Ralph Porter
© 2003
Friday night we remembered our Lord's death. As we left, Jesus was still
nailed to that cross. After His death, the scene where the disciples gathered was
a pretty pathetic sight. They escaped to a private hideaway and locked the doors
so the Jews wouldn't get them. Their hope had vanished. They had tied all their
hopes to the One they thought would be their Messiah.
When Jesus died on that cross, the hopes of all who followed Him came tumbling down. The dream was dead; the One they loved was buried. It looked like they would soon join Him--in the tomb, that is! What a sad, hopeless plight they faced!
Have you ever found yourself wondering whether you could really believe God? Have you wondered whether God's promises work for everyone else, but not for you? The Serendipity Bible asks the question: "What does it take to trigger a spiritual crisis in your experience?"
Financial panic? Anger with God over personal tragedy?
Disappointment in a relationship? Domestic problems?
Questions or doubts about your faith? Disillusionment about your church?
Lack of direction from God?
If you've ever gone through such experiences and found yourself doubting God, wondering whether He knows what He's doing, you're not alone. Christians down through the ages have asked similar questions. Perhaps you've invested your life in your job, or in your marriage, or in someone you love, only to see it all come crashing down around you. Your hope is gone; the dream is dead; there's nothing left to hope for.
In Luke 24, a couple of Jesus' followers have just been there. They've been through the most traumatic experience of their lives. They're asking themselves, "Can't God see what's happening?" "Doesn't He care?"
The situation makes no sense to them. Their hopes and dreams were shattered. This, in spite of fact that they've just heard reports affirming the resurrection! Everything was happening just as God had planned! But they couldn't see it. They couldn't believe it! It was too good to be true. They were discouraged because God hadn't done what they expected!
One of the main points in Luke 24 was that Jesus' followers didn't expect the story to end this way. They didn't expect the resurrection. This was the great surprise! Nevertheless, it's the touchstone, upon which our faith is established. Historically, if the resurrection isn't true, the whole thing is a hoax! Theologically, if the resurrection isn't true, our message is worthless (1 Cor 15).
In the past several weeks, three families in our congregation have said "Goodbye" to their mothers. What an encouragement it is on this Resurrection Sunday to be reminded that "because He lives, we too shall live." What better hope than to know that our moms are celebrating in His presence this morning! Therefore, it shouldn't surprise us that Satan would launch an attack against the resurrection.
John Stott affirms: "Christianity is in its very essence a resurrection religion. The concept of resurrection lies at its heart. If you remove it, Christianity is destroyed." Many people have set out to do just that--to destroy the credibility of Christianity by disproving the resurrection--but were convinced by evidence and trusted the Living One! Two significant writers who set out to do just that, and were convinced by the evidence for the resurrection, recorded their journey. Frank Morison told his story many years ago in his work: Who Moved the Stone? More recently, Josh McDowell wrote of his pursuit in Evidence That Demands a Verdict.
About every 30 years a new work is widely promoted as a "significant new discovery" that Christ didn't really die and rise again. According to these books, Jesus just swooned and revived. A few years ago, I spotted yet another of these works!
Chuck Colson has written that one of the most convincing evidences he discovered of the truth of the Gospel came from observing the disciples' public, united stand for Christ after His death. After observing the disintegration of the Watergate accomplices to save their own skin, he concluded that the only way the disciples would ever have hung together and stuck to their story was that they saw the resurrected Christ! Colson was convinced.
The resurrection affirms that Jesus is the Son of God as He claimed (Rom. 1:4). It demonstrates that His sacrifice for sin is accepted and that our salvation is complete. However, before Jesus' followers could proclaim that message, first they had to be convinced! They didn't expect it! They were convinced by evidence.
If at first glance you're a skeptic concerning the resurrection, you're in good company! Jesus' own followers didn't expect it and couldn't believe it at first either. It was too good to be true! However, the evidence was strong enough to convince these depressed skeptics.
WITNESS OF THE EMPTY TOMB
24:1-3
The women went to the tomb expecting to find Jesus' body inside! They came mourning His death, expecting to prepare His body for decay. They expected His body to decompose normally! Entering with no expectations, they discovered that the tomb was open and His body was gone.
WITNESS OF ANGELS
24:4-8
The women then discovered two messengers, who gleamed like lightning. They were angels. The one who did the talking asked the key question: "Why are you seeking the One Who is alive, among the dead?" They didn't remember what Jesus had said, until after the messengers explained what had happened. Isn't it sad how often we, like them, live in depression and defeat, because we don't remember the things God has told us over and over?
WITNESS TO THE UNBELIEVING DISCIPLES
24:9-12
The women and Peter brought word to the disciples, but no one believed them. They thought the women's report was a bunch of female nonsense! Even Peter wondered what had happened! None of Jesus' followers expected to see Jesus alive again! Why would hardened, skeptical fishermen change their minds, or risk their lives for a deception? What they saw turned them around!
Even those who followed Jesus were surprised by the resurrection! They found it hard to believe, in spite of His repeated promise beforehand. This was not a case of wishful thinking. They had lost all hope. No one was expecting it, in spite of what Jesus had clearly told them repeatedly beforehand.
Prophecies given by God repeatedly foretold what was going to happen. Old
Testament prophecies had foretold both the death and resurrection of Christ
many years before it happened. Similarly, Christ's prophecies repeated the same
advance notice!
All the evidence was there. God did exactly what He said He would do! Jesus' followers were confused because they couldn't believe what God was doing. It was too good to be true!
In spite of the specific promises which foretold what would happen, the
disciples were defeated. They were filled with doubts. The accounts of the
resurrection in the gospel point repeatedly to their doubts and fears:
Matt. 28:17 "When they saw Him, they worshiped [Him]; but some were doubtful."
Mark 16:11 "When they heard that He was alive, and had been seen by her, they refused to
believe it. 12And after that, He appeared in a different form to two of them, while
they were walking along on their way to the country. 13And they went away and
reported it to the others, but they did not believe them either. 14 And afterward
He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining [at the table]; and He
reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not
believed those who had seen Him after He had risen.
Luke 24:11 "And these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not
believe them."
24:38 "And He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your
hearts?"
24:41 "And while they still could not believe [it] for joy and were marveling, He said to
them, "Have you anything here to eat?"
Jesus goes over the plan again, several more times. One of these occasions is
revealed in His encounter with two followers on road to Emmaus.
APPEARANCE TO TWO DOUBTING FOLLOWERS
24:13-18
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about
seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything
that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other,
Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from
recognizing him.
17 He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 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?"
In spite of their inability to believe the good news, Jesus graciously came
alongside these followers, walked with them and listened to their animated
dialogue. The solution to the dilemma is in their midst, but they don't recognize
Him. Why? They didn't expect to find Him there! They didn't understand the
Scriptures. They didn't believe what He Himself had told them.
UNBELIEF OF THE TWO FOLLOWERS
24:19-24
19 "What things?" he asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a
prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief
priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified
him; 21 but 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. 22 In addition, some of our
women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but 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."
He was the center of it all, yet He asks them to explain what they have been
observing. What's at issue isn't what actually happened; it's how they perceive
what's happened. Even the exciting reports of what had happened caused
confusion and grief! Our women have lost it!!! Even some of our leaders are
apparently becoming convinced!
EXPLANATION FROM THE SCRIPTURES
24:25-32
25 He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that
the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then
enter his glory?" 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to
them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he
were going farther. 29 But 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.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and
began to give it to them. 31 Then 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?"
Jesus explained Scriptures about Himself and revealed Himself to them. Their
problem was that they didn't believe all the prophets wrote about Messiah. The
Lord gives a running exposition of practically the entire Old Testament.
Wouldn't it have been great to hear His explanation of all the Scriptures about
Himself?!! It might have answered some of our questions!
This was some Bible conference! The Word of God was applied directly to their problem by the greatest Teacher ever. Yet their vision was clouded.
They still didn't understand. All they knew was that their hearts were burning within them. They wanted more! So they urged Him to stay with them. Is that the cry of our hearts when we're in the Lord's presence? We know the answers, but our hearts cry for more?
Jesus opened the Scriptures. Then He opened their eyes so they could see Him. It wasn't until they saw the truth of the Scriptures, and their hearts burned within them, that their eyes were open to see Him. They were perplexed and confused, not even aware Jesus was with them. He was there all the time! The problem was that their eyes hadn't been open to see Him.
They weren't expecting Him and didn't recognize Him, but He was with them all along, in the midst of their perplexity! Their "heavenly heartburn" should have tipped them off, but they missed the evidence because they weren't expecting to find it!
CONFIRMATION BY SIMON
24:33-35
33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven
and those with them, assembled together 34 and 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.
Jesus' followers were finally convinced-well, sort of!
37 They 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." 40 When 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?"
The two were so excited about what they had seen that they couldn't wait
until morning. They ran back seven miles in the dark to tell the others!
Even though they had been with the Lord, they couldn't believe it. Even
though they had heard His Word, they couldn't believe it. Even though they had
heard the testimony of witnesses, they still couldn't believe it. Aren't you glad
WE never have trouble believing God in our dark hours?!!!
Can you identify with the struggle of these followers?
How many times has our mind been gripped by fear and anxiety?
Even when we have spent time with God . . .
Even when we have heard His Word . . .
Even when we hear others testify what God has shown them . . .
What God is doing doesn't make sense?
How can good come out of what God's allowing in my life?
Some people think "faith is believing something you know couldn't be true."
Faith isn't believing the unbelievable. Faith is trusting God! Faith is staking your
life on the faithfulness of God. Faith is trusting the God Who never fails; Who
always keeps His promises.
Few here this morning question the reality of the resurrection of our Lord.
The evidence is pretty clear and the witnesses are many. We can accept the fact
of the resurrection. Most of us have experienced reality of the resurrection in our
own lives. As the songwriter says:
I serve a LIVING Savior.
He's in the world today.
I know that He is living,
Whatever men may say. . .
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart!"
We know that don't we? But, you know what's hard for us to believe? We
have a hard time accepting the effects of the resurrection-especially the effects
that impact our own lives!
Luke uses Jesus' resurrection as the basis for our commission: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel," to be His witnesses, to make disciples. Paul uses the resurrection as the basis for our new life. As Christ died, we've been crucified with Christ. The result is that God sees us in Him. It's also true that as He rose to new life, so we have new life. The power that raised Jesus from the dead, energizes us for a new life! That's too good to be true! We can't believe we have that much power. We can't believe He can enable us to live above the power of sin and Satan!
A cartoon in The New Yorker showed a middle-aged couple in a new car showroom. The husband is looking at a flashy new model. His wife, says, "Well, Henry, if buying a front-wheel drive didn't make you a better person, what makes you think that a four-wheel drive will make you a better person?"
We're all wishing for someway to become a better person--to be free of our past, to live better in the present, to be different in the future. The resurrection is our hope. The same Spirit Who raised Christ from the grave, is in us to give us the power to live a new life. Is that too good to be true?
We, too can enjoy new life, if we trust this living Savior. He wants to transform your life!
One of God's specialties is taking an impossible set of circumstances and
turning those circumstances around, surprising us by what He does! Paul
encourages us by reminding us: ''No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has
conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Cor 2:9).
When things look so bad we are tempted to give up, we need to put our trust in God's ability to create amazing turnabouts. If God could raise Jesus from the dead, He can bring a surprise ending to your story too! TRUST HIM! He has promised eternal life to those who trust Him. That's no surprise! That's His promise. Will you trust Him?