SESSION 7 The Promise Fulfilled

SESSION 7 The Promise Fulfilled The New Testament recognizes Jesus Christ as the One whom the Old Testament prophets proclaimed would reverse humanity s curse of sin and death. Session 7: The PROMISE FULFILLED 71 DATE OF MY BIBLE STUDY: 71

THEIR EYES WOULD BE OPENED TO THE TRUTH. THEIR HEARTS WOULD BE SET ABLAZE WITH HOPE, AND A FIRE IN THEIR BONES WOULD PROPEL THEM TO GO IMMEDIATELY AND TELL OTHERS THE GOOD NEWS. HAVE YOU EVER BUMPED INTO A CELEBRITY IN A PUBLIC PLACE? IF SO, DID YOU RECOGNIZE THE PERSON AT THE TIME? A recent news story told of a French tourist and her family strolling along the streets of New York near Grand Central Station. They had dined at one of New York s famous pizzerias, and the woman carried the leftovers in a bag as they walked along. She noticed a homeless man digging through a trash can, so she walked over and offered him the leftover pizza. The man thanked her and accepted the food. Only later did the woman discover that the man she helped was a world-renowned actor. He was in character and was filming an actual movie scene. On the same day that a group of women first told Jesus disciples the tomb was empty, two of Christ s followers left Jerusalem for Emmaus, a village located about seven miles away. They were anxious and had been stunned not only by their Lord s crucifixion days before but also by the women s unbelievable report that Jesus was alive. They barely noticed as another Traveler came alongside them on the road. Little did they know, this encounter would change their lives forever. Their eyes would be opened to the truth. Their hearts would be set ablaze with hope, and a fire in their bones would propel them to go immediately and tell others the good news. That same good news continues to burn in the hearts of believers to this day. 72 EXPLORE THE BIBLE YOUNG ADULTS

LUKE 24:19-35 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 they did not see Jesus. 25 He said to them, How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah 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 continued on 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? 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. Think About It Circle at least four names or titles in these verses that refer to Jesus. List some qualities each name/title suggests about Him. Session 7: The PROMISE FULFILLED 73

UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT About 20 years after Jesus resurrection, the apostle Paul wrote a letter to Christians living in Corinth. Some in that church were publicly denying the doctrine of resurrection. But in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul demolished their argument, reminding that the resurrected Jesus appeared to many of His followers over the course of time lastly to Paul himself (see 1 Corinthians 15:5-8). Luke s Gospel uniquely reports the Lord s appearance to two followers walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus on Resurrection Sunday (Luke 24:13-35). The emphasis of the event in Luke s account is Jesus fulfillment of the Old Testament revelation. All Jesus had done had been foreshadowed (if not directly prophesied) in the Old Testament. Yet it was during a meal Jesus hosted that the two followers had their eyes opened to recognize the risen Lord in their midst. Once they recognized Him, Jesus disappeared. Then the two followers hurried back to Jerusalem that very night, excited to tell the other believers. A second resurrection appearance is described in Luke 24:36-49. In this passage, Luke reported that Jesus appeared to a larger group of followers in Jerusalem consisting of the 11 disciples and others. This passage first emphasizes that the risen Lord appeared not as a vision or ghost but in a resurrected body that could be touched (see 24:36-43). Then the passage emphasizes how Jesus opened the eyes of His followers to truly understand the Scriptures. He commissioned them as witnesses of the gospel events, and He promised that they would soon be empowered from on high for their mission. Luke concluded his Gospel account by reporting Jesus ascension. From Bethany, a village two miles outside Jerusalem, Jesus was carried into heaven after blessing His followers. They worshiped Him; then returned to Jerusalem to await the empowerment of the Holy Spirit (see Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:7-8). 74 EXPLORE THE BIBLE YOUNG ADULTS

EXPLORE THE TEXT THE QUESTIONS RAISED (Luke 24:19-24) Jesus came alongside His two followers on the road to Emmaus. He knew them, but they were kept from recognizing Him (see Luke 24:16). Luke didn t explain the precise reason for the followers lack of recognition. His question, What things? removed a deep wound that many disciples suffered after Jesus crucifixion. They had pinned their hopes on Jesus, but those hopes seemed to be dashed. The two followers could hardly believe that anyone near Jerusalem for the past several days would be unaware of what had happened (see 24:18). As they began to answer Jesus question, they revealed what they understood and what they didn t yet grasp about Jesus. The irony of the conversation was that Jesus, thought to be uninformed, was the only One in the group who truly understood. The two followers affirmed that Jesus had spoken with authority and performed powerful miracles among the people. In spite of this, the Jewish religious and political leaders condemned Jesus. They handed Him over to the Roman authorities, who crucified Him. The phrase but we trusted uncovers a deep misunderstanding. To these two discouraged followers, Jesus crucifixion seemed to be the end of the story. They had hoped Jesus would be the political or military Messiah who freed Israel from the Roman Empire s heavy-handed rule. Not even His prediction of being raised on the third day offered these two followers any hope. The third day had arrived, and Jesus hadn t been seen. The hated Empire was still in charge. The two followers had heard the women s story of going to the tomb, finding it empty, and having a vision of angels who declared that Jesus was alive. But they didn t believe the women not even after some disciples went and verified the tomb was empty. None of them had actually seen the risen Lord at that point. Session 7: The PROMISE FULFILLED 75

KEY DOCTRINE: Jesus Resurrection Jesus was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the Person who was with them before His crucifixion. Here were two discouraged followers of Christ speaking face to face with the risen Lord. They had lost hope that Jesus was the Messiah. Why? Because despite the empty tomb, no one had yet seen the risen Lord. What things today might prevent people from recognizing the presence of the Living Christ? THE OLD TESTAMENT FULFILLED (Luke 24:25-27) THE SCRIPTURES REVEALED JESUS, AND HE FULFILLED THEM. Jesus scolded His two followers for their reluctance to believe the Scriptures. They were Israelites. They had heard the words of the prophets since they were children. Even more, they had listened as Jesus in His teachings connected His life and purpose to the fulfillment of prophecy (see Matthew 8:16-17). Every follower of Christ who learned about the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53 should ve known that the Messiah s path to glory came through suffering. The true Suffering Servant and Glorious Messiah now showed that He was still the Patient Teacher. Here were two of His followers who couldn t yet recognize Him. They were clinging to a misplaced hope about the Messiah, and they showed a woeful lack of wisdom concerning the Scriptures. So Jesus began with Genesis (Moses) and went all the way through Malachi (the prophets), explaining passages that pointed to His life, ministry, death, and resurrection. List some reasons people today give for not believing in the resurrection along with ways you can lead them to believe. 76 EXPLORE THE BIBLE YOUNG ADULTS

THE MESSIAH REVEALED (Luke 24:28-32) As the group neared Emmaus, Jesus indicated that He was going beyond the village. The two followers still didn t recognize Him as the risen Lord, but they were captivated by His explanation of the Scriptures. Later, they would confess that Jesus had set their hearts aflame as He explained the Scriptures to them along the way (see Luke 24:32). The tradition of hospitality and their desire to continue the conversation compelled the two followers to urge their fellow Traveler to stay the night with them, probably in their home. They craved an even deeper time of fellowship. In Israelite tradition, a communal meal meant more than just a time for eating. It provided an opportunity for talking, bonding, celebrating, and the genuine sharing of life. Invited guests could expect to be treated with honor. Every effort was made to supply their needs. Even the posture of reclining that is, leaning on the elbow and stretching out diagonally beside a low table promoted a sense of rest and fellowship. Interestingly, Jesus served as the Host of the meal in Emmaus with His two followers. The description in verse 30 of His actions draws immediate parallels to two other instances when Jesus served as Host: (1) when He miraculously fed a crowd of 5,000 (see Luke 9:16-17); and (2) when He instituted the Lord s Supper with His disciples (see Luke 22:19). Jesus actions at the meal opened the eyes of His followers, and they knew him. Yet as soon as their eyes were opened, the risen Lord in His bodily presence vanished from the room. He was alive indeed, but He would not remain on the earth in a physical presence. The two followers of Christ had left Jerusalem that day confused and hopeless. But now the Scriptures made perfect sense, because Jesus explained them as they were meant to be understood. The Scriptures revealed Him, and He fulfilled them. Session 7: The PROMISE FULFILLED 77

Bible Skill: Use other Scripture to help understand a Bible passage. The Bible contains 66 books penned by dozens of human writers across a span of more than a thousand years. Yet it is one Book God s Word with a unified message and purpose. Therefore passages in the Old Testament can illuminate New Testament passages, and vice versa. Read these passages from the Prophets and take note of how they point to what Jesus did as Savior: Isaiah 9:6; 53:4-10; 69:19-21; Micah 5:2; Zechariah 9:9; 12:10. Describe a time when Jesus revealed Himself to you. In what ways did it make sense of things in your life. THE RESURRECTION PROCLAIMED (Luke 24:33-35) The resurrection changes everything. Can you imagine a more exciting message to tell someone than to announce, Death is defeated! Sin is vanquished! It was this kind of excitement that compelled the two Christ-followers in Emmaus to hurry back to Jerusalem the same hour. To venture on a lonely road in the darkness of night testifies to their excitement. They knew exactly whom they wanted to tell first. By the time the two followers from Emmaus reunited with the eleven disciples and other believers in Jerusalem, Simon Peter also had exciting news to tell. The Lord had appeared to him too. Peter s testimony confirmed the two followers testimony. They in turn described their encounter with Jesus on the road and later at the meal. Their story plus Peter s testimony verified the women s report that had seemed too incredible to believe only that morning. These followers had already begun to do what Jesus commands all His disciples to do: proclaim the gospel in His name to the nations (see Luke 24:47-48; Matthew 28:18-20). What has Jesus done in your life that excites you and compels you to tell others about the gospel? 78 EXPLORE THE BIBLE YOUNG ADULTS

OBEY THE TEXT We should seek to ask honest questions about the meaning of Jesus resurrection. We can trust all of Scripture as being true and as pointing to Jesus. We can understand the truth of the gospel and believe in Jesus as the Messiah. We should be witnesses to Jesus Christ as the Living Lord who reigns forever. List actions your Bible study group can take to be a community in which honest and candid questions about Jesus can be discussed. List ways that Jesus has changed your life. What is Jesus actively changing in your life now and how are you responding to that change? The group of believers that assembled in Jerusalem encouraged each other in their faith. What can you do to encourage yourself and others in your Bible study group to tell others about Jesus? MEMORIZE And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. Luke 24:27 Session 7: The PROMISE FULFILLED 79

Use the space provided to make observations and record prayer requests during the group experience for this session. MY THOUGHTS Record insights gained and questions to discuss during the group experience. MY PRAYERS List specific prayer needs and answers to remember this week. MY MISSION Acknowledge ways you will obey God s Word this week. 80 EXPLORE THE BIBLE YOUNG ADULTS