Introduction:
Good day to you ladies and gentlemen. Tonight is the tenth of the ten questions that we are studying at Church. I have been taking notes and I am going to try and portray what I heard at Church onto here. The tenth question of the ten questions is this: Who, what and where are God and Jesus? This question does seem like a very complicated question as it is many questions in one question. However, when we get to the heart of it, this question can be very simple when it is evaluated. Now I heard the Vodcast and I'll say up front that this question wasn't truly tackled. We had somebody else preach and he basically did a quick rundown of the nine previous questions. However, I will still deliver to here what was said on Easter Sunday.
Luke 24:13-35 NIV
On the Road to Emmaus
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] 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 the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
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 they did not see Jesus.”
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah 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.
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on 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.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
Now the question: Who, what and where are God and Jesus? When we really look at that question, it is the kind of question you ask when you don't know what other questions to ask. You have asked all your tough questions and they have been answered but there is still something not quite right. So what do you ask then? This would be the kind of question you ask when you're not sure what else to ask. Now the theme of the series of 'Got Questions' has been looking at the question behind the question. This is the kind of question that comes from the heart.
So what are they really asking? They would be asking something like "How can I really follow Jesus?" Now it may not be that exact question but it is that question that comes in different forms. That question has been asked all throughout history. Let's see what happens in the Bible passage. Jesus has just died and his tomb is empty. There are two people walking toward Emmaus and they are discussing what has happened when a third person comes along.
Luke 24:13-18 NIV
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] 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 the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
Jesus asked these two people a question. Their reply is a classic reply. They are asking him how he could not have heard the news. Have you been living under a rock this whole time? Haven't you heard the news? How could you not know about what has happened?
Now remember, they are asking Jesus a question about Jesus but they do not know that they are talking to Jesus. So what does Jesus say in reply? He asks them a second question.
Luke 24:19-27
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 they did not see Jesus.”
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah 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.
What things? You tell me what happened. He is asking a pressing question and going further and deeper into the heart. They tell Jesus things about this man, Jesus and how he was a prophet and very powerful. He drove out demons, healed the sick and even commanded the wind and the waves. Yet he is dead now, we thought he was our saviour but our hopes have been shattered. Now they don't know what is going on because there are rumours that he is alive and the tomb is empty. They don't know where this Jesus is.
Now Jesus turns it around by opening up the old testament. Did you not hear the news? Have you been living under a rock this whole time? Didn't you listen to what was going to happen? Didn't the prophets say that Jesus was going to be handed over to the chief priests and be sentenced to death?
All through history, there have been stories and cases where they said that the Messiah was going to be sentenced to death. He explained to them what was said in all of the Scriptures concerning himself. Let's see what happens next.
Luke 24: 28-35 NIV
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on 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.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
So they continue to the village and Jesus looked like he was going to go on but he was urged to stay. They have dinner and Jesus broke the bread and gave thanks. Once the two men realized it was Jesus, he disappeared from their sight. Then they returned to Jerusalem to talk about how they saw Jesus but they saw the other Eleven proclaiming that same message. The Lord has risen.
Now I bolded the hearts burning part for a reason. Do you know what it is like to have your hearts burning for Jesus? You are enthusiastic, passionate and you want to tell everybody the story about what has happened. When Jesus opened the Scriptures to the two men their hearts were burning for Jesus.
The two men returned to Jerusalem as their hearts were not hardened, they didn't keep what they saw to themselves. They wanted to go public and let everyone know what they saw. The same thing happens with us when our hearts are burning with desire for Jesus. We don't keep the good news to ourselves, we instead share it with anybody and everybody with passion and desire.
Now you don't need to have all of your questions answered to follow Jesus. You don't need to know every single little bit of detail. If you do then you are trying to play the role of God, bad things happen when that is the case. However, you can rest assured that you can follow the one who has all the answers. So to finish this series off, we've had questions thrown at God, life and the Bible that has been answered. It is only fitting that we finish off the series with a question directed towards you. So if the question behind the question is "How can I really follow Jesus?" Then the question we ask you is this.
How can you not follow Jesus?