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The Third Sunday of Easter
- April 06, 2008 Preached at Providence
Lutheran Church, Holland, Ohio by Pastor Dennis R. King) "Let the News of the
Risen Christ Out!" Luke 24:13-35 The Grace and Mercy of Our Risen Lord, Jesus, be with you all. Amen. It was a lonely journey to Emmaus.
These two men were confused and lost because of what had happened. They had
followed Jesus. They had invested time in following Him. Can you imagine how
they felt? How lonely, how discouraged, and how depressed they might have been.
These two disciples were probably confused about what the future held. Jesus
was the one who was their leader and knew where they were going. Without Him
they were lost. All of you who have lost loved ones can imagine how they
felt. While the two men were talking and
discussing all the things that had happened, a stranger joined them. The
stranger was Jesus. He questioned them saying, “What things?” giving them an
opportunity to witness about what they had seen and heard. They explained
that Jesus had died on the cross and even now His body was missing. It was a
great opportunity to share with the stranger what they had experienced. But
they were discouraged and depressed. Then in the breaking of the bread,
they recognized Jesus. Now they had reason to live again. It took around two
hours to walk the seven miles to Emmaus. But they probably made it back in
about forty-five minutes or less. Their lives now had purpose and meaning.
They ran back in the darkness on a narrow path with no flashlights and the
danger of robbers and thieves. They were not afraid because they had a
message to share. They ran because they wanted to share Jesus with their
brothers. They wanted to give all they had. Easter and the Risen Christ should
change our lives just like Jesus changed the lives of those on the road to
Emmaus. The Call to Worship had just been
pronounced starting the Easter Sunday morning service in a Texas church. The
choir started its processional, singing “Up from the Grave He Arose” as they
marched in perfect step down the center aisle to the front of the church. The
last lady was wearing shoes with very slender heels. Without a thought for
her fancy heels, she marched toward the grate that covered that cold air
register in the middle of the aisle. Suddenly
the heel of one shoe sank into a hole in the grate. In a flash she realized
her predicament. Not wishing to hold up the whole processional, without
missing a step, she slipped her foot out of her shoe and continued marching
down the aisle. There wasn’t a hitch. The processional moved with clock-like
precision. The man following her spotted the situation and without losing a
step, reached down and picked up her shoe, but the entire grate came with it!
Surprised, but still singing, the man kept on going down the aisle, holding
in his hand the grate with shoe attached. Everything still moved like
clockwork. Still in tune and still in step, the next man in line stepped into
the open register. The service took on special meaning that Sunday, for just
as the choir ended with “Hallelujah! Christ Arose!” a voice was heard from
under the church shouting, “I hope all of you are out of the way because I am
coming out now!” The little girl closest to the aisle shouted, “Come on,
Jesus! We’ll stay out of the way.” “Come on Jesus we’ll stay out of the
way.” Are we out of the way or are we in the way. Are you telling what Jesus
has done for you? Easter changes things. We no longer live on the Good Friday
side of things. We need to live on the Easter side of things. The risen Jesus
changes things. We are warned in Acts to be different. “Are we?” We are to be
different from this corrupt generation. We are suppose
to be Easter people. We need to invest all of ourselves in the Easter
message. Jesus is the one who lives! Because He lives we will use our gifts,
talents, and treasure for Him. Will we get out of His way and let Him use us.
Do we really believe it? Do we really believe He lives? Those two men didn’t
know what to do with their lives. They were committed to someone who died.
Now Jesus was alive! What things make the church
different? What people or things make your life different! Given an
opportunity would you be able to share what makes a difference in your
life--- golf clubs, job, wife, and children? Would you list Jesus among the
ones or things that make a difference in your life? The majority of the world
would not name Jesus. The Acts text points that out to us. We need to be
different. We need to recognize Jesus and what he has done for us – for you
and me! As you recognize what He has done for you then you will use all your
gifts, talents, and treasures to serve Him. Have you heard of the story of the
man who stood before St. Peter at the Gates of Heaven? He said, “Peter, I’m
ready to go in and receive my inheritance.” Peter answered, “That’s fine, but
it takes a thousand points. What have you done that is worth 1,000 points? He
answers, “Well, I attended church and Sunday school.” “Fine,” Peter says, “a
regular attendee in church and Sunday school – 50 points. What else have you
done? “Well, I taught a Sunday school class for many years.” “Sunday school
teacher,” Peter writes down – 25 points. What else have you done? “Well, I
gave 10% of my income to the Lord.” “A individual
who tithes,” Peter writes down- 25 points. “You now have 100 points. You only
need 900 more. What else have you done?” By now the man was perspiring,
suddenly fearful that he was not going to be able to enter Heaven at all. He
started wringing his hands and said, “At this rate it will only be by the
grace of God, through the Risen Christ Jesus, that I get in.” And Peter
writes down, “Grace of God – 900 points. Enter through the gates of joy.” Only because of Jesus, the Risen
Lord, do we stand a chance. We have a message to share with others because
Jesus lives. Like the men on the road to Emmaus we need to share the Good
News with our brothers and sisters and others, the hope we have, Jesus lives
and because He lives we shall live also! The Risen Jesus gives us a hope that
saves us! How can we keep it to ourselves? One Sunday as they drove home from
church, a little girl turned to her mother and said, “Mommy, there’s
something about the teacher’s message this morning that I don’t understand.”
The mother said, “Oh? What is it?” The little girl replied, “Well, the
teacher said that God is bigger than we are. He said God is so big that He
could hold the universe in His hand. Is that true?” The mother replied, “Yes,
that’s true, honey.” “But Mommy, he also said that God comes to live inside
of us when we believe in Jesus as our Savior. Is that true, too?” Again the
mother assured the little girl that what the teacher had said was true. With
a puzzled look on her face the little girl then asked, “If God is bigger than
us and He lives in us, wouldn’t he show through?” If he is that big and lives in us
wouldn’t He show through us? How can we keep him in? Can people see the Risen
Christ in you and me? The Apostle Paul writes, “It is not I who lives but
Christ Jesus who lives in me.” Each of us has received a powerful Easter
message through this Risen Christ! Run with it. Share it. Let it transform
your life and the lives of others. Let it show through you. It certainly
should. There are Christians who are alive but you can’t see Jesus in them.
What does it take so that people can see Jesus in you? Where would we be
without that message?—“He Lives!” What would we have to look forward to? What
do we do with our gifts, our talents, our treasures, and our lives? How do we
share our faith? When? Where? And with whom? Some people live on the Good Friday
side of life. Scripture calls us to live on the Easter side. The two on the
road to Emmaus encountered the Risen Christ and were transformed. We too have
seen the Risen Christ. What will we do to make a difference in this world?
Peter didn’t keep it in. Can you tell just one? Can you make a difference in
the life of just one? It is a challenge but like the Queen mother suggested
let us reach out and put our hand in the hand of God and go forth into the
darkness and share the Good News of the |