Hope

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recognize that life brings with it broken hopes and promises. But there is something

so powerful in the fact that the seed of hope still wants to find its way to grow,

to bloom, to blossom, even through the cracks. Solomon in the book of Proverbs in the Bible

said that hope deferred makes the heart sick. And we understand that too, that hope needs its goal

and it needs its fulfillment. So as we gather here today, we are all at very different points

in our journeys of life and maybe in our journey with hope and our experience of hope. But together

we have a chance to see how hope connects with the events of that first Easter. We're going to consider

Christian hope as a journey. And we're going to do that through the lens of the disciple that we meet

on the road here, this man called Cleopas. Christian writer C.S. Lewis, in his book Mere Christianity,

he has a very helpful chapter on Christian hope. And he uses that image of Christian hope being a

journey. And it's a journey to a particular person, a journey towards God, towards Jesus.

And that journey of hope is also towards a particular place. It's towards heaven. It's towards life with

God. And while that journey in our lived-in experience brings ups and downs, and we know

Christian hope that we're going to be able to find out that way. And Christian hope is something that is

really powerful. It's not the weak hope, you know, I wish, you know, I hope it won't rain when I go on

holiday. Or I hope I'll get one more Easter egg. It's not that kind of hope. Christian hope is not also that

kind of naive optimism, that hopefulness that imagines, well, somehow things will always get better. As Christians,

many of us have come to know that actually things may get harder in this life. Things may not get better. But still,

we have that hope, we have that hope, that fixed goal, and that person. So the Christian hope that we're

going to talk about this morning is a fixed conviction. And it's a conviction because it's based on historical

facts, the death and the resurrection of Jesus. And it's the hope that one day, life for us will be life in a

perfect world. New creation. With our perfect Savior, the risen Lord Jesus. And that for life today,

and we're going to see this in our story, even when hope seems lost, the resurrection of Jesus changes

everything. So look with me, first of all, at verses 13 to 24, and this moment in Cleopas's life when hope

seems lost. We can picture the scene together. Verse 13 to 14, we're told of these two followers,

Cleopas and an unnamed companion, and they are trudging the seven miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus.

Their heads are down, eyes clouded by tears, reflecting on recent events in Jerusalem.

We get an insight into what's going on in Cleopas's heart in verse 21 as Jesus begins to speak to him.

The sorrow of his heart revealed in three simple words, we had hoped. Past tense.

For Cleopas hope is dead and buried because he thinks Jesus is dead and buried.

It's the same kind of logic that we come across in Paul's writings in 1 Corinthians 15,

where he will say really bluntly and directly, if Christ is not raised, Christian preaching

is useless. Christian faith is useless. God, well, he's a liar because he said he would raise his son.

Sin is unforgiven. Paul will say, if only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people to be

most pitied. Cleopas is feeling that because he doesn't know that Jesus has been raised.

His experience to live without hope is to cease to live, and without Jesus, Christian hope ceases to live.

And then as they're walking towards Emmaus, verse 15 and 16, they're discussing, they're talking,

and Jesus himself came up and walked with them. The risen Jesus appears. And notice this,

if this was a made-up story, we would have this, I am sure. And Cleopas, when he saw the risen Jesus,

he jumped for joy, and there was trumpets sounding, and there was happy laughter, but instead,

they were kept from recognizing him. Not sure why. Was that because there was tears filling their eyes?

Was it because their despair was so great? Was it because it was God's timing, and the reality wasn't

to be revealed just then? As Jesus begins his conversation with Cleopas and this other

companion, we see that Cleopas, he knows all about the journey of Jesus.

He's been part of the story of Jesus,

but he doesn't have the last chapter.

And so he doesn't have the resolution to the story. He doesn't have the happily ever after of

the journey of Jesus. And because of that, without knowing the resurrection for himself,

Cleopas has no hope. And so we're being led to see that Christian hope relies on the bodily

resurrection of Jesus. So we're going to listen in to what Cleopas says. And as we do so,

remember this is history. Ask yourself,

is this true? Or is it a lie? And if this is true,

do you see how important it is to your life? Listen to what he says as Jesus asks him,

what are the things you've been talking about? He says about Jesus of Nazareth,

he was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. So for Cleopas,

he knows Jesus is sent by God, powerful preacher. Verse 20, he knows Jesus was sentenced to death.

and was crucified. Verse 21, he knows that Jesus was his hope, the one who was going to redeem Israel.

He's heard the report in verse 21, on the third day, the women went to the tomb and they found it empty.

And verse 23, he knows that there's that report of the vision of angels who declared Jesus to be

risen and alive. He knows that a few days earlier, Jesus had come riding into Jerusalem on a donkey,

proclaimed as the king. And as Jesus entered, he performed miracles.

And when he arrived in Jerusalem, he confronted the corrupt religious leaders.

And Jesus would then humble himself to wash his disciples' feet, anticipating serving them and all who

trust in him by dying to wash us, not from dirt, but from sin. Jesus kept the Passover,

and he showed people how it pointed to his coming sacrifice.

Cleopas knew on the journey of Jesus, he was betrayed and beaten and sentenced to death by a Jewish and Roman

conspiracy, and he was placed in a tomb.

What he needs to discover is that on the third day, he stood up and walked out, proving he is the Son of God,

he is the true Messiah, he is the Savior King, he has broken the power of Satan and sin and death.

But at this point, for Cleopas, it's like the puzzle pieces don't fit together.

For him, Jesus is dead.

So there is no forgiveness.

There is no rescue.

There is no prospect of Jesus bringing people back home to God.

No wonder Cleopas is in despair.

And again, his story shows us the resurrection of Jesus.

It's everything.

Without it, Cleopas' hope,

it lies crushed in the dusty streets of Jerusalem.

God has not come to save his people.

If Jesus is still in the tomb,

our faith,

our being here,

it's a waste of time.

And so Easter Sunday is a great time

for us to ask the question,

is this true?

And to understand and to appreciate

that we have very good reason

to believe it is true.

that we can do the work of a historian,

we can evaluate the available data,

we can ask what's the best explanation,

and we can conclude this is true.

Because whenever we read any of the gospel writers,

this morning we read Luke,

we are listening to the earliest eyewitness accounts.

They are trustworthy.

When we put those four gospels together,

we have multiple independent cross-reference reports

all testifying to the same truth.

We have credible written sources

within a generation of the events.

And recognize too,

that these records include

a number of embarrassing truths,

a number of inconvenient truths.

It was embarrassing to people

that Jesus came from Nazareth.

The gospels are full of the lack of understanding

and failure of his disciples.

It tells us that Cleopas lacked hope

even though he was told

that he should have had hope.

Women as the first eyewitnesses

was not something a first century Jewish person

would make up.

Consider too,

the transformation of the disciples.

From running and hiding,

denying Jesus as Lord,

to boldly proclaiming Jesus risen and alive,

right in the center of where it all happened,

in Jerusalem itself.

Willing to suffer and die with hope.

Consider the reality

that we don't talk about the death of Christianity,

but we've seen the explosive life of Christianity

for the last 2,000 years.

The best explanation

is that the resurrection actually happened.

That these appearances recorded in the gospels

actually took place.

And that Cleopas

and each of us,

we would not be wrong

to hope in Jesus as Redeemer.

This morning,

you might find yourself like Cleopas,

perhaps having questions about the facts

and maybe not able to put them together.

If that's the case,

if that's where you're at,

there's loads of really great resources.

Please speak to me afterwards

if you like to use the internet.

Guys like Wes Halfley,

Strobel,

William Lane,

Crager,

loads of great resources

on the resurrection.

But this morning,

you might find yourself like Cleopas

in this way,

where you feel hopeless.

Life is going badly.

Disappointments keep rolling in.

Maybe you're troubled by your past.

Maybe you see no light for your future.

Maybe you resonate with this.

My life is a perfect graveyard

of buried hopes.

If that's where you are this morning,

let me encourage you

to listen in to Jesus,

to look to Jesus.

Because as you see from Cleopas,

when hope seems lost,

the resurrection of Jesus

changes everything.

So that's what we need to turn to now.

Verses 25 to 34.

The resurrection changes everything.

We said at the beginning,

Christian hope is a journey

to a person and to a place.

Cleopas' story is a journey.

Now, it began,

and we heard it,

with that sad seven-mile hike

from Jerusalem to Emmaus,

hope in tatters.

But we read verses 33 and 34,

didn't we?

Where we see the journey is reversed

and where the emotions

are completely different.

We see a seven-mile joyful sprint.

Because now he's discovered

Jesus, the Son of God,

is alive.

And he can't wait

to tell his friends

the good news.

So I want us to notice

three things that Jesus does

for Cleopas on this journey.

Three things, actually,

that Jesus continues to do

in people's lives today.

Three things that Jesus can do

for you and for me today.

So we're going to look at them briefly,

think about the promise

contained in them,

think about the pattern there is.

First, we need to think about

what does Jesus say?

Look at verses 25 to 27.

What does Jesus say?

Well, what we hear from Jesus,

well, what Cleopas got to hear,

is Jesus leading history's

greatest Bible study.

How foolish you are

and how slow to believe

all that the prophets have spoken.

Did not the Messiah

have to suffer these things

and then enter his glory?

Beginning with Moses

and all the prophets,

he explained to them

what was said

in all the scriptures

concerning himself.

So he walks them through

the story of the Bible,

of the Old Testament,

to say to them,

first of all,

listen,

the events of Easter

that seem so shocking to you,

they had to happen.

They're all part of

God's salvation plan.

And then he invited them

into the Old Testament

to see all the promises,

all the prophecies made

about salvation,

about rescue,

they come true in Jesus.

And that's something

that we all need to see,

that God has been writing

his story of redemption

on purpose,

and that included

the suffering and death

of his son,

the Lord Jesus.

But that was not

the end of the story.

And so we keep reading on

and we come to the resurrection

of Jesus.

And we've been singing,

haven't we,

of the victory of Jesus,

of the glory of Jesus,

of the demonstration

of God's love

in his death

and resurrection.

resurrection.

We've been working

through the early chapters

of Genesis.

Remember that promise

of the one who would come

and crush the head

of the serpent?

Jesus is the great

snake crusher

anticipated in Genesis 3.

And he does that

by tasting the sting

of death,

taking the wages,

the punishment of sin

for us,

satisfying God's wrath,

death.

And in his resurrection,

we can have confidence

that Satan has been

trampled in defeat,

the devil has been defanged,

and we can enjoy

the blessing of forgiveness.

Another hugely significant passage

is Isaiah 53.

And we can well imagine

Jesus bringing Cleopas

there in recognizing

Jesus as the suffering servant,

the lamb who was led

to the slaughter,

the one who was silent

before his executioners,

the one who was both

substitute and sacrifice,

that the Lord had laid on Jesus

the sin of his people,

and then,

just as was promised

by the prophet Isaiah,

Jesus saw the light of life,

and he was satisfied.

He had finished his work,

God was pleased with him,

and he would bring to glory

all who trusted in him.

So here is the promise.

Jesus is the Son of God.

Jesus is the promised King.

He is the great hero of God's story,

and hope in him

will never be disappointed.

But recognize here, too,

is a pattern.

Because Jesus didn't just speak

back then.

Jesus still speaks today

through the Word of God,

the Bible,

by his Spirit,

to reveal these same truths,

that all the Bible

is about Jesus,

all the Bible

is telling God's salvation story,

where Jesus is the great Savior,

and by faith,

you and I can be part

of that story.

If we turn from our sin,

if we trust in Jesus,

because he is alive,

we can know new life with God.

So that's what Jesus says.

Let's think secondly

about what does Jesus do.

Look at verse 30.

It's the end of the day.

Evening is drawn in.

Jesus makes the head

past the village,

but Cleopas and his companion

invite him in for a meal.

And when Jesus was at the table

with them,

he took bread,

gave thanks,

broke it,

and began to give it to them.

Then their eyes were opened,

and they recognized him,

and he disappeared

from their sight.

Now,

I want to ask this question.

Why does this moment

of breaking bread,

why does that cause hope

to spark in Cleopas' heart?

Because that's the moment.

That's the great aha moment

when he understands

Jesus really is alive.

Why does that happen?

Maybe

it's because

of the time

when Jesus fed

the great crowd

of 5,000 plus people.

And when Jesus declared,

I am the bread of life.

I am the one

who satisfies

your deep hunger.

I've been sent

by God to do that.

I am God's provision

for hungry hearts

and souls.

Perhaps

it was as Cleopas

was thinking about

what happened

at the last supper

as Jesus celebrated

the Passover,

and he took bread,

and he said,

this is my body,

broken for you.

Cleopas understood

that in the body

of Jesus being broken,

and the blood spilled

at the cross,

sin was forgiven,

relationship was restored,

and the promise

that feeds hope

is that Jesus

is now alive.

Jesus is now

sharing fellowship

with his people.

He's with us always

to the end of the age.

Jesus still is providing

the goodness

and mercy

to sustain

his followers

in their lives

of faith,

bringing hope

where everything

seems hopeless,

and recognize

that Jesus

comes near

and does good

not to perfect followers,

not to perfect people.

Jesus is so patient

and kind

as to share fellowship

with doubting,

troubled,

sinful followers

who look to him

in faith.

That's his promise.

And the pattern

that backs up

that promise,

the pattern he sets,

well,

it's the Lord's Supper.

It's that visible

sermon

that Jesus

dies

so that trusting

in him,

we,

we can live.

And Jesus

lives

to be our

source of strength

to make sure

that we make it

to journey's end,

that we will be home

with our Lord

and our King

forever.

I wonder

for those of us

who are Christians,

are you here today

and you feel weak?

Do you feel

your hope

and your faith

is weak?

Do you feel

like you're hanging

on by your fingernails?

Recognize

and rest

in this.

Your hope

and mine

is not,

I think

I'll make it.

Our hope

is in the risen

Christ's commitment

to make sure

you and I will.

He will save us

and he will keep us.

Consider these words

of the pastor

Thomas Goodwin.

We owe

our standing

every moment

to his,

that's Jesus,

to his

sitting in heaven

and interceding

every moment.

He sacrificed

for you,

he prays for you,

those prayers

will not fail.

Jesus

must quit

heaven

and give up

living there

if he does

not bring

us to be

with him.

Do we

understand

how committed

Jesus is

to our

eternal salvation?

He will

not fail.

The death

and resurrection

stands as proof.

Those hands

that were held

out on the cross

to save

sinners,

those hands

that broke

bread

to feed

weary,

troubled souls,

those are the hands

that hold us.

He is

our hope.

The third thing

to notice

is this,

what effect

does Jesus

bring?

And that takes

us to verse

32,

and those

burning hearts,

what a wonderful

phrase.

Here's Cleopas

and his friend,

they ask each

other,

were not our

hearts burning

within us?

Well he talked

with us on the road

and opened the

scriptures to us.

again,

if hope

is the fuel

that drives

the engine,

I wonder

this morning

what level

our tank

is at.

Maybe for

some of us

we're beginning

to see,

even as we've

come here,

maybe my hope

is actually

placed in the

wrong thing.

Maybe I'm

placing my hope

in myself,

or in my job,

or in my wealth,

or in my health,

and there's that

recognition that

this is coming

up empty.

Maybe we're

following Jesus,

but our hope

is growing dim.

It's like those

dark clouds

are covering

the sun,

so we don't

feel it's

warm.

Well listen

to Cleopas.

Having met

the risen

Jesus,

Jesus explained

the Bible

is true,

the events

of Easter

have purpose,

his death

has given

way to

resurrection

victory,

and recognize

that it's

hope in the

risen Jesus

that can set

your heart

ablaze today.

I think

some of us

we know

this feeling.

It's one of

those things

that's easier

felt than

tell,

as we say

as Scots,

but you'll

know it.

Maybe it's

the hushed

moment in a

sermon

as if you

could hear

a pin drop.

It's as if

God himself

has spoken

to us.

But maybe

the burning

heart comes

when you're

speaking to

an older

godly

Christian

and you

get that

glimpse

into a

life of

faith that

seems so

real and

so beautiful

and it

causes your

heart

heart

to be

inflamed

by joy.

Maybe it

comes

sitting at

home

with your

Bible.

It's like

you've done

many, many

times and

all of a

sudden those

words jump

off the

page and

they come

alive and

the gospel

cuts right

to your

heart and

meets you

at your

point of

need.

Maybe it's

the moment

when you

prayed and

asked Jesus

to forgive

and to

save you.

Jesus is

in the

business of

working on

our hearts

and Jesus

is so good

and kind

as to give

us these

moments to

send his

spirit to

confirm to

us that

these things

are true.

And the

promise is

that Jesus

still works

in hearts

and still

works in

lives today.

That when

we meet the

risen Jesus

we receive

the Holy

Spirit and

remember that

when the

Spirit was

sent first

how did it

appear as

a flame of

fire?

That fire

burns as

we realize

Jesus is

alive and

he loves me

and he is

with me and

he is for

me.

And we can

have that

certainty if

we turn to

him in

faith.

And then

don't you

love what

happens next?

I think it's

the pattern

that God

sets for

all believers.

He discovers

these things

are true.

Hope is

burning in

his heart.

And so he

doesn't keep

it to

himself.

Rather he

runs joyfully

to spread

the word to

the disciples.

And

Cleopas is

part of that

first generation

that will

begin to

turn the

world upside

down with

the good

news that

it is

true the

Lord has

risen.

sin.

And that's

the basis

for our

hope.

It is

true that

Jesus is

alive.

And so

this Easter

I can

invite each

one of us

into

Christian

hope.

Because

Christ has

been raised.

Forgiveness

of sin has

been secured.

The promise

of eternal

life with

God can be

proclaimed.

the power

and the

presence of

the risen

Lord Jesus

can be

our experience

in the

journey of

life.

In that

journey of

life and

faith that

ultimately will

lead us to

Jesus.

One day

to be made

like him

and to be

with him

forever.

A journey

that will

lead us

who have

faith to

the glory

of heaven

and ultimately

to new

creation.

to a

world free

of sickness

and pain

and sin

and suffering

and death.

A joyful

world where

all hope

comes true

forever.

Some of

us, we're

suffering.

We know

trouble.

We know

grief.

If our

path is

marked by

disappointment

and despair,

we know

that we

are here

today and

you're

searching

someone to

hold on

to,

someone to

give you

hope in

life and

in death.

Let me

invite each

one of us

to turn to

the risen

Lord Jesus.

Ask him

to walk

with you on

the journey

of life

and to

lead you

to your

eternal

home.

Let's pray

together.

Lord our

God, we

thank you

that these

things are

true, that

Jesus is

alive and

because Jesus

is alive, we

have living

hope.

Let's pray.