A Real Assurance
Luke 24:13-35 ·January 19, 2025· Joel Passmore
Part of: Luke, Alive with Him
Pastor Joel Passmore continues with part two of his four-part sermon miniseries titled 'Alive with Him' about how the resurrection of Jesus changes everything for us.
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We are wrapping up a sermon series on the book of Luke. The very end here. It's the home stretch. This is the last chapter, and this last chapter of Luke is about one thing. It's about the resurrection of Jesus and how its sweeping effects on everything in our lives and in the world. This is week two of a little four-week miniseries called Alive with Him. Now, I've heard it said that baking is a science, but cooking is an art. Anybody ever heard that?
Baking is a science, but cooking is an art. It means that if you're going to bake a cake, you have to be precise. You've got to get everything right. There's no inventing stuff and just kind of messing around. You've got to get it right. But when you cook, you can mess around and you can get creative. But that doesn't mean you can just be totally random. I have learned. I've learned that the hard way, and so has my family. Learned that the hard way.
Sometimes I'll be cooking one of our family recipes, and I'll think, you know what, let's mix it up a little bit. We've all had this before. Let's try some different things. But I don't really understand what flavors go together. You know people who do, either from trial and error or because they just have that intuition. They just know what flavors go together. That's not me. I also don't know how much spice is too much, just by eye. I don't have that much experience.
I'm making it up as I go along. Sometimes it turns out great. Sometimes it's like, Dad, what did you put in this? And other times it's like, Dad, what did you put in this?
One time a whole pot of soup was completely inedible because I put in way too much chili powder. My family still razzes me about this. I was like, you know what, a little bit of chili powder is good. Let's put in a lot more. And they could not eat it. I could barely eat it.
Okay, but you know who isn't making it up as he goes along? God. He's not making it up as he goes along. He has a plan for salvation. He's had a plan for salvation since the beginning, since before even time began. He plans the work and then he works the plan. That's what God does. And so if we want assurance in this life that we live where things do not always go the way we expect and we get curveballs right and left, if we want assurance, we have to know that plan.
We have to get acquainted with the plan and the one who controls it, the one who wrote it, the one who executes it. We have to know it. And we have to know the person at the center of that plan which is Jesus.
That's exactly what two disciples learn in today's passage from the risen Jesus himself. They encounter him and they get a whole paradigm shift. And it's given to them to help them. So let's turn to Luke 24. Let's read God's holy inspired word and let's have him divinely through the power of the spirit change us to make us more faithful, more joyful disciples grounded in him and then grounded in the gospel. It's the work that he promises to do in us.
Let's come to him expecting that. Luke 24 starting at verse 13. It's in your bulletin. It's on the screen behind me. Here now God's word. That very day, two of them were going to a village named Emmaus about seven miles from Jerusalem and they were talking with each other about these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
And he said to them, what is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk? And they stood still looking sad. Then one of them named Cleopas answered him, are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days? And he said to them, what things? And they said to him, concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet. Mighty indeed in word before God and all the people. And how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death and crucified him.
But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning. And when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some 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.
And he said to 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? And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
So they drew near to the village that they were going. He acted as if he was going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent. So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.
They said to each other, Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures? And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven, and those who were with them gathered together, saying, The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon. Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Pray with me. Lord, keep your promise to us that your word would go forth with power, that it would bear fruit. Lord, we are ordinary people, but you call us to yourself so that your name can be glorified even in such people. As sinners like me, and everyone here, can see that there is salvation through Jesus, and can find not only rest, but purpose and life as we follow and rest in the resurrected Savior. Lord, do that work in us for your glory, for our good.
Jesus, in your name we pray. Okay, alive with him. Alive with him means we have a real assurance. Real assurance. The risen Jesus proves that God knows what he's doing and keeps his word. Let's keep it plain. The risen Jesus proves that God knows what he's doing and keeps his word. Now, ever since we started this Luke sermon series, way back in, I think it was November or December of 2021, 2022, not long after the church started worshiping, ever since we started, I've been looking forward to this passage.
This charming little passage is only found in Luke. And it's one of his best. It's full of wit and insight and intrigue. It's a personal favorite of mine. Not just for its style, but for its content and for its impact on me.
This passage has been enormously consequential and fruitful in my life and in my discipleship. so much so that it became quite a hard sermon to prepare, actually. I believe, I know it contains very important truths. Truths that are vital for everyone who follows Jesus.
The Copernican Revolution, it changed astronomy by putting the sun instead of the earth at the center of the solar system. Science was revolutionized through that insight that was proven. This passage revolutionizes our understanding of the center of Scripture. It's not the only one, but it is one of the ones that does that. But it isn't done for mere information, and this is not an adult Sunday school class. That's not why Jesus does it.
He is doing it to reassure disciples who are at a very low point. These are two despairing disciples on this road. Last week, we ended with Peter at the empty tomb. Remember? He was inspecting the linen cloths. He didn't find Jesus, but he found the things that Jesus was wrapped in, and he was marveling. And now we jump way across town, in fact, out of town, to two people walking down a road. It's a scene that is filled with sadness. These travelers are described as two of them.
They're from the larger group of Jesus' disciples. But they aren't with the rest of the disciples. They've left the rest. They're walking out of Jerusalem. They're leaving town, perhaps leaving it all behind. They're confused. They're dejected. They're sad. They don't know what to make of what's happened.
They had invested their lives in following Jesus, but now he's dead, so they think. Everything seems to be washed out under their feet. They're talking, but they're also discussing, Luke says. This word, it indicates emotion, disagreement, argument.
We all know how easy it is for people who are disappointed to get into an argument. That seems like what's happened here. They start discussing and then maybe they're arguing, they're fighting a little bit out of their hurt, their disappointment.
Now, when you're in an argument with someone, the last thing you want is someone eavesdropping. Right? Well, guess what? At some point, they notice that someone has joined them on the road. Someone has kind of come up behind them, quickened his pace, and is now keeping their pace. What is this guy doing? As if eavesdropping isn't enough, the stranger butts into their conversation.
What is this conversation you are holding with each other as you walk? He asks innocently, but purposefully. The two travelers stop in their tracks. They are dumbfounded. They're silent. They're offended, maybe. But they're definitely overwhelmingly sad.
They're quiet for some time. And then one of them, Cleopas, says something. And it comes off as bitter and frustrated. Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?
Where have you been? Under a rock? Oh, the irony. Of course the stranger knows. Right? He is the only one who knows exactly what has happened. He knows it personally. He knows it intimately. He knows what happened and he knows why it happened. He knows it all.
Now, they don't know it yet, but the one that suffered has come near to them to comfort them, to strengthen them, to renew and restore their hope. what a kindness from the risen Jesus.
If you are discouraged today, if you're confused, if you're hopeless, if you're in distress, I want you to know this. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
He knows and he cares, my friends. He comes near to you. just like he did with these two. Though they were offended at his coming, in his mercy he draws near.
He cares for these two despondent, despairing travelers by responding to Cleopas' sarcastic question with a question of his own. What things? In other words, tell me more, Cleopas. Tell me. He wants to listen. He wants them to unburden themselves. And so they do.
They tell Jesus of Nazareth about Jesus of Nazareth. A man who was a prophet, mighty in deed and word. Now this is a little short of who Jesus actually was, but it's something. And they say, we had hoped that he would be the one to redeem Israel. that's something. That's pointed in the right direction. But things didn't go as planned, Cleopas tells Jesus. He was arrested. He was tried. He was killed. They hear reports of an empty tomb and sightings of an angel, but clearly they didn't put much stock in it.
They're leaving town. And now the stranger cares for them in a new way. He speaks boldly to them. Oh foolish ones. He's not insulting their intelligence. He's critiquing their faith.
They're slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Now they believe some of it. They believe about the coming king, about the victory over enemies, about the deliverance from captivity, but they didn't pay attention to the prophets predicting the suffering of the one who would deliver. The intercession of the one who would save. They didn't listen to how the redemption comes through sacrifice and through death. Listen, how often do we do the same?
How often do we cherry pick from the scriptures? Cherishing some promises but ignoring some others? They don't fit into our grid of how we expect things to go.
How often do we follow some commands but disregard others? The ones that are easy, we're good at but the ones that are hard that cost us that might actually change how we live. No.
Could it be that this is why we get discouraged sometimes? Because we're selective about how we listen to the word of God. Because we don't trust all, all, all that he said.
Then the stranger asks a question, a rhetorical question. Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? If they believed all that was written, Jesus is saying, they would know that these events were not accidental. They weren't things that just happened and God had to work with.
He's not, God is not reacting to the events of this world. I didn't expect that. Let me see what I can do about this. God wasn't making lemonade out of lemons. When Jesus died and was resurrected. He wasn't, like me when I cook, he wasn't making it up as he goes along. It all happened the way it was supposed to, the way it was planned, the way it was foretold. The same events that they mourn were the events that fulfilled God's plan. What they saw as defeat was actually victory.
They just didn't know it yet. The only things defeated in the last three days were Satan and the grave. That is what was defeated. Not their hopes. Not God's plan.
All that Jesus had been through was necessary, Jesus says, for salvation. Necessary. It had to be this way. But now, how does Jesus help their despair? He's given them a friendly, loving rebuke. But how does He help their despair? We might expect Him at this point to just reveal Himself, right? To pull the veil off their eyes. Ta-da!
It's me! I'm alive! But in a twist, He doesn't do that yet. Instead, what He gives is a lesson on Scripture. Now, pay attention to this. To help them, Jesus doesn't reveal Himself just yet. He reveals Scripture.
Jesus knows the reason they're struggling is because they're reading Scripture without knowing who and what it's all about. And so, Jesus gives them the greatest Sunday school class ever. Boy, I would have loved to be in this class.
The Word of God is explained by the Word made flesh. The Word is explaining the Word. Beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. I'll say it again. Beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Now, notice that it says in all the Scriptures. He's not just picking out a handful of prophecies. He's going through the whole Old Testament.
This confirms what He said way back in John 5. Here's that verse. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, but it is they who bear witness about Me.
The Bible is made up of 66 books divided into 1,189 chapters. The smaller subunits separated by headings in your Bible. Those are called pericopes. There are over 2,400 pericopes, at least in the ESV. In total, there are just over 31,100 verses.
All of those verses were recorded in a span of 1,500 years. And it covers together over 4,000 years of human history. It was written by over 40 divinely inspired human authors living on three different continents and it's comprised of at least seven different genres.
This remarkable collection of writings has one divine author, God. Now that part you may know, but what Jesus is saying that this remarkable collection of writings has one main story. God's plan of salvation accomplished in his son, Jesus. That is the line that runs through all of scripture. All of it. If the Bible was a puzzle, that would be the box top.
God's divinely authored and worked out plan of salvation through his son, the Messiah. If the Bible had a dust jacket, that would be the summary on the inside flat. You know where you turn and you read and you're like, what's this book all about? Do I want to read this? That's what's on the inside flat. That's Jesus' point. And listen, he's not flexing, he's not bragging, he's just telling the truth. He's just telling the truth.
That's why he interprets them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. It's not a flex. It's a central truth that they need. You need to get acquainted with the main story of these things that you're reading because then you between you and the woman and between you your offspring and hers he will crush your head and you will strike his heel. Jesus could have told them I am that offspring. He struck me but I killed him. I defeated him.
He could have reminded them of the night that God delivered his people from slavery in Egypt. When the final deadly plague was coming. God told them if they sacrificed unblemished lambs and painted blood on the door frame they would be spared from death.
Jesus says I am that sacrifice that all of those lambs were pointing to. Every Passover lamb was pointing to me. I am the final Passover lamb whose blood delivers and covers over those who trust in me. They are spared from death that was pointing to me Cleopas he could have reminded them of when Moses struck the rock and water came out Paul later wrote in first Corinthians the rock was Christ the rock was Christ Paul wrote but maybe Jesus told them now Jesus could have taken them to Deuteronomy when Moses told the people the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you from your brothers it is to him you shall listen Jesus could say that's me I'm the final prophet the very word of God who has been face to face with him and now I come to give you his words he could have skipped ahead to when God promised King David in 2 Samuel your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me your throne shall be established forever Jesus could say I am he I'm the royal son the king whose throne will never end but then he could say I'm also the eternal priest spoken of in psalm 110 the priest forever in fact Jesus could say I am the ultimate and final prophet priest and king all of the offices of the Old Testament they all find their final fulfillment in me in me every promise pointed to Jesus every sacrifice pointed to Jesus every feast and every ritual pointed to Jesus every major event pointed to Jesus every character pointed to Jesus when they did something
heroic those Old Testament people it pointed to the greater hero that was going to come when they did something reprehensible it pointed to the one who would never do that who would save people from sins like that and all of those people in the Old Testament when it says that they had faith it was faith in God that God was going to by grace send someone to save people from their sins it was faith that God was telling the truth that he would accomplish salvation Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness as for the prophets oh Jesus could have said a lot he could have said Micah gave my birthplace Isaiah my glorious kingdom and my suffering Jeremiah spoke of the new covenant that I flesh Daniel saw a vision of someone from heaven like the son of man guess who that's me Jehovah Jonah's three days in the fish foreshadowed my three days in the tomb and Malachi at the very end said that before the day of the Lord comes Elijah would return and Jesus says I've already told you that was John the Baptist preparing the way for me for me he could have said all this and far far more whatever he said on this two two and a half hour walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus I imagine he made his point the scriptures are about the gospel God's redeeming work in Christ that is the central plot line and Jesus is the main character my friends God's word is understood through God's son God's word is understood through God's son in fact the rest of the new testament one of the reasons it's
given to us is to help us understand the old testament in light of what Jesus has done the new testament interprets the old testament for us through Christ that's what the authors are doing I spread out for you about this high and it's got the same scene that you're looking at over here it's got it printed out but it's got a diagram and it points to different things buildings and mountains and it says this mountain is this and this building is this it helps you know what you're looking at you look down at that you look up at the vista without that I wouldn't know what I'm looking at I don't know what happened to that mountain what happened to that building why that site is important why am I even looking at all this have you ever come to the Old Testament and thought that I have you can be honest with me I have the through the New Testament authors through Christ are giving us that placard to say this is how you understand it this is how you see it this is what God was doing this is what Jesus brought to these two men well I say two men that's a typo we don't know that they're two men could be a man and a woman Cleopas is a man these two people he put these recent events in the context of scripture's main story he helped them see what had happened in their life okay but pastor this is coming off a lot like an adult Sunday school I appreciate that miss Phyllis but listen this is what Jesus was doing this is why he did this for him it was not mere information because in the final
section here's what we see we see that hope returns hope returns to these two people when they arrive at Emmaus the stranger was going to keep on walking but Cleopas and his companion urged him to stay still not knowing who he is then at dinner when he breaks the bread bam they recognize him their eyes were opened but then as soon as it happens Jesus immediately vanishes now this is really strange there's something about his resurrection body that is different than before but more on that next week I want you to notice how they respond when Jesus vanishes they don't marvel over their glimpse of him what do they say did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road while he opened to us the scriptures oh that's something to pay attention to they marvel at what he taught them they think of the lesson of his teaching of how they felt their hearts burn because Jesus has been exalted as the central figure of their life and of history itself Christ has been exalted for them what Jesus gave them is better than the memory of the split second recognition of him he he he he has given them a whole view of him and God's word which is going to ground them and guide them throughout their whole life that's what they cherished oh how our hearts burned within us when he talked to us on the road and opened to us the scriptures and they are immediately changed once they're slow apart now they have a burning heart once they were discouraged and now they have resolve it's evening
but they get up and they go seven miles back to Jerusalem on foot they're no longer in despair they have real assurance of new life reunion and fellowship with their fellow disciples they have real assurance of new life through the resurrection of Jesus now I'm going to close with this very briefly a Christ centered view of scripture gives us that burning heart it gives us that burning heart it burns in us because of three things this list could have been way longer I tried to boil down down here here here here is the burning heart that happens in us when we see the scriptures through Christ it burns because we know that God's word is true listen this explanation from Jesus just makes sense doesn't it it makes sense that the God who never changes who doesn't change his minds or his plans has the same plan throughout history right it just rings true there is a coherence that comes when we put Christ at the center of scripture it rings true in our hearts and our minds but also our hearts burn because we see that we are saved by grace all of God's people in both testaments were saved by grace through faith all of them reading scripture like Jesus says it's good news for weak sinners like you and me because the whole word testifies that salvation is always and forever by grace alone through faith alone and finally our hearts burn because it tells us when we exalt Christ by seeing scripture through him it tells us that he will finish his work he will finish his work this God who carefully
formed his plan and unveiled his plan he will not get careless he will not get neglectful he will not fail to do what he said that he will do no matter what his kingdom will come and his purposes will stand like some like to say in the church won't he do it he will won't he do it he who proves to us definitively that God knows what he's doing and keeps his word he he he he he he he he he he