Introduction Jesus Went Further Luke 24:13-28 The great salvation story is coming to a close. Jesus made his way to Jerusalem. He s arrested. He s put on trial. He s condemned, crucified and placed in a tomb. 1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, But they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. All of a sudden two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. The angels asked them, Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again. Ahh, only then did they remembered his words. 9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the disciples. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words sounded like nonsense. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb.
2 Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened. Read 24:13-28 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? (Luke 24:13-18) 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. (Luke 24:19-24) 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. (Luke 24:25-27) 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. (Luke 24:13-28)
3 Two disciples are walking on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus about a 2 hour walk. They leave even though there is proof of Jesus resurrection! What proof? -- His body isn t in the tomb. -- There was a vision of angels. At this point Jesus joins them (but they don t recognize Him ), and He begins to expound to them the prophecies concerning the Messiah. v. 26 aludes to the gospel, Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory. In v. 27 Jesus explains how Moses writings and the Psalms were fulfulled in Himself. So after a couple of hours of explaining on the road the Messiah had to continue his journey, He acted as if he were going farther. (Luke 24:28) This is no coincidence! If it were necessary, Jesus would have done more than He did to purchase our salvation!
4 If necessary, Jesus would have gone further! But Calvary was sufficient! The Christ did have to suffer these things. Jesus did have to pay our debt in full! In Colossians 1, Paul said we are to give thanks to the Father, 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Col 1:13-14) What happened at Calvary is the most tremendous story the world has ever known! What a love story! God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son (John 3:16). While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom 5:8). On the cross God 19 was reconciling the world to himself in Christ (2 Cor 5:19). But this beautiful story of how the Creator came to His creation is sadly overflowing with irony. From the creature came: From the Creator came: - undeserved humiliation. - immeasurable love. - unbearable mockery. - ultimate unselflessness. - inhumane suffering. - indisputable grace. - unthinkable torture. - incomprehensible mercy. - indescribable pain. - supreme sacrifice. We can never forget what happened at Calvary, because Calvary is ugly.
5 Why was our Lord so sorrowful? Why was his heart so heavy? Why was his soul so troubled? Why did He fall on his face and cry out to his Father three times, with strong shouts and tears? What is the meaning of the bloody sweat, the amazement and astonishment described by the other Evangelists? Why is the almighty omnipotent Son of God so apparently helpless? Because there is absolutely no way for the holy, just, and true God to forgive sin and save sinners apart from the sin-atoning death of his own dear Son as our substitute. But let s be careful because many people only have a mental picture of Jesus on the cross, but Jesus is not on the cross! He s not in the tomb! Jesus is alive! The story doesn t end at Calvary, rather it s just getting started. He had some unfinished business to take care of! There was still one thing the Messiah needed to do!
6 Jesus didn t come to this earth just to die on the cross. That was just part of his mission. Q: What was his mission? 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. (Luke 19:10) Q: How did He do it? He lived the perfect life, obeyed his Father gave Himself as a sacrifice and was raised from the dead. Here in Luke 24 He appeared to his disciples. But this wasn t his only appearance. He appeared to many disciples: To Mary Magdalene (Mk 16:9; Jn 20:14) To other women returning from the tomb (Mt 28:9,10) To the apostles with Thomas absent (Jn 20:19-24) To the apostles with Thomas present (Jn 20:26-29) Jesus appeared to his disciples because His work wasn t done! Jesus told his disciples in John 16:7, 7 It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
7 In John 7:38 Jesus cried out, 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. (John 7:38-39) Remember what Jesus told his disciples on the road to Emmaus? 26 Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory? (Luke 24:26) Don t you understand that it was necessary for Christ to suffer these things before He could be glorified? Why were these things necessary? That was the only way to the mercy seat! Remember, they were still under the Old Testament Law. The OT plan of redemption {the tabernacle} was a shadow of the New Testament plan of salvation that was to come. What was required in the OT? The altar of sacrifice, the sacrificial lamb, the brazen laver of water, the cleansing of the priest before he could enter into the Holy of Holies, all these things were the baptism that Jesus had to be baptized with, for He was the High Priest and the Lamb of God!
8 11 When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not manmade, that is to say, not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. (Heb 9:11-12) So here s Jesus walking with two disciples on the road to Emmaus. He has shed his blood on Calvary. He has entered in once to the Holy Place & sprinkled his own blood on the mercy seat. The veil in the temple has been ripped in two, & He s purchased eternal redemption for us, but His mission is still not complete! Look at John 20:3-7 for he expands on Luke 24:12: 3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the napkin lying there, 7 as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. (John 20:3-7) While Jesus is walking on the road to Emmaus, Peter & John are running to an empty tomb, & when they get there, they see the linen clothes lying there, V. 7 says they saw the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. In biblical days, when you were finished eating, you would throw your napkin in the middle of your plate to let the servers know you were finished with your meal.
9 If you were interrupted during your meal & had to leave, you would fold your napkin & neatly place it beside your plate, in a place by itself. This let the servers know that were coming back to finish your meal. Peter & John understood what the napkin folded up by itself meant! Jesus was saying I m not finished here yet! I will be back & finish what I started! He wouldn t leave them alone. He and his Father would send the Holy Spirit, 1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues [a] as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:1-4) Jesus poured out sweat, as great drops of blood, in intercessory prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, He poured out his soul unto death on Calvary, just so He could save us. -- It wasn t enough for Him to die on the cross. -- It wasn t enough for Him to be buried in a tomb. -- He was satisfied only when He was resurrected & entered into His glory, so that He could share that glory with you & me! Jesus left behind not just the napkin, but also an invitation: Come to me all you who are weary and I ll give you rest.
10 Whoever is thirsty, let him come, let him take the free gift of the water of life (Rev 22:17). Closing That s why we have to repent! That s why we have to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ! That s why we have to live a life of faith. If you have not finished the journey of the New Birth, according to John 3:5, you need to go further today and be baptized to receive forgiveness of sins and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, for the promise is to you.