Setting: Traditional Worship
Length: 34:57
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Title: The Emmaus Road and the Protestant Path
Commentary: The photo above is part of the actual Emmaus Road
Main Scripture: Luke 24:13 - 53
Main Topics: Reformation, Catholicism, Protestantism, Jesus, Mary, Centrality of Christ's work, Priesthood of all believers, sympathy, prayer
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Introduction
-well…October is a very special month
-in fact, every October my thoughts turn to something very personal and meaningful for me
-no, it has nothing to do with costumes and candy
-or the fall colors or any festivities….
-no…for me, it’s about being a believer…a…Protestant believer
-this is a time in the year when I think about what it means to be Protestant and not Catholic
-as you know, this month celebrates the great Reformation which is our spiritual heritage
-we are reminded of Martin Luther who, on October 31, 1517, nailed the 95 theses on the Wittenberg Door
-our spiritual roots go back to this time of great upheaval and controversy….a time of great PROTESTING….from which we get our collective name Protestant.
-our church….along with many Protestant churches around with world will be recognizing this historical development on the last Sunday of this month
-I know it’s a little early
-but, our church is preparing for that event
-the bagpipe player has been invited
-you are invited to bake cookies
-and now, I invite you to prepare your hearts for that Sunday as we consider the significance of Protestantism for our lives
-but before we do so, I want to say that it is way too easy to just point out the wrongs in others
-we are all too good at being critical of others
-sometimes, a presentation about the reformation is really a just a springboard into a criticism of the Catholic church
-I want you to know that I have Catholic friends
-many of us have neighbors who are Catholic
-and we should always be kind to our neighbors
-today, our goal should not be to look good by making others look bad
-though as Protestants, we do have important reasons to continue “protesting” as our name represents
-But, today…our goal is WORSHIP
-not a lecture on church history
-it is time to focus on what God has done
-and to understand the Protestant position as a humble understanding of God’s love and His work
-so, let’s focus on God today and His great work through His son, Jesus
-and with that, I have chosen Luke 24 as our focus
-now, the Protestant position involves several rallying points
-we will only have time to focus on one of them today
-and it comes to us in our text….
-this is Easter morning......Sunday Morning
-our Lord is risen just as He said
-everything has unfolded according to God’s eternal redemptive plan
-and a glimpse into that plan, Jesus did give to his disciples…here and there….along the road…or sitting down or after the Pharisees left…that the son of man would have to die and then be raised on the third day
-and now the third day has come
-but the disciples are nowhere in sight
-they have scattered
-there is no great reception for Jesus like there was a week ago when He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey
-gone are the loud shouts of hosanna….that was 7 days ago
-no one is around to wave palm branches or lay down their cloaks
-this is a tragic day for many
-many are heading back home….
-and the story finds 2 men…heading home…devastated by the turn of events
-then suddenly…the risen Lord….with no triumphant re-entry….. inconspicuously appears to two men walking along a dirt road…heading back home after what was for them….an unexpectedly tragic weekend.
-one of them was named “Cleopas” (v18)
-Luke does not bother giving us any information about this man.....we know next to nothing about him
-his partner: we know even less than nothing…we don’t even know his name
-it is clear that Luke wants his readers to pay attention to other details
-Jesus approaches them but they are kept from recognizing Him
-meaning that God would….for a moment…blind their spiritual eyes
-this is not the first time
-even the 12 disciples were kept from understanding until the right time
-God actually did that a number of times to them and to others as well
-take for example
-Luke 9:43-45
…he said to his disciples, 44"Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men." 45But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
-little did they know that God Himself kept things hidden from them until the right time
Oh…and there was this other time… in Luke 18 when Jesus said:
33 On the third day he will rise again." 34 The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.
-and so, even in our text today….even though this might seem problematic for God to do this, keep in mind that it happened a number of times as God, the Master orchestrator unfolds all things according to his own purpose and time.
-soon, the time will come when Cleopas and his friends’ eyes will be opened
-but for this moment as they begin their 7 mile journey back to Emmaus, it’s an interesting turn-around as they see this stranger as the one who does not see clearly
-they marvel at how the stranger is so unaware of the drama…or trauma that unfolded this past weekend
-Jesus continues in the role of an outsider as he asks in v.19
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. 20The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.
And in their response so far, two things become clear
First, they gave their hearts to Jesus’ ministry
-otherwise, they would not have been so devastated
-they placed their hopes in him as the Messiah who would
redeem them
And second, it is clear they did not fully understand Jesus and His
ministry.
-though they placed their hopes in Him to redeem them, they did not understand the true nature and extent of His ministry
-yes, he was powerful, but not strong enough to fight off Rome
-his death put an end to their hopes of redemption
-for, redemption for them was defined as something other than what was planned before the foundations of the world were laid
-Redemption for them was nationalistic as they hoped for freedom from Rome
-to put it simply, the death of Jesus, they did not understand
-and further exposing their ignorance, they speak about the resurrection, when they say in v.22
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."
-their words come across as a report
-they reveal no understanding of the significance of the resurrection
…Jesus has heard enough…along this dusty and rocky road
…without revealing himself, he quickly switches from an outsider to the master teacher
-a teacher who will bring together all the scattered pieces of events from the past week and place it into a much larger picture…in fact a picture of the entire history of salvation
-and so, the stranger begins to teach in v.25, saying…
25 "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.
-there is so much here in these 3 verses
-honestly, there is no way I can cover all of it in one sermon…
-one sermon cannot do justice because these 3 verses do something quite extraordinary
-it ties all of Scripture together
-and brings to light the central focus of Scripture
-to do justice to it, we would have to do what Jesus did in v.27
-interpret ALL of Scripture the things concerning himself
-to his advantage, besides the fact that he is God, Jesus had a 7 mile walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus
-that’s a nice stretch…a lot of biblical ground could be covered
-we’re not walking 7 miles together…we are sitting still for
25 minutes on padded pews (chairs)….it’s not the same
-but, we can at least confirm the significance of what Jesus is doing
-we can at least understand what the big picture is
-Lord willing, this morning, we can at least understand how lessons learned on the 7 mile walk really lays the proper ground for the path WE now walk as Protestants.
-to understand the connection between the Emmaus Road and the Protestant path, we have to first walk the Emmaus Road.
-by that I mean, we have to first embrace the basic teaching there before we can confirm the basic confessions we now hold as Protestants
-Jesus, as he walked with them, explained ALL of Scripture to them
-the phrase “Moses and all the prophets” in v.27 was a recognized designation…back then….for the entire Old Testament
“Moses” was a shorthand designation for the first 5 books
-for it was understood that Moses was the primary author
there
and “prophets” was a shorthand designation for the rest of the books from Joshua to Malachi
-because the prophets played a prominent role in Israel during that stretch of history
-and so, to say “Moses and the prophets” was to speak of the entire Scriptures that were available to them
-I’m sure they heard the Scriptures before
-Jesus did not criticize them for never hearing the Scriptures
-He was critical that they did not understand it concerning the Christ....the anointed one…the long awaited messiah
-have you reflected on this recently?
-that all of Scriptures point to Christ?
-that all that was said and happened had a FOCAL point?
-and even before the foundations of this world…and even before God chose to work through one man…Abraham….and one nation, Israel…that it was always His plan to bring everything and all nations together in Christ?
-that this was the central focus of Scripture?
-whether it’s old hat or something radically new for you, consider some of these quotes for contemporary bible scholars…who come from various theological circles…saying pretty much the same thing…
One scholar writes: “The study of the Bible must be done with the recognition that Jesus Christ, His life, death, and resurrection, is the key to the understanding of the whole Scripture.”
Another concludes: “The God of the Bible is both the Creator and the Redeemer, and the cross is portrayed as the central event of history.”
One more…
Though there are many more, a scholar writes: “Christian students of the Old Testament must pass by the cross of Jesus Christ on their return to the Old Testament...”
* I like this one..
-you can skip over the cross...ignore it...and go to the Old Testament
As if Jesus never came....but that would be the wrong way to read the
Old Testament
-how can they speak so strongly about the centrality of Christ?
Well, Jesus himself did…as he walked the Emmaus Road
-organizing all that Moses and the prophets wrote so that it points clearly to his death and resurrection
-for his suffering and death were not an unexpected tragedy that dashed the hopes of Israel but was actually part of God’s redemptive plan.
-and his resurrection was not something unexpectedly curious but also part of a greater plan
-Jesus says in v.26
Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?"
-must have been quite an explanation!
-all of Scripture…brought to focus on the long awaited Messiah…explained by Christ himself…as they walked along that road
-and as I reflect on what was taught along that road
-the centrality of Christ and His work
-who He is…and how He then enters into his glory as v.26 says…
-I am convinced that the Emmaus road is theologically connected to the Protestant path
-for the same emphasis was made along that path which we still walk today
-for us today, it’s about walking this path
-looking back and seeing the connection to the Emmaus Road
-it’s about looking back and remembering what Jesus emphasized to Cleopas and his friend
-just like the Emmaus Road, the Protestant path represents the centrality of Christ and His Work
-it represents Christ as the fulfillment of everything that Moses and the prophets wrote about
-those who walk this path believe that Christ’s work is necessary and complete and that entering into His glory exalts him to the right hand of God the father almighty where he sits as judge but also interceding for us as a great mediator
-and as we walk this path, it’s about making a commitment to never
venture off this path
-as a side note, I want to say that the Reformation involved a couple more basic rallying points such as
1. The supremacy of the Bible in all matters of faith and practice
2. And justification by faith, not by works
-I chose to focus on the centrality of Christ and the sufficiency of His work
-this is the Protestant path and ultimately links back to the Emmaus Road
-once we choose to walk this path and commit to never step off of it, we are able to stay focused when other side roads are shown to us
-we are able to critique these other paths and choose to continue on the path we now walk
For example, if a side road leads to someone ELSE participating in the saving work, we need to keep on walking the path we are on
-even if this other side path looks interesting
-like the side path that involves the veneration of Mary, the mother of Jesus
-it’s one thing to show her respect, but it’s quite another to propose that she participated in our redemption
-one respected Catholic authority write:
[quote: Liguori "The glories of Mary" chap. 5 sec.3: p105-106]
"Since a man and a woman cooperated in our ruin, it was proper that another man and woman should cooperate in our redemption, and these two were Jesus and His Mother Mary."
-the path we walk does not involve such a proposal
-the work of Christ is final and complete
-the sacrifice he made for us is once for all
-this is our commitment as we walk the Protestant path
-this commitment reflects the commitment of the reformers who did not spend inordinate amounts of time fighting Rome’s devotion to Mary
-for the reformers knew that the real problem was understanding the saving work of Christ
-the finality of Christ’s work
-the sufficiency of that work
-so, just like the reformers, if we continue to walk a path that continues to understand what Christ has done for us, we will be fine
Here’s another example….
-if a side road leads to others helping us in our prayers, we will choose to keep on walking….and not to step into that direction
-the saints of the past were truly godly men
-and Mary is worthy of respect
-but walking the Protestant path involves a conviction that we can straight to Jesus
-we don’t question His ability to hear our prayers or sympathize with us
-keep on walking….don’t look to the left or right
-the first prayers to Mary were said in the 4th century (about AD 379)
-the Rosary, as a way to pray, was adopted in AD 1090
-today, the Rosary is the most popular prayer ritual
-for every 10 prayers to Mary...there is only one to Jesus
-why? The official Catholic position is that she can sympathize better than Jesus
-a Catholic authority [Liguori] gives an illustration of a "man burdened with sin and sees two ladders hanging from heaven, with Christ at the head of one and Mary at the other. He attempts to climb the ladder at which Christ is the head, but when he sees that angry face he falls back defeated. As he turns away despondent, a voice says to him, "Try the other ladder." He does so, and to his amazement he ascends easily and is met at the top by the blessed virgin Mary, who then brings him into heaven and presents him to Christ! The teaching is, "What son would refuse the request of his mother." Boettner, p.147
-so, the son is prone to judgment, but the mother softens him up
-when Jesus walked the Emmaus Road, he spoke in v.26 about how it was always God’s plan for the Christ to enter His glory
-God’s word tells us what Christ is doing…now that he is exalted and seated in heaven
-that Christ sits as the great high priest who is more than able to sympathize with our weakness
-Hebrews 4:14-16 speaks of a sympathetic high priest
* we read these words in unison…
-the word sympathize in Heb.4:15 comes from 2 Greek words: sum = with…pascho = suffer….suffer with
-that Christ actually suffers with those who come to him in weakness
-this is why are told to go to him with “confidence” in Heb.4:16
-if we climb the ladder….we won’t find an angry Jesus
-any side path….that proposes that Christ’s entrance into glory makes him too judgmental and unable to sympathize
-any proposal like that….
-keep on walking and don’t look to the left of right
-that’s what the reformers did
-don’t worry about Mary, don’t worry about Peter and Paul….
-don’t go to places where you have to confess to another human being
-focus on Christ!
-that’s the Protestant path
-but let’s remember that long before the reformers were walking this path, Jesus walked the Emmaus road to emphasize the Centrality of His work
Do you know the real Jesus?
-This morning, we take time to look at the path we are now walking
-it’s good to stop and confirm some basic things about our walk
-in fact, it’s much better for us to focus on our walk than to criticize other walks
-though I have said negative things about the side paths that lead to Mary, the saints, and earthly priests, it’s really about us
-it’s really about OUR commitment
-just being critical about others is not enough
-we have to be able to give an answer for why we walk THIS path
-and so, we stop to look where we are walking
-by God’s grace, our eyes have been opened to see Christ and His work
-it is not of our own doing
-it’s not because we are smarter or we are just in a better situation
-it’s all about God’s grace that opens blind eyes that we can see the path that we are now walking
-remember that even when Jesus was walking next to them, they could not see him
-remember that even when Jesus walked with them and open ALL of Scripture to them concerning himself, their only response in Luke 24:29 was
"Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.
-they still did not see Him for who He is
-they treated him like a journeyman who needs place to stay
-I remember reading one Bible scholar who described the teaching on the Emmaus Road as the greatest Bible Study of all time
-but let’s confirm that the greatest Bible study of all time, taught by the greatest Bible teacher ever….did not open their eyes
-his death did not open their eyes
-his resurrection did not open their eyes
-his teaching along that road did not open their eyes
-it was only when God chose to open their eyes did they see him rightly and understood why their hearts were burning as he spoke along the
road
-and in the same way, it’s about walking this path but recognizing that God’s grace has opened our eyes to see Jesus and His work as final and complete
-and so, with humility let’s continue to walk this path
-and invite our Catholic friends and others to walk with us
-as I close, I am reminded of someone from the past who clearly saw Jesus though she was blind
-Fanny Crosby, the great song writer, wrote many of the beloved hymns we sing together
-the story goes that…one day another song writer named Phoebe P. Knapp
-the wife of Joseph F. Knapp the founder of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company went to visit Miss Crosby to get her opinion on a tune that Mrs. Knapp had written
-not having any lyrics attached to this melody stuck in heart, she hummed the melody to Miss Crosby and then asked: “What does it say to you, Fanny?”
-Miss Crosby immediately answered: “Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine” and within a few minutes F. Crosby handed Mrs. Knapp the completed lyrics to the song
….this song become the favorite of many over the years….including me
-many times, I will close my office door…pick up my guitar and sing this song quietly
-it is one of my favorite songs about Jesus
-and it must have been quite special for Miss Crosby as well….for out of the 9000 songs she wrote, she chose to have the lyrics of this song to be on the tombstone:
Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine
O what a foretaste of glory divine
Heir of Salvation, purchase of God
Born of the Spirit, washed in His blood
She knew Jesus…not as one prone to judgment but one brings her great assurance, peace, and love and whose work was complete
This is the Jesus we also know by faith.
This is the Protestant path
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