One of my deepest desires is to see people grow closer to Jesus; help people experience the power of changed lives; and to equip people to set the world on fire through the proclamation of the gospel. In other words, intimacy with Jesus is a life-changing experience that sets us on fire with the gospel.
How do you think your life would be impacted if you were able to sit at a table and have a meal with Jesus? How would your life change from that point forward? What story would dominate your conversations from that day forward? What’s stopping you from drawing closer to Jesus? What life-changing experience are you waiting for? What is the narrative that permeates your daily life? Is the narrative of your life controlled by pain? Fear? Brokenness? Loneliness? Deep, dark, shameful, secret, sin? Depression? Guilt? Confusion? Addiction?
Here’s my hope today… My hope & prayer is that the Holy Spirit will bring you to a place where you draw closer to Jesus and experience the life altering change that happens in his presence and that you leave here with your heart set on fire with the proclamation of the gospel.
Take a look at Luke 24:28 – 35…
28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
What’s happening in this passage?
This portion of text is the second half of a story that Luke told about two disciples who were taking a seven-mile walk from Jerusalem to a little village called Emmaus. And at the beginning of their journey, these two disciples were depressed and confused because they had just witnessed the darkest day of all time when Jesus was crucified and then to top it all off they had received the news that Jesus’ body was missing from the grave.
In just a matter of a few days these two disciples had all of their hopes crushed and they had slumped into a deep depression as a result of that. And then Jesus joined them on their walk, incognito. In other words, in some strange way, most likely by the divine providence of the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ actual identity was hidden from these two disciples’ eyes. These guys were blinded to Jesus’ presence.
And as Jesus engages these two depressed and hopeless disciples he asks a series of questions that are designed to get at the root of their sadness and hopelessness and then after he peels back those layers of the onion, Jesus confronts their foolishness and unbelief by preaching through the entire Old Testament and showing how all of Scriptures really point to the message of the gospel which is the good news of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus signifying his power over Satan, sin and death.
In that first half of the story we are encouraged by this truth that, when sadness stops us in our tracks and when our hope is crushed by unmet expectations we can be renewed by the truth of the gospel which proclaims Christ’s life, death and resurrection in power over Satan, sin and the grave. And at the end of last week the disciples are still standing in the middle of the road listening to Jesus preach. And this week as we pick up the second half of the story Luke tells us that, “they drew near to the village to which they were going and Jesus acted as if he were going farther, but the disciples urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.’ So Jesus went in to stay with them.”
#1. The disciples invite Jesus into their home… (28-29)
These guys didn’t know that the stranger who was talking with them was actually Jesus. In the beginning of the story these guys thought they had the corner on the market in terms of depressing stories. But the reality is that Jesus knew far more than they did because he had experienced it all first hand. And in his kindness he served them through the preaching of the gospel and they responded by inviting Jesus into their home urgently.
In the midst of their grief, these disciples responded to Jesus’ rebuke and his gospel preaching by inviting him into their home so they could spend more time with him. This is such a great reminder to us, that when God reveals himself to us, he does it little bit by little bit and then we have the opportunity to respond to Jesus by inviting him into the more intimate places of our lives.
#2. The disciples recognize Jesus… (30-32)
This is the moment where spiritual blindness is removed and these two disciples realize that Jesus has been right there with them the entire time speaking to them the truth of the gospel and drawing them into his presence like the best fisher of men that ever walked the Earth.
Luke tells us that, “When he was at table with them, he took bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. (And) They said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?’” Can you imagine this moment? Can you relate to these two disciples? Can you feel their excitement? Ever have that moment of epiphany where the light bulb goes on? Where you can see clearly for the first time?
Imagine this with me. You’ve just experienced the most horrific day of your life. You’re confused. You’re worn out. You’re afraid. You’re questioning everything in life. And in walks a stranger who gently asks questions; firmly rebukes your foolishness and unbelief; preaches the gospel to you and then in a single moment, with a simple act of breaking bread, Christ, in all of his resurrection, choke-slamming Satan, sin-killing, death defying, life-giving power is revealed to you. That’s a life changing moment. What do you do with a moment like this?
#3. The disciples spread the good news about Jesus… (33-35)
As soon as these two weary disciples recognize Jesus they don’t wait around. They don’t sit on their thumbs. They don’t hide behind the charade of their personal, private religion. They jump up from the table “that same hour” and they make the trip back to Jerusalem. They run seven miles back in the opposite direction from which they came and I imagine that this return trip is much different than their previous walk.
I imagine that you could see a marked change in these two disciples as they gather with the rest of God’s people in what could arguably be called the first gospel community gathering since the resurrection of Christ. And central to this first GC gathering was the proclamation of the centerpiece of the gospel. The central proclamation of the gospel within this first GC gathering was “The Lord has risen indeed!! He met us on the road and preached the Scriptures to us and he revealed himself to us in the breaking of bread.”
In other words, Jesus revealed his resurrection power to the disciples through the spiritual provision of preaching; through the reminder of the connection between the broken bread and his broken body; and through the reminder that in Christ alone we have all the physical & spiritual provision we need.
How does this passage help us out?
This second half, of the story, of these two heart-broken disciples walking the seven-mile journey to Emmaus is meant to teach us that… intimacy with Jesus is the life-changing experience that sets us on fire with the gospel. So let’s take a minute and reflect on a couple of questions regarding intimacy with Jesus; experiencing life-change and being fired up by the gospel.
#1. What intimate places of my life do I need to invite Jesus into? (28-29)
Intimacy is a tough subject. Especially when we’ve experienced a lifetime of pain and brokenness and sin. The suffering we experience in this life can unknowingly cause us to resist the honesty, vulnerability and transparency that are needed to cultivate true closeness. In other words, intimacy is being known completely in the midst of all of our pain, brokenness and sinfulness. Intimacy with Christ, which is being known completely and loved completely by Christ, is where we find healing from our wounds, wholeness from our brokenness and repentance from our sin.
So what intimate places of my life do I need to invite Jesus into? What painful wounds do I need to invite him into so that I can receive healing? What broken places of my heart do I need to invite him into so that I can be made whole? What sinful patterns do I need to invite him into so that I can walk the road of repentance? What intimate places of my life do I need to invite Jesus into?
#2. What am I doing with the life changing moments that Jesus gives me? (30-32)
When Jesus preaches the Bible on the road and when he breaks bread in the home of the two disciples in our text, I think it’s suppose to remind us of the life-changing power of God’s Word, the Lord’s Supper, the feeding of the five thousand and maybe even the daily provision of Manna for the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness after being set free from their slave masters. The communion table, the study of Scriptures, the preaching of God’s Word and God’s daily physical provisions are all meant to cause our hearts to burn for him.
Does my heart come alive to the cross of Christ when I participate in communion each week? How often throughout the week do I spend time in the Scriptures to the point that my heart is inflamed with passion for Jesus? Is my heart attentive to the preaching of God’s Word or has my heart become dull to the truth? Does the fire of desire for more of Christ burn out of control in light of his daily provision for me? What happens in my heart when I recognize that Jesus has been there all along, providing my daily needs? What am I doing with these life-changing moments that Jesus gives me?
#3. Is my heart fired up with the proclamation of the gospel? (33-35)
There are so many things I can get fired up about. Husker football can get me all fired up. An argument with my wife can get me all fired up. The opportunity for a new friendship can get me all fired up. A new job can get me all fired up. The return of my favorite TV show can get me all fired up. Buying a new possession can get me all fired up.
But am I as fired up about the proclamation of the gospel, as I am some of these other things? Would my co-workers, friends, family and acquaintances say that I am fired up about the gospel? Do I look for opportunities to share the hope of Christ with others? Am I so consumed with the good news of the gospel that it permeates my thoughts, conversations and meetings? Is my heart fired up with the proclamation of the gospel?
Concluding Thoughts…
Intimacy with Jesus is the life-changing experience that sets us on fire with the gospel. What’s stopping you from drawing closer to Jesus? What life-changing experience are you waiting for? What is the narrative that permeates your daily life? Is the narrative of your life controlled by pain? Fear? Brokenness? Loneliness? Deep, dark, shameful, secret, sin? Depression? Guilt? Confusion? Addiction?
Have you come to a place where you want to draw closer to Jesus? Have you come to a place where you are experiencing the life altering change that happens in Christ’s presence? Has your heart been set on fire with the proclamation of the gospel?