Luke 24:36-53 Why are You Troubled

Intro: We have seen in our last couple studies of Luke / how the Resurrection. Of Jesus brought Hope to the HOPELESS

  1. How the fire was restored in the hearts of the two men on the road to Emmaus as Jesus the Master teacher opened the word to them
  2. a) Revealed to them – LIFE / REASON TO LIVE

  3. We saw How those who had lost faith – were Restored
  4. And How the Resurrection Of Jesus unlocks the door to all of the Blessing found in the New Covenant ( Catalyst of New Covenant Christianity )
  5. Listen to what the writer of Hebrews has to say about this

18 So God has given us both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can take new courage, for we can hold on to His promise with confidence.

19 This confidence is like a strong and trustworthy ANCHOR for our souls.

We left off having seen how the two men on the road to Emmaus had their eyes opened by the Lord – ( they ran back to Jerusalem )

  1. And met w/ the apostles confirming the reports the Lord has risen indeed - He was Known to us in the Breaking of Bread
  2. That is where we pick up tonight – v.36
  1. Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace to you."

C) Note this is JESUS HIMSELF - Not a vision or a ghost.

But notice it says He was IN THE MIDST OF THEM -

A) That is the place that Jesus wants to take in YOUR life, in Your Home the in the life of this CHURCH.

B) Jesus DOESN'T want to be on the fringes or on the sidelines of our lives

  1. He wants to be in the MIDST of us.

C) Not just a part of your life - Life revolving around HIM !!! ( Pie)

  1. He is included in everything we do!!

 

Notice his message to them : PEACE to you

A) Two things to note here:

1.) We need to see how GRACIOUS Jesus is to the disciples after His resurrection

B) These words are incredible when we remember that they were addressed to 11 men who 3 days earlier had shamefully forsaken their Master.

  1. men who promised to stand by Him Yet forsook Him in His darkest

hour.

C)One of them even denied Him 3 times./ Yet there is NO rebuke!!

 

There was no I thought you said that you were going to stand by me – Peter you said that you would even die for me – No such Message

  1. Our Lord is so unlike us – My first Inclination would have been to Ream these Guys ( Not Jesus )

LESSON FOR US

B) In light of this passage there is NO need for the child of God to be afraid before the Lord.

1)For in it we see the reality that the love of Jesus passes knowledge.

C) In it we are reminded that the Lord DELIGHTS IN MERCY.

D)And In it we see in the heart of God an INFINITE willingness to

PUT AWAY mans sins.

 

2ND There is NOTHING that ministers peace to the heart of man more than the PRESENCE of Jesus who is the PRINCE OF PEACE.

Rom. 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

  1. APPLICATION: Our PEACE is wrapped up in Jesus.
  2. Ps. 29:11 The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.

    John 14:27 27 "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

    Phil. 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer &

    supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Catherine Marshal Story

    John 16: 33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

    Eph. 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace,

  3. Not just something that he gives it is who He is !!!!

C) Jesus wants you to EXPERIENCE peace.

1) Not just Peace w/ God – but the Peace of God !!!!!

D) Peace that is found in living in communion w/ Him / Knowing He is RISEN / Knowing that He is w/ You / that He is for You /

Luke 24:37-38 37 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. 38 And He said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?

A) Note : Jesus addresses their fears and troubled thoughts

1) He does the same for us.

  1. He asks us the same questions in the quietness of our hearts. – Why are you troubled –

Perhaps you came here tonight – amidst Great Struggles / heavy hearts / Jesus question to you tonight -

C) Listen why are you worked up tonight ? Why are you worrying about?

  1. Why are you so concerned w/ that situation ?

D)WHEN CONSIDER THE BIG PICTURE – WHO JESUS IS / WHAT HE

DID – WHERE WE ARE GOING – NO REASON TO BE TROUBLED

  1. Guys we are going to Heaven / Guys our Lives are in His hands - / He loves us more than we can comprehend

Romans 8:32 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

 

 

 

READING IN PSA. 42 THIS WEEK – DEVOTIONS &That is exactly the conclusion the Psalmist came to in Psa.42

  1. Why are you cast down, O my soul? & why are you disquieted within me?

A)Then he remembers all that God has done – responds Hope in God, for I

shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.

B)Calls the Lord His ROCK / HIS LIFE / and His Hope

  1. Satan loves to get our eyes on our circumstances – Jesus says – Keep your eyes on me

  1. He is our Hope that is both sure & Steadfast & serves as an Anchor to the Soul!!!

39 "Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have."

40 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.

41 But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, "Have you any food here?"42 So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.43 And He took it and ate in their presence.

Note There are those who try to explain away the record of the REZ by saying that the resurrection of Jesus was really a spiritual thing. ( Spirit)

  1. The reason they do that is because they DON'T believe that a resurrection

is possible.

B) But note Jesus KNOWS that they think they're seeing a ghost and so He offers to them PROOF that He was resurrected bodily.

39 "Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have."

D) He eat w/ them / -

We can learn from Jesus to deal GENTLY with those WEAK IN FAITH. - Look at how Jesus stoops to their unbelief.

  1. He doesn't COMMAND them to believe / Nor does He rebuke them.

B) He was Patient w/ their slowness of heart - / sometimes I can be so impatient when I see people struggling in areas – not trusting Christ

I SEE A LESSON FOR US IN THIS SCENE

B) We must be patient and longsuffering with their slowness of heart to believe.

  1. We must not cast them off because they don't see everything at Once

Spiritual growth is a Process

A)Most people come to faith – believing that – I am a sinner – I am

going to Hell – I need a Savior – Jesus died / Rose

  1. But that is about all that they know !!!!

  1. Now They are going to learn – as the learn they grow – in the Lord – Process called Sanctification – ( Justification vs. Sanctification)

  1. We need to be Patient w/ people – Helping them grow

  1. Letting them grow /sometimes we can come down on them so harshly that we drive them away –

1) We forget the struggles that we went through when we were first saved

E) Not condoning sin / but lovingly and patiently pointing out sin

Luke 24: 44 Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets & the Psalms concerning Me."

45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

 

 

Again where is faith produced ? In the Word – note v. 32 – when men’s hearts burn – opened the word to them .

A) So Jesus does the same w/ the Apostles as the men on Rd. to Emmaus – opens the Word to them

Luke 24:46 Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,

47 "and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

48 "And you are witnesses of these things.

  1. Now here we see Luke’s Version of the Great Commission / Matt. & Mark

Matt.28: 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

  1. "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

Mark – 16: 15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

Here in Luke - 46 Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,

  1. "and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Mark simply gives the command Preach the Gospel to every Creature

Luke Defines the Gospel – Christ had to suffer & Rise from the Dead – men need to Repent in order to receive the Forgiveness of sins

  1. Repent = to Change / change of mind & Direction / Serving self to serving Christ / from Living for self to living for Christ

Matt. Defines the goal of the gospel – make Disciples

 

Have you ever thought what an IMPOSSIBLE commission that was.

  1. For the most part these guys were merely fishermen in a remote part of

the Roman Empire.

B) Surely nothing special about these guys.

1) But Jesus was saying to these nobodies from nowhere land:

It was NECESSARY for the Messiah to die and rise again so that you could preach repentance and remission of sins to EVERY NATION

C) EVERY nation!!- Jesus into World Missions

NOTE: These guys had NO influence or power at their disposal to accomplish such a task.

  1. They were only a few in number....They had little in financial and

technological resources

B) We have far more people..... We have far greater financial resources.... We have far greater technological resources.

1) Communication......Transportation.

C) Yet if Jesus were to give us the same commission /I wonder if we would stagger at it's enormity

D) Here is an insight as to how to not be overwhelmed: beginning at Jerusalem.

1) Start at home!! Your Sphere of Influence

MAKE DISCIPLES

  1. One of the greatest Joys you can experience in the Lord is to personally lead someone to Christ – then – Disciple them – watch grow

  1. See them lead someone to Christ – see them Disciple that person – whole Process go round & round

  1. Check this out : Group did a study Discipleship -
  2. 1 person spent a yr. Discipling another person – at the end of that yr. They both discipled another = 4 people at end of 2 yrs

  3. Then process again – after 3rd yr. 8 people / after 6 yrs – 64 / keeps on doubling after 7 yrs 128 / after 10 yrs – 1,024

1) After – 20 yrs - 1 million / after 30 yrs - 1 Billion People

 

 

HOW did so FEW with so LITTLE accomplish so much while so MANY with so MUCH accomplish so LITTLE? /The answer is 2 fold:

A) 1st v.48 YOU ARE WITNESSES of these things.

B) They had a real experience of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, & perceived

that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took

knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

Acts 4:20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and

heard.

1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life;

  1. the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare
  2. to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us;

  3. that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may

have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

 

C) You might say that they are different because they experienced Jesus in a real way.

1 Peter 1:8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see

Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

  1. receiving the end of your faith; the salvation of your souls.

D)So 1st - THEY HAD A REAL RELATIONSHIP W/ JESUS

2nd V. 49 – They were Baptized by the Holy Spirit !!!!

Luke 24: 49 "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."

A) The work WASN’T done by sophisticated church machinery &programs.

  1. It was accomplished by the power of God the Holy Spirit.
  2. Two men on Vacation Niagara falls - Show you the Greatest source of untapped power in the World
  3. No- greatest source of untapped power is the Power of the H.S. in the Life of the Church

Note Before they were to go & Preach – they were to wait until they were endued w/ Power

A) They were obedient to His command.

  1. Talk more about on Sunday – What this Promise of the Father entails

50 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. 51 Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.

52 And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

53 and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.

Hope

I read a remarkable story today about a teacher assigned to visit children in a large city hospital. She received a routine call requesting that she visit a particular child.

She took the boy's name and room number and was told by the teacher on the other end of the line, "We're studying nouns and adverbs in his class now. I'd be grateful if you could help him with his homework so he doesn't fall behind the others."

It wasn't until the visiting teacher got outside the boy's room that she realized it was located in the hospital's burn unit. No one had prepared her to find a young boy horribly burned and in great pain. She felt that she couldn't just turn and walk out, so she awkwardly replied "I'm the hospital teacher, and your teacher sent me to help you with nouns and adverbs."

The next morning a nurse on the burn unit asked her, "What did you do to that boy?"

Before she could finish a profusion of apologies, the nurse interrupted her: "You don't understand. We've been very worried about him, but ever since you were here yesterday, his whole attitude has changed. He's fighting back, responding to treatment--.It's as though he's decided to live."

The boy later explained that he had completely given up hope until he saw that teacher. It all changed when he came to a simple realization. With joyful tears he expressed it this way: "They wouldn't send a teacher to work on nouns and adverbs with a dying boy, would they?"

 

 

 

 

[My friend Marge had an experience] aboard a plane bound for Cleveland, waiting for takeoff. As she settled into her seat, Marge noticed a strange phenomenon. On one side of the airplane a sunset covered the entire sky with glorious color. But out of the window next to her seat, all Marge could see was a sky dark and threatening, with no sign of the sunset.

As the plane's engines began to roar, the Lord spoke to her heart .

You have noticed the windows, Your life, too, will contain some happy, beautiful times, but also some dark shadows.

Here's a lesson I want to teach you to save you much heartache and allow you to "abide in Me" with continual peace and joy. You see, it doesn't matter which window you look through; this plane is still going to Cleveland. So it is in your life.

Now You have a choice. You can dwell on the gloomy picture. Or you can focus on the bright things and leave the dark, ominous situations to Me. I alone can handle them anyway.

And the final destination is not influenced by what you see or feel along the way. Learn this, act on it and you will be released, able to experience the "peace that passes understanding."

Catherine Marshall in Touching the Heart of God.