Rev. Shawn DeOrnellis

Church of God (Holiness)

Proclaiming the Cross of Christ, Anchored in God's Word

The Risen Lord (Easter) - Luke 24:13-29

By David Woods

Has God ever disappointed you? The correct answer, of course, is, “No, God has never disappointed me.” We sing that “He is not a disappointment” and “Jesus has never failed me yet.” One must wonder if we are always being honest when we sing such songs, however. God does not fail and will never fail. However, we are often disappointed in God. Be honest. Have all your prayers been answered as you desired? Have all the circumstances of your life worked out as you imagined? The honest answer is “No.”

Discussion: What are some reasons why people you know of have become disappointed with God?

Though many have been disappointed in God, those who have continued trusting and obeying Him will tell you that though things did not work out as they had planned or desired, they would not have it any other way for in the end, Christ is not a disappointment. What God’s people learn repeatedly is that:

Big Idea:God is bigger than you think.

The disciples on the Emmaus Road were learning this truth that day a stranger joined them to talk about the recent events in Jerusalem. Consider their expections:

1. During Jesus’ life, they expected Him to reign as king.

Discussion: Why did Jesus not begin His earthly reign in (approximately) 30 A.D.?
(Jesus wanted to save people from their sins, a malady far worse than the cruel Roman empire.)

Discussion: How has mankind benefited from Jesus’ delay of His earthly reign?
(We can be forgiven and cleansed from all sin. We can experience peace, hope, joy and love no matter what our circumstances are like. We can live in the free United States of America or communist China and be happy - and free - because of what Christ has done for us.)

Discussion: Do we Christians live today as if our happiness is not dependent on circumstances, but made possible by God’s love?

2. After Jesus’ death, they expected Him to stay in the grave.

Note that these disciples did not seem to be joyful at the news of Christ’s resurrection. Instead, they were confused and seemingly fearful.

Discussion: Consider how our view of death compared to God’s view of death. (The following comparison is not intended to be exhaustive.)

• We consider death to be final; God considers it to be the beginning of eternal life (or death).
• We avoid death at all costs; God embraces death if it furthers His will.

3. After Jesus’ resurrection (and revelation of Himself to them), they expected Jesus to stay with them.

Discussion: Why was and is it important that Jesus did not stay physically with the disciples? (The following list may not be exhaustive.)

• Jesus is involved in a huge building project in Heaven, preparing for the arrival of His people who will live with Him eternally.
• The Holy Spirit, sent to be with us in Christ’s place, lives in each believer simultaneously.

Jesus began showing the disciples from the Scriptures that what happened to Him had to happen. The New Testament was not written at this time. Jesus proved the truth concerning the necessity of His death and resurrection from the Old Testament!

Discussion: Could you prove the Gospel from the Old Testament?
(Let me clarify this question. I’m not asking if it is possible to prove the Gospel from the Old Testament; that is a given. I’m asking, can you teach the truth of the Gospel that the Messiah would come to earth and put on human flesh, die on the Cross, and then rise on the third day - from the Old Testament? How well do you know the Old Testament and the prophecies concerning Jesus?)

Discussion: What does Jesus’ ability and reliance upon the Old Testament to teach the Gospel indicate to us about the necessity of the Old Testament in our preaching and teaching of the Gospel today?
(Some seem to have the attitude that the Old Testament is ancient history and really is of no benefit for us today. I must disagree strongly. Without the Old Testament, the New Testament doesn’t make sense. There’s a story about a Chinese man who was given a New Testament to read. He came back later after reading it and asked where the first part was. Furthermore, the Old Testament is as much God’s Word as the New Testament is.)

It was not until after Jesus had taught the disciples for some time from the Old Testament and they had sat down to eat, that these two disciples finally recognized Jesus. In Luke 24:45, we are told that Jesus opened the eyes of the disciples in Jerusalem so that they could understand the Scriptures. To some degree, the ability by which we understand the Truth and have faith in God seems to be deterministic. Yet we do know that Jesus chastised the disciples for being “slow of heart to believe” (v. 25). Furthermore, we know that different people of God have sought to have great faith in God, and because of their determination to trust God for great things, witnessed God do great things in their lives and ministry.

Discussion: What specific steps can we do today to increase our faith?
(To some degree, I think that a stronger faith is built by practicing that faith which often includes failure to truly trust God as we should. However, we should truly submit ourselves to His will and word. We should make a firm determination to live for God and trust Him no matter what. We should ask God to help us to trust Him more, etc.)

Discussion: What can we do today to prepare for future faith challenges so that we will believe God instead of becoming disappointed with Him?
(Stop holding onto life so tightly. Approach God’s Word with an open mind, instead of all the preconceived notions and biases that we tend to bring to the table. Seek to know God for who He is rather than for who we want Him to be, etc.)