2 Samuel Series - Week 1: Seeking God’s Goodness for Others

  One of the misconceptions I run into with people, who have, in some aspect, been connected to the ministry here, is the idea that I’m mad at them. See, we get three kinds of people who come through the ministry: Those who reject the Gospel, those who embrace it, but are not faithful in following it, and those who embrace and continue to walk faithfully. When I run into those who, even though they are not faithful followers but still would say they are a Christian, they tend to expect me to be upset with them, because they know and I know they aren’t following Jesus the way they were taught.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am disappointed that they are not following Jesus faithfully, but that doesn’t mean I’m mad at them. In fact, I desire the best for them, I know that means a close walk with Jesus, but I still care for them, and want God’s blessing on them because he is faithful to them, even if they are not faithful to him.

My love for those who come through the ministry stays consistent from before they professed Jesus, to after they do, and all the messiness that comes with it. I try to seek God in the area where the actions of people, whether for the Lord or not, do not stop me from caring for them. So if you are a person that thinks I’m mad at you, because you know you’re not faithful walking with Jesus, know that my hope is that you will someday become faithful with Jesus, but even if you don’t, I still care for you because God still cares for you. 

This brings us to our new summer series where we’ll be picking up in the book of Second Samuel, Chapter 1, verse 1. And as we open up to Second Samuel 1:1, we’re actually picking up in the middle of the story.

Last year we walked through First Samuel, and in the Hebrew Bible, these two books are one. By separating the two from each other, we make a distinction that wasn’t originally intended. These two books are meant to be understood in the light of each other. Though its name sake, Samuel, dies relatively early in the first part of First Samuel, this book is named for the legacy of Samuel, and covers the two kings he anointed. When combined, it shows not only the transition from the Judges era to the monarchy, but how quickly man’s governance of himself can spiral out of control, even with God’s hand picked leader.

So in order to understand Second Samuel, we need to review First Samuel. First, Samuel, or the first half of the book of Samuel, is divided into three parts: Samuel and the end of the Judges, Saul and the first monarchy of Israel, and the rise of David the future king.

From the first section we learned that, God calls all of his people to abide in his holy will. It’s to live in the will of God that makes a person a part of the people of God. We saw how Samuel kept faithful to God’s will even when it caused him personal pain, and when it caused division in the land of Israel.

In second section, where the book transitions from the Judges era to the monarchy of Saul, we learned that God calls us to freely accept his will, and not rebel against him, because there are consequences for being outside the will of God. We saw this in the life of Saul who, though he was anointed to be the under-king to God, decided to step outside of that role, allowing himself to think he was greater than he was. This led to him to abandoning the will of God, and eventually loosing his dynasty.

The finally section saw the rise of God’s chosen king, David. In that third section we learned, God desires us to eagerly follow him in humble trust that is confident that he will work things out as we seek and obey him, with a mentality of repentance. David’s life was a cycle of mountain tops with God, and valleys away from him. David would be faithful for a time, but then do some dumb sinful stuff. That cycle continues into Second Samuel. Like the Judges before him, his sin multiplies on top of its self. However, unlike the judges, who only served for a period of time, the monarchy’s rule lasts beyond one person. That means where the judges could be replaced by a more godly person, a bad king’s descendants may be on the throne for generations. In the second half of the greater book of Samuel, we will see how generational sin grows and impacts those who follow.

With that quick review of First Samuel, we can not turn our attention to Second Samuel. Where, today, we’re going to look at one aspect of who David is. That aspect is that, David loves Saul’s family in a way that no one else understood. In order to see this aspect of who David was, we have to look at three points in the book of Samuel. So we'll look at chapters 1, 4, and 9 today. We won’t be reading all of these chapters, so part of your homework is to re-read these in their entirety. Now, let’s jump into Second Samuel, Chapter 1, starting in verse 1.

1 After the death of Saul, when David had returned from striking down the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag. 2 And on the third day, behold, a man came from Saul's camp, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid homage. 3 David said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” 4 And David said to him, “How did it go? Tell me.” And he answered, “The people fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.” 5 Then David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” 6 And the young man who told him said, “By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and the horsemen were close upon him. 7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 8 And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ 9 And he said to me, ‘Stand beside me and kill me, for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers.’ 10 So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”

11 Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. 12 And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. 13 And David said to the young man who told him, “Where do you come from?” And he answered, “I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite.” 14 David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?” 15 Then David called one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him.” And he struck him down so that he died. 16 And David said to him, “Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord's anointed.’”

Second Samuel opens, where First Samuel ends, with the death of Saul. To David, Saul’s death was not a moment of victory, it was a tragedy. Throughout David’s relationship with Saul, from him playing music for the king, to the killing of Goliath, to winning many battles in the king’s name, David cared very deeply for Saul and his family. We saw this when David, on two separate occasions, spared Saul’s life, when he could have easily have taken it. In fact, David was so against taking Saul’s life, that when he met this man who put Saul out of his misery, because Saul was in the process of committing suicide on the battlefield, David had the man executed for taking the life of God’s anointed king. 

This love for Saul and his family, leads David into a song of lament in verses, 19-27. In the introduction to that lament of David over Saul and Jonathan’s deaths, the writer tells us, “…and [David] said it should be taught to the people of Judah … (v.18)”

It wasn’t just a song for David, but a song to teach the people to not despise or degrade Saul. David’s love for this family continues throughout the rest of Second Samuel. 

Later on in chapter 4, Saul’s son, who is crowed king of Israel, is murdered, and his head is brought to David. Let’s pick that situation up in Chapter 4, verse 7, “7 When they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and put him to death and beheaded him. They took his head and went by the way of the Arabah all night, 8 and brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron. And they said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life. The Lord has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring.” 9 But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity, 10 when one told me, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. 11 How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth?” 12 And David commanded his young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hanged them beside the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner at Hebron.”

Here again, we see that David cared very deeply for Saul’s family, even though it was Saul’s other son who was making war against him. People thought that David wanted Saul dead, they thought he wanted Saul’s family dead, but the reality was, David didn’t want any of it. He was happy being a faithful servant to God’s appointed king, even though he knew God had anointed him to be Saul’s replacement. 

In David’s eyes, no one should take the role of God to slain God’s anointed. It’s interesting that in both cases, Saul’s and Ish-bosheth, it is not God who commands their deaths, but people acting, thinking they are doing David’s will. In both cases, these people are then put to death, because they are not acting in either God’s will, nor the will of David.

But David’s love for Saul’s family doesn’t end there. At the beginning of Chapter 4, we’re told this in verse 4, “4 Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.”

We’re not told anything more about him until Chapter 9, verse 1, “And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?” 2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” 3 And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” 4 The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.” 5 Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. 6 And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” 7 And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” 8 And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”

9 Then the king called Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master's grandson. 10 And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master's grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master's grandson shall always eat at my table.”

Like his father, Jonathan, Mephibosheth is humble before David. And to the boy, David pours out the love he has for Saul’s whole family onto this final descendant. In a lot of coups, new rulers decimate the previous ruler’s family, so that they can’t overthrown them. Yet, David doesn’t do that. Instead he cares for the very family that sought his death.

This is one of the godly traits we see in David. He is not a very vengeful person, though he does act vengefully. His intent isn’t to destroy, but to honor. He sought the good for Saul’s family, not evil, though they acted in evil against him. 

It is a lesson that Jesus seeks to teach us. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matt. 5:43-45)”

Peter would pick up this idea and write in his first letter, “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. (1 Pet. 3:9)”

Likewise Paul would understand this teaching and write in Romans 12:17-21, “17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Now this type of position, when not balanced by justice, can lead to indifference, which we will actually see in David’s life, but that cannot stop us from responding to the evil around us with the goodness of God through us.

And that’s one of the lessons that God is trying to teach us through David’s life: we are to be people seeking the good for others, even when they seek our harm. The greatest good we can seek is that they would turn to Jesus, repent, and be restored to relationship with him, and with us.

My challenge for you then this week, is to pray for the good of those who you feel are out to do harm. It might be the opposite political party. It might be a business, or a family member. It might be another country, or another religious group. We need to pray for people who would subjugate and kill us if they had the opportunity, because, as Jesus said on the cross, they do not know what they do.

Let us be the people of God, who walk in his goodness, and who’s goodness flows out from us to other people. Amen.

Easter Sunrise Service - The Unmundaneness of the Empty Tomb - Revamped

  We’re here this morning, in the midsts of uncertain times. Wars, and rumors of wars, both in the military sense, and the economic sense swirl around us. Increase in prices at the grocery store and at the gas pump, reek havoc on our normal routines.

We all expected another recent time of uncertainly. Covid wrecked our normal routines in ways that we are still feeling today. I once heard a commentator say about Covid, “We will never go back to the way things were. This virus, is a 9/11 moment, where the world will forever be changed.” And it’s true. We are a different society, our world feels different.

But the reality is, throughout history we have seen that humanity always returns to a mundane existence even after great change. Remember the slogan after 9/11, “We will never forget?” We have. But life goes on living, and we adjust to what now becomes common place, to the new normal.

This same return to a mundane existence was with the women as they approached the tomb of Jesus that first Resurrection Sunday. One week prior, there were shouts of “Hosanna” in the streets. A new king was bringing an everlasting kingdom to the world. The Jews would finally be freed after centuries of being trampled underfoot. 

But four days later, the Romans put an end to that hope. Jesus, the one who was celebrated as this new Jewish king, was killed in the most vicious and isolating way possible. Crucified as a thief and mocked in his kingship.

Now, as the women approached Jesus’ tomb, the mundane of Roman oppression, the mundane of lost hope, the mundane of waiting for another Messiah, hung on their hearts. We might think, “No, they were waiting for his resurrection.” But that’s not the case. We’re told in Luke 24:1 that, “they went to the tomb with the spices they had prepared.”

Those spices, were to finish the burial ceremony of Jesus, that was so rushed just three days prior. The mundane reality of death and loss, hung heavy on them. Mundane, not that death is something we talk about flippantly, but mundane in the fact that it is the only constant of this life. 

The glorious change that they expected to happen when Jesus was made king, gave way as the women were making their way to the tomb. The mundane reality that they had come to except their beloved Jesus to radically change, lay dead before them in the tomb.

But as they approached the tomb, the mundane began to break yet again. The stone was already rolled away. The Roman guards seem to be gone. The tomb was empty, Jesus’ body was no where to be found. And then, two magnificently robed beings stood by them. The very presences of these two, sent the women into fear, and they fell down at the beings’ mercy.

Yet again, as one of the dazzling men spoke, the mundane shattered because of Jesus. “5 Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again (Luke 24:5-7).’ ”

The words shattered the women’s mundane world. Death had not won this day. Jesus, who was crucified, had indeed risen from the dead and now walked among the living. The words of Jesus, as spoken by these magnificent men, roared in their ears, and they returned to the other disciples. 

But these disciples were lost in their own mundaneness. Their hope, as was the women’s, shattered and the world around them returned to it’s regular paces. Even when the women entered the other disciples’ presence, the mundane was more real, than the experience that the women had. In fact, the disciples looked upon the women and their talk of Jesus raised from the dead, as ramblings, as wishful words of hysteric women.

All but two. Peter the one who had betrayed Jesus, by denying him three times, and John, who understood the love that Jesus had for him, but was powerless when Jesus was taken to the cross.

These two men ran out of the room towards the tomb. John arrived at the tomb first, but he stood outside as Peter entered in. There in the tomb was the burial cloth of Jesus neatly folded, but no body. Peter and John were amazed (Luke 24:12 & John 20:3-8). Could the mundane truly be broken? Could Jesus truly have been raised?

Later, Jesus would gather his disciples together and send them out to carry his gospel to the world. 

We are gathered today, because the mundane was broken almost 2,000 years ago. It’s really easy for us to look around with an expectation of the mundane. Even in this time of social turmoil, we desire the mundane. Where we can just back to our regular schedule. Back to doing things like we’ve always done them.

But Jesus calls us out of the mundane. Jesus calls us away from the things that are ever present in our view. Things like worry, distrust, anger, fear, self-focus. These things lead to the most mundane act that happens in this world, death. A tragic and horrendous occurrence that rocks our world, but then life goes on. Every generation before us, has gone on to the grave, and even when we’re confronted with the rattling of our mundane world with the reality of death, we still just accept it. We still continue in our mundaneness.

Yet, God calls us away from that acceptance. God calls us into the breaking of the mundane world, and into his life. A life that throws off the sins of this world. The focus on self, the worry that calls to us, the anger we hold towards others. God calls us to experience the resurrection daily in our lives. 

And we can only begin this journey, by accepting Jesus’ as our Savior. His death and resurrection are not a passing blip on human history. The world did not just keep moving forward as it always had. Kingdoms and nations were radically changed by this event. Jesus stands in the course of time, as the crux of everything. There is nothing in this world that hasn’t been touched by the work of Jesus. 

He calls us out of the mundane and into the work he has for us. The work of God that tells us that there is more to this world than the mundane. More to experiencing the creation, than we could ever imagine. More to loving others than we have ever done. More to ourselves that we could ever realize, because we are called to a relationship with our Creator. But it all begins at the empty tomb, because at the empty tomb the mundane is shattered. The one common event for every person, death, is broken and every day after it, the mundane can never truly be the same. Because Jesus is risen!

So where are we right now? Are we trapped in the mundane of life? Are we trapped in worry, anger, uncertainty, fear? Jesus has come to break through the mundane of these trappings, but we must come to the empty tomb. We must come to a realization of why there was a crucifixion, that we are sinners. We desire ourselves over others. We desire our life over God’s. And we follow what makes us happy, rather than God’s will. This is why Jesus had to die, because we have created a gulf between ourselves and God, that we cannot cross. But God can, Jesus came to us to build a bridge through the cross back to God. Back to the life that we were created to live. And the exit point of that bridge is the empty tomb. The empty tomb which leads to new life in God, where worry, fear, selfishness, and even death has no power over us. And the mundane things of this life, are renewed in the light of God’s work around us.

All we have to do is accept that the tomb was empty. A few years back, I took time and gave all the reasons why the tomb wasn’t empty on that first Resurrection Sunday. But all of them fell short. The tomb was historically empty, looking at the evidence, no one can deny that. So now we must make a choice, do I accept that Jesus is risen, or do I not? Do I accept the mundaneness of this life, and my ultimate destiny of everlasting death, or do I accept that Jesus shattered the mundane and that I can live a life that breaks every facet of the mundane?

The empty tomb lays bear before us, even now, calling us to make a choice that has eternal ramifications. We must deal with it. I have accepted that Jesus left that tomb. I accept this because of historical evidence, of philosophical evidence, and personal evidence. And each of us must ask ourselves what happened then?

If the tomb wasn’t empty and Jesus isn’t risen, then the mundane of this life will continue until the earth passes away into cosmic dust, as a mundane event that has no reason behind it. 

But if the tomb was empty because Jesus is indeed raised, then there will be a day, when Jesus returns and calls us to account of what our choice was with his empty tomb.

To the Christians here today, are you living in the reality that the empty tomb shattered the mundane. That you are called to share the gospel with those around you, before it’s to late for them? That no virus, or war, or anything else holds fear over you? Let today spur you onto praying for people to receive the gospel and to share it with them in the coming weeks. Stand firm in your trust in Jesus, and let it show to the world around you, that your Jesus broke the mundane of this world.

To the one who isn’t following Jesus, I want to call you to repentance. That means that you come to an understanding that you are, what God calls, a sinner. That means that you have fallen short from God’s perfection that you were created to uphold. You’re not alone, I am there with you. Each of us has fallen short of God’s perfection, because we go after our own wants rather than God’s. And by doing so, our lives reflect the destruction it brings. Even if one lie, or one angry thought passes from us, we have put ourselves away from God’s perfection. But that’s why Jesus had to come and die for us. God himself comes and dies for us, to bridge the gulf between God’s perfection and our sinfulness. Jesus took all our sin on himself, even though he didn’t deserve it, just so we could have the opportunity to come back to God. And this is that opportunity, and all we have to do is bow our heads and say something like this, “God I’m a sinner, and I am undeserving of the gift Jesus offers me through the cross. Jesus I accept the empty tomb, that you are risen. Come and save me, and guide me as I follow you the rest of the days of my life.”

If you prayed that prayer, then the mundane has shattered in your life. I would love to pray for you to be used by God as he created you to be used. To work with him to shatter other people’s mundane lives. Let us all look back at the empty and no longer live this life as if it’s simply mundane, but in the reality that God truly changed the world and there is no going back. Amen.

The March to The Resurrection Sermon Series - Week 4: One Hope - Revamped

  I don’t know if you did this growing up, but when I was in third grade, about nine years old, we lived in a small mountain community called Fiddletown. The house was on five acres of mountain slopes, was a two story, with two bedrooms, two bath, and a loft. My room was the loft. The kitchen was directly underneath me, and late at night I would make my way down the stairs for a bite to eat, or a drink of water. 

My parents’ room was on the second story with me, and I had to pass it by as I made my way down the stairs. In my mind I always thought, if I turn on the light, then they’ll know I’m awake. So, I worked really hard making my way down the stairs without the use of lights. And when your house is out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by trees that are taller than the building, its pitch black. 

Navigating down the stairs in complete darkness, remembering which steps made creeks and which ones didn’t was a skill that I developed over time. In fact, during the day, I would close my eyes and make my way down the stairs so that I could practice with the lights on. 

But every so often, I’d miss a step and go tumbling down the stairs. Luckily I never got seriously injured, and was never caught. But ever since then, I don’t tend to turn on lights if I don't’ have to. In our church building, in the pitch black of night, I make my way through the hallways and sanctuary, without ever turning on lights. People that walk with me, tend to turn on the flashlight on their phones, but for me, I’ve practiced not seeing so often, that I’ve become accustomed to walking through places that I know, as if I were blind.

It’s this idea of being okay with walking around as if we were blind, that brings us to our final week in our March towards the Resurrection Series. In this final week, we’re going to be jumping ahead in the book of Luke to the 24th chapter, where we’re going to be starting in verse 13. And as we open up to Luke 24:13, let’s bring this series into full focus by looking back on the last four weeks.

In these last several weeks, we’ve been focusing on interactions Jesus had as he made his way to Jerusalem. In the first week we saw parents trying to get their children to Jesus for a blessing. But the disciples were keeping the children and parents away, because they weren’t as important as other people. A person who was important enough, by their standards, to meet with Jesus, was a rich young man with a lot of respect in his town. But Jesus, rebuked the disciples for keeping the children from him, and through Jesus’ teachings, it was the rich young man that left without receiving a blessing from Jesus. We walked away from the first week with the understanding that God is calling us to seek his way humbly, that others may be blessed as we are.

The next interaction Jesus had, was with two men. The first was a blind beggar who sought a physical healing from Jesus. Jesus healed the man, and the crowd who saw it rejoiced at God’s work. The second man, was seeking to simply understand who Jesus was, but when he met Jesus, he realized his sin and gave up the wealth that he had spent his life trying to accumulate. This man received salvation that day, but the crowd had grumbled that Jesus would even interact with such a man. It was here that we understood, that God is calling us to not allow our personal biases to keep us from rejoicing at his work.

Finally, last week, we looked at three sequential events: The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, Jesus weeping over the city, and Jesus clearing out the temple. These three sequential events showed us what needs to happen in our own lives. We tend to want physical victories, just like the people as they heard Jesus’ coming to Jerusalem and thought he came to overthrow the Roman government. But Jesus wept over them, because they were missing what really needed to happen. Jesus had come to clear out sin from us, so that we may have a spiritual rebirth. And we walked away from last week with the understanding that God is calling all people to be cleansed of their sin, because at his return, there will be no more opportunities to enter his kingdom.

  This brings us, as we jump from chapter 19 to chapter 24 of the Gospel of Luke, to the resurrection. The very event we have been marching towards. And just like we’ve done in the weeks prior to today, we are going to look at one more interaction that Jesus after he was crucified and raised in a new glorified body. Let’s start reading in Luke chapter 24, in verse 13.

13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 

Now, I love this. Jesus is raised and one of the first things he does is find some disciples walking along, and kind of messes with them. “What are you discussing?” Jesus asks. “What things?” He asks, continuing playing dumb. As if he has no clue and needs to be told everything. But let’s notice somethings about this whole situation. 

First, these two disciples were walking away from Jerusalem. Why? We know that they had heard that Jesus rose from the dead. Why not hang around and see for themselves? Why leave when something amazing could be happening?

Could it be because they had lost hope? In verses 20 and 21 they reply to Jesus’ questions with, “… our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.”

It sounds like they had, past-tense, hoped that Jesus was the king, but when he was crucified they lost that hope. Even when people came and told them he had risen, they still were without hope. Couple this with the fact that they had left Jerusalem, it sounds like they were no longer confident that Jesus was what they had hoped he was, even with the possibly of his resurrection.

Now in verse 16, we get an interesting sentence. It says, “ But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.”

Now, I have read other people’s interpretation of this verse, and most people think that God is keeping them from seeing that it’s Jesus. But I don’t think that’s the case. From what we have just talked about, how they have lost their hope of Jesus becoming king, I think it’s their hopelessness that is keeping them from recognizing Jesus, and not God.

I mean listen to what Jesus tells them, starting in verse 25, “25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”

Jesus gets on them for their loss of hope, and he points out how they have not believed what God had spoken through the prophets. It’s because of their own hopelessness that they are unable to recognize Jesus standing before them. But it doesn’t end there. Let’s pick it back up in verse 28.

28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Did you catch that? It wasn’t until Jesus shared a meal with them, blessing it like he always did, that they woke up to this man sitting with them, who was indeed the risen Jesus! Notice what they say in verse 32, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”

I think this is something that we really need to recognize. As Jesus opened up the Scriptures to these two disciples, the hope rekindled inside of them, but they still did not recognize him. It’s almost as if they were wanting to recognize Jesus, but were fighting the thought of it. They allowed their loss of hope to be greater, than the Jesus in front of them.

It’s almost as if they were so used to being blind in hopelessness since Jesus’ crucifixion, that when they had an opportunity to see clearly, they couldn’t. Even when Jesus spoke hope to them through the Scriptures, they still couldn’t let go of their blindness, of their hopelessness.

Yet, at the moment they sat down for dinner with Jesus, the breaking of bread, the blinders came off. They were able to see and everything changed. They had spent the better part of the day walking away from Jerusalem, away from hope. They had reached their destination as the Sun set. But at the realization that Jesus was indeed resurrected, they left in the dark to return to Jerusalem, and back to their hope in Jesus.

And this is what God is calling us today, a return to hope. A return to him. With everything going on in our world, God is hope in troubled times. He is the only solid footing in times of great strife. God is the constant when everything is shifting around us and we don’t know what the next day will bring. 

God is calling all of us back to hope, and that hope can only be experienced through the risen Jesus. Who, even now, stands with us waiting for us to recognize him in our midst. We must dive into his word, the Bible. We must take time and enter communion with him, which we are going to do today. We must seek to recognize what he’s doing right now, and not allow the hopelessness of the world to send us away from the God of hope.

Today, if you do not know the hope that is in Jesus, I want to invite you into a personal relationship with him right now. And that personal hope-filled relationship starts with being honest. You and I are not perfect. We fail at a lot of things. One of the greatest failures we have done is to think we can do life on our own. God never made us to be like that. To stumble around in the dark, becoming accustomed to it. No, he created us to live our lives in tandem with him. Everyday at every moment, drawing our strength from him.

But we have gone our own way, indulging in what the Bible calls sin. Giving into anger, lying, gossip, breaking down others, sexual sin, and so much more. But this is the hope found in Jesus, God doesn’t leave us where we’re at, but provides a way to break loose from that sin which leads to hopelessness and death. Instead of a dead end in this life, he opens the path to a new destination that ends with his hope and life. 

And all we have to do is go before God, and admit we sin, recognizing Jesus’ death on the cross on our behalf, and accepting him as our Lord and Savior. If you hear the voice of God today and desire to move from hopelessness of this world, to the hope that is only found in Jesus, then repeat this prayer after me, “Jesus, I have sinned, and because of that I am hopeless, but you say you have given me hope through the cross and through your empty tomb. I accept that gift of hope, please be my Savior and my Lord that I may trust and follow you all the days of my life. Amen.”

My challenge for this week is write down those things you have which draw you to hopelessness, and bring them to the communion table. We’re goin to do something different today with communion. Instead of passing the bread and cup, we are goin to walk to the table, taking the piece of paper that contains those hopeless things, cast them before the cross and embrace the hope that is through Jesus. 

The bread represents his body, broken for the hopeless of sin, that we might not be broken for our own sin. The cup represents the blood of Jesus, which covers us in his forgiveness, and leviers us into his hope. 

Join me at the communion table, that we would be in relationship with Jesus, the only hope of the world. 

Let us celebrate today, that Jesus is alive, and is one day coming back, and that we may be found on our own road recognizing him as Savior. Amen.