Emmaus

But there are other notable moments I'm calling transfigural appearances that are highlighted in the gospels after the resurrection that also function to reveal the glory of Jesus as more than human.

The walk to Emmaus, the accounts of the disciples in the upper room, and Mary Magdalene with Jesus in the garden.

I describe them as transfigural appearances because the unrealizing witness, in an instant, recognizes Christ's divine glory through Jesus' body, uh, though it is changed in some way.

We are told that Mary Magdalene's encounter is the first of its kind, uh, according to Matthew and John, but hers is not the only.

Luke 24 is filled with transfigural appearances, including when two disciples were unknowingly walking with Jesus on their way, you guys know this, to Emmaus, talking with him, learning from him.

[laughs] They have no idea who they're talking to, but not yet seeing the fullness of who he is until he breaks the bread before their eyes and vanishes in an instant.

A transfigural appearance takes place in the same chapter, when the disciples are gathered behind locked doors in the upper room, and the text says Jesus suddenly appears.

I'll explain what I mean in just a bit, but that's the theme of what we're going to be talking about today.

And I arrive at that theme by slowing down and considering the conversation that Jesus had with two of His disciples who were on their way back to their own hometown of Emmaus.

They had been to Jerusalem for Passover, and they had witnessed Jesus riding into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to the masses cheering, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." And He did so in fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9.

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." And there was the fulfillment of that prophecy, a direct descendant of King David entering Jerusalem exactly as the prophet had said, and now as the two themselves had testified.

Luke 24:21.

The Emmaus disciple said, "We had hoped that He was the one to redeem Israel." You know, we had only imagined the expectation, especially on Palm Sunday.

Jesus would conquer Jerusalem.

He would be the anointed Jewish king.

Sure.

Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem.

And they talked together of all these things which had happened.

So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus himself drew near and went with them.

And that's the fact of this, that Christ is a prophet.

Christ is a prophet I know what some of you thinking right now well but he's the Savior and the answer is amen he is the Savior but he's also the prophet and the fact that he is a prophet and the prophet has as you're going to imagine I'm going to say some very real implications for us our own spiritual life yes he is more than a prophet no doubt about it but he is still the prophet and what we know about him as prophet can help guide us in our own spiritual lives as well it's not a downgrade by any stretch it's right what we need for our own spiritual lives here tonight so why don't you stand please for the reading God's Word Luke chapter number 24 will begin in verse number 13 grab a drink down here this is not a joke all right it's just a bottle of water amen all right And it says this in verse number 13, And behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore farthings, which was probably about seven-ish miles or so.

And they talked together of all these things which had happened.

And it came to pass that while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near and went with them.

That was the job of the prophet and of the people.

Well, that brings us to tonight's text.

As we grow our understanding of what the prophet is, that brings us back to this road to Emmaus.

That brings us back to this gloriously wonderful day of Christ's resurrection.

Now he's not mentioned in the Gospel of John but it appears to be the same person who is mentioned in Luke's Gospel.

He's one of the disciples on the road to Emmaus.

If you remember that story, one of the disciples is called Cleopas and it's probably the same person, Mary the wife of Clopas.

So Clopas or Cleopas is one of the early leaders of the Christian community and his wife is here at the foot of the cross.

And these sayings were before their eyes as the sayings of madness.

And after that He appeared to two of them on that day, and while they were going to the village which was named Emmaus, and whose distance from Jerusalem was sixty furlongs, and they were talking the one of them with the other of all the things which had happened.

And during the time of their talking and inquiring with one another, Jesus came and reached them and walked with them.

But their eyes were veiled that they should not know Him.

And these sayings were before their eyes as the sayings of madness.

And after that he appeared to two of them on that day, and while they were going to the village which was named Emmaus, and whose distance from Jerusalem was sixty furlongs.

And they were talking the one of them with the other of all the things which had happened.

And during the time of their talking and inquiring with one another, Jesus came and reached them, and walked with them.