LUKE 24

[Read Luke 24]

1.     Mary Magdalene and the other women in their discovery of the empty tomb.  V. 1-12  Wouldn’t you like to have been there? 

Matt. 28:2 states that an angel rolled the stone away.  Keep in mind that Jesus did not need the stone removed to exit, but the witnesses could not enter without it being removed, so as with many situations, it was for us, not Him.  The angels asked, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen.  They also reminded the women of the Lord’s own words: “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”

Skepticism reigned among the disciples.  It is clear that they did not expect a resurrection.  They thought the women’s story was nonsense.  BUT PETER…he might not have believed as he ran TO the tomb, but he was checking it out!  Peter BELIEVED in

the resurrection when he left the empty tomb!

  

2.     Jesus’ appearance to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. 

     V. 13-35  Before the two disciples could report their experience on   

     the road to Emmaus, the disciples remaining in Jerusalem

     reported “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 

3.      Jesus’ appearance to the 11 and to other disciples.  V. 36-43  Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them and spoke, “Peace to you” and they were terrified and frightened and supposed they had seen a spirit…they had a difficult time adjusting to the fact that the raised Jesus was in their midst.   Jesus’ appearance was to give reassurance and He pointed out that a raised body is not a disembodied spirit.  The presence of flesh and bones indicates that Jesus had been raised bodily and that He was not a hallucination.  He was raised in the same physical body in which He had been put to death.  The difference was that His resurrection body is not corruptible and not subject to death.  (I Cor. 15:35-58).  The physical nature of Jesus’ resurrection body was confirmed by the fact that he ATE. 

4.     Jesus’ commissioning the disciples to the worldwide ministry and His promise of future empowering for that ministry.  V.44-49

“And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures…”  [Just as He will ours today!]

5.     Jesus ascension into heaven.  V. 50-53

“And they worshiped Him…were filled with joy and continually praised and blessed God.”

When we read the headlines of the newspapers and hear the catchy highlights from the television news commentators, we most often, do not do our research to learn if what they are saying is accurate!   HOWEVER, when it is something that we cannot grasp or understand, but profoundly affects our lives, we are more prone to look for convincing evidence.  Eyewitnesses’ accounts are always convincing evidence as long as they agree in content.  In Luke 24, we have convincing evidences of a LIVING Savior. 

I especially enjoy the account of the two men on their way to Emmaus.  These men remind me of myself and other folks I know.  They were discouraged, disappointed, unbelieving and confused.  As typical of us humans, they were discussing the events that had just transpired in Jerusalem.  In fact, they were so adamant in their emotional state that they began a discussion with One who joined them along the road whom they did not know; they thought he was a stranger. 

The two men walked along the road to Emmaus discussing the confusing events that had just occurred in Jerusalem.  They thought they had understood the happenings of their day, but the death of Jesus had left them disoriented to God and His activity in their world.  They had hoped that Jesus was the Messiah, but His death had left them perplexed and discouraged.  They needed answers.   Jesus seems to always join those who are earnestly seeking Truth. When we go to Him, confusion will begin to dissipate as it did for those two men.  When the Lord began to speak with them and opened the Scriptures, their hearts burned within. 

                   

God knows the heart and knows the honest pursuit of His will by His children.  Jesus drew near to these men, walked with them, and opened their minds to what the Scriptures said about Him and about the events of their day.  As they listened to Jesus relate the Scriptures to what they were experiencing, they knew in their hearts that they were hearing God’s truth.  Their doubts vanished, excitement overcame them, and they raced back to share the truth with their friends!

If you become bewildered by circumstances in your life (—and haven’t we all at one time or another?)  Jesus can reorient you to Himself through the Scriptures just as He did for these two men.  From your human perspective, the situation may be confusing and discouraging.  It takes the presence of Christ to open your eyes to the truth of the Scriptures.  Have your circumstances confused you?  You need Jesus to bring to you a grasp of His perspective.  Once you’ve heard from Him through the Scriptures in His still small voice, (I Kings 19: 11-12) you’ll be like these two men—excited to join God in what He is doing around you and eager to include others in the experience.

When I walk into the nail salon, there is usually a small image of Budda sitting there in the corner.  There is a small incense stick that someone has lit and it long ago burned away.  No odor lingers in the air.  There are always one or two pieces of aged fruit sitting in front of the fat bellied little idol.  I do not feel threatened by any presence in the room, for there is none.  It is only a small ugly stature which is undemanding of attention and if any thing, it only reminds the observer of the deadness of man-made religion.  In Deuteronomy 4:28 gives a description of such “…the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.”  Can you believe that those who dispose of the rotten fruit do not recognize…”THIS is a man made DEAD god”!

[SONG:] “I serve a RISEN Savior, He’s in the world today.  I know that He is living whatever men may say.  I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer, and just the time I need Him, He’s always near.  He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today.  He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.  He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!  You ask me how I know He lives?  He lives within my heart!”

Christ defeated death in order that life in Him might always continue.  And it is life that we want, life in Christ.  “For me to live is Christ!!”

As we close out the study of Luke with the evidences of the “empty tomb”, our hearts are drawn once again to worship of our LIVING Savior!  As with the disciples and those who witnessed His resurrection

Presence, v. 52 “And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen”

WORSHIP: 

We were created to worship the Lord.  We were created for Him, in His image, to become something to Him.  As we become something to Him, He finds pleasure in us.  This demands that we CHOOSE to be disciplined.  This demands that we take out of our lives every thing that doesn’t contribute to the one great objective…to love Him. 

Certainly there is the important aspect of gathering with other believers to publicly worship the Lord, but there is much more.  To worship the Lord should be a daily occurrence for each of us as we spend time alone with Him.  Our verse in Luke says that they were continually in the temple”.  This was before Pentecost…they were waiting, (as Jesus had instructed: “tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high”).  Today you and I are already “endued with power from on high—as “born agains” we have received Christ and He dwells in us continually by the power of the Holy Spirit.   

Your quiet time in worship is not the end…it is the beginning.  It is a continual circumstance as you are always the temple of our living Savior.  [Example:  cooking beans]  The relationship is permanent and we must CHOOSE to walk in fellowship with the Lord throughout the day.  C. H. Spurgeon said that he was never out of vital contact with God for more than 10 minutes. 

Preceding the events of Luke 24 and Jesus death, burial, and resurrection, we learned about Mary and Martha.  In their story, we discovered that Mary chose the better part…to worship Him.  In her getting to know Jesus with her attentive “sitting at His feet”, she knew some secrets…When Mary poured the oil upon His feet and was reprimanded, He said, “…let her alone, It was [intended] that she should keep it for the time of My preparation for burial.  [She has kept it that she might have it for the time of My embalming.]” John 12:7

The person who makes the right choice as Mary did gets to share the innermost secrets of the heart of the Lord.  None of the others – even after being told often – knew or understood about His burial, but she did.  Her reward was great – the unspeakable honor of sharing the deep feelings of His heart.

The Lord was the Expression of God’s love for us with His life sacrifice. He wants us to love Him with all our heart, or we will miss the sweetness of His love for us if we don’t learn how to love Him.  We get intimate with the person we know loves us, the person who is committed to us…who better should that be than Jesus? 

In Matt. 22:37-39  “…You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect).  This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment.  And a second is like it:  You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself.”

God is a jealous God.  He desires that we put Him first.  Matt 6:33.  He desires our worship.  It is in this process of worshipping God that He communicates His presence to you and me. 

The discipline to make and keep that quiet time appointment will most likely always be a struggle.  The enemy will always distract and tempt to delay and finally to kill the time entirely.  Then we do not have our manna for the day.  Manna saved for another day grew old, sour, rancid, wormy and it stank.

Matt. 4:4 says, “But He replied, It has been written, Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.”  Stephen Olford explains that this is the word that God speaks to your soul in the quiet place of prayer and meditation.  It is the thing that maintains life—the living word of God which is spoken to your soul every day. 

To express worship:  Bow, make a gift of self, yield “…to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.” Crown Him, consent to His work in you “I am His workmanship”, adore, admire, appreciate, express gratefulness for His works and His blessings.

You can do all of this by speaking, singing, and silent reverence.

Worship is critical because:

God desires our worship  Deut 26:10; I Chro. 16:29; Psa. 95:6; 96:9; Matt. 4:10; John 4:24; Rev. 14:7; 22:9

Christ was worshipped Matt. 2:11; 14:33; 28:9; Luke 24:52; Heb.1:6; Rev. 5:8

Our attitude in worship:  “God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (reality).”  John 4:24

Hindrances to worship: 

Unsurrendered Heart…”let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily”

          Unconfessed sin…will not depart any more than cancer normally disappears.  Sin is a cancer and it must be dealt with.

          Wrong attitude, especially when it is directed toward some other brother or sister in the Body of Christ.  Matt. 18:22

          Enemy opposition.

          Physical tiredness and emotional fatigue.

          Unbelief…faith is foremost. 

Rev. 4:10-11  “The twenty four elders (the members of the heavenly Sanhedrin) fall prostrate before Him Who is sitting on the throne, and they worship Him Who lives forever and ever; and they throw down their crowns before the throne, crying out, Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive the glory and the honor and dominion, for You created all things; by Your will they were [brought into being] and were created.”

The falling down indicates submission to the One worshipped…the first essential condition for true worship.  The second essential is that Christ alone should be glorified, which the casting down of their crowns indicate.

“…You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him alone shall you serve.”  Matt. 4:10 shows us the priority of worship.  Worship comes first, then serve.

We must have a true vision of the Lamb, a true concept of God…to know Him is to worship Him!

How to Worship:

          A whole heart for true worship.

          Must have clean hands—no unconfessed sin.  [deal with sin immediately all through your day.  “short accounts”]

          Obedience

          Dependence on the Holy Spirit.  True worship takes place when the spirit of a born again is controlled by the Spirit of God.

          Concentration…kneel with eyes closed in order to concentrate all our attention and affection on the Lamb of God.  Forget all else in order not to forget Him!!!  You will find that when you concentrate all your attention on the slain Lamb. You may experience a lot of turmoil.  Many common and strange, confusing thoughts may come along with many “to do” things that need your attention.  You must lean completely on the precious Spirit to enable you to concentrate.  Don’t give up.  It is certainly an appropriate time to commit yourself to the Lord and rebuke the enemy. 

          Express all your statements of His worth audibly.  Pray outloud.

          Use Scriptures. Rev. 5:9,m12; Psa. 8:1; Psa. 19:1; Psa. 36:5-9; 29:1,2.  Choose passages of Scripture that occupy you with Him.  Example:  “O Lord, Our Lord, how excellent (majestic and glorious is Your name in all the earth!  You have set Your glory on [or above] the heavens.”  Psa. 8:1

          Memorization proves its value over and over as we recite back to Him with exaltation of Him personally!

Your Bible study comes at a separate time than worship time.  But the words from the Word we recite back to the Lord are for worship time.

Use Hymns:  I Come to the Garden Alone

                     Holy, Holy, Holy

                     Fairest Lord Jesus

                     And many others.

Abandon yourself to worship – be lost in worship!!!  Do you have time in your life you have blocked out on your daily schedule for regular time of worshiping the Lord??

The measure of worth of your public activity for the Lord is the private profound communion you have with Him.  It is critical that you and I set aside a quiet time with Him regardless of the noise, the circum- stances, the suffering, or even the good times where we do not feel an immediate need to call out to Him in our everyday lives.

We must not be dependent upon our feelings…we may often lack the feeling of desiring to be alone with and worshipping the Lord.  He desires our fellowship and worship, He bought it with His precious blood, and we will grow closer to Him as we continually pursue this time in our everyday lives.   In deed, we serve a risen Savior!