He Has Conquered the Grave!
Luke 24:13-25
It was Sunday afternoon, two disciples of Jesus were making the 7 mile trip to Emmaus from Jerusalem.
As they journeyed toward the sunset, their hearts were empty.
They had been convinced that Jesus was the Messiah.
They had hoped He would redeem Israel.
He had been so powerful, but yet so compassionate.
He was brilliant, yet He was so gentle.
They had given up everything to follow Him.
Now He was dead!
These disciples had been their when Jesus was buried in a garden tomb.
The adventure was over.
The disciples were completely disillusioned and utterly devastated.
As they walked along, they encountered a stranger who completely reversed their spirits.
For these men it would be like walking our of the gloom of night, into the bright morning light.
There is no greater theme in all the Bible than the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave.
“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.... But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep . . . For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:17)
These men were about to encounter the resurrection and the life.
The risen Christ!
I. The Disciples' Disillusionment With Jesus
As we look at our text, it says These Disciples Were Leaving Jerusalem.
They "were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem" (Luke 24:13).
That seems strange, because rumors had been circulating all day that Jesus was alive.
Some women claimed to have seen an angel who insisted that Christ had risen from the grave.
The tomb was empty, and no one knew the where about’s of Jesus’ body.
But instead of hanging around to see if the rumors were true, these two men headed out of town.
These men were so disillusioned, they couldn’t even find hope in the rumors.
Their Conversation Was Negative.
* We notice, as they were walking towards Emmaus,
“They were talking with each other about everything that had happened" (Luke 24:14).
Depressed people are often extremely pessimistic.
They discuss their negative experiences constantly.
They promise, "I'm not going to talk about my problems anymore,.”
But in two minutes they are right back in the same gloomy speech pattern.
For example, someone is having marital problems.
They are so discouraged they can't seem to talk about anything else.
They’ll talk about it for hours and finally say,
“I'm not going to discuss it anymore. Lets talk about something else and get my mind off my problem.”
"Okay," a friend says. "I know what we can do to get our mind onto something else: let's go shopping!"
Just then the wounded wife bursts into tears and sobs, "I can just hear George griping about my spending and saying, 'Do you think money grows on trees?' He was so insensitive, I don't know what I ever saw in him. Do you know what he said . . ."
Despondent people are obsessed with the negative.
Their problems are a constant topic of conversation.
Their Expression Was Gloom.
* We also read, "Their faces were downcast" (Luke 24:17).
I love the phrase,
“If you've got the love of Jesus in your heart, notify our face!”
The joy of the Christian life should be reflected in our countenance.
The disciples gloom was evident in their faces.
William Barclay translates verse 17, "They stood there with their faces twisted in grief."
Their Attitude Was Cynical.
* Another indication of the despair of these two disciples was their cynical attitude.
He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"
They 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?" (Luke 24:I8).
Then they began to tell Jesus about himself (cf. Luke 24:18-24).
"We thought He was a prophet. Apparently, we were really wrong about Him. We had hoped He was the one who was going to redeem Israel but it has been three days since He died. Brother, were we wrong."
Most people in our society would find it easy to identify with these two disciples.
At one time or another we have all faced the hopelessness of dispair!
It may have come in the form of divorce.
The death of a loved one.
Cancer or some other horrible disease.
It may have come in the form or financial problems.
The lost of your job or just unexpected expenses.
It may take the form of alcoholism or drug abuse.
Whatever the source, people everyday are faced with despair and a sense of helplessness.
It’s all to easy for us to understand how these disciples must have felt.
II. The Disciples' Dialogue With a Stranger
Jesus said to these men as they walked that lonely road or despair.
"How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in the Scriptures concerning himself" (Luke 24:25-27).
On the road to Emmaus, Jesus taught these two disillusioned men the whole scheme of redemption.
They were captivated!
They had never really understood those Scriptures before.
Isn't it amazing how you can get so accustomed to something that you don't notice it anymore?
The whining of trucks on a nearby interstate or the trains moving down the nearby tracks,
keep you awake the first night in a new home, you think it will be unbearable.
But, before long, you don’t hear them anymore.
You can get so used to the striking of a clock,
the dripping of a faucet, or the voice of a preacher, that you no longer pay any attention.
We have the same problem spiritually.
Some of us have sung "He Lives" so many times we don't pay attention anymore.
We've heard what the Scriptures say about the resurrection so often, that we ignore its significance.
Something needs to happen to dig the dullness out of our ears and wipe the scales from off our eyes.
That's the reason a stranger can be so helpful.
A stranger can help us to see what we've been missing.
To hear again what we've been shutting out.
Have you ever been involved in a comfortable Sunday-school class that was interrupted by a stranger?
He asks questions about things you've taken for granted for years.
He challenges your basic beliefs.
You are forced to re-examine and articulate truth, that you have taken for granted for too long.
One Sunday there’s a guest preacher at your church.
He says the same things the local pastor says, but it just sounds different somehow.
It comes across fresh, and you are convicted.
Sometimes just a little change can make us alert, and teachable, and help us to hear again.
The stranger these two men encountered on the road to Emmaus, got them thinking again.
Thinking about all that Jesus had said would happen.
III. The Disciples' Discovery of Hope
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther.
They stopped Him and said,
"Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them” (Luke 24:29).
And a few minutes later, Jesus revealed himself to them in the familiar.
"When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him" (Luke 24:30-31).
I don't think this was a Communion service.
That doesn't fit the mood of the story.
The most natural thing for them to do after this seven-mile hike,
was to invite the stranger to eat a meal with them.
Some how, Jesus was made known to them in something as routine as eating supper.
Did they recognize a distinctive gesture when He broke the loaf?
When He prayed, did they hear phrases that they had heard before?
Did they sense an intimacy with the Father that only Jesus knew?
I think when He passed the loaf and they took it from Him, they saw nail scars in His hands!
A group of Sunday-school children was asked to describe Easter in one word.
One little girl wrote, "Easter means surprise!"
That's the word!
"Surprise, Sanhedrin! Surprise, Pilate! Surprise, Satan!
Surprise, Disciples! Surprise, world!”
Jesus has conquered the grave!
Jesus is alive!
Jesus is more powerful than death!
Those two surprised disciples must have had instant goose bumps!
The hair on their necks stood up.
They must have gasped as they looked at those nail-scarred hands and then into the face of Jesus.
Jesus didn't have to say another word.
He just revealed himself to them, and then suddenly disappeared.
The disciples were absolutely stunned.
Notice three positive changes that quickly took place in their lives, once they realized that Jesus was alive.
They Were Positive About Their Past Experiences.
"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?" (Luke 24:32).
They realized they had just had an incredible experience.
Have you noticed how we usually learn more in retrospect, than we do in the present?
I watch couples as we go through their wedding ceremony.
When I'm talking to them, they're not paying much attention.
They're thinking,
"I hope I don't fall down.
I hope I don't forget the vows.
I wonder how long this is going to be."
While I'm saying some good things about love and marriage, they're not paying a lot of attention.
Later, when they listen to the tape or watch the video and look at the pictures,
they may appreciate it.
Perhaps they'll say, "That was a great day. Our hearts burned within us."
They are like the disciples, who looked back on the walk with Jesus and thought,
"Didn't our hearts burn within us when we walked with Him?"
It seems to me that one of the marks of maturity is that we learn to appreciate the present moment.
It's good to look back at past experiences and interpret them in a positive light.
It's better when were perceptive enough to detect a special moment when it is happening.
A mature Christian ought to learn to appreciate a memory when it occurs.
The risen Christ in our lives should motivate us to say with the psalmist,
"This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24).
They Were Positive About Their Relationships.
Once these two discovered Jesus, they felt different about their friends.
When they were filled with despair, they walked away from their associates in Jerusalem.
They isolated themselves.
When they realized Jesus was alive, they immediately rushed back to be with their friends.
It was night, they were tired, and it had been a dangerous trip.
But they weren't satisfied sharing the good news with strangers in Emmaus.
They had to be with people who shared their convictions and joy.
“They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, 'It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon"' (Luke 24:33, 34).
When the reality of Christ's resurrection sinks in, you become positive about fellowship in the church.
You don't want to live in isolation.
You want to be with people who share your faith and moral values.
Nobody has to beg you to attend church anymore.
The early Christians met with each other every day.
They were so close, they wanted to be together.
They Had A Positive Testimony.
On the trip to Emmaus, they were downcast saying,
"We had hoped that Jesus was going to deliver Israel."
Now they race back to Jerusalem filled with hope and excitement.
The disciples were saying, "It's true! The Lord has risen. Simon saw Him!"
In the middle of this celebration,
"the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when He broke bread" (Luke 24:35).
Thier Opened eyes produced opened lips.
When we come to understand what the gospel really means, we can't keep quiet about it.
Theologian Paul Tillich, points out there are three primary needs of modern man that only the gospel of Jesus Christ can fulfill.
There is the need for release from guilt,
the need for a hope in death,
and the need for a purpose in life.
The reality of Christs resurrection alone resolves those basic needs.
His death cleanses us from all our sin.
Our past is forgiven.
His resurrection promises us life after death.
Our future is assured.
His presence in our daily life gives us direction.
Our present is empowered.
Once we fully understand the significance of the risen Christ.
We can't help but speak about what we have seen and heard.
The four-year-old daughter of a minister was captivated with the crucifixion scene in the televised movie Jesus of Nazareth.
Her eyes were glued to the television set watching the agony of the cross.
The next evening when she prayed at the supper table, she said,
"Thank you, God, for this day. Thank you for this food...And thank you, God, that no one puts nails in us today."
That’s right, we don't have to fear nails, because Jesus took them for us.
We don't have to fear the grave
because Jesus over came it for us.
Jesus conquered His grave,
and one day He will conquer ours.
That's the promise of Scripture.
Taking us from the darkness of despair, into the glorious light of Jesus power & love..