The Lord is truly risen! (Luke 24,13-35) - Paula Kim

[Stephan Choe]

Easter message

09.04.2023

LV 24:34: saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.”

Some would like to know why I chose Emmaus disciples as the Easter message. The Emmaus disciples appear only in the Gospel of Luke. The author Luke is the only non-Jew. Other gospel writers Matthew, Mark and John may have thought the Emmaus disciples were not that noteworthy. If the 12 disciples of Jesus were named as main actors, the Emmaus disciples could be supporting actors. They are not a VIP, so to speak, "secondary people".

Among us, someone might also think: I am not an important person. I am a "nobody" 별볼일 없는 사람, 있으나 마나 한 존재.

But Jesus sees us differently. His standard of value is faith. Jesus values faith highly. For example, the faith of the centurion and the faith of a Syrophoenician.

Why is faith so important?

MK 16, 16 says: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

I.e. it is decisive for salvation or damnation.

We want to know today through the Emmaus disciples why Jesus rebukes their unbelief.

The title of my message is "The Lord is truly risen!"

Do you believe that Jesus is truly risen?

I am curious to see how Jesus will judge our faith.

As soon as Jesus was crucified on the cross, all the disciples had fled and scattered. Jesus took the initiative by meeting the Emmaus disciples. How did Jesus help them so that they could be freed from resignation and resume the path to discipleship?

1. O fools, too slow of heart (13-27)

It is the third day after Jesus' crucifixion. Two of his disciples were already on their way to Emmaus. They had wandered away from Jesus' discipleship. The village of Emmaus was about 11 km from Jerusalem. Despair and defeat accompanied them on their way. They went back to their hometown without strength. On the way, they talked about the events of the previous days. How Jesus was cruelly killed and how their hope burst like soap bubbles. While they were talking, the resurrected Jesus himself suddenly came and joined them and walked with them. Jesus knew of their despair and accompanied them. But they did not recognize him for who he was. They were full of fear and dejected. They were spiritually blind, therefore they could not see the risen Jesus. Jesus asked them what they were talking about. They stopped, saddened, and wondered why he had not heard the latest news about Jerusalem. Cleopas, one of the two, said that he was the only one in Jerusalem who did not know about the top news.

"What happened?" wanted Jesus to know. They told about Jesus from Nazareth, how he powerfully preached God's word and did miracles. He was a great prophet. That is why he gave hope to the people that he would redeem oppressed Israel. But he was helplessly condemned to death penalty and crucified by the chief priests, rulers and Romans. The suffering and death of Jesus was the cause of their disappointment. All their hopes had been shattered with the death of Jesus and their perspective had been buried with it.

Some women were at his tomb early on and reported that his body was no longer there and they had seen angels telling them that Jesus was alive! Some of them ran to look, and sure enough, Jesus' body was gone, just as the women had said.

If the body had been there, Jesus would really have been defeated by death. And we would have been lost forever. But the corpse was not there, which means that this was actually joyful news because it is a sign that Jesus is really alive.

After listening to all this, Jesus rebuked them: "O fools, too slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

Jesus first called the two disciples "fools". They were fools because they did not believe in the Word of God. Unbelief was their fundamental problem. Actually, they should now be rejoicing instead of worrying because God had finally fulfilled the promise of salvation. Unfortunately, they found it so difficult to believe what was written in the Bible.

After the rebuke, Jesus taught them the word of God in the scriptures in Moses and all the prophets and explained to them all that was written in the scriptures about Him, e.g. in Genesis 3:15 after the fall of man, God already has the redemption plan to send a descendant from the woman as the Messiah, Isaiah 53; about the fulfillment of the prophecy about the Messiah. In the NT he spoke several times about the suffering and resurrection of the Messiah. Jesus also announced here LK 24,7 that the Son of Man must be crucified and rise again on the third day. But they did not believe in the promise of God in the Bible. Jesus, who is equal to God, came into the world to redeem sinful men from sin, as Romans 4:25 says: He “was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”

Because of our sin he had to die, and he was raised to justify us before God. Jesus paid the wages of sin with His life, even though we have sinned, as Romans 6:23 says: “For the wages of sin is death.” That is, sin is paid for with death.

But Jesus paid for our sin with His own death. So He came into the world to die as Savior, to save me and you. The Bible in its entirety covers the history of redemption. The OT already describes the announcement and promise of the coming of the Messiah.

The NT then tells of the fulfillment of the promise of the Messiah through the coming of Jesus. Jesus gave us victory over the power of sin and death through His resurrection. The resurrection gives us a certainty of victory and new hope that we will also be resurrected like Jesus. All the promises are fulfilled according to the Scriptures.

So Jesus taught the two Emmaus disciples that they should have resurrection faith based on the Scripture. Those who have resurrection faith are hopeful and joyful regardless of the situation. The suffering and resurrection is the core of the gospel.

When our second son Daniel was 110 days old, I was confronted with his death. I was so embarrassed when I looked at his pale face. This happened while I was away because of my doctor's appointment. I thought he would sleep for at least two hours.

This calculation was a big mistake. For years after this horrible event, I condemned myself as a murderer for not taking proper care of him. The doctor named this death sudden infant death syndrome. But my guilt was so great that I could not forgive myself. I was simply resigned. No matter what problems there were in the world, I would somehow try to overcome them with my own strength. But the power of death was beyond my strength. All people are helpless before death. Death makes us sad and hopeless.

Thanks be to God that Jesus bore my sin and died on the cross and rose again on the third day. He freed me from the burden of sin and death and gave me eternal life and hope in the kingdom of heaven. Now I have great joy in seeing our Daniel again in the Kingdom of Heaven. This hope has become possible through Jesus' resurrection.

2. Did not our heart burn within us (28-35)

Meanwhile, the Emmaus disciples were nearing their destination, and Jesus pretended to go on. But they urged him to stay with them overnight, since it was already getting dark. So he went with them into the house.

When they sat down to eat, he took bread, gave thanks for it, broke it, and gave it to them. Here we are impressed that Jesus was not a guest, but a host and Lord, even though he was invited. Then suddenly they recognized Jesus.

When we accept Jesus as Lord in everyday life, we can see him. But when they looked at Jesus as a stranger, their eyes were closed that they did not recognize him. The resurrected Jesus is now no longer bound to space and time.

After Jesus implanted resurrection faith in them, he disappeared from their sight. They said to each other that their hearts burned when they heard God's word from him on the way.

God's word is alive, therefore it worked powerfully in their hearts through the Holy Spirit. Eventually, through Bible study, they were able to prepare their hearts to accept the resurrected Jesus. When they had faith in the resurrection of Jesus, they were fearless. Although Jesus disappeared before their eyes, the resurrected Jesus lived in their hearts.

Now they immediately set out and returned to Jerusalem, where there was fear and despair. They immediately left Emmaus, which translated means "warm spring". Here they met the risen Jesus. Now they wanted to be sent out again from here to witness Jesus' resurrection. They found the eleven disciples gathered in Jerusalem and testified that "the Lord is truly risen." They boldly became witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus.

The resurrection involves power of change. Our body is also changed from our natural body to the spiritual body. The two disciples have been changed by the resurrection of Jesus. They have been changed from despondent and weak to courageous and hopeful disciples of Jesus. Because the living Jesus is not a theory, but a reality.

Now everyone can examine their own resurrection faith. What change or decision do I see in myself when I have resurrection faith?

Through the resurrected Jesus, I realize that He is always before my eyes. He stands by me so that I do not fall, as David confessed in Psalm 16:8: “I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”

If I have resurrection faith in the present, I should live accordingly, so that others may know that the resurrected Jesus lives in me. Resurrection faith gives me life energy and joy.

One decision of this is that since last month we have embraced two children as godchildren, a girl Ho Thao My from Vietnam and a boy Dima from Belarus. We help them both financially and with prayer that they may grow as disciples of Jesus and be used by the redemptive work of God. These children are great joy and hope for us.

Yet another decision is to say "yes" to the will of God. Recently, I joined the preaching team in our German church that we attend. At first, I was a little apprehensive about accepting this calling. After that, I repented because I did not have resurrection faith. Now I am very grateful to God that God wants to use me everywhere as a witness of Jesus' resurrection.

Closing Word

Jesus is pleased when we believe in His suffering and resurrection based on the Scriptures or the Bible. Our faith should be based on the Word of God. "Jesus is truly risen," as he had predicted.

What does this fact bring us?

1. We will be free from fear because Jesus destroyed the strongest enemy, death, and gave us victory.

2. The resurrection power gives us new life energy and heavenly hope.

3. Resurrection power gives us new vision so that we can boldly conquer the unknown world with the gospel, e.g. North Korea.

4. Resurrection makes us a new creature because it has the power of change.

Amen.