Jesus Revealed

I have to catch up. You know
where we’ve been? We have been post-crucifixion,
post-resurrection. But as we have seen in weeks
past, it wasn’t enough that Jesus died. Jesus had to be crucified. It wasn’t enough that Jesus had
to be crucified. He had to be buried. It wasn’t
enough that Jesus had to be crucified and buried. He had to be resurrected. And it wasn’t enough that Jesus
had to be crucified, buried and resurrected. God obligated himself to prove
his resurrection by revealing Jesus to witnesses. I don’t say
that it wasn’t enough based on my own assessment. I say that
it wasn’t enough based on what God provided. God saw that it
was fit and right and appropriate that he produced some proof to
Jesus’ resurrection by revealing himself to a number of people,
some of whom we’ll meet this morning. Up to this point, The gospel
of Luke has not presented Jesus as raised. All we know thus far
from Luke’s gospel is that Jesus was crucified and that he was
buried and that the body now is missing. Now, we 2000 later,
2000 years later, rather, look back at that and we look at an
empty tomb and we know what took place. But that morning there
was a crisis. There was a difficulty. And in
the midst of that difficulty, Jesus begins the process of revealing
himself. I want to take you to Luke chapter
24, verse 13. It’s a lengthy passage that really,
because it is in narrative form, will fall. Rapid fires would begin to consider
these verses. Look at verse 13. And behold,
two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus,
which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking
with each other about all these things which had taken place
while they were talking and discussing. Jesus himself approached and
began traveling with them. But their eyes were prevented
from recognizing him. And he said to them, what are
these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?
And they stood still looking sad. One of them named Cleopas
answered and said to him, are you the only one visiting Jerusalem
and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?
He said to them, what things? And they said to Him the things
about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet, mighty in deed
and word, in the sight of God and all the people. And how the
chief priests and rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death
and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was
He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it
is the third day since these things happened. But some women
among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early
in the morning and did not find his body, they came saying that
they had seen also a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us
went to the tomb and found it exactly as the women also had
said, but him they did not see. And He said to them, O foolish
men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have
spoken. Was it not necessary for Christ
to suffer these things and to enter into His glory? Then, beginning
with Moses and all the prophets, He explained to them the things
concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. And they approached
the village where they were going. And he acted as though he were
going to go further, but they urged him saying, stay with us
for it is getting toward evening and the day now is nearly over. So we went in to stay with them.
When he had reclined at the table with them, he took the bread
and blessed it and breaking it, he began giving it to them. Then
their eyes were opened and they recognized him and he vanished
out of their sight. Then they said to one another,
we’re not our hearts burning within us while he was speaking
to us on the road while he was explaining the Scriptures to
us. And they got up that very hour
and returned to Jerusalem and found gathered together the eleven
and those who were with him, saying, the Lord has really risen
and has appeared to Simon They began to relate their experiences
on the road and how he was recognized by them in the breaking of the
bread. As I said, God himself presents
that it wasn’t just that Jesus needed to die, Jesus had to be
crucified, it wasn’t just that Jesus had to be crucified, he
had to be buried and raised again. And the sure way of proving that
he had indeed been raised and not as some of the other theories
about the resurrection, that somebody stole his body or that
Jesus merely fainted and walked away from the tomb and secluded
himself for the rest of his life. It was necessary that Jesus reveal
himself. What I want to look at this morning
is that Jesus revealed Himself. And I want to look at three elements
of that revelation. Three elements of the revelation
of Christ by Himself to humanity. First of all, look at verse 13
where we get the first glimpse where it says, And behold, two
of them were going that very day, the very day that Jesus
tomb was discovered to be empty. They were going to a village
named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. Interestingly,
they don’t really know where this place is. There are some
theories. And if you walk seven miles in
any one direction, you have a number of different options. It’s not
important. And they were talking with each
other about all these things which had taken place, perhaps
the trial, Perhaps the brutal treatment that Jesus received.
No doubt about the crucifixion. And then the entombment of Christ,
placing him into the tomb, that which Joseph of Arimathea had
given him. Nicodemus had participated. All of these things. But the
most concerning of all was the empty tomb. What had happened
to Christ And Jesus begins to reveal himself. As I said, I
want to look at three different elements of that this morning.
First of all, Jesus reveals himself in the context of a great dilemma.
Jesus reveals himself in the context of a great dilemma. Look
at verse 15. While they were talking and discussing. They didn’t have a clear understanding
of what had taken place. They really didn’t know what
had happened to Jesus’ body. They had some hopes, but those
hopes were fading fast. While they were talking and discussing,
Jesus himself approached and began traveling with them. Now,
the passage doesn’t explicitly state it, but we can assume that
since they were traveling from Jerusalem, Jesus approached behind
them, caught up with them, as it were, Because if you go on and look
at the passage, they assume that he had just come from Jerusalem
as well. Verse 16 says, but their eyes
were prevented from recognizing him and were not provided with
any detail here. But it’s safe to assume that
Jesus didn’t disguise himself. For the purpose of obscuring
his identity. He didn’t cover his face, as
was common with women of the day, for the purpose of obscuring
his identity. Instead, his identity seems at
least to be supernaturally hidden from his two friends. It wasn’t
the only time that that had happened. John 20, verse 14. To Mary, she
turned around and saw Jesus standing there and did not know it was
Jesus. There was something about the
resurrected body of Christ that could, in a sense, turn it on
and turn it off, could reveal himself and then conceal himself
instantly. John 21, for later on in that
same section, when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on
the beach, yet the disciples The ones closest to Christ did
not know it was Jesus. These two friends, some suggested
they weren’t that close to Jesus that when they saw him face to
face, they didn’t even know who they were talking to. I don’t
think that’s the case at all. I think they knew Jesus intimately. I think that once the passage
makes it clear that Jesus reveals himself to him in an instant,
they knew that it was Christ. Verse 17 goes on and says, and
they said to him, he said to them, what are these words that
you are exchanging with one another as you’re walking? Now, most
of us would consider this rude. If a total stranger walks up
to us, somebody we don’t know sees us conversing, walks up,
hey, what are you talking about? That would be the reaction, right?
None of your business. That’s not their reaction. During Jesus public ministry,
it’s not that Jesus needs information from them. He knows exactly what
they’re talking about. This was just his habit. This
is exactly how Jesus would get people talking. Right. So what
are you talking about? It’s not that Jesus didn’t know,
because repeatedly throughout the gospel, we have seen Jesus
use this device. Luke six, nine, Jesus said to
them, I ask you, is it lawful to do good on to do good or harm
on the Sabbath to save a life or destroy it? Jesus wasn’t hung
up on the horns of a dilemma here. Jesus didn’t need information
from them. What Jesus wanted to do was to
draw them out, get them to speak, and then he could instruct. Luke nine, 18. It happened as
he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. He questioned
them saying, who do the people say that I am? That didn’t come as
news to Jesus. Jesus didn’t need to be informed.
This was a device that Jesus used over and over and over again. What do you want me to do for
you? Luke 18, 40. Was the baptism of John from
heaven or from men? Luke 20, verse 4. Luke 20, 41
through 44 and on and on it goes. It was a regular device. And
so Jesus asks them a simple question in order to draw them out. And
the mere question brings them low. Look at what happens in
verse 17. Jesus, all he does is ask them,
what are these words? What’s the conversation about?
And they stood still looking sad because they know that they
are going to have to walk through this whole difficult episode
all over again. They’re going to have to give
an account, recount of what had transpired. One of them, verse
18, named Clopas, answered and said, Are you the only one? How
is it even possible? That this thing was so heinous
and so in your face and so many people witnessed it. How is it
even possible that someone was in the city and doesn’t know
what transpired over these last several days? Are you the only
one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened
in these days? And he said to them, what things?
Elaborate. Go on. Obviously, Jesus isn’t unaware,
as I’ve already pointed out. And they began to relate to him.
And they said to him later on in verse 19, the things about
Jesus, the Nazarene, and now they begin to assume that they’re
talking to a total stranger, somebody from completely outside
the city, somebody that may not know Jesus, but Jesus, the Nazarene,
they may have heard of. Jesus, the Nazarene, who was
a prophet, mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and
all the people, they begin to extol what they knew of Jesus. And there were some that were quite
offended, some commentaries were quite offended at the fact that
they merely presented him as a prophet because he’s much more
than that and that we know. But the Scriptures themselves
portray Jesus as a prophet. He was much more than a prophet.
It isn’t a complete portrayal, but it is an accurate portrayal
at this point. Deuteronomy 18, 15 and 18 both
speak of a prophet that will arise. Luke 7, 7, 16, when they
looked at Jesus, the great fear gripped them all and they began
glorifying God, saying a great prophet has arisen among us.
And Jesus didn’t rebuke them. John 4.19, the woman at the well.
When the woman at the well said, Sir, I perceive that you are
a prophet, Jesus didn’t rebuke her. John 9.17, the man born blind. One of my favorite stories, which
echoes the verse 4 that we just sang a moment ago, where Jesus
went looking for this man born blind. Looking for him a second
time to give to him spiritual eyesight, having given him physical
eyesight. They said to the man born blind,
what do you say about him since he opened your eyes and he said
he is a prophet. It’s not an inaccurate portrayal
of Christ. It’s just incomplete. He’s a
prophet and a priest and a king. And the only one that bears all
three titles. But they go on describing the episode and how
the chief priests, our rulers, verse 20, delivered him to the
sentence of death and crucified him. That alone would be major
news. Crucifixion was a common form
of torture, but it was not a common occurrence. When it happened
in a city, it was big news. The problem with the Jewish nation
at that point is that typically as they read
the Old Testament, they saw the glory of the Messiah. They saw
the victory. They saw the conquering Messiah. What they didn’t see, what they
refused to see was that glory and that victory was going to
come from one who had suffered first, a suffering servant. That they didn’t count on. Verse
21 picks up, we were hoping Oh, we were hoping. Today we might
even say, I had my fingers crossed. I was really hopeful that this
was going to come off. We were hopeful that it was He
who was going to redeem Israel. And you can hear by the sound
in their voice that they believed that He failed. He didn’t redeem
Israel. Not according to what they were
expecting. They were hoping that the flame
of hope had now turned into a flicker. It’s just about ready to be a
smoking wick. As one painted the picture, they
had hoped fervently that he who had been so mighty indeed and
word who had performed so many wonderful works of deliverance,
who taught with such authority, not merely an ordinary prophet,
but the promised Messiah. They had hoped that he would
act with messianic power, would deliver the people from all earthly
and spiritual enemies. But now he had actually been
rejected and crucified by the leaders of the people. And there
seemed to be no longer any hope that he would suddenly appear
miraculously in messianic glory as the promised redeemer. The
hope was almost gone. Verse 21, the second portion.
Cleopas picks up and says, indeed, besides all this, it is the third
day since these things happened. Cleopas didn’t know exactly what
was supposed to happen on the third day, but whatever was supposed
to happen on the third day hadn’t happened. Maybe Cleopas didn’t
know that on the third day, Jesus promised that he would be resurrected. But Cleopas knew that something
was going to happen on the third day and really nothing. Cleopas’ hope wells, at least
briefly, as he begins to talk about a couple of women, some
women who among us amazed us. It’s almost as if they amazed
us with their cruelty to build our hopes up in such a way When
they went to the tomb early in the morning, they did not find
his body. And then they came back talking about some vision
that they had seen, as if it was just a vision. It wasn’t
a vision that they had seen. They saw real angels. They heard
a real message from the angels that said that he was alive.
But that was all hearsay. It was just secondhand reports
from, of all people, women. And in that day and age, that
kind of news Even from godly women meant next to nothing. Ah, but they did some investigation
of their own. Verse 24 says that some of those
who were with us went to the tomb and found it exactly as
the woman had said. But him they did not see. Now
likely that is the account of Peter and John who run following
the women to the tomb, looking in, and discovering exactly what
they had laid out. And so, Jesus reveals himself
in the midst of dilemma, and he still does today. Just as
there was dilemma in that day and age, there is dilemma even
still about Jesus. Not the dilemma about the days
immediately following Jesus’ crucifixion, when people didn’t
know what happened to his body. But the dilemma of doubt and
misinformation that surrounds Jesus to this day. False stories
about Jesus, that Jesus was married, that Jesus was this, Jesus was
that, that we’ve got to go back now and do a quest for the historical
Jesus and find out what he was really like, because the Gospels
are wholly inadequate, say the so-called experts. false views
about Jesus, that he was a mere man, that he was not deity, that
he was a mere prophet. And in that sense, this passage
is accurate. But he’s so much more than that,
that people are confused, they’re left confused. Most people think
that he wasn’t really divine. Entire religions have risen up
with that kind of a testimony that says Jesus wasn’t really
God. He was God-like. He was brothers
of God or offspring of God in some way, shape or form, but
he wasn’t really God. Jesus still reveals himself,
even in the face of two thousand years of utter disinformation
and complete lies about who Jesus is. Jesus is still able to shine
through all of that and reveal himself to those he will. Secondly, not only does Jesus
reveal Himself in the context of a great dilemma, secondly,
Jesus reveals Himself through the clarity of Old Testament
prophecy. Look at verse 25 as Jesus begins
to speak. And He said to them, O foolish
men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets had
spoken. Was it not necessary for the
Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?
We talked this week in our family of about what a rhetorical question
is. That’s a rhetorical question.
It’s a question that everybody knows the answer to should. Was
it not necessary for Christ to suffer these things and to enter
into his glory? The answer is yes, we know it to be true. We know it to be true because
that’s exactly what the Old Testament laid out. with regard to Christ,
that like most in the Jewish nation, they remember the promises. They remember the glories about
the promised Messiah, but they ignored all of those predictions
of his sufferings because it didn’t fit. It didn’t fit the
kind of Messiah that they were expecting. They were expecting
a conquering ruler. Somebody was going to come in
and rescue them from the Romans and any other oppressing nation
and take total control. As one pastor said, if they had
known the Scriptures. They would have known that not
only had the glory of the victory been promised him, but that God
had clearly proclaimed through the prophets that he was to suffer
and die in order to attain to the glory. They had seen only
one side of the messianic prophecies. But something’s about to change.
And it’s a dramatic change. How would you like to be on this
Sunday school lesson? How would you like to listen
in on this? You know what? Years ago, I sat in and I love
the series that R.C. Sproul did. He left a lot of
his covenantalism out of it. That series, Dust to Glory, where
he takes us from Genesis all the way through the Minor Prophets.
An overview of the Old Testament. I was absolutely spellbound for
two entire semesters in seminary as dear old Dr. Roscoe walked
us through a survey of the Old Testament. And for two years,
this man made the scriptures absolutely come to life. Personally,
I am thrilled and excited and looking very much forward, if
not this next semester in the Institute, beginning the process
myself of of taking the Saints through the Old Testament in
a survey of the Old Testament, regardless of what material I
have to add to the scriptures. We have the scriptures. What
exciting. You know what? I would gladly
give up all of those to sit at the feet of Jesus for his lesson
on the subject. Can you imagine how exciting
it was to sit and to walk rather with Jesus as he walked these
two men through the Old Testament scriptures, particularly as it
related to Jesus, the person of the Messiah, with regard to
all that was announced and predicted about him in the Old Testament?
Let me just do a quick overview and then we’ll touch on a few
more particulars. If you think of it, Moses, presents Jesus
as the prophet ultimately that he would raise up. We’ll talk
more about that in a moment. David presents Jesus as the one
who would sit on God’s right hand. It would take his throne
one day. Isaiah presents him as Emmanuel,
wonderful counselor, mighty God. Jeremiah presents him as the
branch, as does Zechariah, Jeremiah. presents him as the Lord, our
righteousness. Ezekiel presents him as the shepherd. Daniel presents him as the son
of man. Micah presents him as a ruler
in Israel. What passages. When you think
of the wealth of information that Jesus had that morning and
he didn’t need his Old Testament with him because it was all there.
Having oriented from his own heart, Genesis 315, I will put
enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise your head and
you shall bruise his heel. It was Genesis 12, three, oh,
bless those who bless you and the ones who curse you. I will
curse and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.
Genesis 22, 18, in your seed, all the nations of the earth
shall be blessed because you obeyed my voice. Was it the Abrahamic
covenant that Jesus started with? When you begin to look at the
wealth of Scriptures that were at Jesus’ disposal, page after
page after page. Psalm 22, my God, my God, why
have you forsaken me? Psalm 22 18. They divide my garments
among them for clothing. They cast lots. Should that come
as a surprise to any of you in Israel? What about the prophets? Isaiah
7 14 Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold,
a virgin will be with child and bear a son and she will call
his name Emmanuel. Was that part of the Sunday school
lesson? that Jesus gave to these young
men. Over and over again, the Scriptures roll. All of them
testifying of Christ. A child will be born to us. Isaiah
9.6. A son will be given to us. And
the government will rest on His shoulders. He will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
There will be no end to the increase of His government. pages and pages and pages of
testimony that Jesus had opportunity to use. And at the end of it,
the Old Testament picture ultimately was painted, was not limited
to a few particular verses. It was the entirety of the Old
Testament, all of it culminating there at the cross. It was all
in fulfillment. of God’s great plan of redemption.
Acts 10.43 says, of Him that is of Jesus Christ, all the prophets
bear witness that through His name, everyone who believes in
Him receives forgiveness of sins. The whole totality of the Old
Testament proclaims the Lord Jesus Christ. And it says that they approached
the village. And Jesus would have gone on And they pleaded
with him to remain, to stay the night with them. Perhaps their
curiosity was peaked. Perhaps finally they were beginning
to grasp what Jesus had told them all along. But Jesus isn’t
finished revealing himself yet. Jesus revealed himself in the
context of a great dilemma. Jesus revealed himself through
the clarity of Old Testament prophecy. But Jesus also revealed
himself in a third way. Jesus reveals himself in recognizable
flesh. Recognizable flesh. And this
is that element of the resurrection that we’re absolutely needful
of. We know we’re needful because God provided it. God could have
just said, you know what? I expect you to believe. Just
believe that Jesus has risen. The body’s gone after all. It’s
not there undergoing decay like every other body. But God provided
proof. God provided those witnesses
to the resurrection of Christ. And it begins in verse 30. While
he reclined at the table with them, he took the bread and blessed
it and breaking it, he began giving it to them. Now, there
were all kinds of theories. Did Jesus break the bread in
a particular way? Did he pause over the bread in
prayer, as was his habit? We don’t know. We don’t know
what it was. We do suspect that it was supernatural,
that their blindness was supernatural. And suddenly God began to lift
that blindness to who Jesus was. One said it this way, that the
body of his resurrection now possessed qualities enabling
him to appear at will and to vanish at will. And I agree with
that. We don’t understand it, but that is exactly what seems
to transpire not only in this passage, but in all of the resurrection
passages. As one said, it was something
more than just a sudden departure. Was it Kimo Sabe? Remember, he
was always just here one moment and gone the next. Right. That’s
not what happened. That’s not what happened with
Jesus. It wasn’t just that he was good at making exits that
is there, you know, busy eating bread that Jesus ducks out the
back door. That’s not what happened at all. Something more than a sudden
departure or a departure, which they did not notice until he
was gone is intended. We are to understand disappearance
without physical movement. In other words, he was there
one second and he’s gone the next just gone. They said to one another, we’re
not our hearts burning within us, we knew that had to be Christ.
In verse 32, while he was speaking to us on the road, while he was
explaining the Scriptures to us, And what Christian? Who among us this morning can’t
recall in those early moments of our conversion, before we
actually came to faith, in those moments as we were being drawn
near, as we begin to hear about Jesus from God’s Word, being
impressed upon us by the truth of the Holy Spirit Himself, We’re
not our hearts burning within us. What Saint among us doesn’t
know that same sentiment? They got up that very hour, returned
to Jerusalem, and they found gathered together the eleven
and those who were with them, and they began saying, the Lord
really has risen and appeared to Simon. And they began to relate
their experiences on the road and how he was recognized by
them in the breaking of the bread. But the truth is, it wasn’t just
that Jesus revealed himself then to the men in Emmaus. Jesus revealed
himself to a number of other people. He revealed himself to
Mary Magdalene, as recorded in John 24, 14. He revealed himself
to women returning from the tomb. As recorded in Matthew 28, he
reveals himself later that same day in Luke 24, as we’ll see
soon. To these disciples, to the apostles
with Thomas absent, later to Thomas, to the seven that are
by the Lake of Tiberias recorded in John 21, which passage is
one of my favorite in all of scripture. To James, as recorded
in first Corinthians 15, seven to the eleven is recorded in
all four of the Gospels and acts to the Ascension or at the Ascension. Rather, Jesus revealed himself
to Paul, to Stephen, to Paul again in the temple, which Paul
talks about in Acts 22. It wasn’t just these two, but
those two are enough. Jesus left himself with a witness.
But the bottom line is that Jesus remains revealed. Jesus remains
proven through eyes of faith that when we hear accounts of
eyewitnesses to the resurrected Christ in the flesh, we take
that testimony at face value. We take it in faith. Jesus. had extolled the virtue of taking
things in faith when he said in Matthew 11.25, I praise you,
Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things
from the wise and intelligent, but have revealed them to infants.
Ultimately, it’s God in His sovereignty that reveals Himself. But when
God reveals Faith must behold. Faith accepts the revealed written
word of Jesus Christ. And you take it in faith this
morning that Jesus is alive, that Jesus was raised. You haven’t
seen him. Not with physical eyes, but with
eyes of faith. And faith in the absence of physical
sight is a regular and glorious subject in Scripture, isn’t it? John four. Where Jesus rebuked those that
only sought a physical sign or they would not believe, whereas
Jesus puts a premium on those who see with eyes of faith. Hebrews
11 says that this way, faith is the assurance of things hoped
for the convictions of things not seen. As one pastor said,
God’s faithful believed God’s promises as incomplete and vague
as many of those promises were. They did not have a great deal
of specific light by New Testament standards, but they knew it was
God’s life. And they put their full trust
and hope in it, that’s what faith is. Faith is a living hope. that is so real it gives absolute
assurance. Faith is not wistful longing
that something may come to pass in an uncertain future. True
faith is an absolute certainty, often of things that the world
considers unreal and impossible. You talk to your average friend
about the resurrected Christ, that He really is alive, and
they will mock you to your face. Paul addressed this very thing
when he wrote to the Corinthians. In 2nd Corinthians, he says,
momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight
of glory far beyond all comparison. While we look not at the things
which are seen, because those aren’t even the real important
things, Paul says, but at the things which are not seen. We
look with eyes of faith. First Peter wrote in First Peter,
Peter wrote this in this in this salvation, you greatly rejoice,
though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed
by various trials. Peter goes on to say, though
you have not seen him and this is coming from the great apostle
who had seen him. Even though you have not seen
Him, you love Him. And even though you do not see
Him now, but believe in Him, you rejoice with joy inexpressible
and full of glory. We see with eyes of faith. Jesus
remains presented to us. Jesus remains revealed. Because we take it in faith.
Let’s rejoice before Him. Our merciful God, we humble ourselves
before you. And we thank you and praise you
that even still Jesus comes in the midst of this fallen world
that is so besmirched and confused about the testimony of Jesus
Christ that so many, when they first hear of him, think of him
as a mere mythical figure. Father, to us, By your own grace,
you have revealed yourself in the midst of this great dilemma
called life. You have opened a word to us
and shown us from the Scriptures that indeed your word. And the
richness of the Old Testament proclaims him on every page.
And Father God, we thank you and praise you that we see you
now risen in the flesh. Because Your Word says it, and
we take it by faith. Father God, we humble ourselves
before You. We ask Your rich blessing on
our day. Be glorified in it, we pray.
It’s in Jesus’ name that we pray. Amen. You. It’s been a while since I’ve
seen you. Thank you.