Let us turn again to God's Word
in that portion that we read and particularly that we are
told concerning the two on the road to Elias from verse 13 in
Luke chapter 24 on verse 13 right through to The 32nd verse we read of these
two and their conversation on the road and how the Lord Jesus
Christ himself came and drew near and eventually revealed
himself to them after his resurrection. It's the words that we find in
verse 25 in particular that I want to take for a text Words that
Christ himself spoke to the two. Luke chapter 24 and verse 25. Then he said unto them, O fools
and slow of heart to believe. First part then of this verse.
verse 25 in Luke, chapter 24, then he said unto them, O fools
and slow of heart to believe. Remember what we were told earlier
in the chapter concerning the women who were first at the tomb
very early in the morning on that first day of the week as
they returned to report what they had witnessed and what they
had heard from the angels as they tell these things unto the
rest. We see how they were full of
unbelief. Verse 11, their words seemed
to them as idle tales and they believed them not. And so too
with regards to these two disciples Christ abrades them for their
unbelief of fools, he says, and slow of heart to believe. First of all then this morning
let's consider these events that take place on the Emmaus road
the conversation between these two disciples and then the Lord
Jesus Christ. Remember the context, how the
Lord draws near and begins to speak with them. We are told
something of the matter, of the conversation, as they are talking
together, as they journey. In verse 14, they talk together
of all these things which had happened. Not only the awfulness
of the crucifixion of him whom they considered to be the Messiah. Not only that terrible death
that he had died upon the cross, but now how there was talk of
him being risen again from the dead. But the Lord Jesus is the
one who draws near and begins to walk with them and to talk
with them and he asks them concerning the things that they are discussing
in verse 19 he said unto them what things and they said unto
him concerning Jesus of Nazareth which was a prophet mighty indeed
and word before God and all the people right through to verse
24 and they are answering his question as he puts that to them.
What are these things that you are talking about? And they speak
of Jesus, of Nazareth, as that one whom they clearly believed
was the promised Messiah. They speak of him there in verse
19 as a prophet, mighty indeed, and words before God and all
the people. How significant are the words
that they speak with regards to the ministry of the Lord Jesus. He was not only mighty in word
they say, but he was also mighty in deed. And of course in that
sense they are saying that this is one who was clearly marked
out by God. Remember the words that were
spoken by Nicodemus when he came to the Lord Jesus in John chapter
3. Rabbi we know, we know that thou
art a prophet come from God for no man can do those deeds that
thou didst, except God be witty." The importance of the deeds,
the mighty works, the miracles that the Lord Jesus Christ performed,
these were the things that were marking him out as the great
prophet, even the Messiah himself. Again, in the opening chapter
of Mark's Gospel, and there at verse 27 we're told, they were
all amazed This is when the Lord Jesus Christ performs the miracle
of casting the unclean spirit out of a man. They were all amazed
in so much that they questioned among themselves saying, what
thing is this? What new doctrine is this? For
with authority, commanderly, even the unclean spirits and
they do obey him and immediately his fame spread abroad throughout
all the region round about Galilee. The importance then of the works,
the miracles that the Lord Jesus Christ is performing. And so
they say to this person whom they consider to be a stranger
and seems to be so ignorant of events, that they are speaking
of Jesus of Nazareth, a prophet mighty indeed and word before
God and all the people. One clearly marked out by God
because of the great works that he was able to perform and yet this one had been rejected by
the people and they crucified him verse 20 and the chief priests
and their rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and
have crucified him Remember how he came unto his own, and his
own received him not. How they rejected him. How they
sought his destruction. How he was a great offence to
them. They accused him of blasphemy,
because he said that God was his father, making himself equal
with God. But he is God. He is Emmanuel,
the Promised One, God. with us and yet reject it. These are the things, and this
is the matter of their conversation. And now they say there is this
report that has been brought by certain of the women that
he is risen again from the dead. Verse 22, Yea, and certain women
also are accompanying made us astonished which were earlier
at the sepulcher. And when they found not his body
they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels
which said that he was alive. Here then we see something of
the subject matter that they are talking about between themselves. And this stranger comes and joins
with them and he seems to be so ignorant and so they have
to remind him or they have to tell him of these various things
But it's not only the matter of their conversation, it's interesting
to observe the manner in which they were speaking of these things.
In verse 15, we're told, are we not? While they communed together
and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. They communed together and reasoned,
you see. Now that indicates that their
conversation was animated. They were harnessed and they
were enthusiastic. As they were talking over these
matters, there was much that they didn't understand, there
was much that confused them, they were amazed. And yet they're
talking about these things and trying to work out these things,
reasoning about these matters between themselves. And see how
the Lord inquires of them in verse 17, what manner of communications
He says, are these, that ye have one to another as ye walk and
are sad. And the expression that we have
there, communications that ye have one to another, one to another,
literally the word is one that refers to throwing a ball, from
one to the other, throwing the board in turn as it were. This
is how they're talking about these things. They're both involved
in this conversation and they're very enthusiastic with regards
to the matter that they're talking about. And then Christ comes
and in the midst of all this, the remarkable thing that we
see is the way in which the Lord ministers to them. As the two
walk together it is the Lord Jesus Christ himself who is pleased
to draw near to them as they are speaking over these various
matters. Jesus himself drew near and went
with them with talk. And of course we can immediately
think of those words that we have at the end of the Old Testament
in the book of the prophet Malachi. In chapter 3 of Malachi in verse
16 we are told that they that feared the Lord and spake often
one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a book of remembrance
was written before him for them that feared the Lord and sought
upon his name. Or the Lord takes account of
their conversation? The Lord takes account of all
our conversations, does he not? We are to give an account, says
Christ, for every idle word that we speak. Do we desire to have
Christ as the very matter of our conversation? We want to
seek to understand those things that are written in the Scriptures
concerning him. And we have an enthusiasm as
we discuss these various matters. Here is the encouragement, you
see, to those who would seek to engage in such conversations
as those two on the road to Emmaus. The Lord himself is pleased to
take account. You know, striking are the words
of the Prophet there. The Lord, he says, hearkened
and heard it. There's a significant repetition,
he says. He doesn't say simply that the
Lord hearkened, or that the Lord heard, but he says he hearkened
and he heard. He listens. He listens into the
conversation. He takes account of those things.
And the book of remembrance is written before him. And it's
for those that feared the Lord and thought upon his name. Are we such as would think upon
his name and seek to to speak of him, and have that fear in
our heart as we take his blessed name upon our lips? Or is our
conversation filled only of the things of this world? Even as
we come together in this fashion, and as we hear the miniature
of the word, what is it that we want subsequently to be talking
about? Is it those things that God has
set before us in his word, or the frightening things of this
life? Here we see how the Lord Jesus Christ comes to these two
and begins to minister to them. Now, the Lord's identity is clearly
concealed. They don't know Him. Even though
it is Christ who has come to them. In verse 16, their eyes
were holed and it says that they should not know Him. and the
verb is quite a strong verb that you said it means to hold fast. It was a supernatural thing.
It was that one whom they had been following. They were disciples
of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are told how he appeared in
another form in Marks account. in another form, it's the glorified
body of the Lord Jesus Christ, but he's still the Lord Jesus
Christ. But God so works that they don't
recognise him. Their eyes are closed to the
truth of who he is. But do we not see he has something
of the Lord's concern for them? He will come and he will minister
to them. Although they will listen from
the dead, Although now is the commencement of His glorification
having risen, He will in forty days also ascend on high. He will return to the heavens
in that glorified body. But the Lord Jesus Christ even
in His glory is concerned for His disciples. Does He not say
In John chapter 14, I will not leave you comfortless. The margin
there tells us that the word comfortless literally means orphans. I will not leave you comfortless.
I will not leave you in that bereft state. I will come to
you. The Lord is pleased to come to
his people. And he comes and he might minister
to his people. Is he not one who is now very
much bone of their bone and flesh of their flesh? He is the great
high priest, he has accomplished his work upon the earth, he's
made the great sacrifice, he's risen, he's ascended, he's there
in heaven at God's right hand and his very session there of
course is part of his priestly office, he ever lives to make
intercession. But what does Paul tell us? We
have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling
of our infirmities. He is still touched. He still
feels for his people. He was tempted in all points
like as we are, Paul says, yet without seeing. Now we see that
he feels for his people. And so he comes to these two.
And what is his concern? he will minister to them, he
will ultimately reveal himself to them, though initially their
eyes are holden in a supernatural fashion so they cannot recognize
him, but in due time he opens their eyes, verse 31, their eyes
were opened it says, and they knew him. and he vanished out
of their sight. Now, how was it that the Lord
Jesus Christ opened their eyes? How were their eyes opened so
that they recognised him? Well, he opened to them the Scriptures. This is the way in which their
eyes were opened. And they acknowledged that. In
verse 32, do you know their heart? burn within us while he talked
with us by the way and while he opened to us the scriptures.
It's as the scriptures are unfolding to him as the Lord is teaching
them out of the word of God that suddenly their eyes are opened
to the truth of those things that he is speaking of. But of
course when he comes to his people he doesn't just open to them
the scriptures we have to understand what that means and we are told
are we not later here in verse 45 when again he appears to all
of them as they are gathered together in that upper room he opened their understanding it
says that they might understand the scriptures look at the context here Verse
44, these are the words which I spoke unto you while I was
yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were
written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the Psalms
concerning me. And he is speaking there of the
totality of the Old Testament Scriptures. Everything that is there in the
Old Testament We have a reference to that three-fold division that
the Jews would be so familiar with. The Lord of Moses, that's
the first five books. The books of the prophets. And
then we have mention of the Psalms, and the Psalms is the principal
part of that third section which is usually referred to as the
writings. Every part of the Old Testament,
he says, concerns Mary. Then openly their understanding.
that they might understand the Scriptures. And so it is with
these two on the road to Emmaus. He opens their understanding
to the Scriptures. All those things that are written
concerning himself. Yes, the Scriptures must be opened,
but the understanding also must be opened. And not only the understanding,
but also of course the heart. If a man is to believe these
things, Concerning Lydia, are we not told in Acts 16 how the
Lord opened her heart? Whose heart the Lord opened?
But she attended unto those things that were spoken by Paul in silence.
So only as the Lord opens the heart, you see, that there can
be that true faith, that believing of those things, to which the
mind has never been illuminated. Here then we see something of
what transpires on the Emmaus road, as these two are walking
together in the evening of that first day of the week, the day
of the Lord's resurrection from the dead. The very matter of
their conversation, how they are discussing in a very lively
fashion all that has transpired in the the ministry of the Lord
Jesus Christ, that man who was marked out as a true prophet,
even the Messiah, and he had been rejected and crucified,
and now there was this talk of him being raised again from the
dead. And then the way in which they
were speaking of these things, how animated they were, and Christ
himself takes account, and Christ himself draws near and he begins
to speak with them and the Lord Jesus begins to minister to them
and ministers faith to them. Now, initially of course they
cannot understand, there is much confusion here with regards to
these two. As we see the way in which Christ
speaks to them at verse 25. 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. Oh, they were so astonished and
so confused as we saw back in verse 22. Yahya and certain women
also of that company made us astonished which were early at
the sepulchre. And when they found not his body
they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels
which said that he was alive. Oh what confusion there was in
the minds of these poor disciples as the Lord came, as the Lord
ministered to them. And so having said something
with regards to those things that transpired I want us to
look a little more closely now at these two. and to think for
a while about what it was that lay behind their astonishment
and their confusion, what was the cause of these things. See
how the Lord addresses them. In verse 25, the words that I
announced at the beginning of our text this morning. Then he
said unto them, O fools, have slow of heart to believe. Now, how are we to square what
Christ is saying there to these two with the words that he spoke
in his preaching? And I think of those words that
we have in the Sermon on the Mount. There in Matthew chapter 5, verses 21 and 22, we have heard
that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not kill. The
commandment of God you see, thou shalt not kill, and whosoever
shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment, but the Lord
is going to bring out the spiritual significance of that commandment,
but I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without
a cause, shall be in danger of the judgment, and whosoever shall
say to his brother Raka, thine fellow, it says in the margin,
shall be in danger of the council, but whosoever shall say thou
fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. We have to be careful with regards
to the words that we speak. We transgress the commandment
of God. You see, you can kill a person by destroying their
character, by saying false things against them, foolish things
against them. And you're a transgressor of the commandment. You've not
literally killed the man, you're not guilty in that sense of murder,
and yet you've murdered them in your own heart. or in the
minds of others by saying these wicked things against another.
And the Lord says plainly, whosoever shall say they are fools shall
be in danger of hell firing them out. How can we reconcile those
words with what the Lord Jesus is saying to these two? O fools, he says, and slow at
heart to believe. There is no real problem in reconciling
the statements because they are completely different words. They
are completely different words. It indicates to us something
of the richness of the Greek language in which God has given
us the New Testament scriptures. That word in Matthew 5 literally
means stupid, senseless whereas the word that we have here in
the text in Luke 24-25 doesn't mean stupid or senseless it's
a word that's derived from the word for the mind but it's that
word with a negative before it literally it means not thinking
not considering not perceiving, not understanding. They're not
using their minds properly. That's what the Lord is rebuking
them for. He goes on, does he not, to say they're slow of heart
to believe. In a sense the words we might
say are parallels, there's certainly a relationship between them.
You're not thinking right, he says, you're not using your mind
properly and you're slow of heart to believe. They're not able
to discern the truth that is set before them in the scriptures. Now the Lord, on another occasion,
rebukes the Pharisees in a similar fashion. At the beginning of
Matthew chapter 16, He speaks to the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Pharisees also with the Sadducees
came and tempting desired him that he would show them a sign
from heaven. He answered and said unto them,
when it is evening you say it will be fair weather for the
sky is red and in the morning it will be foul weather today
for the sky is red and lowering O ye hypocrites, ye can discern
the face of the sky, but can ye not discern the signs of the
times? He is rebuking them there then,
that they can read those natural phenomena and make something
of them. But they cannot read, they cannot discern the signs
of the times. And he is saying something similar
here to these. They are not perceiving things
right, they are not understanding things right. They are not thinking
properly. We have to perceive the truth
with our minds. That's the way in which God has
created us. He has given us minds. But of
course there is a problem in that all of us by nature are
fallen creatures, sinful creatures, and sin has affected every part
of our being. When we speak about total depravity,
that's what we mean, is it not? That the fall has so affected
men that they're in that state now where they're dead in trespasses
and sins, alienated from God and the carnal mind, it's enmity
against God, it's not subject to the Lord of God, neither,
indeed, can it be. This is the problem, you see.
In Ephesians 4, Paul reminds those Gentiles who would come
to face what they were by nature, having the understanding darkened,
he says. Being alienated from the life
of God, through the ignorance that is in them because of the
blindness, or the margin says, the hardness of their hearts. That is man's condition by nature. Again Paul writing in 2 Timothy
3 speaks of men of corrupt minds. And so this is the problem. How
can we rightly use our minds if our minds have been so affected
by sin? If our minds are so enveloped
in the darkness of sin, if the natural mind of man is in that
state of enmity against God, well, God, of course, must grant
to his people a sound mind. And this is what happens, of
course. when the sinner is born again by the Spirit of God. There is that renewal in the
soul. There is that new birth, that
birth from on high, that birth from Heaven. Again, we are told in Colossians,
are we not, Colossians chapter 3 and verse 10 and have put on
the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image
of him that created him. And the sinner is renewed when
he is born again, he is renewed in knowledge. He is given a mind,
a mind to understand, a mind to perceive. All the importance
you see of the mind with regards to us understanding the things
of God. God has not given us the spirit
of fear, says Paul, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Those who want to bypass the
mind are so very wrong. And as you're probably aware,
in certain circles, certain charismatic circles, that's the way in which
they would split. You just have to have an emotional
experience. and the mind is taken out of
the equation altogether, but that's not the scriptural one.
God has given his people that spirit of a sound mind. The Swami says, be ye not just
a horse or mule that hath no understanding. His mouth must
be held in by bit and bridle lest he come nigh unto you. God
has created his people with that ability to think, to reason,
to use their mind. And this, I say, is the problem
with regards to the confusion that these two on the road to
Emmaus find themselves in. And Christ highlights that when
he says to them, O fools, O fools, and slow of heart, you're not
thinking it right, you're not considering these things properly.
Although you're discussing these things and reasoning about these
things, You are not having a proper understanding with regards to
these things. There must then be a right mind. But of course we know that something
more than a sound mind is needed. Yes, God comes and God communicates
with us through our minds. But Christianity is much more
than having an intellectual understanding. with regards to the truth of
God. True religion is more than notion. Something must be known and felt. We often quote that little couplet
from one of the hymns of Joseph Hart, but how true it is. We
don't dismiss the mind, we don't negate the mind, but we say that
something more than an intellectual ascent to the truth is necessary. If it is just a matter of the
mind, and the mind assenting, well that's what's sometimes
referred to as a Sandimanian sort of faith. That's what the
Sandimanians, the old Scotch Baptists, believed that faith
was just a matter of the intellect. And you have these propositions
set before you in the scripture, and when the mind is illuminated,
and you're able to assent to these things, well that's all
you need to do. You just accept the truth with
the mind. But more than the mind is involved,
and don't let the Lord Jesus Christ indicate that here in
the text. He says to them, O fools and
slow of heart to believe. It's not just a question of the
mind. Yes, there are these propositions that are set before us in Scripture,
these great truths, these doctrines of the faith, that we have to
come to understand. I'm not saying that in order
to be saved you have to be able to pass some sort of theological
test. Remember, in order to be saved you have to be converted
and become as a little child. The truth that we have to believe
is really very simple. It's so profound in simplicity
we have to accept the truth that we are sinners and the sinners
we can do nothing to help ourselves and to save ourselves and that
Christ is the saviour of sinners and in his person and in his
work there is a full and a free salvation for sinners but it's
more than just assenting to that truth in an intellectual way
there has to be faith and that faith involves trust there has
to be that leaning upon Christ, resting in Christ. If thou shalt
confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine
heart that God has saved him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved. With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, with the
mouth confession is made unto salvation. How important it is then that
there's not just that understanding that intellectual belief, but
there's that rolling of the soul upon Christ, that trusting the
totality of one's salvation into the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ. The cause then of their confusion
we see here, is that they are not understanding things are
right, they are not considering things are right, and they are
full of unbelief. And they believe then that the
Lord himself should come and minister to them, and this is
what Christ is doing, he is coming to minister to them, he is coming
to deliver them. And so having tried to say something
with regards to the cause of the confusion that they were
in, and that unbelief that was really
in their heart, let's turn in the second place to consider
the cure. How the Lord cures their confusion. Now I've already intimated something
of this. How does he minister to them?
Well it's through the scriptures. Remember he opens the scriptures.
He opens their understanding. He opens their heart to the Scriptures. They need to know the Scriptures. They need to be aware of what
the Scriptures are saying. Verse 27, Beginning at Moses
and all the prophets, He expanded unto them in all the Scriptures
the things concerning Himself. If you have a Bible with marginal
references, and look at the references in relation to verse 27, you'll
probably find a multitude of Old Testament scriptures. And
of course that is just a selection from the Old Testament. I think
the marginal reference there to scriptures is probably the
longest of any of the verses that we find throughout the Bible, because there's an attempt to
show in the margin the multitude of those verses in Moses and
in the prophets and in all the scriptures that concern the Lord
Jesus Christ. Didn't Christ himself say, search
the scriptures? For in them ye think that ye
have eternal life, and these are they that testify of me."
The Bible testifies of Christ. The Bible speaks of the Lord
Jesus Christ. And all that came upon the Lord
Jesus Christ, especially of his crucifixion and his resurrection,
all of this is according to the scriptures, you remember those
words that we have at the beginning of 1 Corinthians 15. He died
for our sins according to the scriptures, he said. He was dead,
he was buried, he rose again the third day according to the
scriptures. It's all in accordance with the scriptures and this
is how there is cure, you see. for that confusion of mind and
that unbelief of heart. Where do we find the cure? We
find it here in the Word of God. When the devil comes as that
great tempter, that great adversary of sorts, that one who will seek
to implant in our minds many doubts, he'll cause you sometimes
to doubt the veracity of the Word of God. Don't be surprised
how he hates God, how he hates the Word of God, hates the Lord
Jesus Christ, how he hates that sinner who is concerned to know
the way of salvation. He'll attack you and he'll seek
to undermine any faith that you might have in scripture. Well,
remember how the Lord Jesus Christ himself was tempted by Satan
and how does Christ answer the devil in the temptations? He
says to him again and again, it is written, it is written,
It is that sword of the Spirit, you see, that we have here in
the Scriptures. And here is the cure, I say,
to all our confusion of mind. It's in the Word of God. But as there must be that knowledge
of the Scriptures, so there is that knowledge of the Lord Jesus
Christ. If the Bible is the The Word
of God inscripturated, the Lord Jesus Christ we know is the Word
of God incarnate. The Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us. All the scriptures and the Lord
bear one tremendous name. The written and incarnate Word
in all things are the same. We come to the scriptures that
we might know Christ, that we might find Christ, that he might
come and find us. and does he not come and find
us, does he not often times find us out by his word when that
word is brought home to us and applied to us and remember what
he says, it is life eternal to know thee the only true God and
Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent here Christ reminds these two on the road
to Emmaus having upbraided them for their foolish thinking and
their unbelieving heart, O fools and slow of heart, to believe
all that the prophets have spoken, ought not Christ to have suffered
these things and enter into His glory? Yes, Christ was humbled even to the death
of the cross, how He suffered, how He bore there upon the cross
that deserts of the transgressor. He died in the transgressor's
place. He died as a substitute for sinners.
He suffered, but now he has entered into his glory. He has risen
again. Ought he not to have suffered and to enter into his glory? He has accomplished salvation. And this is what they need to
know. They need to know Him. They need to know Him, that I
may know Him, says Paul, and the power of His resurrection,
and the fellowship of His sufferings be made conformable unto His
death. Oh yes, the fellowship of His
sufferings, but also the power of His resurrection. Going to
the Philippians, Paul can say unto you, it is given in the
behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer
for His sake. What is this knowledge of Christ?
Why? It's not just an intellectual
ascent to the doctrines of Christ. It's an experimental knowledge.
It's the fellowship of His sufferings. It's the power of His resurrection. It's the way in which God teaches
His people. They are made to feel their need of Him. They
are made to feel that they must be at one with Him. That He must
come and dwell in their hearts. And this was their experience,
was it not? What do they say in verse 32? After their eyes
had been opened and they knew Him, and then He'd gone. And they said one to another,
did not our hearts burn within us? While He talked with us by
the Word, and while He opened to us the Scripture. or that the Lord might be pleased,
friends, so to come to us, to you, to Murray, and to cause
our hearts to burn as he comes and talks with us and opens to
us his word, and comes to reveal himself in our souls. When he pleased God, said Paul,
to reveal his Son in man, or to know that blessed inward revealing
of the Saviour to our souls in all His glory as that One who
is the only Saviour of the sinner. May the Lord be pleased to bless
His word to us.