Christ Makes Himself Known in Ordinary Ways – Easter 3

Christ Makes Himself Known To Us in Ordinary Ways

Luke 24:13-35 T Easter 3

INI

How does the Lord make Himself known to us? How does He lead and guide us in this life?

            I recently had a conversation with someone about similar things. He told me that he found himself becoming increasingly skeptical to church leaders, or people who would say “God revealed Himself to me and told me to tell you this” or “God is telling me to do this major thing in my life.” I’m sure you’ve heard that way of speaking before. He was skeptical because it seemed that people could be manipulated by that kind of talk – how could it be verified whether or not the thing on his heart is actually from him, or God?

            If you’ve ever noticed, Lutherans don’t really talk like that. Our Confessions label that way of speech ‘enthusiasm’ because it seeks God’s Will and direction outside of His Word. And so that begs the question then, how does the Lord reveal Himself to Christians?

            Christ makes Himself known in the Word, and in the breaking of the bread.

            This is what’s so great about the road to Emmaus story. It’s really quite simple. And often times, we don’t see how the Lord reveals Himself to us. We’re just like those two disciples who were traveling from Jerusalem to Emmaus after all the events from Holy Week. They were Jesus’ disciples – we know one of them was Cleopas. The other one was unnamed. But they came away from all the events that happened to Jesus – His unfair trial, His floggings, His crucifixion – and now they were hearing reports that Jesus wasn’t in the tomb?

            They left Jerusalem confused. The events didn’t make sense to them. They were sure Jesus was the Messiah but surely death wasn’t the Messiah’s plan? Especially a shameful one like crucifixion. And now they can’t find his body? What was happening? Where was their hope? They stated what their hope was for the Messiah. They said “we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.”

            As mentioned back on Palm Sunday, the Jewish expectation was a political Messiah – one who would liberate them from Rome. The redemption they looked for was an earthly one. But the redemption Jesus brought was not one bought by gold or silver, but by the precious blood of Jesus (1 Peter 1:18-19). Redemption in this way, was prophesied from the very beginning. Even from Genesis 3:15.

So, to clear up the misunderstanding, Jesus joins those disciples on the road to Emmaus. What’s interesting though is that they didn’t know it was Jesus at that point. The text says that their eyes were kept from recognizing Him as Jesus. It was like a veil was put over their eyes.

            Because Jesus’ goal wasn’t to reveal Himself to them through physical sight, but through spiritual sight. For in their going, Jesus clears their confusion. Jesus first chastised them – “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe ALL that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory?” Then, Jesus took the Old Testament Scriptures – the books of Moses and the Prophets – and began to preach to them. The message? Everything in the Old Testament is fulfilled in Jesus – specifically, in His death and resurrection. Jesus basically says what I’ve taught you all dozens of times – there’s only one story in the Scriptures: death and resurrection.

When Jesus revealed the true meaning of the Scriptures, the disciples experienced “burning hearts”. It’s that unmistakable moment when something you’ve heard a thousand times suddenly comes into focus—and you begin to see the story behind the story. For example, many of us have glossed over Leviticus because it seems like a bit of dry history. But when the Spirit connects the dots, you see that the blood sacrifices were always pointing to Jesus—that it is His blood that is needed, and that He still comes to us today with that same blood in the Divine Service.

So, those disciples saw the story behind the story. It was revealed to them why Jesus had to suffer, die, and rise. But their physical eyes were still kept from recognizing Him on the road.

            Christ is made known in the Word. By the Spirit, He opens up the Scriptures to reveal the story behind the story – His death and resurrection – and how that undergirds every page written.

            After the Scriptures were opened to them, the disciples urged Jesus to stay with them, for evening was at hand. So, Jesus obliged, giving them the opportunity to practice hospitality.

            So, a meal was prepared. And it was at that meal when something familiar happened. The bread was set, and Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them. And it was in THAT moment when the veil was lifted. They recognized that this wasn’t just a stranger they met on the road to Emmaus. IT WAS JESUS! Their eyes were truly opened to recognize Him.

            Christ is made known in the breaking of the bread. Just notice the verbs, Jesus took the bread, blessed the bread, broke it, and gave it to the disciples. What does that sound like? These verbs echo the Lord’s Supper. But then, what happened after that? Jesus disappeared from their sight. Why does He do this?

            He teaches that we, the Church – Christ’s disciples –  do not live by sight. We don’t encounter a flesh and blood Jesus like Thomas did last week. That’s not how the Lord presents His body for us to probe and ponder. Rather, we live by faith, and we recognize Jesus by His enduring Word and Promise given to the church. And we recognize that while we don’t physically SEE Jesus here in our midst as those Emmaus disciples did, He’s certainly here. Because He’s promised to be here. His Words given at the Lord’s Supper say it – “This is my body. This is my blood. Given FOR YOU for the forgiveness of sins.”

            Jesus promises – “I’m right here – to clear your confusion, and to reveal my promises to you. I want you to see Me through bread and wine. I want you to trust My Words of Institution that I established for YOU. In this meal, I want you to probe and ponder my wounds shed for you. And I want you to gather around this altar with your brothers and sisters and become one body, just as I gave my one body for YOU.”

            Christ is made known among His people. This is what the church does. It participates in this meal. For in this meal, Jesus makes Himself known to His Church. That’s why after Pentecost, the disciples met daily to have the Lord’s Supper together. They knew the significance of this meal. For Christ is not made known in one individual isolated from another. He comes to His gathered people, making them all members of one body.

            Christ is made known not in private revelations or premonitions. He makes Himself known in the Scriptures, in the bread that is broken, and among the people that He gathers into the one body, the church.

            This means Christ isn’t far off. He’s not hiding in a corner that you need to seek Him out. He’s right here. He speaks to you through the Word and preaching. He’s here in His Supper, giving you the forgiveness He won on the cross. And as a result, He strengthens your faith.

            All this so that your eyes may be opened. That you’ll know Him. That you’ll trust His Word and Promises just like those disciples did, in the breaking of the bread.

INI

Pastor Joshua Ralston