The Big Story | Luke 24:27

Amen, church family.

If you have your Bibles, would you turn with me to Luke chapter 24?

Luke 24 · chapter mention

Luke chapter 24.

Luke 24 · chapter mention

This morning we're going to complete our series on the introduction to Jesus as the Son of God.

Next week, I'm excited to kick off my favorite time of the year, which is Advent.

And so I can think of no better way to complete our series together this morning than to take a long, long, long look at Jesus.

And look at him and to try to see him in all of his manifold glory and all of his splendor that our hearts might burn within us.

We're gonna be in Luke chapter 24.

Luke 24 · chapter mention

We'll read a little more scripture than we typically would.

So if you need to sit down, no worries at all.

We'll be in verse 13 and we'll read through verse 35.

God's word says, That very day, two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened.

While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them.

But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.

And he said to them, What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?

And they stood still, looking sad.

Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered, Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?

And he said to them, What things?

And they said to him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet, mighty indeed in word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death and crucified him.

But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.

Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.

Moreover, some women of our company amazed us.

They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back, saying that they had seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive.

And some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.

And he, Jesus, said to them, O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken, was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?

And here's the key verse for the whole sermon today.

And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

So they drew near to the village to which they were going.

He acted as if he were going further, 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.

And was when I when he was at table with them, he took the 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 our hearts burn did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures.

And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem, and they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, The Lord has risen indeed and has appeared to Simon.

Then they told what had happened on the road and how he was known to them in the breaking of bread.

Can we pray to the Lord together?

Heavenly Father, this morning what we want to do is we want to see Jesus.

Show us Jesus.

Open up our eyes to see Jesus in a way that we've never seen him before.

Open up the eyes of those who have previously been blind so that now they see him for the first time.

Open the eyes even wider for those that have walked with you for decades, so that their hearts might burn within them again today.

Oh Lord, Lord, fill our lives with love for Jesus and let our love for Jesus transform all of our lives.

We want our hearts to burn like the men on the Emmaus Road.

Lord, would you do such a work today?

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

You may be seated.

In 2018, Pastor Andy Stanley said that we ought to unhitch ourselves from the Old Testament.

And the point that he was making was that the Old Testament is filled with so many difficult teachings, it's filled with what he believes to be obsolete data, that it's actually become a liability for those of us who want to reach an informed, educated, modern person.

But I want you to think over the last eight weeks, as we've done our introduction to Jesus as the Son of God.

And I want you to think about how often the New Testament authors have alluded to the Old Testament and used the Old Testament to create even more leverage to convince us that Jesus is in fact the Son of God.

See, here's my conviction.

My conviction is that if we cancel the Old Testament, we cancel Jesus.

That if we unhitch ourselves from the Old Testament, we are unhitching ourselves from the very foundation of the good news.

Over the last eight weeks, I've said to you several times that the Old Testament forms the context for the New Testament.

That the New Testament writers assume that you understand that there's a backdrop, there's a lot that's happened beforehand that's brought us to that point.

And they're using the New Testament or the Old Testament repeatedly to help clarify for us the identity of Jesus so that we can see him clearly and know him deeply.

That the New Testament authors understand what we've talked about that Jesus didn't just poof onto the scene, right?

That Jesus was born into a context and Jesus was born with an expectation, and that for generations and generations prior, Jesus' birth had been prophesied, it had been predicted, it had been foretold, that the Lord had been tipping his hand for generations so that when Jesus came, we were able to verify his identity and recognize him as he came.

In fact, this is something that is said over and over throughout all of the New Testament.

This is a common theme in the New Testament.

The author of Hebrews, I have it there at the top of your screen, the author of Hebrews says that the law, now where is the law?

The law is the first five books of our Bible.

It's called the Pentateuch, right?

The often referred to as the law, the Torah, right?

Where is it?

It's in the Old Testament.

Now he tells us what it is.

For since the law was but a shadow of the good things to come.

Do you see what he's saying?

That in the Old Testament, what we are able to see is Jesus, but in shadow.

That we're able to begin catching glimpse, but we don't see him with full clarity.

He's beginning to be revealed, but we haven't seen the fullness of all that he is.

So now that we come in the New Testament, what happens?

Now we have high definition, baby.

We got Jesus in 4K.

We can see him as clearly as day.

What we once saw in shadow, now we see in personhood, right?

Paul says something very similar to the church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 20.

2 Corinthians 1:20

He says, For all the promises of God.

Now, what is he talking about?

Where were all the promises of God found?

All the promises were found in the Old Testament.

He's talking about all the things that have been promised to all the people of God across all the generations, revealed through the prophets, revealed through Moses, revealed through all the authors of scripture.

All of the promises, for all of the promises of God find their yes in him.

I love the way that Paul writes.

He said, that is why it is through him that we utter our amen to God for his glory.

That all of the promises that have been given to us in the New Testament, in the Old Testament, were tipping the hand so that we would understand when Jesus was born that all of those promises are going to find their yes in him.

All of those promises are gonna find their fulfillment in him.

Now let's hear from Peter.

In Acts chapter 3, Peter is giving a sermon.

Acts 3 · chapter mention

And in the sermon, he says this he says, but what God foretold by the mouth of all, not just some, all the prophets.

Now, where are the prophets found?

We talked about this when we talked about John the Baptist, right?

The prophets are all found in the Old Testament, right?

So what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets that his Christ would suffer, and he thus fulfilled.

You see that?

So here's Peter, and he's making his case.

He's preaching a sermon to convince other people that Jesus is the Christ.

And how does he preach a sermon to other people that Jesus is the Christ?

He goes back to the Old Testament.

He says, Don't you see?

This is who the prophets have been talking about.

This is where the prophets have been headed, that Jesus is the fulfillment of all of the prophecies that have been given to us over the generations prior.

So my conviction is that if you cancel the Old Testament, you cancel Jesus, and I'll tell you, I hold that conviction with all of my heart because I am convinced that this is the same conviction that Jesus Himself holds.

I think that's what we begin to see here in Luke chapter 24.

Luke 24 · chapter mention

That in Luke chapter 24, we begin to understand how Jesus understands himself in the context of the scriptures.

Luke 24 · chapter mention

I've told people before that, like if I could go and be a fly on a wall on any passage and any moment in biblical history, like if I could go and personally witness it and experience it, Luke 24 is where I'm going, man.

Like I'm going to the Emmaus Road because I think this is the most remarkable moment in all of the scripture.

That you have these two men, and they are admirers of Jesus, would have considered themselves followers and disciples of Jesus.

And they're walking down the road to Emmaus and they're having a conversation.

And they're talking about all the things that have happened.

And so the conversation that they're having, uh Luke tells us they're very sad.

They're sad.

They're sad because they had come to believe that Jesus was in fact the Messiah, that Jesus was the one who was going to redeem Israel.

And they are sad because their people, their leaders, had killed him, they had murdered him, they had nailed him to a cross.

Now, the ladies, the word had gotten around that the tomb was empty.

Word had gotten around that the tomb was empty, and some had even said that he had been resurrected.

But these guys are sad because they don't believe it.

They can't wrap their minds around it, right?

Now, I I need to take an aside right here, right?

I need to take it in the side right here.

The reason that Andy Stanley says that we should unhitch ourselves from the Old Testament is he says that what we need to do is we need to not anchor our faith in the Bible told me so, we need to anchor our faith in the eyewitness accounts of the resurrection.

Now let's think about that right here.

Here we have two brothers that literally talked to the eyewitnesses of Jesus about his resurrection.

Two men who admire Jesus, two men who want Jesus to be the Messiah, two men who are sad that Jesus has died, two men that would have loved the idea of Jesus being raised to live again, right?

And they hearing from the eyewitnesses, they don't believe him.

They don't believe him.

And so their hearts are sad.

It's almost like we need more than just the eyewitnesses, right?

Like the eyewitnesses are a critical part.

Like I'm wholly in favor.

Like I believe if you find the bones of Jesus, you discredit the whole Christian faith.

All of it is anchored to the resurrection.

But the resurrection happened in context.

It didn't, we have a means of knowing how to understand and to interpret the resurrection.

And so that's what Jesus begins to talk with them about.

And so I want you to notice how it is that Jesus provides an understanding and clarity on the nature of the resurrection and the significance of the resurrection and the reason that they can trust the resurrection.

That first Jesus rebukes them for their unbelief, but then Jesus takes them on what I think is the greatest Bible study ever led by a person in all of human history.

All right?

Look at what he says in Luke 24.

And he said, This is this is Jesus, and he said to them, Oh, foolish ones, this is the rebuke, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.

He's already alluding, saying, Do you not understand that I'm here, that this was expected, that the resurrection was at random?

Don't you understand that all of this happened in a context?

Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?

Maybe he's alluding to Isaiah 53 in the suffering servant.

And then here comes in verse 27 what I would say is the greatest Bible study in all of human history.

And then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures what?

The things concerning himself.

That it wasn't random.

This was expected, this was anticipated, this was predicted, this was prophesied, this was foretold.

And so Jesus is saying, Don't you understand that all of Moses and all of the law and all of the prophets and all of the Psalms, all of it was about me?

Don't you understand that this wasn't a bunch of just random stories put together, but instead this is one big story with one main character, and the main character is me?

Don't you see?

Can't you understand who I am?

See, here's the problem.

Luke tells us what the problem was.

He says, before we even get started, good, in verse 16, he says, but their eyes were kept from recognizing them.

In other words, the problem wasn't that the Bible is filled with obtuse data that's obsolete.

The problem wasn't that the Bible is filled with difficult teachings.

The problem is that they didn't have the eyes to see it.

The problem is that they didn't have the heart to love it.

The problem is what Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 2, that the law of God, the word of God, is foolishness to the natural man because these are things that are spiritually discerned, and they had no spiritual equipment to be able to discern them.

1 Corinthians 2 · chapter mention

That they were blind to the truth, and their hearts were hardened to the person of Christ, that they didn't see the resurrection and understand the truth of the scriptures because they just didn't have the eyes of faith to be able to see them.

And so Jesus corrects the problem.

I think this is the main point.

Jesus corrects the problem.

He says, Then he said to them, These are my words that I spoke to you when I was still with you.

That how much everything written about me where?

The law of Moses.

The prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.

Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures.

See, here's the question that was facing facing those men, and here's the question that was that's facing us this morning.

The question is not, do we need the scriptures?

We need the scriptures.

The question is not, is Jesus the Savior?

Jesus is the savior.

The question is not, was Jesus raised?

Jesus was raised.

The question is, is do you see him?

And do you love him?

Do you see him and do you love him?

Just like what Rick talked about between our time of Thanksgiving.

That if you're able to see Jesus and your heart is filled with captivation by him and love for him and affection for him, that what we're supposed to understand, brothers and sisters, is that a miracle has taken place in our lives.

A miracle has taken place, a miracle of regeneration, a miracle of being filled with the Spirit, a miracle of the scales falling away, so that our eyes can see what they couldn't before see, so our minds can comprehend what they couldn't before comprehend, so that our hearts will love what they didn't before love.

So here's what I want us to do.

I want us to try to join Jesus on that journey on the Emmaus Road.

I I want us to imagine what it would be like to walk through all of the Old Testament and to have the Son of God show how all of the Old Testament refers to himself.

So in other words, what I want to do is more than just exposit a single text this morning.

I want us to do an exposition of the entire Old Testament that we can see Jesus and know Jesus and love Jesus.

So throughout, we're gonna ask that question: Do you see him and do you love him?

See, in Genesis, Jesus is the beginning of life.

All creation is made through Jesus and by Jesus and for Jesus.

God's image bearers are defaced by sin, but he is the seed of Eve who will return to crush the serpent's head and to restore the birthright of God's people through rebirth.

In Exodus, Jesus is our Passover lamb, whose blood is painted over the doorposts of our house.

We walk in freedom and life now rather than slavery and death.

He's our mediator interceding before God that his presence might now abide with us.

In Leviticus, Jesus is the sin offering whose throat is slit so we may live.

He's the scapegoat cursed with our sins so they are sent out to never be heard from again.

He's the fulfillment of the civil, ceremonial, and moral laws, establishing a new nation and a royal priesthood that now operates by the law of love.

In Numbers, Jesus is God's steadfast love that refuses to abandon his people, though his people, all of us, have abandoned him.

He's the intercessor who pleads for God's pardon, and he is God's promise kept by grace alone.

In Deuteronomy, Jesus is the redeemer of ruins, the renewal of an old promise.

He is the prophet greater than Moses and the mediator of a greater covenant.

He welcomes us into the Holy of Holies and He secures the promised land for us forever.

Do you see him?

This morning, do you see him?

And do you love him?

In Joshua, Jesus is the commander of the Lord's army who crushes the unassailable walls of our sin.

He is born from the line of the harlot Rahab, so that lowly sinners of all peoples in all places can be chosen now to enjoy the promised land with him.

In judges, God's people do what is right in their own eyes and ruin their lives.

But Jesus is the intervention of God into the misery of life to save and sustain his people through the very worst of times.

He is the true and greater Samson, though being the strong man, became a weak man and sacrificed himself to save his people.

In Ruth, Jesus is the redeemer of a distressed bride without any prospects of hope.

He is the restorer of life that resurrects the bitter person that they might now walk in joy.

In 1st and 2 Samuel, Jesus is the humble warrior who strikes down the great giant that threatened his children so that they walk in victory rather than trembling in defeat.

He is the son of David who will remain on his throne forever and will see that the house of God is built out of living stones like us.

In 1st and 2 Kings, Jesus is the sacrifice who is consumed by the fire of heaven, so that God's judgment passes over his unfaithful people.

He is the young boy king who will bring a revival that outlasts time itself.

He is the king who reigns benevolently from his throne, ensuring that the citizens of the kingdom are always safe, always prosperous, and always joyful.

In first and second chronicles, Jesus is the one who dies as though he was unholy, so that we who are actually unholy wouldn't all be consumed by the fire of our God.

He is God's commitment to dwell in the midst of his people on the earth, so that their sins might be forgiven and their land might be healed.

In Ezra, Jesus is the Son of promise who will lead his church from Babylon back to Jerusalem.

He is the word that awakens his flock to their hope in God's story.

In Nehemiah, Jesus is the plan of God to end our sojourning in the exile of a foreign land so that we can be home with him again.

He is God's strength personified, the proof that God has brought victory for his people and God will bring final victory for his church.

In Esther, Jesus is the king who willingly lays down his life so that his kingdom will always live.

He is the one to be pierced upon the gallows, built for us, so that the serpent's head will be crushed by his own wicked design.

He is the reversal that will turn the worst day of his people into a holiday that they celebrate forever.

This morning, do you see him?

This morning, do you see him?

Do you see him and do you love him?

In Job, Jesus is the better friend that joins you in your suffering.

He is the living redeemer who assures us that we will see God forever in a new creation of unthreatened joy.

He is the restorer of life who transfers our faith to sight.

In Psalms, Jesus is the tower of refuge for sinners and a fortress for the insecure.

He walks with you through the valley of the shadow of death so that he might lead you to greener pastures.

He is our portion and he is our cup, and he is the satisfaction of our souls.

In Proverbs, Jesus is wisdom that leads you away from ruin and into flourishing.

He shows us the pathway to God and receives our rod of discipline so that we can receive the blessing that he deserves.

He is the faithful spouse that is more precious than jewels, and he is the Friend that sticks closer than a brother.

In Ecclesiastes, Jesus is the meaning of life.

He keeps us from chasing after the wind.

He is our contentment amidst disappointment, our peace amidst chaos, our hope amidst despair, and our purpose amidst vanity.

In the Song of Songs, Jesus is the eager groom coming in pursuit of his bride.

He ensures her security and he promises her prosperity.

He is the groomsman that invites all of his people to the wedding supper of the Lamb, where his praises are declared and their rewards are revealed.

This morning, do you see him?

Do you see him?

Do you love him?

In Isaiah, Jesus is the promised child upon whose shoulders the world rests.

His name is wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

He is the branch that changes the fruit of the world so that now enemies become friends and the vulnerable become strong.

He reverses the river so that it carries sinners uphill to the city of God.

And he's done it as the suffering servant who bore our griefs and was crushed by our iniquities.

In Jeremiah, Jesus is the call of God to do what nobody else on earth would ever want to do.

He's the new covenant that will make us faithful by changing what's in our hearts.

In lamentations, Jesus is new mercy every single morning.

He is the great faithfulness of God with a pulse, the hope of mankind with a heartbeat.

He is abiding peace and he is a present comfort.

He will endure the worst of times so that we all together might enjoy the best of eternity.

In Ezekiel, Jesus is the raising of dead bones, dry bones, finding new life.

He's the cleansing water of God sprinkled on your soul, the heart of flesh that will open your eyes so that you can now be made new.

In Daniel, in Daniel, we saw this last week.

He closes the mouths of lions and humbles the mightiest kings.

His dominion and glory and kingdom are everlasting and will be confessed by all peoples in all places for all times.

He shall not fade, he shall not pass away, and we shall be with him.

Do you see him?

Do you see him?

Don't you love him?

In Hosea.

In Hosea, Jesus is the faithful groom who chases after his adulterous bride.

She gives her heart to the world, and he gives his life for her.

In Joel, Jesus is the blowing trumpet to wake up his sleeping church.

He is the patient Lord pleading with his people to return so that they aren't destroyed.

In Amos, Jesus is trampled grace, who is abandoned for rotting treasures.

His people are dead and playing church.

They're pretending like they love him.

But his love still has him coming for them so that they might be resurrected to really live and really love and really rejoice.

In Obadiah, Jesus is the defender of the helpless.

He will declare the final judgment that brings you home from exile, and he will be the Savior exalted by the new song saying, By all the nations.

In Jonah, Jesus leaves the comforts of home so that he might die for Nineveh.

He's the joyful, unreluctant prophet who willingly pursues his enemies so that they can enjoy God with him.

He is the good given for the bad.

He is love proven through cause.

He is swallowed up by our judgment, not his, and he will spend three days beneath the judgment of the sea before he is raised to walk on dry ground again.

In Micah, Jesus meets what God requires because we never could.

He is the doer of justice, the lover of kindness and humility personified.

He is our peace forever, and he casts every one of our sins and all of our shame into the depths of the sea so that it drowns and all of us live.

In Nahum, Jesus is not indifferent.

He is passionate about the injustices that we suffer, and he is zealous to resolve all the suffering that we overlook.

He is the assurance that our story is still being written and that the final chapter will be one of victory.

He is the buoyant hope that enables us to dance in the promises even as we weep over our losses.

In Habakkuk, Jesus is the providence that's hard to understand.

He's the promise that through that though your eyes may not see him, he never takes his eyes off of you.

He's the story too great for you to write, and he's the invitation to faith for all peoples.

In Zephaniah, Jesus is the warrior who is mighty to save.

You don't deserve him, and yet he is happy with you, and he exalts over you.

He sings so loudly for you that it echoes off the heavens and bounces off the galaxies.

He is the one who gathers the outcasts and changes their shame into praise.

In Haggai, Jesus is the return of God's presence to live with his people.

He's the long-awaited restoration of hope.

He is the latter temple that pels the glory of the first and ensures that the Spirit is always dwelling in their midst.

He is the redemption of ruins and the source of blessings that money cannot buy.

In Zechariah, Jesus is the fountain of grace that can't be run dry.

He is the spring of mercy that runs deeper than the curse of sin.

He is the angel of the Lord who removes our filthy clothes and makes us clean instead.

He is the priest king who is building the new king temple out of people like us so that we can enjoy the nearness of God through the timeless ages.

He pardons our sin, he removes our shame, he overcomes our penalty, and he sustains our salvation.

Oh, and in Malachi.

In Malachi, Jesus is the proof of God's love.

He is the walking, breathing assurance that we are never forsaken as his people.

He is the looming day of the Lord that will take down the mighty, but lift up the humble.

He is the transformer so that the downtrodden are now exalted.

He is the true Lamb of God, pointed out by the second Elijah.

And he is the one to coming to soon to wipe away the last tear from your face.

Don't you see him, church?

Don't you see him?

Don't you love him?

Won't you worship him?