As the Lord may be pleased to
help me this morning and yourselves in hearing, I feel led to speak
from the words in the chapter we read together, Luke chapter
24 and verse 15. Luke 24 and verse
15. And it came to pass that while
they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near and went
with them. What a rich blessing it is that
when we gather together for worship, we are around God's word. And
as we sometimes sing, the written and the incarnate word in all
things are the same. The same savior who is contained
in holy scripture by His Spirit is with us. And being omniscient,
nothing can escape God or God's notice. And His care and compassion are
such that He reaches out to those who seek Him. If there are any
true seekers hearing God's Word today, be encouraged. God has given a promise. Those
that seek shall find and the word shall is a powerful word
it brings with it a blessing be encouraged dear friends these two on the day of resurrection
were traveling about seven miles it works out going just uh west of Jerusalem,
about seven miles to a village called Emmaus. And there they were traveling. They
were going away from the company of believers, but the Lord Jesus
met with them. And as we shall see and as we
read, they hurried back to Jerusalem to share the glorious good news
of the risen Savior with those who were already worshipping
at Jerusalem. But what a blessing it is. Two
of them went that same day, verse 13, to a village called Emmaus, which
was from Jerusalem about three score furlongs, about seven miles,
and they talked together of all these things which had happened.
And it came to pass that while they communed together and reasoned,
Jesus himself drew near and went with them. but their eyes were
holden that they should not know him." What a blessing. They were free to talk. They
might have been filled with awe if Jesus had said, for a start,
I'm the very one that you're concerned about, because he knew
all their thoughts. But no, in his mercy, he said,
their eyes were holden that they should not know him. And he said
unto them, What manner of communications are these, that ye have one to
another as ye walk, and are sad? And the one of them whose name
was Cleopas answered and said unto him, Art thou only a stranger
in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to
pass in these days? And he said unto them, What things? He interviewed them. And they
said unto him concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet
mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how
the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned
to death and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been
he which should have redeemed Israel. And beside all this,
today is the third day since these things were done. And they
went on to tell how that certain women of the company, they made
them astonished because they had had a message from the angel
to say he's not here, but he is risen and invited them to
come and see the empty tomb. And as I looked at this just recently,
I thought we see Three headings beginning with C. Firstly, God's
care. God's care through our Lord Jesus
Christ. And then we see the compassion
of the Lord Jesus, and then the continuance of our Lord Jesus. What care Jesus showed. In all his risen power, he'd
enter into his glory, and yet his compassions fail not. There were these two, downhearted
and distressed, and they were going away from
Jerusalem to Emmaus, and the Lord Jesus, who gave his life
a ransom for many, draws near and walks with his people. And
this he still does today. to the praise of his name, he
said before ascending to glory, I will not leave you comfortless,
I will come to you. And this he continues to do. And God being sovereign has a
perfect right to work however and wherever he will and work
salvation by grace in the soul of those he has eternally designed
to save and to make himself known to
them. And so much that took place on
this Resurrection Day is well worth our notice. And the Apostle
Paul, when he wrote that most comprehensive first and second
epistles to the Corinthians. In chapter 15 of the first epistle
to the Corinthians, he gives quite a, something like five
or six events that took place following the resurrection of
the Lord Jesus. 1 Corinthians 15, and if we read from verse
three, it says, for I delivered unto you first of all that which
I also receive, how that Christ died for our sins according to
the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and he rose again on
the third day according to the Scriptures. And he was seen of
Cephas, that is, Peter, and then of the 12, although by then they'd
been reduced to 11. After that, he was seen of above
500 brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to this
day, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James,
and then of all the apostles, and last of all, was seen of
me also, as one born out of due time. What a blessing it is that
these things are recorded for our learning, that we, through
comfort and the blessing in the scriptures, might have hope. But the care that Jesus showed
is so evident. Jesus himself, we read
in verse 15, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. He who
had by himself won the victory over sin and death and hell.
He is the fulfilment of the Passover lamb without blemish. There was
no blemish in his life. In him the father never saw the
least transgression of his law. In him we then perfection view.
The saints in him are perfect too. It is his righteousness
that he displays on the behalf of his people who have no righteousness
sufficient to approach a holy God. And that's why when we pray
we come in the precious name of the full merits of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ. Jesus himself who had won the
victory over sin and death. Sin entered into the world, and
death by sin. The Lord Jesus, who took on Him
the full weight, and we can't imagine it, the full weight of
all the sin, of all who would come to trust in Him, suffered that cruelest of all deaths,
crucifixion. And more than that, He was carrying
on that cross the full weight of our sin, yours and mine. But having come back to life
again, he had conquered death. And he was now given an eternal
body, a glorious body, different, yes, as we read. He could eat
with his people. He showed them his wounds. Surely
him, yes, but he was different. They were with him in Emmaus. He was made known to them as
he broke the bread and met with them. Their eyes were opened
and they saw him. And we read there that then he
opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures. And yet they went back to Jerusalem
to share the glorious good news, and where was Jesus? Jesus was
there, in his body. As they talked together, when
Jesus met with them on Emmaus Road, about all these things,
there was every encouragement for us to talk to each other.
We read in Malachi, then they that feared the Lord spake often
one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard it. And a
book of remembrance was written, yes, for those that fear the
Lord. Yes, may we ever be amongst those
who love to converse on the things of God. But these two, on the
Emmaus Road, were so downhearted. And they, spoke to Jesus quite
freely because they didn't know him for who he truly was. He met with them but they said
to him, aren't there only a stranger in Jerusalem and has not known these things
which have come to pass in these days. The Lord Jesus was so kind to them Then he said to them, oh fools
and slow of heart to believe all that the scriptures had written. He had such care and now he comes
with compassion and teaches them what they should already know. Jesus in compassion entered into
their situation. And it's clearly seen that Christ's
first question regarding their sadness and their sorrow shows
his compassion. What manner of communications
are these, he said. We walk and are sad. And the
Lord Jesus led them to the scriptures. Christ, who is all and in all,
yet he comes with tender mercy. Even these two on the Emmaus
road. God is a God who is full of compassion.
He is the express image of his father's glory. He is God in
the form of a man and he communes with people. He who said, I and
my Father are one. And he says, O fools and slow
of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Ought
not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his
glory? And beginning at Moses and all
the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the
things concerning himself. Moses, Of course, he's the first
inspired writer of the Old Testament. He had the ability given to him
by God to do this great work. He compiled the first part of
the Bible and Jesus went in order through the
prophets and expounded and opened up to them to things concerning
himself. He should have his heel bruised. Yes. He came to this earth. It'd be right back in Genesis
3 at the time of the fall. But it's a wonderful mercy when
we think of it, dear friends, that before following the Adam
fall, and sin entering into the world, before they were cast
out of that garden of paradise, God gave the glorious good news
of the Savior coming to this world. The seed of the woman
shall brood the serpent's head. That is, the virgin shall be
with child, conceived by the Holy Spirit, and he shall come
to this world. Yes, his heel will be bruised. He will suffer for sin, but the serpent's head is incurably
damaged and broken. And that prophecy is now fulfilled.
He has gained the victory over sin. And so in all the scriptures,
these things concerning himself he made known. And we see so many scriptures. Did they not know? Have they
not read in the scriptures those wonderful
words concerning the Lord Jesus Christ and his suffering? We straight away can think of
scriptures They come to our mind. Those well-known words in Isaiah
53, who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the
Lord revealed. And he goes on in his prophecy. And remember, Isaiah lived to
something like 700 years before Christ. And yet, it's as though the curtain
of time is drawn back. God is speaking here through
the prophet Isaiah as though these things were already happened. Most of this chapter is in the
past tense. The Lord Jesus, as we read in
the scriptures, is as a lamb slain from before the foundation
of the world. He knew in his own self that
he came to this world to do that which was eternally designed
for him. He was taken from prison and
from judgment. These people were complaining
about that he was... The chief priests and the rulers
delivered him to be condemned to death and have crucified him. But he was oppressed and afflicted,
we read in Isaiah, yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought
as a lamb to the slaughter, and a sheep before her shearers is
done, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and
from judgment, and who shall declare his generation? But this
inspired word goes on to teach us, yet it pleased the Lord to
bruise him. he hath put him to grief, thou
shalt make his soul an offering for sin. He shall see his seed,
he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall
prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of
his soul and be satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities.
will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide
the spoiled with the strong, because he hath poured out his
soul unto death, and he was numbered with the transgressors, and he
bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. The Lord is reminding them, beginning
at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all
the Scriptures the things concerning himself. All the Scriptures,
yes. Surely they have read in the
book of Daniel. They should have read in the
book of Daniel these amazing words because Daniel was brought
so near to God while he prayed. While Daniel was seeking the
Lord's forgiveness because the people had sinned and gone away
from God in idolatry and forgot the true and living God in their
worship. They were taken away to Babylonish captivity. And
Daniel prayed that God would fulfill his wonderful promise
and bring them out of captivity according to his promise. He
read in books that 70 years were almost completed. You don't
read that Daniel sat back and folded his arms and just waited
for it to happen. Daniel was so exercised that
he went to the Lord in prayer that his will should be performed. And while he was in prayer, He
says, while I was speaking and praying and confessing my sin
and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication
before the Lord my God, for the holy mountain of my God, yea,
while I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I
had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly
swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
and informed me and talked with me and said, O Daniel, I am come
forth to give thee skill and understanding. And as the message of the angel
continues, he says, 70 weeks are determined upon the people
and upon thy holy city to finish the transgression and make an
end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity. and to bring in
everlasting righteousness and seal up the vision and prophecy
and anoint the most holy. Speaking of course on the Lord
Jesus Christ, perfect holiness. Know therefore and understand
that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and
build Jerusalem unto the Messiah The Prince shall be seven weeks
and three score and two weeks. The street shall be built again
and the wall, even in trouble as times. After three score and
two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself. And the people of the Prince
that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. And so Daniel was given that
wonderful message regarding the coming Lord Jesus Christ, the
Anointed One, the Messiah. And the Bible scholars have worked
it out that the times given here add up to about three and a half
years, which is the time of the ministry of the Lord Jesus here
on earth. Now these two who were so downhearted, the Lord Jesus
comes in compassion to them and reminds them, slow of heart to
believe all that the prophets have spoken. And then he says,
ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into
his glory? Could they not see that the cross
paved the way to the crown, the crown which our Lord Jesus now
has, crowned him with many crowns, the Lamb upon the throne, yes.
He's there in his rightful place. They should have been so well
informed because They had all the Old Testament and the prophets
and the prophecies there to instruct them. And the Lord Jesus himself
speaks of three days in the tomb. Just as Jonah was in the whale's
beddy for three days and three nights, so shall the Son of Man. And the Lord Jesus had taught
them himself of these things. They should have known that three
days after the crucifixion, the Lord Jesus would rise again,
just as surely as we weren't surprised to see the sunrise
this morning. Because while the earth remains,
seed time and harvest and summer and winter and cold and heat
and day and night shall not cease. So while this world remains and
every time we see day and night, The sunrise, the sunset, that's
God fulfilling His promise, His covenant with the earth. Our dear Saviour is identified
for who He truly is. Ought not Christ to have suffered
these things and enter into His glory? What a question. He is entitled, alone, to have his glory. He expounded
the scriptures to them. And what a blessing that must
have been. Must have been the best ever exposition of the holy scriptures. He whom it concerned is the subject
of the matter. He could speak very personally. In our time, the Gospel still
needs to be made known. That's why we should continue
to pray for the translation and distribution of the Scriptures
and also the work of mission as the Word goes forth to the
fulfilment of that wonderful promise that out of every kindred
and tribe and tongue, the Lord has a people to call his own. And it's a wonderful blessing that
God makes his word so understandable. And when we cannot understand,
God gives a wonderful provision Just you think of that Ethiopian.
He'd been to Jerusalem to worship, and he was reading the scriptures. He was on his way home. And we read in God's holy word,
as we come towards the end of Acts and chapter eight, we read
these words. This man had been He was an important
man. He was in charge of all the treasures
of the queen, Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He would be
the equivalent of Lord Privy Seal in our days, responsible
for all the royal treasures. And he was returning and sitting
in his chariot, read Isaiah the prophet. And then the spirit
said to Philip, Go near and join thyself to this chariot. If I was divinely told to go
and see someone parked in a car reading his Bible and help him,
I'd fail if I didn't go. This man was a seeker. We have a wonderful proof here
that those that seek shall find. And this man was blessed by believing
what was in the Old Testament. Philip ran thither and heard
him read the prophet Isaiah, and said, understandest thou
what thou readest? And he said, how can I, except
some man guide me? And he desired Philip to go that
he would come up and sit with him in his chariot. The place
of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep
to the slaughter, and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so he
opened not his mouth. In his humiliation his judgment
was taken away. And who shall declare his generation? For his life is taken from the
earth. And the eunuch answered Philip and said, I pray thee,
of whom speaketh the prophet? Of himself or of some other man? This man was so keen to know
the truth of scripture. And Philip opened his mouth and
began at the same scripture and preached unto him, Jesus. And now here we see the Lord
Jesus in the New Testament coming with compassion and walking
with them. Jesus himself, we read in Luke,
drew near and went with them. By his Spirit, the Lord Jesus
is here. And as they went their way, they
came to a certain water. And the eunuch said, See, here
is water. What doth hinder me to be baptized?
And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered him, I believe
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And then we read on how
this man went through believers' baptism. identified with those
who already have come to a saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus.
What a blessing it is that he who on earth, as man was known,
and bore our sins and pains, now seated on the eternal throne,
the Lord of glory reigns. This same Jesus is speaking through
him. his servant Philip to this Ethiopian
man who was in need of guidance. The Lord met with them, went
with them, and by divine compassion this man was brought under the wonderful mercy of
God to become a true believer in the Lord Jesus. Surely he
went on his way rejoicing and went back to Ethiopia with the
glorious good news that the Lord Jesus had met with him by the
way. And so the influence and power
of Christ working in the soul does not depend on his bodily
presence. Their eyes were holding on that
Emmaus road. They should not know him. It
was by a wonderful revelation that he was made known to them
while they were worshipping with him, while he was breaking bread. And when he expounded unto them
in all the scriptures the things concerning himself, and that's an interesting, I
read somewhere a Bible scholar said that in the original language, then opened he their understanding,
that they might understand the scriptures. In the original language,
that phrase would be the same as the untangling of a knot. I remember some years ago I met,
I lent a friend of mine a long length of rope. He wanted to
pull something down and I got a long length of rope. I'm not
fastidious and fussy, but I do, when I've used a rope, I like
to coil it up So it's all in a nice, neat coil to use again. It's hanging up in the shed whenever
I need to use it or someone else. When he brought it back, it was
a tangled mess. It took me quite a while to unravel it and lay
it all out straight. Now these dear couple that were
on the Emmaus Road, their thinking was so tangled And it needed
the power of the Lord Jesus to enter into this situation and
open their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures. And the Lord Jesus, in compassion,
worked this for them. And then we read that there was
a continuance of these things. The same Lord Jesus, in all his
risen and ascended glory, is still with us by His Spirit. Yes, He's promised these things. And that well-known chapter that
we quite often read, John chapter 14, let not your heart be troubled,
ye believe in God, believe also in me. These words of Jesus are
recorded for our learning as we go through this chapter, we
read The words of the Lord Jesus, these things have I spoken unto
you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the
Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach
you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever
I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace
I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give
I unto you, Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid. The Lord Jesus was instructing
his dear followers for future days. He knew that their preaching
would be opposed. He knew they'd have to suffer
for it. But he was not leaving them in
despair. No, he would be with them. His
power still condescends to draw near and go with his people,
even today. The sadness his disciples experienced,
thinking that we'd lost our Master, very friendly and kind inquiry
by the Lord Jesus, dealing with them, their sadness is replaced
with what? With gladness. And we read as
we go on in this chapter 24 in Luke, these wonderful truths. Here we read, they drew Nile
to the village where they went and he made as though he would
have gone further But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us, for
it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went
in to tarry with them. He did not leave them. No, he
remained with them. It came to pass, as they sat
at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and break, and
gave to them. And their eyes were opened. Before
that, their eyes were holden that they did not know him. that
when their eyes were opened, they knew him, and he vanished
out of their sight. But the blessing that they'd
received was still with them, and we read here of such unity. Did not our heart burn within
us while he taught with us by the way, and while he opened
to us the scriptures? There were two of them, but they
were one in heart, Heart singular. We can only admire the wisdom
of those who translated God's word. They might have thought,
well, there's two of them, yes. So we write hearts. But it's
definitely got heart. And this is consistent with the
received text of the scripture. Did not our heart burn within
us? What a blessing it is to be one in heart. It has a very
strengthening effect When we can converse one with another
on the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, we can strengthen
each other. Our hearts are warmed and burning
with love to our Saviour. When they rose up the same hour
and returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven gathered together
and them that were with them. Yes, they rose up, having walked
seven miles, that would have been two hours walk, and then
it's almost as though they hurried back to Jerusalem. It might not have taken so long
to get back, but they'd had, on their journey there, they
could well have had two hours of the Lord Jesus conversing
with them, and what a valuable time that was. They would never
have forgotten it, would they? That surely would have empowered
them to go forth in days to come in remembrance of these things,
and they could tell others. We heard it firsthand from the
Saviour that all the Old Testament promises, right from Genesis
through to Malachi, the Lord Jesus is in it. And as we come
to the beginning of the New Testament, it's so clear to see that this
is the fulfillment. Matthew, and we read through
Matthew, the first gospel, he's taken up the prophecies of the
Old Testament and basing his teaching on the birth
and life and death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For those who hurried back to
Jerusalem, what a blessing they had. We read in the Psalms a wonderful truth. The psalmist says, I will run
the way of His commandments when He shall enlarge my heart. Are
there any listening who need to keep God's commandment to
follow Him? Dear friend, you will run willingly
in the way of His commandment when He shall enlarge your heart.
May the Lord enlarge each of our hearts to live nearer to
Him. and live with Him at the throne
of His grace in prayer. Did not our heart burn within
us while He taught with us by the way and while He opened to
us the Scriptures? No wonder that with a burning
heart they rose up the same hour and returned to Jerusalem and
found the eleven gathered together with them that were with them,
saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared unto Simon.
And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was
known to them in the breaking of bread. And as they thus speak,
Jesus himself stood in the midst of them. He who was in Emmaus,
he was now back in Jerusalem with them. He stood in the midst
of them and said unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified
and affrighted. And suppose that they had seen
a spirit. And he said unto them, why are ye troubled? And why
do thoughts arise in your hearts? You see a continuance there of
his compassion. Behold my hands and my feet,
that it is I myself. Handle me and see. For a spirit
hath not flesh and blood, as ye see me have. And when he had
thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet. And then, in his wonderful mercy,
while they yet believed not for joy, so wonderful they could
hardly comprehend it all, he said, have you any meat? Is
there something to eat here? And they gave him a piece of
broad fish and of a honeycomb. And he took it and did eat before
them. And he said unto them, these
are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you,
that in all things these things must be fulfilled, which were
written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the Psalms
concerning me. Dear friends, I think we've only
scratched the surface of this remarkable event. But may the
Lord bless these things to us. Every one of us is on the journey
of life. We're all going, we're all heading
for eternity. The great question is, where
will I spend eternity? What we do know is that those
that seek shall find. May the Lord bless his word to
us this morning. and to Him be all the praise
and the glory. Amen.