Finding Jesus

Luke 24

She was a career professional. Her life was perfectly balanced. Despite the swift rise of her career her family still maintained a very prominent position in her life and her children were still a priority. They received adequate attention and help with homework. She somehow managed to attend every major performance or game in the life of the kids. Her husband still knew her love for him and saw her intentionally giving him attention love and affection. One morning as she gathered her things for work she could not find her keys. They were not in her purse. They were not in her work bag. She began to look around for them, but they were nowhere to be seen. She hurried around the house looking for the keys. She glanced here. She glanced there. Nowhere to be seen. She began to panic as she knew if she didn’t hurry she would be stuck in traffic and then be late for work. Her managers were kind enough to allow her to come in later because she could so much so quickly but she did not want to be late. She had never been late. As she looked over the house again, she still could not find her keys. She was beginning to panic and pushed one pile of mail aside and moved a calendar aside. She moved everything on top of her dresser and still no keys. She was panicked. So she went outside to get some fresh air and rethink where they might be. She went back inside and the phone rang. She answered the phone only for it to only be a charitable organization asking for money. She became so distracted that she forgot that she was looking for her keys, she went and grabbed her purse and bag and then reached in the pocket of her coat she wore the day before and grabbed her keys and walked out the door.

Have you ever had one of those experiences? You are looking for something so hard that you just cannot think simply and see it right where you left it. God comes to us in many ways, but sometimes he comes in simple everyday means. Sometimes he is seen in the ordinary play of animals or children or the smile of a stranger. Sometimes in the midst of crisis the Lord is seeking to draw us to him, but sometimes in the ordinary days and going about our routines we find him clearly. As we look at Luke 24 we see the Lord appearing to his disciples and followers in a variety of circumstances.

First we see that we find Jesus in ordinary tasks. At the beginning of the chapter, we see some women, some followers of Jesus, and what are they doing? They are coming to his tomb to care for his body. In those days, they did not use sealed coffins the way that we do, nor did they bury the body in the ground, but they placed the bodies in a tomb. Over time, the body would decay, and at a set time they would return to the tomb and gather the bones and put them in a box. Here these women are returning to put spices on the body of Christ in order that it would not smell too bad as it decayed. Such an ordinary act. This occurred within every family. Here these ladies are approaching the borrowed tomb and suddenly two men stood near them in dazzling clothing. Add this on top of the fact that the body was already gone. Now this gospel does not tell us that they encountered Jesus but in other gospel accounts we know that they do see Him. In fact, in other gospel accounts, they think that he is just a gardener. In Israel, one of the sites thought to be Jesus’ tomb has a garden in it today. The original understanding of a gardener was a vine grower. At this location they found a winepress that dates back to the time of Jesus. So when I was there I could picture the ladies coming to the tomb and seeing the angels, and then turning to leave and seeing someone in the midst of the plants and it being Jesus. They were just going about life and demonstrating their love for a dear friend, and yet in the midst of that ordinary task Jesus reveals himself to them. As we see in John 20, Jesus asks Mary, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She tells him, please sir, tell me where you have placed the body and I will take it. She is not expecting Jesus to be raised from the dead, and then Jesus says, “Mary.” Her eyes are opened and recognizes him immediately. Jesus often reveals himself to us in a very ordinary manner. Have you ever doing an ordinary day seen Jesus? Have you seen him in the life of a co-worker who has a great love for others? Have you seen him in the kindness to you by a complete stranger? Have you seen him in the beauty of creation around you? He is there and he maybe seeking to draw you to him.

Second we find Jesus in a burning heart. Now I am not talking about heartburn but a burning heart. You might have already experienced this. Now this is not the warm fuzzy feelings a very exciting moment. In verse 13, we see that the disciples that the ladies had announced that they had seen Jesus were heading their separate ways. There were two followers who were heading to a town named Emmaus. It was about like walking from Lottsburg down to Heathsville not a great distance but a decent walk. As they are walking Jesus appears and walks with them. About like driving down the interstate and just intentionally pace yourself with another car but in walking you can talk. He asks them, “Hey what’s up? What are you talking about?” And they look at each other, why won’t he mind his own business? What they really say is, “Have you had your head in a hole and don’t know what happened? It’s only been on CNN Live for the past three days! Even FoxNews and MSNBC have been carrying it. Front page news for the past three days. A great teacher that the people loved has been put to death. He was innocent!” Jesus says, what is this? They tell him, Look man, He was only a great teacher and he performed miracles we had never seen before. He was from God and the leaders had him killed! But we were hoping that he would redeem Israel. These men are getting excited just remembering what they saw and heard. They are remembering the fellowship. They are remembering the excitement and joy at the sight of Jesus healing the lame, blind and raising the dead. They are remembering the teachings of Jesus. They are being reminded by the Spirit of what Christ has done for them. Just as right now the Spirit may be reminding you of times previously in your life when the Spirit opened your eyes to Christ and who he is. Then they say, but you know it has been three days and some women came to us and said that the tomb was empty this morning. They also saw angels who told them that he was alive. Man this is getting good better than a soap opera. Oddly, it says that him they did not see. But in John it says that they saw him. Maybe only a couple of them saw him and the others left right when they found the empty tomb and told the disciples. But the others stayed and found Jesus. Now these two men are becoming despondent about Christ. What happened? Why did he die? Why did they take his body? Our hopes and dreams of the redemption of Israel are gone? Lord what is going on?! Then Jesus, and they still do not know who is walking with them, says, “Hey wake up! You are missing it. Did you not know that the prophets said that the Messiah had to die?” I had to die in order to enter the glory promised to me! As they approached the village Jesus, still unknown to them, acts to go farther and they invite him in with them. They recline at the table to eat. Jesus takes the bread and blesses it, then he breaks it and passes it. They recognize Him and then He vanishes. Their response, “Were not our hearts burning within us?” Believers, does your heart burn for the Lord? Do you desire his word? Does your heart burn and ache and long for God’s Word? Do you ever sit there and wonder why does it ache and long so much when I have already spent time in His Word? Unbeliever, does your heart burn and ache and long for peace? If so, Jesus is your peace. He is drawing you. He desires for your salvation. Do not send him away but accept his sacrifice and repent of your sins and say Lord make me Holy!

Third we find Jesus in the flesh. Now you are thinking how can this be when he is no longer here? Look at the text, in verse 36 it says, while they were together and telling their encounters Jesus stood in their midst. My translation says, He Himself. In other words, let me emphasize, it was Jesus and no one else, It was his body that took up space in that room. Verse 37 says that they were startled and frightened because they thought they were seeing a spirit. So Jesus being the God that He is says, hey give me some of that fish. It is time for show and tell. Here are my hands. Look this scar right here is from when they drive the nails into my hands so I would stay on the cross. Oh and look, these scars in my feet, the soldiers did those too so that I would stay on the cross. Oh look right here, they put a spear in my side to insure that I was dead. They were pretty sure but that sealed it in their minds. Look at on my back those are from when they whipped me. Hey where is that fish? Watch this. He eats the fish and it stays in his body! A ghost would allow the fish to fall to the ground. I am real. I am alive. One day you can be like this as well. I have conquered death. I have fulfilled all that was required of me in the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms. I am real. Have you ever had an encounter in life where it just seemed a little bit different? You knew there was something more to it than just ordinary life. Christ wants you to know him in life. In real life. Jesus is not just for church but for all of life. He wants to be there and make whole your hurts. He wants to be there and make whole your unfulfilled desires in life. He wants you to experience the fullness of life in this life. Some will tell you that Christ desires for you to be rich, but in reality, the fullness of Christ is a renewed heart and renewed focus on life. He wants you to see life from his perspective with his eyes.

The ordinary in life is real and important. Christ desires that our lives be conformed to his will. He wants us to be like him holy and righteous. As we close our time of worship today we are going to have an opportunity for you to respond to Christ. This is a time for all to respond to him. A time for us to submit ourselves to him.

Just three points to consider.

Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God?

Do you believe Jesus rose from the dead?

Do you live in holiness?