Excited
Luke 8:47, “And they said one to another, Did not aour heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he bopened to us the scriptures?” [1]
I. Shared
A. Seek
B. Speak
II. Cared
A. Burned
B. Learned
III. Bared
A. Explained
B. Retained
Introduction: The title of today’s message is “Excited.” In my life before retirement from depending on the world, I worked in the Electric Energy industry. We had a different idea of excitement than most people. Electricity is really power caused by the movement of magnetism. A generator has a magnet formed by a coil of wires that turns on an axis and another stationary set of coiled wires that collects the magnetism as it moves. The two sets of coils never touch and are held at a precise distance of separation to allow the magnetic field to jump between the two fields of magnetism.
Well that is too much scientific education from the pulpit. Know this; when power jumps from one thing or person to another, excitement has happened. Last Sunday was Easter. Jesus overcame death when He moved from the tomb. The empty tomb outside this church building stands as a symbol that something exciting happened that day.
Just as electricity continues to produce as long as it moves, so does salvation that comes from Jesus. As long as salvation moves from one body to the next there is excitement. And this will never stop. When someone turns off a switch the flow of electricity is stopped and the light goes out. Jesus’ power will never be stopped and it has always been. Isn’t that exciting?
Last week at our Sunrise Service we read from Luke 24. Mary Magdalene and other women came to the tomb on that first Easter Sunday morning and found the stone gone and the tomb empty. Two men there in dazzling clothes reminded them what Jesus had told them.
Mary Magdalene ran to tell the apostles. We can see from Peter’s perspective what he saw from Luke’s gospel account. From John’s gospel account we know that Peter and John ran to the tomb and saw what Mary had seen. The stone was removed and the tomb was empty. Though John outran Peter to the tomb, he did not go in until Peter went in and found the cloths.
They didn’t see Jesus! As we read on in Luke’s account, it seems that the first people to actually have contact with Jesus were two obscure disciples walking on their way to Emmaus. They didn’t recognize Jesus and thought that they had met a very ignorant man. He asked them why they acted so sadly. They were amazed at His ignorance of what had happened.
They knew that Jesus was hanged on the cross. They knew that Jesus had been put into a tomb that was sealed with a great big rock. They had heard that somehow Jesus’ body was gone from the tomb. Surely they assumed that everybody knew all these things and they were amazed that this Man didn’t know why they were upset.
What they didn’t know is they had Jesus right there with them. Whether they were the first to see Him is inconsequential. They didn’t know Jesus until Jesus wanted them to know that He was Jesus. They had to get beyond their preconceived ideas of who Jesus was to really know who Jesus is. When they finally knew they were excited. I pray that we are still excited.
Scripture: Today’s focal text is Luke 24:32.
Prayer: Let us pray. Be seated.
Message: Keep your Bibles open to Luke 24 and follow as we hear from verses 13 - 27. “13 And, behold, wtwo of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore xfurlongs. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, yJesus himself drew near, and went with them. 16 But ztheir eyes were holden that they should not know him. 17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye ahave one to another, as ye walk, and are bsad? 18 And the one of them, whose name was cCleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? 19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was da prophet emighty in deed and word before God and all the people: 20 fAnd how the chief priests and our ffrulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. 21 But we trusted gthat it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. 22 Yea, and hcertain women also of our company made us astonished, which were iearly at the sepulchre; 23 And kwhen they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen la vision of angels, mwhich said that he was alive. 24 And ncertain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. 25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: 26 oOught not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 27 pAnd beginning at qMoses and rall the prophets, he expounded unto them in pall the scriptures the things concerning himself.” [2]
Two of them went to Emmaus. But who were these two. In verse eighteen we find that one was named Cleopas. In going through the list of the apostles there was not one of the eleven remaining apostles named Cleopas. There was a woman named Mary with those standing by the cross. We find her in John 19:25. “25 oNow there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, pMary the wife of ||qCleophas, and Mary Magdalene.” [3] That Mary was married to a man named Cleopas. Bible scholars disagree whether this Cleopas was that same man. Truth is, we don’t really know who he was.
The two were walking on their way to Emmaus when they met with another fellow that they didn’t know. They were not walking to seek Jesus. It seems that they simply were walking along when they happened to find Him.
They were talking about the things that had happened and Jesus showed up unannounced. He wanted to know what their problem was. Jesus already knew just like He already knows your problems. He wanted to hear them speak. He died so that you would have the opportunity to speak your prayers even though He knows more of what you need than you do.
After it was over they shared with each other. They said one to another… Didn’t our heart burn? Notice that the word heart there in the KJV is not plural. They each had their own heart. Did they misspeak? Their hearts were joined into one with the fact that they had heard from Jesus. They were together and that heart burned within them. Does it burn within us?
Jesus cared that they still didn’t understand the prophecies concerning Him. In Luke 24:25 Jesus even called them “fools.” Slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. This is Jesus standing there with those two who followed Him. They were not part of the twelve apostles so maybe they followed Jesus from a distance during His ministry. In any event they still didn’t know. When Jesus explained just how much He cared for them they learned the secret of the ages and their heart burned within them.
Now follow as we hear verses 28 - 31.
“28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and she made as though he would have gone further. 29 But they tconstrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day uis far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. 30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and xblessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 31 And ytheir eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he ||zvanished out of their sight.” [1]
s See Gen. 32:26. & Ruth 1:15.
t Acts 16:15. Comp. Gen. 19:3.
u ch. 9:12 (Gk.).
x See Matt. 14:19.
y Comp. ver. 16.
|| Or, ceased to be seen of them.
z See ch. 4:30.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Lk 24:28–31). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
Jesus bared Himself to them. They thought they knew Him enough to be grieving over losing Him but they did not even know what to expect of Him. Once Jesus explained Himself to them their relationship to Him was changed. When He explained they retained. They finally understood.
They were getting close to their destination. Now they had Him and they didn’t want to lose Him again. In Luke 24:29 it says that they constrained Him. They retained Jesus so that He would stay and have a meal together. Sounds like they might have been related to somebody here at Merry Oaks. LET’S EAT! They had the sense to wait until He explained the scriptures before they invited Him to a meal. The food was only the icing on the cake. They were already filled when Jesus opened the scriptures.
When they were done with the meal Jesus vanished out of their sight as if He had never been with them. It didn’t matter. Their lives were changed forever and now they had to tell someone else. Now they were ready to bare the truth that they had heard from The Savior.
Now follow as we hear verses 33 – 35. “33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, cand found the eleven gathered together, and dthem that were with them, 34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and ehath appeared to Simon. 35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how fhe was known of them in breaking of bread.” [4]
After Jesus was gone from their sight they rose up and returned to Jerusalem. What was their business in Emmaus? Must not have been as important as it was before. It says in the same hour they returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven gathered together along with some others. We must assume that this eleven are the eleven remaining apostles.
In Luke 24:34 apparently this Cleopas is speaking and we learn something else. He said that, “The Lord is risen indeed and hath appeared to Simon.” Simon Peter, of course, is one of the apostles and he was already in Jerusalem when these two got there. So if one was named Cleopas the other might have been named Simon. They told the eleven, and the others there, all that they had been through and even told them about Jesus sharing the meal with them.
Those two men were excited. They were so excited that they left Emmaus right after they shared a meal with Jesus. Nothing was more important than sharing the good news. What is more important to you than that?
They were not part of the eleven. They weren’t in the tight circle which Peter, James, and John were as they accompanied Jesus up to the top of the mount of transfiguration. They simply met Jesus along the way as they were minding their own business. How did Jesus come to you? Do you remember? Is your heart still burning? When is the last time you told someone else?
Prayer:
Invitation: The invitation this morning is for whosoever will. That we might hear from you. We will take a few moments this morning before we start singing the invitational hymn. If anyone would like to share their exciting experience with us of how they met Jesus on their road, on their way, on their day, please come. We will wait. Jesus wants to hear it again.
When there is no longer a response we will stand and sing our hymn of invitation. It is in that time that Jesus will be standing and waiting. Spring is coming. We have a beautiful Jordan that is waiting for a baptism. Make you decisions…
a So Ps. 39:3. Jer. 20:9.
b Acts 17:3. So ver. 45.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Lk 24:32). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
w Mark 16:12.
x John 11:18.
y See ver. 36.
z So John 20:14. & 21:4. Comp. ver. 31.
a 2 Macc. 11:13 (Gk.).
b Matt. 6:16 (Gk.). So Gen. 40:7. Dan. 1:10.
c So John 19:25.
d See John 6:14.
e Acts 7:22. So Acts 2:22.
f Acts 2:23. & 5:30. & 13:27, 28.
ff See John 3:1.
g So ch. 1:68. & 2:38. Comp. Acts 1:6.
h Matt. 28:1, 8. Mark 16:1, 2, 10. John 20:18.
i ver. 1.
k ver. 3.
l ver. 4.
m Ver. 5–7.
n ver. 12. John 20:3.
o ver. 7, 44, 46. John 3:14 in the Gk. See Matt. 26:24.
p ver. 44, 45. John 1:45. & 5:46. Acts 8:35. & 26:22.
q Gen. 3:15. & 12:3. & 18:18. & 22:18. & 26:4. & 49:10. Num. 21:9. & 24:17. Deut. 18:15, 18, 19.
r Isai. 4:2. & 7:14. & 9:6. & 40:10, 11. & 50:6. & 52:13–53:12. & 61:1. & 63:1–6. Jer. 23:5, 6. & 33:14–16. Ezek. 34:23. & 37:25. Dan. 9:24–27. Hos. 11:1. Mic. 5:2. Zech. 6:12. & 9:9. & 11:13. & 12:10. & 13:7. Mal. 3:1. & 4:2. Comp. John 1:45.
p ver. 44, 45. John 1:45. & 5:46. Acts 8:35. & 26:22.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Lk 24:13–27). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
o Matt. 27:55, 56. Mark 15:40. Luke 23:49.
p Comp. Matt. 27:56.
|| Or, Clopas.
q So Luke 24:18.
[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Jn 19:25). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
c Comp. Mark 16:13.
d Acts 1:14.
e 1 Cor. 15:5.
f ver. 30, 31.
[4] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Lk 24:33–35). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
