Luke 24 Did Not The Christ

on page 1061 in the Church Bibles, verses 1-12.

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning,

the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.

They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,

but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

While they were wondering about this,

suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.

In their fright, the women bowed down with their faces to the ground,

but the men said to them,

Why do you look for the living among the dead?

He is not here, he is risen.

Remember how he told you while he was still with you in Galilee.

The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men,

be crucified, and on the third day be raised again.

Then they remembered his words.

When they came back from the tomb,

they told all these things to the eleven and to all the others.

It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James,

and the others with them who told this to the apostles.

But they did not believe the women,

because their words seemed to them like nonsense.

Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb.

Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves,

and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

Let's come.

Sorry, I'm adjusted now.

Thank you, Jez, for reading those opening verses from Luke 24.

And we're going to continue on the story.

Now that same day, two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.

They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.

And as they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them.

But they were kept from recognizing him.

He asked them, what are you discussing as you walk along?

They stood still, their faces downcast.

One of them, one of them named Cleopas, asked him, are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?

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.

The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death and they crucified him.

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.

In addition, some of our women amazed us.

They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body.

They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive.

Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said.

But him they did not see.

He said to them, how foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.

Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?

And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the scriptures concerning himself.

And as they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he was going further.

But they urged him strongly, stay with us for it's nearly evening and the day is almost over.

So he went in to stay with them.

And when he was at the table with them, he broke 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.

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?

They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem.

There they found the eleven and those with them assembled together and saying, it's true, the Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.

Then these two told what had happened on the way and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

Let's just ask for God's help this morning.

Our Father, we thank you for your word.

The words of scripture that we are free to open up this morning.

And we know, Father, that unless your Holy Spirit is here with us, they are just words.

But your spirit can take them off the pages and plant them deep within our hearts.

And that's what we ask this morning, Father, that your spirit would be at work through your word among us.

And we ask this in Jesus' name, the risen Savior's name.

Amen.

Amen.

Wake up.

Wake up.

Wake up.

It's Resurrection Sunday.

Quick, John, James, Philip, Matthew.

Come on, everyone, get up, get up.

We need to go and we need to meet Jesus.

Oh, it's been a tough couple of days.

But won't it be great to see him again alive and on his way to glory?

Come on, let's go.

Let's go and welcome him.

That'd be a much better story, wouldn't it?

If we had written it, I think that's how we would have put it down on paper.

If we were to sit down and write the resurrection experiences,

we would write about disciples that had understood all of the scriptures.

disciples that understood the Old Testament and had listened so very carefully to what Jesus had told them

that when it came to Resurrection Sunday, they would be there.

They would know to look for him again on the third day.

But instead, the real events that we read about in chapter 24

show us that the disciples thought that Jesus was literally dead and buried and gone.

The only people that showed up on Resurrection Sunday,

we read about in verse 1 in chapter 24,

on the first day of the week, very early in the morning,

the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.

Some women who come with burial spices for a dead body.

There are none of the key disciples here.

Peter, James and John are nowhere to be seen on Resurrection Sunday.

There's no sunrise service that everyone's been invited to.

They just didn't see it.

The women, the only reason they're here is to take away the smell

from that blood-stained, dead and rotting corpse that they were expecting to find.

No wonder in verse 5,

the women are frightened when they see these two men.

They're literally frightened out of their wits by the appearance of angels.

And as we read down verse 11,

they come back to the disciples and those that were following Jesus.

And they didn't believe the women because the words seemed to them like nonsense.

It was like the women had been sniffing the spices too much or something.

They'd hallucinated.

They'd lost the plot.

Celsius, who I'm sure none of you have heard of,

I didn't up until this week,

is a second century philosopher.

And he was debating against Christianity.

And do you know what one of his points was?

Well, he said,

Christianity couldn't be true

because the written accounts of the resurrection

are based on the testimony of women.

And this is him speaking, not me.

And we all know that women are hysterical.

So that was his take on a resurrection account.

You wouldn't write them with women being the witnesses.

And do you know what?

The disciples agreed with Celsius at this stage.

Hysterical women don't make for reliable witnesses.

So by and large, these women were ignored.

Except for Peter.

He seems to have a little bit of hope inside him, doesn't he?

He runs off to the tomb

and a couple of other disciples go with him.

But all they find is the empty grave.

And they too are left wondering.

What a mess.

What a mess.

Here we are on Resurrection Sunday.

The first one.

And no one expects.

No one believes.

No one understands.

Verse 13.

Two of those disciples

that hear the women's reports,

they don't even bother to hang around any longer

to see if it could possibly be true.

They're off back down the road to Emmaus.

They're walking away.

And that's where we join them.

On that road.

As they're walking.

That seven mile trek from Jerusalem to Emmaus.

We're leaving the defeat

and the confusion

of what's happening in Jerusalem.

They're leaving that behind.

And they're going somewhere.

And it's most likely home.

But wherever it is,

it's away from Jerusalem.

And it's back to some sort of pre-Jesus

experience in life.

Do you know it's so easy to catch up with these two

as they're walking along this road?

Because they're slow.

They're plodding.

They're like the losing supporters

of a team

that's been defeated on match day.

You know that big match that you expected to win

and the supporters are trundling out of the stadium.

Defeated.

And as we come,

we come close

because we want to hear

what they're talking about.

And they're going through

their post-match analysis.

Where did it go wrong?

We had great expectations

for our team.

We wanted them to win.

And who's to blame for this disaster?

Was it the ref?

The coach?

The players?

It's that kind of discussion.

That post-match analysis.

But while we're just content

to eavesdrop

and to listen in from a distance,

who's that?

He's coming up right beside them.

Where did this bloke come from?

Who's that?

Well, this guy,

he's far more direct than us.

We're just casually listening in.

But he actually interrupts them

and he asks them in verse 17.

What are you discussing together

as you walk along?

What is it?

What are you discussing?

And they stop.

And you know that heart-sinking feeling,

don't you?

That sudden feeling of pain,

the one you've been coping with.

And then suddenly someone says something

or reminds you of something

and it just prods it again,

the pain here.

And it feels like your heart

rises up slightly

and then just sinks down again

into your stomach.

And it's that audible sigh.

And then your head just withers

and it goes to that spot.

The one 12 inches in front of your toes.

And we've all been there, haven't we?

We've felt that kind of pain in our lives.

And for these broken disciples,

it's just a simple question.

A simple question from a stranger.

What is it you're talking about

that brings it all back again,

all to the surface again?

And once he begins to recover

from this initial downcastness

that we read in verse 17,

Keopas, he's suddenly puzzled by the question.

And he says,

well, most translators actually put his response like this.

Are you really the only visitor to Jerusalem

who doesn't know what happened?

Didn't you see the big matchup this weekend?

It was Jesus versus the rulers.

I mean, how could you have missed it?

It was the biggest show in town all weekend.

There was earthquakes.

There was darkness.

There was a show trial.

There was the mob rule.

Bane, crucify him, crucify him.

And there was the crucifixion.

How could you have missed it?

Verse 19.

The stranger says,

what things?

What things?

Well, now they have their chance, don't they?

And we're going to listen a bit closer

because we want to know

that they have an opportunity

to give their version of the story.

What Jesus versus the rulers was all about.

And who is to blame for things going wrong.

And I'm kind of glad this new guy has come along

because, you know,

and he's asking these questions

because now we're going to get the detail.

Verse 19.

Cleopas gives the answer.

And this is what he says.

Jesus of Nazareth.

Well, he was a prophet.

And he was a pretty good one at that.

He was powerful when he spoke.

And powerful when he acted.

And it was just obvious to everyone around,

even to God himself.

This was a great prophet.

And then the leaders got him.

And they handed him over to the Romans

who killed him.

Would you believe?

We kind of hoped that this Jesus,

he was the one who was going to make Israel great again.

He was going to restore our country.

He was going to restore Israel.

So there we have it.

Their version of the story.

Jesus, the failed prophet.

Beaten by the chief priests and the leaders

and killed.

What a disappointment.

He was meant to win out

and turn some of those mighty words

and some of those mighty deeds

into the actions

that would defeat the Romans,

defeat their enemies

and restore Israel

to some great nation again.

And this view of Jesus is,

it's a very popular one still today, isn't it?

It survived from the New Testament

right up until now.

Jesus, the really nice guy

who did and said some wonderful stuff.

Remember that?

Love your enemies.

Turn the other cheek.

He healed people.

What a wonderful example.

A great teacher that,

well,

he just got beaten up

and killed

by those nasty religious folk over there.

Nothing more than a man

with some great ideas

that was overtaken

by the power-hungry leaders

and the angry mob.

In his famous fiction book,

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,

the author, Douglas Adams,

who is a very avid

and vocal atheist,

he compliments

and then dismisses Jesus

in the same way

as the disciples have just done.

This is what he says.

One man nailed to a tree

for saying,

how great it would be

to be nice to people

for a change.

One man nailed to a tree

for saying,

how great it would be

to be nice to people

for a change.

Jesus, the good,

nailed to a tree.

It's a popular view

of Jesus today, isn't it?

Your friends or people

that are willing

to acknowledge

that Jesus existed

say, yeah, Jesus,

he said some good things.

He just ended up

being nailed to a tree for it.

That's their Jesus as well.

Great hopes for him,

but he's dead and buried now.

The amazing stories

of the angels from the women

and the reports

of the empty tomb

that they'd heard

from their fellow disciples.

They're not enough.

All of these reports,

they're just a confused noise

to these two.

The reality for them

is that Jesus has failed.

He's dead.

He's buried.

He's gone.

What a shame.

What a shame.

You see, the disciples,

their view of Jesus,

they had an idol Jesus.

And an idol Jesus

is really a one-sided view

of Jesus that we construct ourselves.

We have our Bibles

because we're Bible-believing Christians

and we find a verse

or we find some idea

and then we take this one idea

and we build our Jesus around us.

Jesus will restore Israel again.

Oh, that's great.

I can follow that Jesus.

That's cool.

And it's something

that we still do today.

We look at the disciples

and kind of say,

well, they missed it,

but we miss it.

And here's another one

that I heard again recently

from a church leader.

And his emphasis was this,

that Jesus is the King.

King Jesus.

If Jesus is the King,

therefore we're children of the King.

And as sons and daughters of the King,

ask.

Ask whatever you want

and Jesus will make it happen.

God will bless you

and prosper you

because that's who He is.

He's the King.

And do you see what's happened?

We've taken something of Jesus

and we've made it all of Jesus.

We've taken something of Jesus

and made it all of Jesus.

And that's an idol Jesus,

not a real Jesus.

And in our idol Jesus,

He is the King,

which means that we're all

just princes and princesses.

Jesus.

The disciples did it,

didn't they?

They did it here

and they did it in other parts

of Scripture.

Jesus, Jesus,

my two sons,

can one of them sit

at your left hand

and one of them sit

at your right hand in heaven?

Jesus,

those bad people over there,

can we call down

that fire from heaven?

That would be good,

wouldn't it?

Let's burn them up.

Jesus,

we're hungry.

Do you remember that trick

you did with the loaves

and the fishes?

That was great.

Could you do that again?

Could you feed us again?

Jesus,

restore Israel.

So Jesus,

all of Jesus,

just gets broken up

into little,

manageable,

pocket-sized chunks.

Jesus,

the ruler.

Jesus,

the judge.

Jesus,

the giver.

Oh,

I'll have some of that.

That's grace.

But at some point,

we take out our pocket-sized

version of Jesus

the one we've created

and he doesn't deliver.

He doesn't deliver.

Remember that time

that you were fed up

when Jesus didn't deliver

for you?

Oh,

you might have said it like that.

You wouldn't have used

those words.

But really,

really you'd started

to give up on Jesus yourself.

And someone,

someone comes along

like verse 19

and says,

or verse 17,

what things?

What's up?

What is it?

What's the problem?

What are you discussing?

And there's the same reaction.

There's the,

there's the downcast eyes,

the sigh,

the disappointment.

I was really hoping

for a result this time.

That job,

it just seemed right for me

and I would have loved

to have worked

for that company.

You know what?

I had loads of people

praying for me.

I had loads of people

in the church

and my friends

and some family even

and they were praying

that I would get the job

and then I didn't.

And I don't know

what's on the road ahead

or where it's leading.

I really thought

that Jesus this time

was going to sort

this one out for me.

You see,

if you haven't already

walked this road to Emmaus,

maybe you're walking it now

but sometime soon

you will walk it.

We have this particular idea

of Jesus

or of his church

and then Jesus fails

to deliver

so we start to walk away

slow, plotting.

We walk away from the church,

away from the community,

away from Jerusalem

and we're off somewhere else.

As we walk,

just like these disciples,

our eyes,

our eyes are literally closed

to the real Jesus

in front of us.

We can't see him.

We can't see the resurrected Jesus

that is standing there.

The stranger

has listened

very politely.

Verse 25.

He's listened to your story

but there's a fire

in his eye now.

Something he wants to say.

So,

we're a bit nosier now

so we're coming

a little bit closer

and we're drawing

a little closer.

How foolish you are.

How slow of heart

to believe.

Sounds a bit like

road rage is happening

on the way to Emmaus.

We actually take a step back

because we're not sure

where this is going to go.

How foolish you are

and how slow of heart

to believe.

Why?

Because they've missed

the resurrection.

They've missed

the resurrection.

Don't be mistaken here.

This is a rebuke.

This is a rebuke.

These are strong words.

This person

can see clearly

where they've gone wrong

in their understanding

of Jesus.

Where their idol Jesus

has come from

and where it has

let them down.

And this is what he says.

You are slow

to believe

all.

Hear that word

all that the prophets

have spoken.

Yes,

they believed

some of this.

Remember,

they'd taken the bits

they liked

and stuffed it

in their pockets

for use later.

They'd believe

those easy bits

about the Messiah

coming to rescue Israel

and to redeem it.

The bits about freedom

from their enemies

and maybe having

bigger borders

and the bits about

feasts in the Old Testament.

They're quite nice.

I wouldn't mind

some of that

and beating enemies.

That sounds good.

And their idol Jesus

was quite easy

to construct

from those few pages

of the Bible,

the Old Testament.

But the other bits,

they just didn't understand.

They didn't get it.

They didn't see it.

But now,

it was going to be

shown to them,

wasn't it?

For now,

now if we look,

the most important phrase

in this whole section

is in verse 26.

Everything hinges on this.

Listen up.

Listen carefully now.

In fact,

come a little bit closer

to the conversation.

For first came the rebuke,

now comes the correction.

And these words,

these are the words

that are going to drag

the disciples

away from staring

at their navels.

and have their hearts

burning again

for the real Jesus.

Did not the Christ,

did not the Christ,

come closer,

look again,

did not the Christ

have to suffer

these things

and enter his glory?

Verse 27,

and beginning with Moses

and all the prophets,

he explained to them

what was said

in all the scriptures

concerning himself.

The stranger has rebuked,

now he corrects

by opening the Bible

up for them.

Come and look closer.

What does the Bible say

about the Christ?

Suffering and glory.

Read the Bible.

Suffering and glory.

Look here,

the obvious place,

if you look at Isaiah,

God's servant,

he's gentle,

he's humble,

and then he's taken

and slaughtered,

suffering.

But look over to Daniel

and the Christ,

he's called the son of man,

coming in his glory

to judge and to rule.

Glory.

They're both there,

the suffering servant

of Isaiah

and the ruling

son of man of Daniel.

Clearly,

the Messiah

must both suffer

and then enter

his glory.

But there's the obvious

things like that,

the Christ-centered passages

that we can go to.

But look at the whole story,

look at all the pages.

Look,

there's Joseph.

Joseph?

Well,

see how he suffered.

Remember Joseph

down the well?

Remember Joseph

in prison

for something

he didn't do?

He's low,

he's suffering.

But now,

flick on a few pages

in the story of Joseph

and there he is,

he's the second in command

of the whole of Egypt,

providing for all the people.

Not just the people in Egypt,

but the people

who come from afar,

who are suffering famine.

Joseph in his glory.

Look at Noah.

I'm not just saying that

because it's his birthday today,

by the way,

he's two.

But look at Noah,

the Noah of the Bible.

120 years

he stood there

building that ark,

hammering away

and the people came

and they mocked him.

They ridiculed him

and he suffered.

You can be very sure

if you were to build something

for 120 years

on dry land

that looked like a boat,

your neighbours would be,

your neighbours would be

looking strange at you.

But look at the end

and he is one of eight people

that is rescued,

enjoying glory.

Or look at the Exodus story.

Egypt,

suffering,

slavery.

40 years later,

glory,

the promised land.

The whole Bible,

the whole story,

suffering,

then glory.

Of course,

we want to see Jesus the King.

Yes.

We want to see Jesus the King

for he is the King

but never forget

that Jesus is also

the suffering servant.

You see,

there's a problem

with just the Jesus is King view

because at times

our lives aren't very princely,

are they?

And at those times,

how are we going to cope

if all we see of Jesus

is Jesus the King?

How does that help us

in those situations?

This Resurrection Sunday,

this Easter weekend,

we need to remember

that the crown of thorns

came first

before the crown of gold.

This seven mile trek

to Emmaus

is literally life transforming

for these disciples.

they now see Jesus

through the pages

of the scripture

as the suffering king.

And as a result,

in verse 31,

we have this unblinking,

their physical eyes

are suddenly open.

Then their eyes were opened

and they recognized him.

And then just like that,

he's gone.

just when they see him physically.

Well,

you see,

his work here is done.

And it's not just because

they recognize

that this stranger

is in fact

the risen Jesus.

No,

it's that they see

him from the eyes

of their heart.

That's why Jesus' work

is done.

Verse 32,

were not our hearts

burning within us

while he talked with us

on the road

and opened the scriptures

to us?

You see,

Jesus has come alongside

and they've been

kindly rebuked,

corrected,

and trained by Jesus

from the Bible.

Yes,

yes,

they had seen

the risen Lord,

bodily resurrected,

and they'd recognized him.

But there's nothing

accidental

that Luke,

and this is one of Luke's

longest passages,

by the way,

or narratives

or descriptions

in the whole of his book,

there's nothing accidental

that the first people

in Luke's story

to see the resurrected Jesus

are these two

two.

You know,

in some of the other accounts,

the focus is on the people

that saw Jesus

around the grave,

but for Luke,

these are the first people

that actually see Jesus,

that we read about

actually seeing him.

Why is that?

Why did Luke

choose

to take this story?

Well,

you see,

it's important

that they saw Jesus

with their eyes,

yes,

but more importantly

for Luke,

it's that they can see

Jesus now

with their hearts

and their minds

through the pages

of the Bible.

You can say,

well,

yes,

but surely seeing

the resurrected Jesus

with their eyes

is the important thing.

It is,

but it's more than that.

It's just as crucial

for them

and for the generations

that would come

that they could see Jesus

not just with their

physical eyes,

but with their hearts

through the pages

of Scripture.

and that's why

Jesus took the time

to open the Bible

for them

and gather around

and over their shoulders

saying,

look,

look here,

look at this bit.

I bet you never,

I bet you never realized

that's what that was about.

That was about me.

Did not the Christ?

Did not the Christ?

Put your eyes

on the real Jesus.

The Bible is all about him.

Every story,

every page

just whispers his name.

Have you had your eyes

opened to Jesus?

Have you?

Have you seen him?

All of him?

The Jesus of the Bible?

From the God

who came from heaven

down to be born as a baby?

Have you seen the Jesus

that is angry with sin?

Have you seen that Jesus?

Have you seen the Jesus

that picks up the weak

and picks up the lowly

and fights for the poor?

Have you seen the Jesus

that's going to come back again

in his glory to judge?

We need a whole

Bible view of Jesus.

Not just,

not just this

little idol view.

So again,

which Jesus have you seen?

The popular one?

Do you remember

the one we spoke about?

The nice

but dead Jesus?

Or have you seen

the all-powerful

suffering king?

You see,

our eyes are open

when we read

and hear the Bible

explained to us.

and the words

are almost

taken off the pages

and embedded

in our hearts

by the work

of the Holy Spirit.

We need to know

about sin.

We need to know

about our need

for a suffering king.

A king who dies

in our place

and turns aside

the wrath of God

so that we can be rescued.

And what a difference

this view makes.

Just look at

these two disciples.

Do you see the differences?

Do you remember

the story we've read

so far

and how they were

on their way

from Jerusalem to Emmaus?

Well, now they're

back on the road again

but they're going

the opposite direction.

They're going back

to Jerusalem.

Back to the church.

Back to their mission.

Back to persecution

and threats

of the authorities.

It's late in the evening

and they're tired.

They've said it.

Come stay with us.

It's late.

But that doesn't matter now.

That doesn't matter

that it's late.

They practically run

the seven miles

back to the others.

Do you see it

in verse 33?

They can't get there

quick enough.

Remember their original road.

Plodding.

Slow.

Downcast.

What a change.

What a change.

Now their hearts

they're on fire

and they're no longer

worried that it's evening

and it's bedtime

and I'm tired.

For them

the day is just beginning.

It's not the end of the day.

Yes, they've missed

the resurrection service.

Oh, what a terrible one.

Imagine missing

the resurrection service.

Imagine being there

the very first Sunday

resurrection Sunday

and actually seeing Jesus

come out of the tomb.

Well, they'd missed that

but that's okay.

They've seen the resurrected Jesus

through the pages of scripture.

They've seen him in person

and now they're running back.

They're back on the road

to Jerusalem

back on mission.

What a Bible lesson

that must have been.

Much better than maybe

being here on a Sunday

and listening to

preaching here.

Imagine having Jesus

with you for seven miles

on that trip

opening up the Bible

for you

and being able

to listen to him.

Wouldn't that be amazing?

Wouldn't that be great?

If only, if only.

Imagine Jesus

being our guide

through the pages

of the Old Testament.

We need not imagine.

For Jesus sends

his Spirit,

his Holy Spirit

to be our helper.

His Holy Spirit

is what we need

to see Jesus

in the pages of the Bible

every single day

and understand

the mission

that we have been called to

to tell others.

Remember, Jesus tells us

in the book of John

that the Holy Spirit

was going to come.

Do you know,

yes, it's great

having me around,

but I'm going to go

to my glory

and that's better for you.

It's better for you

that I leave

because the Spirit

is going to come

and the Spirit

goes everywhere

and is going to live

within each one of you

and remind you

of the things

that I've said.

I'm going to remind you

of the Scriptures

that they're all about me.

The Spirit comes.

Jesus sends

his Spirit to us.

You know that idol Jesus?

I don't know

which one you picture.

I have a few

that I picture at times.

You know,

it looks attractive.

Well, we've made it ourselves

and we're pretty clever people.

It promises much,

but someday

or something

is going to take that

and nail it to a cross.

And our defeated

idol Jesus

is going to put us

on the road

out of Jerusalem

and on the road

to Emmaus.

It's going to put us

away from the church,

away from our mission

and it's going to put us

back to an old life.

And the sad thing

about the idol Jesus

that we construct

is that we're not

clever enough

to know that we should

be looking for a resurrection.

And so we'll put our heads down

and we'll march away

defeated.

But look over your shoulder.

Who's that coming alongside?

It's the one who listens

to our story.

It's the one who,

when the time is just right,

will rebuke us.

Will rebuke our slow

and foolish hearts.

And then,

and then,

he's going to set about

painting this amazing picture.

This massive picture

this picture,

this picture that,

that blows our idol Jesus

away from the,

from the scriptures

of the Christ,

the full picture.

You see,

that's the spirit

of Jesus working then.

Did you,

did you know that?

That when your pastor

comes alongside you

at that time,

that that's Jesus'

spirit working

through your pastor,

showing you the scriptures,

painting that picture

of Jesus for you.

that that's the spirit

of Jesus who's talking

through that godly

Christian friend

who's,

who's helped you

in the past

and,

and now you're not

feeling well

or something's not right

and they're,

they're,

they're coming beside you

again,

aren't they?

and encouraging you.

That's Jesus.

That's his spirit

at work through his people,

through his church

to help you.

Lifting your eyes

off the ground

in front of you,

lifting your head up

to see Jesus again.

And can I encourage you

with this as we finish?

That when that happens,

when you feel like

you're on that road,

when your idol Jesus

has been nailed to a cross

and that person

comes beside you,

don't cling too hard

to that statue of Jesus

that you had.

Don't,

don't,

don't,

don't grab it.

The one you've relied

upon up to now,

just,

just let it go

and let your heart

like these disciples

burn again,

burn again

for the real Jesus.

Get back on the saddle.

Get back on the saddle

and turn back to Jerusalem

and share the joy

of a risen,

suffering king

with the community

of his people once more.

Let's pray.

Father,

we need a rebuke

every now and again,

more often than we realize.

And we thank you this morning

that your word

rebukes our hearts,

our slowness,

our hostility,

our unbelief.

And Lord,

if we had been there,

we would have been

in our beds that morning.

Lord,

forgive us.

But Lord,

we thank you

that you don't leave us

in that state

and you give us your word.

We thank you

for these words of scripture.

May our hearts

burn again.

We thank you

that this morning

we are here

2,000 years later

on a resurrection Sunday

celebrating

the risen king,

the suffering king,

our Jesus.

Help us, Lord.

Help us to encourage

one another

to have the spirit

of Christ

working through us

as your people,

taking your word,

making us ready

and fit for our mission.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.