Monday, April 1, 2013

Sermon notes for Easter 2013


He is Risen!                                          2013.03.31                                               
                       The road to Emmaus     
                               Luke 24:1- 35
Good morning!
He is risen…..He is Risen Indeed!  

Luke 24: 1- 35        NKJV

1 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them,[a] came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it happened, as they were greatly[b] perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. 5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, 7 saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’”

8 And they remembered His words. 9 Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying[c] by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.

13 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles[d] from Jerusalem. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.

17 And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?”[e]

18 Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?”

19 And He said to them, “What things?”

So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. 22 Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. 23 When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. 24 And certain 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.”

25 Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. 29 But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them.

30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” 33 So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.
Luke 24: 1- 35    Schlachter 2000
1 Am ersten Tag der Woche aber kamen sie am frühen Morgen zum Grab und brachten die wohlriechenden Gewürze, die sie bereitet hatten und noch etliche mit ihnen.
2 Sie fanden aber den Stein von dem Grab weggewälzt.
3 Und als sie hineingingen, fanden sie den Leib des Herrn Jesus nicht.
4 Und es geschah, als sie deswegen ganz ratlos waren, siehe, da standen zwei Männer in strahlenden Gewändern bei ihnen.
5 Da sie nun erschraken und das Angesicht zur Erde neigten, sprachen diese zu ihnen: Was sucht ihr den Lebenden bei den Toten?
6 Er ist nicht hier, sondern er ist auferstanden! Denkt daran, wie er zu euch redete, als er noch in Galiläa war,
7 und sagte: »Der Sohn des Menschen muß in die Hände sündiger Menschen ausgeliefert und gekreuzigt werden und am dritten Tag auferstehen«.
8 Da erinnerten sie sich an seine Worte,
9 und sie kehrten vom Grab zurück und verkündigten das alles den Elfen und allen übrigen.
10 Es waren aber Maria Magdalena und Johanna und Maria, die Mutter des Jakobus, die dies den Aposteln sagten, sie und die übrigen mit ihnen.
11 Und ihre Worte kamen ihnen vor wie ein Märchen, und sie glaubten ihnen nicht.
12 Petrus aber stand auf und lief zum Grab, bückte sich und sah nur die leinenen Tücher daliegen; und er ging nach Hause, voll Staunen über das, was geschehen war.
13 Und siehe, zwei von ihnen gingen an demselben Tag zu einem Dorf namens Emmaus, das von Jerusalem 60 Stadien entfernt war.
14 Und sie redeten miteinander von allen diesen Geschehnissen.
15 Und es geschah, während sie miteinander redeten und sich besprachen, da nahte sich Jesus selbst und ging mit ihnen.
16 Ihre Augen aber wurden gehalten, so daß sie ihn nicht erkannten.
17 Und er sprach zu ihnen: Was habt ihr unterwegs miteinander besprochen, und warum seid ihr so traurig?
18 Da antwortete der eine, dessen Name Kleopas war, und sprach zu ihm: Bist du der einzige Fremdling in Jerusalem, der nicht erfahren hat, was dort geschehen ist in diesen Tagen?
19 Und er sprach zu ihnen: Was? Sie sprachen zu ihm: Das mit Jesus, dem Nazarener, der ein Prophet war, mächtig in Tat und Wort vor Gott und dem ganzen Volk;
20 wie ihn unsere obersten Priester und führenden Männer ausgeliefert haben, daß er zum Tode verurteilt und gekreuzigt wurde.
21 Wir aber hofften, er sei der, welcher Israel erlösen sollte. Ja, bei alledem ist heute schon der dritte Tag, seit dies geschehen ist!
22 Zudem haben uns auch einige Frauen aus unserer Mitte in Verwirrung gebracht; sie waren am Morgen früh beim Grab,
23 fanden seinen Leib nicht, kamen und sagten, sie hätten sogar eine Erscheinung von Engeln gesehen, welche sagten, er lebe.
24 Und etliche der Unsrigen gingen hin zum Grab und fanden es so, wie es auch die Frauen gesagt hatten; ihn selbst aber haben sie nicht gesehen.
25 Und er sprach zu ihnen: O ihr Unverständigen, wie ist doch euer Herz träge, zu glauben an alles, was die Propheten geredet haben!
26 Mußte nicht der Christus dies erleiden und in seine Herrlichkeit eingehen?
27 Und er begann bei Mose und bei allen Propheten und legte ihnen in allen Schriften aus, was sich auf ihn bezieht.
28 Und sie näherten sich dem Dorf, wohin sie wanderten; und er gab sich den Anschein, als wollte er weitergehen.
29 Und sie nötigten ihn und sprachen: Bleibe bei uns, denn es will Abend werden, und der Tag hat sich geneigt! Und er ging hinein, um bei ihnen zu bleiben.
30 Und es geschah, als er mit ihnen zu Tisch saß, nahm er das Brot, sprach den Segen, brach es und gab es ihnen.
31 Da wurden ihnen die Augen geöffnet, und sie erkannten ihn; und er verschwand vor ihnen.
32 Und sie sprachen zueinander: Brannte nicht unser Herz in uns, als er mit uns redete auf dem Weg, und als er uns die Schriften öffnete?
33 Und sie standen auf in derselben Stunde und kehrten nach Jerusalem zurück und fanden die Elf und ihre Gefährten versammelt,
34 die sprachen: Der Herr ist wahrhaftig auferstanden, und er ist dem Simon erschienen!
35 Und sie selbst erzählten, was auf dem Weg geschehen war, und wie er von ihnen am Brotbrechen erkannt worden war.
2 disciples…. one named Cleopas…..  Cleopas was probably well known to the early church…..
The most important reality in the world is truth...... God’s truth... the truth that saves from hell…… The most important truth of all….. The truth that´s sets us free…..
There’s only one place this truth is found and that is in the Scriptures, the Word of God, the Bible…… Only those who understand the Bible can know the truth about salvation and be saved from hell….. Only those who know the truth of the Bible can live fulfilled, obedient, blessed, effective, joyful lives…..  Therefore the greatest service that can ever be rendered to anyone is to explain to them the meaning of the Bible…..
SCRIPTURE
1. need for understanding
We are lost and ignorant
2. the source of understanding
 The  Word of God produces understanding
3. response to understanding……
we repent of our sins…. we believe the Gospel…… we find joy…..
The knowledge of Scripture produces joy……

To understand Scripture is to understand everything from God’s perspective…… the one true view….. Only when we dig into the Word of God believing that it is true…..can we can understand the purposes  of God for us……  The clearest picture of God and His plan….  can be known only to those who understand the meaning of Scripture…… It´s a lifelong task (aufgabe)…… The  very best thing that you can do for anyone is to teach them and help them understand The Word of God……. It transforms lives……. It gives true freedom and great hope even in the midst of disaster….
We have a powerful illustration of the power of the Gospel in Luke 24 this morning….   Jesus ministers to two of His followers who are confused…. They are filled with doubt......
Jesus gives them a clear understanding of Scripture…… He opens the Scripture and shatters the darkness and confusion with the light of truth….. In fact, verse 27 of Luke 24 sums it up

Luke 24:27          NLT  Neues Leben
27 Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

27Und er begann bei Mose und den Propheten und erklärte ihnen alles, was in der Schrift über ihn geschrieben stand.

How I wish we were there! Can you imagine?  Their hearts were on fire! Verse 32…...

Luke 24:32                     NLT   Neues Leben
32“They said to one another, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?’”

32 Sie sagten zueinander: »War es uns nicht seltsam warm ums Herz, als er unterwegs mit uns sprach und uns die Schrift auslegte?«

The Lord Jesus using the Word of God took them from despair to Joy!….. The disciples believed that all their hopes and dreams were destroyed at the foot of the cross…. Gone  because Jesus had been crucified…….
Can you imagine their disappointment…… Can you imagine their great Joy as Jesus explained the Word to them…… They went from the lowest despair to the highest joy……
Their hearts were on fire…… Lighted into flame by the Word of God!
These are 2 important lessons for us to learn today.…….
1. Jesus truly rose from the dead….. Both His death and resurrection had been prophesied many times in great detail in the Old Testament……
Knowing that Christ is alive is the first great lesson…… The second great lesson is knowing that
2. Scripture is alive…..
Those are the lessons that we want to learn as we look at this tremendous event on the road to Emmaeus……
In a wonderful act of love and still teaching at every opportunity……  our Lord makes this glorious appearance and teaches this incredible lesson on  the Messiah  from the OT……. He did it for 2 ordinary people……

Like  the Scripture says….
“Not many noble and not many mighty, the Lord has chosen the lowly and the humble.”

The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is the most important event that has ever happened in the history of the world….. His death and His resurrection are the events that seal salvation…… If He doesn’t die and rise, there’s no salvation for anyone….. the whole human race is damned to hell……
Because the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ are the most important events….. the resurrection being THE most important event ever….. they are predicted in Scripture….. Anybody who doesn’t see that in the Old Testament is needlessly ignorant because it is all explained here. ….
It’s not as if it’s difficult to see…… that’s why Jesus says in verse 25
Luke 24: 25,26       NLT  Neues Leben
 25“O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken….. 26 Was it not necessary for the Messiah, the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?”
25 Darauf sagte Jesus zu ihnen: »Was seid ihr doch für unverständige Leute! Es fällt euch so schwer zu glauben, was die Propheten in der Schrift gesagt haben.
26 Haben sie nicht angekündigt, dass der Christus alle diese Dinge erleiden muss, bevor er verherrlicht wird?«
Jesus said…. Come…..You should have known it…… It is not the fault of the Scripture if you do not understand….. It is clear….. It is written  to us so that we can understand……
 The sadness and the confusion of these two on the road to Emmaus is because they didn’t understand the Scripture which they possessed…… notice this….
It wasn’t that they didn’t believe the Scripture…… They did….. It wasn’t that they didn’t think God wrote the Scripture….. They did…. It was because they had a very limited understanding of Scripture……They had been taught about the Glory and triumphant kingdom of the Messiah…….. They had heard these things from their youth…..
 But they had not been taught the whole story…… the whole nation had a limited theology of Messiah…… They had only a partial understanding of the Old Testament…..   
Their sadness and disappointment…… their confusion and their grief……. was related to the fact that they didn’t understand all that the prophets have spoken……. It´s often the same with us…. We are often confused and disappointed when we don´t understand what´s happening in our lives….. Sometimes we lose our faith and trust in the LORD because we do not have His Word hidden in our hearts… Or like these 2 disciples….. because what is happening to us doesn´t line up with our expectations… It doesn´t fit with our understanding of The Word….
They had such a limited understanding of the Messiah…..
That when he instead of establishing the Kingdom immediately….. He was crucified…. They were wiped out….. There was just no place in their very small understanding of Messianic theology for a dying Messiah……. They expected that the Messiah would come and He would establish the throne…… the throne promised to the greater Son of David in Jerusalem and He would reign in Jerusalem not only over Israel but He would extend His Kingdom over the world…… That’s the triumph and the glory….. That part they believed…… And they were so satisfied with that that they were literally blinded to the suffering and the death part…….
And it wasn’t that Jesus didn’t tell them…… He had told them many times……
There was just no place in their Messianic theology for a dying Messiah……. It wasn’t that the Old Testament didn’t say it, the Old Testament said it in detail…… It was that they weren’t interested in believing it……. They didn’t follow Jesus, the Apostles and the disciples, because they thought they were going to get persecuted……. They followed Jesus because they thought they might get to sit on His right and left hand in the Kingdom……. They really didn’t want to die with Him…… They wanted to reign with Him…… That’s why they were so upset, you remember, when He said, “I’m going to go to Jerusalem.” And Thomas, the pessimist said, “Well, let’s all go and die with You, because that’s liable to happen to You, they hate You there so much.”
So they had no room for the death of Christ in their theology…... And when Jesus was crucified…… They forsook Him and ran to hide…… Only John stayed around at the cross…… They thought it was over….. And they were scratching their heads about how they could have been so wrong……
So here are two of them heading home, convinced that all their hopes are gone….. It’s over……
Their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him, verse 16 says, and that was the way it was in every case after His resurrection….. Though He was human, He wasn’t dazzling like an angel…. They didn’t fall over in a dead faint….. He was human, there was enough different about Him in His glorified form that they were not able to recognize Him…..
They don’t know who it is, He just walks along with them…..
Luke 24: 17,18       NLT Neues Leben
17 And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?”[e]
18 Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?”

17 Und er sprach zu ihnen: Was habt ihr unterwegs miteinander besprochen, und warum seid ihr so traurig?
18 Da antwortete der eine, dessen Name Kleopas war, und sprach zu ihm: Bist du der einzige Fremdling in Jerusalem, der nicht erfahren hat, was dort geschehen ist in diesen Tagen?

Cleopas says….. Haven´t you heard about everthing that´s been going on?

Luke 24: 19- 24           NKJV

19 And He said to them, “What things?”

So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. 22 Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. 23 When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. 24 And certain 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.”

Luke 24: 19- 24   Schlachter 2000
19 Und er sprach zu ihnen: Was? Sie sprachen zu ihm: Das mit Jesus, dem Nazarener, der ein Prophet war, mächtig in Tat und Wort vor Gott und dem ganzen Volk;
20 wie ihn unsere obersten Priester und führenden Männer ausgeliefert haben, daß er zum Tode verurteilt und gekreuzigt wurde.
21 Wir aber hofften, er sei der, welcher Israel erlösen sollte. Ja, bei alledem ist heute schon der dritte Tag, seit dies geschehen ist!
22 Zudem haben uns auch einige Frauen aus unserer Mitte in Verwirrung gebracht; sie waren am Morgen früh beim Grab,
23 fanden seinen Leib nicht, kamen und sagten, sie hätten sogar eine Erscheinung von Engeln gesehen, welche sagten, er lebe.
24 Und etliche der Unsrigen gingen hin zum Grab und fanden es so, wie es auch die Frauen gesagt hatten; ihn selbst aber haben sie nicht gesehen.
Naturally  Jesus knows all of this….. He just wants to hear from them…..  They’re confused about how this could happen…… He is going to shine the light of scripture on their hearts…..
The whole thing is too bizarre….. If He is alive and if He’s been alive since morning, since six o’clock this morning, ten hours ago, maybe, where is He?  
So they’re totally confused…... They didn´t understand….
 They didn´t understand because they didn’t know the Scripture….. Then Jesus tells them the whole story of redemption….
Luke 24: 25-27       NKJV
25 Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself






Luke 24: 25-27   Schlachter 2000

25 Und er sprach zu ihnen: O ihr Unverständigen, wie ist doch euer Herz träge, zu glauben an alles, was die Propheten geredet haben!
26 Mußte nicht der Christus dies erleiden und in seine Herrlichkeit eingehen?
27 Und er begann bei Mose und bei allen Propheten und legte ihnen in allen Schriften aus, was sich auf ihn bezieht.

They are confused because they only understand part of the Old Testament…… They only understand part of the prophecies regarding Messiah…… They have a limited view of Messiah…..
They were right to expect the Messiah to reign and rule…… But that was only part of it…..
He calls them fools, anoetos, dull and He says slow of heart……  He doesn’t blame the Scripture…..  He doesn’t say, “Well, the Old Testament is a really hard book……
The problem is not the Word…... Jesus simply say….Have you not read the Scriptures?
You’re wrong because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.”
Jesus said “Search the Scriptures for they are they which speak of Me.”
So, verse 27…… Jesus says…. Wasn’t it necessary? Why did Jesus say that?
Because there are passages in the Old Testament that speak of the Messiah suffering…….. And so  beginning with Moses…..
Jesus explained the Scriptures……
Jesus is the theme of Scripture….. He’s the theme of the Old Testament…..  
  What He wants to make it clear to them that before the glory comes the suffering……. Was it not necessary for Christ to suffer?
The Old Testament is clear about the need for a substitute…..
In Genesis where God Himself slays an animal to make coverings for Adam and Eve…… You have a picture of the death of an innocent to cover the sin of a guilty sinner……. The Day of Atonement is a powerful picture of the need for the shedding of blood and for a substitute to bear our sins….. It was celebrated every year….
What about all the daily sin and guilt  offerings? Remember the morning sacrifices…… and the  evening sacrifices….. every day of the year…… And of course as was fresh in their minds…. The Passover….. A perfect symbol of substitution and sacrifice…..
They knew that sin caused death….. and that God would accept the death of a substitute…… But they also knew that no animal ever offered satisfied God completely because they had to offer another animal and another one and another one and another one and another one and another one….. Those daily sacrifices did not cleanse their hearts…… They needed to be finally and permanently redeemed…….
Everyone of them knew that sin brings death…... The soul that sins, it shall die, said the prophet…..
All of the sacrifices in the Levitical system were  pictures of that final substitute that would come……  As we see in verse 27…. Jesus….opens it all up to them…..
He gives them a solid biblical understanding of the Messiah’s suffering……. I wish there was more here, don’t you? I wish I knew all that  He said……
We know what the Old Testament says about the suffering of Messiah…… So let me give you a little survey of what the lesson might have been like, okay?
The first Bible text about the Messiah…. According to the ancient rabbinical texts is Gen 1:2…… They taught that the Spirit of God moving across the face of the waters……. was the Spirit of the King Messiah!...
It was the ancient  rabbis who first taught that the Whole scripture is about the Messiah! I can imagine Him beginingwith the beginning…. Genesis…
He might have started in Genesis 3:15….. He might have told them, “Do you not know that I am the wounded seed of the woman who crushes the serpent’s head?” He might have stayed in Genesis for awhile….
Probably He went to Genesis 6 through 8 and recounted the history of the Flood….. And as Peter does……Calling Jesus the Ark of safety……
I’m sure He stopped at Genesis 22 and reminded them of the story of Isaac……. There Abraham was prepared to offer up His only son……   but a ram caught in a thicket was used in Isaac’s place which is a true picture of Christ, the substitute……
I’m sure He must have gone to Exodus 12 talked about the Passover that they had just celebrated with Jesus….“Don’t you remember the Passover lamb….. the Passover lamb had to be without blemish and without spot….. And if his blood was shed and splattered on the doorpost and the side beams, the angel of death would pass by that house….. I am the true Passover Lamb who protects the sinner from divine judgment….. I will sprinkle men and they will be clean….. I think He probably went to Exodus 16 told them that He was the true manna from heaven….. He said that to them before…. in John 6……
I think He went in to Leviticus….. and explained that all of the OT sacrifices are about the need for a substitute for sin….
Hebrews makes it clear that He is the true offering, the final permanent sacrifice….the perfect substitute….
All through First five books of Moses…. every reference to the Day of Atonement pictured Him….. and I´m sure that He made it clear that He was not only the sacrifice on the altar…… but He was alsothe scapegoat who took away sin…….
It´s a powerful picture of substitution….
I´m sure that He told lot´s of things from the Psalms….. There are many Messianic Psalms…. beginning in Psalm 2……. The Psalms are A great place for your personal quiet times….
Surely He spent some time in Psalm 22…… He is the one the psalmist hears when the Psalm begins, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” The very words He spoke on the cross…… Psalm 22 says, “He will be a reproach….. He will be sneered at…. His bones will be out of joint. His strength will be gone….. His hands and feet will be pierced….. His clothes will be divided up by lots as He dies…..All of these crucifiction  Details are found in Psalm 22……
Maybe He went to Psalm 40 verse 7 which says, “Behold, I come in the scroll of the book, it is written of Me, I delight to do Your will, O God, Your law is within My heart,” …… Hebrews says this text applies   to the Messiah……
I´m sure that Jesus took them to  Isaiah...... to the suffering servant passages that we talked about last week…..
Isaiah makes it clear…… The Suffering servant of the Lord is the King Messiah and He is the permanent final substitute for our sins…. 
JESUS is the final substitute…... This is a picture of Messiah…… It’s unmistakable…….
The lesson must have been stunning and staggering……
Look at verse 32 as they approach the village….
Luke 24: 32             NKJV Schlachter 2000
32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”
32 Und sie sprachen zueinander: Brannte nicht unser Herz in uns, als er mit uns redete auf dem Weg, und als er uns die Schriften öffnete?
Their hearts were on fire with the deepest joy…… Scripture was true…… This was the Messiah….. It was all part of the plan…… He is alive. ……
Now that brings us to the 3rd point in our outline……  knowledge of Scripture produces joy.
Remember…..  They don’t know who He is yet……. They still don’t know this is Jesus…… What fires their hearts is to better understand the Scriptures….  It’s the truth, not the person……. Anyone who explains accurately the Scripture can expect to see that kind of response…… Understanding the truth fulfills the true believer’s deepest longings…..  
When you understand the Word of God, it all makes sense…… All your faith is anchored in reality….. Knowing the truth  produces profound joy……. To understand the Scripture is to know God and to know the things are the way the Scripture says they are…… and that God’s plan is unfolding……. and God is sovereign and His purpose is being accomplished…… This is exhilarating..... exhilarating…..
And that’s how they feel….. They’re literally on fire on the inside…. They have been dead dry and no fire burns as bright as that one lit of dry kindling…… And their dry hearts are now on fire…… And here’s their response…… Don´t go….. stay with us……  
Why did they invite Him in?
This is about more teaching……  Stay with us….. The Word of God was coming alive….. It thrilled them….. They still don´t know that they are with Jesus….. They only know that their fear and confusion is leaving them….. as they see the scriptures clearer….. Then when he broke the bread….
Luke 24: 30, 31  NKJV   Schlachter 2000

30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

30 Und es geschah, als er mit ihnen zu Tisch saß, nahm er das Brot, sprach den Segen, brach es und gab es ihnen.
31 Da wurden ihnen die Augen geöffnet, und sie erkannten ihn; und er verschwand vor ihnen.
their eyes were opened….. Now they see that it is Jesus…… In an instant going from the depths of despair to the transcendent heights of joy, they recognized Him……. And He vanished out of their sight……    
They had hoped He would be their Redeemer…… and turns out He was……. And all the Scripture now made sense……
verse 33….
Luke 24: 32-35              NKJV  
32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” 33 So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.

Luke 24: 32-35   Schlachter 2000
32 Und sie sprachen zueinander: Brannte nicht unser Herz in uns, als er mit uns redete auf dem Weg, und als er uns die Schriften öffnete?
33 Und sie standen auf in derselben Stunde und kehrten nach Jerusalem zurück und fanden die Elf und ihre Gefährten versammelt,
34 die sprachen: Der Herr ist wahrhaftig auferstanden, und er ist dem Simon erschienen!
35 Und sie selbst erzählten, was auf dem Weg geschehen war, und wie er von ihnen am Brotbrechen erkannt worden war.

Their hearts were burning while He was explaining the Scriptures…..
What lit their hearts on fire was an understanding of Scriptures…… The most important thing in the world is the Scriptures….. The most important thing that we could ever do is explain and teach the Word of God to a lost and dying generation….  
it produces a burning heart……. It transforms lives….. It comforts the faithful….
Jesus is alive……. and the Scripture is alive……. Their flaming hearts came from Him explaining  the Scriptures……. And it turned in to zeal to preach the message…… proclaim the Good News…… What we’re talking about here is joy and testimony……
Two things that flow out of this, when your heart's on fire because you understand the Scripture….. you have an internal joy because you know it’s the truth……. It´s all true and our salvation is certain…….
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I know that sometimes even we who are believers find our world shaken by the things that happen in our lives….. we don´t understand….. Where is the Lord? How could this have happened ….. We find ourselves on the rough road of our life…… Where do we go….. We go to the Word of God….. Jesus is in our hearts….. ready…. More than ready to open up the scriptures to us……… It will set our hearts on fire…. And we will understand….
Hebrews 10:35-36
"So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that He promised. "
Hebrews 10:35-36
35 So werft nun eure Zuversicht nicht weg, die eine große Belohnung hat!
36 Denn standhaftes Ausharren tut euch not, damit ihr, nachdem ihr den Willen Gottes getan habt, die Verheißung erlangt.

It was more than 40 years ago That I bought a bible….. A long haired hippie on TV said that God was real….. That Jesus was real….. that the Bible was true……. He said that if I would read it for myself….. I could find Jesus…..
I went and read the bible…I began at Matthew 1 ….I read it nonstop …… By the time I had spent a few days reading it…..The Holy Spirit had used it to take out my heart of stone…….. My eyes were opened to see Jesus….. My heart was burning within me…… It was all true…. There was hope….. The Resurrection of Jesus turned a disaster into Glory! Jesus sacrifice has once for all time made it possible for every disaster in our lives to be turned into Glory! It´s Good News!
There is hope! It´s all true….. He is Risen! We have a savior…. His Name is Jesus!
Matthew 12: 21      NKJV  Schlachter 2000
21 And his name will be the hope of all the world.
21 Und auf seinem Namen wird die Hoffnung der ganzen Welt ruhen.
 He is Risen….. He is Risen in deed!


Benediction from Hebrews…
Hebrews 13: 20, 21                  NLT

20 Now may the God of peace—who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—
21 may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.

Hebrews 13: 20, 21                  Neues Leben

20 Ich wünsche euch, dass der Gott des Friedens, der unseren Herrn Jesus, den großen Hirten der Schafe, durch das Blut des ewigen Bundes von den Toten zurückgebracht hat,
21 euch mit allem versorgt, was ihr braucht, um seinen Willen zu tun. Ich wünsche mir, dass er durch die Kraft von Jesus Christus all das in uns wachsen lässt, was ihm Freude macht. Ihm gehört die Ehre für immer und ewig! Amen.  



 

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