scriptures 220 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:36,440 concerning Himself. There are several of us in this 221 00:15:36,440 --> 00:15:40,120 room who have paid a lot of money to be theologically 222 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:47,200 educated and think about this. These two disciples received the 223 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:53,840 seminary education of a lifetime. 7 miles walking with 224 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:58,880 not only the author and Perfector, but the subject of 225 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:01,240 Scripture, the Lord Jesus himself. 226 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:04,720 If you were walking with him, what would you be asking? 227 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:07,720 And this brings me to my last point. 228 00:16:08,520 --> 00:16:11,080 Burning bushes and burning hearts. 229 00:16:11,960 --> 00:16:15,640 When God appeared in the Old Testament to Moses, he appeared 230 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:18,920 in a burning Bush. This is often how the Old 231 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:21,360 Testament Saints would experience God. 232 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:25,520 They would see him often in the miraculous, although sometimes 233 00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:30,600 the prophet Isaiah says he also whispers to us, but at least in 234 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:35,200 the miraculous for sure. In Exodus 3, Moses was tending 235 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:38,560 the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of 236 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:42,560 Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness, 237 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:44,960 and he came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 238 00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:49,320 There the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of 239 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:55,000 fire from within a burning Bush. Moses saw that though the Bush 240 00:16:55,000 --> 00:17:00,160 was on fire, it did not burn up. And he thought, I will go over 241 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:04,599 and see this strange sight, why the Bush does not burn up. 242 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:08,960 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to 243 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:11,599 him from within the Bush. Moses. 244 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:19,640 Moses and Moses said, Here I am, do not come any closer. 245 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:24,240 God said take off your sandals, for the place where you're 246 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:29,080 standing is holy ground. Then he said, I am the God of 247 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:32,440 your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of 248 00:17:32,440 --> 00:17:36,160 Jacob. And at this Moses hid his face 249 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:39,920 because he was afraid to look at God. 250 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:45,000 This was often the experience. And yet the book of Hebrews 251 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:48,840 tells us in the past days God spoke to the prophets and our 252 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:53,560 ancestors, but in these last days he has spoken to us through 253 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:57,960 his Son. If you have seen the Son, you've 254 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:01,000 seen the Father. In fact, if you know this lesson 255 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:04,320 out of John 14, Philip asked Jesus, if you just show us the 256 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:09,600 Father, we believe in Jesus, says Philip, if you've seen me, 257 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:14,760 you have seen the Father. These disciples walked with 258 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:20,480 Jesus, and in hearing this most amazing course of all time, they 259 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:25,240 were encountering not a burning Bush, but a burning heart. 260 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:30,000 They still even couldn't recognize him until he opened 261 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:35,080 the scriptures and explained to them why we don't know fully. 262 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:37,400 Jesus would keep himself from them. 263 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:39,480 That's another day, another sermon. 264 00:18:40,120 --> 00:18:45,280 But as they were walking and talking, they were fascinated by 265 00:18:45,280 --> 00:18:51,600 Him, and as He explained the scriptures, they saw Him. 266 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:56,840 Then they asked Him to stay. He broke bread with them, and 267 00:18:56,840 --> 00:19:00,400 their eyes of their heart were open to Him. 268 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:06,760 They didn't realize how deeply they needed to be redeemed. 269 00:19:07,360 --> 00:19:11,800 Their understanding of the Messiah would be one who would 270 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:15,680 come and solve their circumstances. 271 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:18,800 Isn't that often what we want of God? 272 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:25,280 Just come fix my problems, fix whatever circumstances and 273 00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:29,920 trials are coming my way. Just fix my problems. 274 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:36,160 And we can often miss that. The biggest problem is right 275 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:42,080 here, and that's primarily what Jesus has come to fix. 276 00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:47,520 The Messiah was going to throw off all oppression and save them 277 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:53,520 in this worldly realm, and Jesus came to save them eternally. 278 00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:58,880 This is why his death was so catastrophic and why the 279 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:03,280 disciples were so downcast. If you if you've ever put your 280 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:07,800 eggs in one basket or bet the farm on something and it doesn't 281 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:11,320 come true, you're devastated. I had breakfast with a good 282 00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:15,720 friend about a month ago who had started a business and the 283 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:19,960 business took off. And by all counts, he's a multi 284 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:22,560 millionaire. And then a couple of troubling 285 00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:26,640 circumstances came the way of the economy and he's about to 286 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:29,880 file for bankruptcy. And he said this to me over 287 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:33,480 breakfast and I couldn't even believe my ears. 288 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:35,440 He said I've never been closer to God. 289 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:41,200 Interesting. It is easy to see as a God at to 290 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:45,600 see God as an answer to our problems and miss that what he 291 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:51,160 is ultimately and eternally interested in is our hearts. 292 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:57,520 We want a burning Bush, but what Jesus offers is a burning heart. 293 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:02,480 The reason Luke gives us this appearance is it can even happen 294 00:21:02,480 --> 00:21:05,440 to us today. A burning heart. 295 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:10,200 And how does our our experience of Jesus happened today? 296 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:15,000 He gives us the gift of this story through Luke to remind us 297 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:19,720 that our experience of God is primarily located in the 298 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:22,000 Scriptures. His testimony to us. 299 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:27,720 He even says in another place, blessed are those who have not 300 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:35,160 seen me, but yet believe these disciples. 301 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:37,560 Now we're beginning to understand something. 302 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:43,720 They understood that God was opening his full revelation to 303 00:21:43,720 --> 00:21:48,080 them in the Scriptures and ultimately in the breaking of 304 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:53,160 bread. Most people want God to answer 305 00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:56,680 our dilemmas by anchoring ourselves in a story like the 306 00:21:56,680 --> 00:21:59,160 flood. I read about the story of the 307 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:01,760 flood and then I immediately start to think, what are the 308 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:04,080 floods of my life? If the Lord would just take away 309 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:06,840 the floods? Or I read about David and David 310 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:10,200 took on a giant. What's the giant opposition in 311 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:12,280 my life if I could just get that solved? 312 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:19,120 When all along what Jesus wants us to know is his desire to walk 313 00:22:19,120 --> 00:22:23,240 with us. What has God promised you? 314 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:27,360 What promises has he made to you in this life? 315 00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:32,880 Has he promised you your life will go well if you just do the 316 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:35,360 right thing and live the right way? 317 00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:38,520 Sadly and unfortunately, he has not. 318 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:43,080 He has promised you something greater, something more lasting 319 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:45,320 and something that you can build your life on. 320 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:51,720 He has promised you this. I am with you no matter what 321 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:56,720 happens, even to the end of the age. 322 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:00,920 Jesus explained that the Bible is about Him. 323 00:23:01,360 --> 00:23:04,800 He then sits down with them at a table and has a meal, the 324 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:09,400 breaking of bread, and their hearts are ignited, burning 325 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:12,000 hearts, and they finally see Him. 326 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:15,320 And this, brothers and sisters, is why we come back week after 327 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:21,560 week, Sunday after Sunday, to hear the Word opened, to be 328 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:26,760 reminded of God's promises, to see the pardon that he offers us 329 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:32,360 in the cross, and to break bread and have the eyes of our hearts 330 00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:35,800 burning. The Holy Eucharist is made for 331 00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:37,440 us. It's given for us. 332 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:42,280 It's presented for us so that our hearts will be on fire. 333 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:47,120 The liturgy that we say and recite prepares us for what's 334 00:23:47,120 --> 00:23:51,600 coming, just as Jesus prepared the disciples with patient 335 00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:55,360 instruction. 7 miles of a seminary education. 336 00:23:56,040 --> 00:24:00,960 The early church sees this story in On the Road to Emmaus and 337 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:05,680 they see it as confirmation of the Eucharistic meal and the 338 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:11,080 opportunity to graciously and with Thanksgiving rejoice that 339 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:15,800 God is with us in His Word and in the sacrament. 340 00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:19,000 This is how the Lord stays with us. 341 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:21,880 We don't need His physical presence. 342 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:26,800 We have His promises and the witness of Scripture. 343 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:32,880 He rooted His disciples and hopefully us as well today in 344 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:36,880 love and service and He rooted them in the breaking of the 345 00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:41,720 bread and that this awareness He is with them always. 346 00:24:42,760 --> 00:24:46,680 Everyone wants an experience of Jesus, but I want, I want to 347 00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:52,360 submit to you that in the grace of the breaking of bread we find 348 00:24:52,360 --> 00:24:55,800 strength. It is why the pastor who 349 00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:59,520 celebrates communion holds up the bread and the wine and says 350 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:05,280 these are the gifts of God for the people of God. 351 00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:11,320 Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on 352 00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:17,040 him in your hearts by faith. Jesus said, I am the bread of 353 00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:19,880 life. Whoever comes to me shall not 354 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:22,080 hunger. Whoever believes in me shall 355 00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:24,440 never thirst. I am the bread of life. 356 00:25:25,120 --> 00:25:28,240 Your Father's ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 357 00:25:28,760 --> 00:25:33,040 This, however, is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that 358 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:37,480 one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came 359 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:42,040 down from heaven, and if anyone eats of this bread, he will live 360 00:25:42,120 --> 00:25:47,000 forever. And the bread that I give, I 361 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:51,960 give for the life of the world, and it is my flesh. 362 00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:57,560 Jesus broke the bread. Jesus is the bread. 363 00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:03,240 Jesus was with us in the breaking of bread, and Jesus 364 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:07,160 provides the bread. Brothers and sisters, in the 365 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:11,640 name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.