Luke 24 (and other texts)
Easter Sunday Morning, 12 April, 1998
INTRO: So there was this tightrope walker, who did incredible aerial feats. All over Paris, he would do tightrope acts at tremendously scary heights. Then he had succeeding acts; he would do it blindfolded, then he would go across the tightrope, blindfolded, pushing a wheelbarrow. An American promoter read about this in the papers and wrote a letter to the tightrope walker, saying, "Tightrope, I don't believe you can do it, but I'm willing to make you an offer. For a very substantial sum of money, besides all your transportation fees, I would like to challenge you to do your act over Niagara Falls."
Now, Tightrope wrote back, "Sir, although I've never been to America and seen the Falls, I'd love to come." Well, after a lot of promotion and setting the whole thing up, many people came to see the event. Tightrope was to start on the Canadian side and come to the American side. Drums roll, and he comes across the rope which is suspended over the treacherous part of the falls -- blindfolded!! And he makes it across easily.
The crowd goes wild, and he comes to the promoter and says, "Well, Mr. Promoter, now do you believe I can do it?"
"Well of course I do. I mean, I just saw you do it." "No," said Tightrope, "do you really believe I can do it?"
"Well of course I do, you just did it."
"No, no, no," said Tightrope, "do you believe I can do it?"
"Yes," said Mr. Promoter, "I believe you can do it."
"Good," said Tightrope, "then you get in the wheel barrow."
We are a people who, by and large, have a hard time with faith. We say we believe - we say we have faith but when it comes down to it, we have a hard time living like we do.
BACKGROUND: The disciples were really not that much different. They had been told on many occasions by Jesus Himself that He would be killed and then rise from dead on the third day. They were told just exactly how things were going to turn out. But when it was all said and done, they did not believe it when it actually happened.
All through the gospel narratives surrounding the resurrection it is recorded that they did not believe it. And as I study the different gospel accounts I have observed 6 obstacles that got in the way of them really believing that Jesus had risen from the dead - six obstacles that I believe are even common among many of us.
t.s. the first obstacle was simply....
The word used to here describe the unbelief of the disciples here actually means "to disbelieve or refuse to believe." The women had come from the tomb and reported all that they had seen. But the disciples all refused to believe what they were hearing.
The fact that they were so reluctant and refusing to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead is proof that they had not fabricated the story or were hallucinating. There was just this part of them that refused to believe the truth of what they were hearing and even seeing.
Even after Peter and John went to the tomb and saw that the Lord was not there, they still had a hard time believing. There had to be another explanation. Application: But aren't we the same way? There are just some things that we refuse to believe about God and His Word and the way He works in our lives and in this world.
Some people just refuse to believe the truth of the gospel. They refuse to believe that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. They just refused to believe that apart from God's saving grace, they don't have a prayer. Some people just refuse to believe salvation is something that is totally unmerited and that it is totally a work that God does in us.
There was an obvious refusal to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead - maybe because they just didn't want to be disappointed. But maybe there was another obstacle....an obstacle that some many even today deal with....
Good old doubting Thomas! Thomas has already been portrayed as being a loyal follower of Christ but one who was pessimistic. And here we can see his pessimistic side. He was really having a hard time with all of this stuff about Jesus being risen from the dead. He had seen Him die and be put in a cold dark tomb. And he did not see Him come out of the tomb. So he wanted some evidence to prove that Jesus had actually risen from the dead. He would not settle for word of mouth. He was not about to stake his life and faith on the words some babbling women. He wanted proof. If he couldn't see Jesus with his own eyes and touch Him with his own hands he just could not buy it. And even though Jesus did not rebuke him but compassionately offered him the proof he was looking for, it was this demand for proof that was an obstacle to him believing in the resurrection of his Lord.
The demand for proof can be a real stumbling block! Illustration: I'm sure you've heard the one about the man who fell off a cliff, but managed to grab a tree limb on the way down. As he is hanging there from this small limb about to drop into this deep chasm, he yells out:
"Is anybody up there?"
"I am here. It's me the Lord. Do you believe me?"
"Yes, Lord, I believe. I really believe, but I can't hang on much longer."
"That's all right, if you really believe you have nothing to worry about. I will save you. Just let go of the branch."
A moment of pause, then: "Is anyone else up there?" (Bits & Pieces, June 24, 1993, Page 3 )
In other words, if I can't see you, then no deal! If I can't get some kind of sign, then no there is no way I am going to step out in faith - there is no way that I am going to let go of this branch.
It is pretty obvious that the apostles and everyone else was very confused in all of this. There was so much that did not make sense.
Here in verse four we are told that the women at the tomb were greatly perplexed by all they were witnessing. The word used for perplexed means "to be at a loss, in doubt and uncertain." And then when these same women returned from the tomb to where the disciples were, the talk that Luke says was coming from them about what they had seen is described as idle talk.
The word used here means simply that - idle talk or nonsense. It also refers to an empty tale. It is used in medical language of the wild talk of the sick during delirium."
There was so much that they did not understand. Even after they had been told that this would happen - even though they remembered the words that Jesus had spoke to them about this very event, their lack of understanding kept them from fully believing the fact that Jesus had actually risen from the dead.
Application: What is it that you don't understand that is getting in the way of your faith?
If it is necessary for understanding to come before faith, then what is the point in having faith. It was not meant for any of us to understand everything. God does not owe us explanations about what we face in life and about His sovereign work in this world. All He asks of us is to simply trust Him and believe that He is in control and that He will do all that He has promised us in His Word.
These guys on the Road to Emmaus were obviously struggling with this whole ordeal to the point that they had really come to a point of despair. It was a despair that was even obvious by their countenance. Jesus mentions that they had a look of sadness. Their countenance displayed a look of gloom, morose, and dejection. And they even speak here in verse 21 of a lost hope. Their hope had been that the Messiah would usher in His earthly kingdom. And when Jesus was crucified their hopes had been dashed and they probably began struggling with doubts about Him ever even being the Messiah. And all this was effecting their faith.
Despair has a good way of getting in the way of believing that God is in control of a situation. Despair has a way of getting in the way of believing that God will do what He said He will do.
Life has a way of throwing all kinds of troubles and predicament in our lap but somewhere in the midst of it all, we can't lose hope. For when we lose hope, it is hard to have the faith that we need to survive.
The question Jesus asks these men tells me that they were dealing with a certain amount of fear. He asks them why they were troubled.
The word trouble means "to stir up, to disturb, to unsettle, and throw into confusion. In the passive voice as it is used here it means to be troubled, frightened and even terrified." The despair and loss of hope had resulted in fear.
But what kind of fear could they be dealing with? Maybe the kind that causes one to say, "What are we going to do now?" It is the fear of the unknown. After all, the One that they had pledged their lives to was dead. Their hopes of being part of the earthly Messianic kingdom had been dashed. Now what? And then there was the authorities who had killed their Master and now might come after them to make sure this movement they had been involved in was put to a stop once and for all. Maybe their hearts were troubled and frightened because they just didn't know what they were going to do.
Application: The unknown and not knowing what to do next can be a real problem - can't it. Maybe that's why so many people are turning to the Psychic Friends Network rather than putting their trust and faith in God. Maybe that's why so many people turn to the horoscope every morning rather than turning to the Lord. We want to know what is going to happen next. We want to know how everything is going to turn out. And when we come up empty handed, we get a little uneasy.
It is certainly hard to have faith under these kinds of circumstances - but God has called us to have trust in Him regardless of the circumstances. Even when it seems hopeless - even when it seems like the situation cannot possibly work out for the good.
These guys were all a mess. Not only were they dealing with all kinds of emotions but Jesus points out that part of their problem is that of a hard, stubborn, and abstinent heart.
It is almost like Jesus was saying, "How could you not believe? After all I have shared with you - after all that I told you to prepare you for this day, how could you not believe?"
And maybe He is saying the same kinds of things to you and me? How can you not believe and trust in Me? Isn't what I told you in My Word enough?
The great preacher Charles Spurgeon says this about faith: "I would recommend you either believe God up to the hilt, or else not to believe at all. Believe this book of God, every letter of it, or else reject it. There is no logical standing place between the two. Be satisfied with nothing less than a faith that swims in the deeps of divine revelation; a faith that paddles about the edge of the water is poor faith at best. It is little better than a dry-land faith, and is not good for much."
CONCLUSION: So let me ask you, what is in the way of your faith?
Illustration: In 1893, engineer George Ferris built a machine that bears his name--the Ferris wheel. When it was finished, he invited a newspaper reporter to accompany him and his wife for the inaugural ride. It was a windy July day, so a stiff breeze struck the wheel with great force as it slowly began its rotation. But despite the wind, the wheel turned flawlessly. After one revolution, Ferris called for the machine to be stopped so that he, his wife, and the reporter could step out. In braving that one revolution on the windblown Ferris wheel, each occupant demonstrated genuine faith.
Mr. Ferris began with the scientific knowledge that the machine would work and that it would be safe.
Mrs. Ferris and the reporter believed the machine would work on the basis of what the inventor had said.
But only after the ride could it be said of all three that they had personal, experiential faith.
Do you believe what God has said in His Word to be true? Do you believe every word of it? Does your life reflect that kind of faith?