“Recognizing Christ” (Luke 24:13-35)

Luke 24:13-35

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Abraham Bloemaert, 1622

Pastor Tom Johnson, April 23, 2023

Two of Jesus’ disciples are walking away from Jerusalem—where Jesus had just been crucified, died, and was buried. They are on a seven mile walk to Emmaus. They are talking about what they thought was the tragic end of Jesus of Nazareth. That’s when Jesus shows up. They’re prevented from recognizing him. Jesus asks what they’re talking about. They stop walking, overcome with sadness. They are amazed this stranger from Jerusalem would not know about what just happened. Jesus plays along. “What things?” The disciples of Jesus use his earthly name: Jesus of Nazareth. “We had hoped,” they said. “We had hoped that he was the Messiah—the one to deliver God’s people from Roman occupation.” Their hopes were dashed. Instead, Rome and the Judean authority crucified Jesus. But there are rumors from the women who saw angels who said he is alive. All throughout this conversation they do not recognize Jesus. Jesus has been walking right next to them, talking to them, and totally alive all along.

Jesus still does not reveal himself. They still do not recognize that it is Jesus. Instead, Jesus reveals himself through a seven mile walk through the Bible. It probably took them several hours reach Emmaus. Beginning in the beginning, Jesus shows how all Scripture in Hebrew Bible points to Jesus as the Christ. Jesus shows that he is not merely Jesus of Nazareth. He is the Eternal Christ. He is the Alpha and Omega. He is the beginning and end. He is the Christ for all time and in all places. Jesus is the eternal Word. “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of all people.” Jesus is the light that came before the “Let there be light” moment. Jesus is the Christ who walks in the Garden after Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit. He pursues them after they disobey God. He comes and promises the Christ who will one day crush the serpent’s head, defeat sin, evil, and death. Jesus is the Christ who appears to Abraham and Sarah and promises them their people will become a great nation and through them bless all the families of the earth. Jesus is promised descendent of Judah, the promised descendent of King David, and the promised suffering servant that the prophet Isaiah talked about: “All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to their own way, but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall upon him.” So the Old Testament spoke of him who would die and rise again for the life of the world. Everywhere we look in the Old Testament, we will recognize Christ. 

The disciples who walked with Jesus and heard his teaching said, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us, while he was opening the Scriptures?” That warm glow deep within their hearts is the Spirit of Christ. It’s the Holy Spirit who gives us peace that transcends our human comprehension. Jesus the Christ is physically walking beside them. Jesus the Christ is also dwelling richly in their hearts by the Word of God, by the Holy Spirit, and by the gift of their faith. They recognized Jesus in the Scripture and their hearts fill with Christ’s love by the Holy Spirit. When Jesus breaks bread and prays, their eyes are fully opened and they recognize Jesus in the Bread and Wine of Holy Communion.

In a poem by Mary Stevenson, she shares a dream of her walking on the beach with the Lord. Her life flashes across the sky. In every scene of her life, she sees footprints in the sand. In some scenes there are two sets of footprints—hers and the Lord’s. She is alarmed that in the most difficult periods of her life she sees only one set. She cries out to God. “You promised to walk with me always. In my most difficult days there were only one set of footprints in the sand. When I needed you most, you were not there for me!” The Lord replied, “The times when you have seen only one set of footprints, is when I carried you.” So Jesus walks with us. So Jesus carries us through our difficulties by his Word and Spirit and by his Body and Blood.  I want all of us—I pray that all of us experience this burning deep within the core of our souls—that our hearts would attune and resonate with the eternal Christ—that he who dwells in all creation—all history—will dwell richly in our hearts.

Our road to Emmaus is right here and now. Though we do not immediately see him, Christ joins our conversations about faith and life. He intercedes with his prayers. He brings Holy Scripture into our lives. He sends the Holy Spirit to open our minds and hearts so that our hearts will burn with joy and love for him. He sets a table before us in the presence of our enemies. He anoints our heads with oil. Our cups run over. He blesses and breaks the bread. He says, “Take eat, this is my Body, broken for you.” He blesses and passes the cup. He says, “Drink of it all of you, this is the New Testament in my blood given for the forgiveness of sins.” So we recognize Jesus—the Christ. He lives to fulfill all of Scripture. He lives since before his creation of the Universe. He lives throughout all redemptive history. He lives in our fellowship. He lives in the Word read and preached. He lives in our prayers. He lives in our celebration of Holy Communion.

He lives to grant me rich supply;

He lives to guide me with his eye;

He lives to comfort me when faint;

He lives to hear my soul’s complaint

He lives to silence all my fears;

He lives to wipe away my tears;

He lives to calm my troubled heart;

He lives all blessings to impart.

          (“I Know that My Redeemer Lives” LBW 352, vv. 3-4)

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

“With Fear and Great Joy” (Matthew 28:1-10)

Matthew 28:1-10

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Holy Women at Christ's Tomb by Annibale Carraci, 1590

Pastor Tom Johnson, April 9, 2023

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary go to the tomb with great fear. Just a few days earlier, they saw Jesus publicly and brutally executed by Roman soldiers. It’s a courageous thing they do—to overcome their fear and go to the tomb guarded by Roman soldiers. Their only protection is to go under the cover of darkness. An earthquake adds to their fear along the way. They do not know it yet, but the earthquake is from an angel rolling away the stone from the mouth of the tomb. When they arrive, they likely expected to see the shadowy outline of Roman soldiers. Instead, they find an angel whose appearance is like lightning—bright enough to burn their retinas. Another thing to add to their fear.

The women find the Roman soldiers who were supposed to be guarding the tomb flattened on the ground by the angel and the fear that paralyzed them. The angel greets the women. “Do not be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.” The angel’s charge is also frightening. “Go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead…he is going ahead of you to Galilee.’” Why doesn’t the angel send the message himself? He does a spectacular job of getting people’s attention.

God calls these frightened women to a frightening mission: to tell a group of men who easily dismiss news from women. Luke’s Gospel said that they considered their message to be an idle tale and didn’t believe them (Lk 24:11). Public speaking is frightening enough. Even though the women suspect the men will think their message is a lie and a delusional story, they go as the angel commands. They obey and go quickly. They go with fear. They run with great joy.

Not long ago, I discovered the emotion wheel. It’s a chart that helps identify primary emotions. It has helps people express how they are feeling. I guess I should have known, but it surprised me that it’s normal to feel more than one emotion at a time—even emotions that seem to be contradictory—like fear and joy. There it is in Scripture: As Mary and Mary run to preach the Easter message, they are filled with fear and great joy. 

What is it in this moment that fills you with fear? What are your worries, anxieties, and fears? What traumatic memories haunt you? What horrific sight did you see like the crucifixion the women saw just days before? What abuse of power or miscarriage of justice have you witnessed like the women witnessed? What deafening thunder and earthquake shakes the ground out from underneath you? Is there the loss of a loved one weighing heavy upon you as the women who who grieved the loss of Jesus?

Go with the women into the graveyard. Take your sorrows and fears to the tomb of Jesus. Cast all your cares upon him, because he cares for you. We will not find more death there. We will find that the tomb is empty—not to let Jesus out—but to let us in. It is there God will surprise us with his angelic message of hope. The resurrection meets us in our fears today as it did for these two dear women—Mary Magdalene and the other Mary. Some of our fears are unrealized. Some of our fears are taken away. The resurrection may even introduce new fears. But all of our fears are met with the same great joy as the women. In the midst of all the sorrow, anxiety, and dread it is God’s will and delight that we experience even greater joy. There will always be things that will compete with our joy.

Here we are this Easter morning with various fears threatening to sour our joy. But did you notice the intensifier? It’s not on fear but on joy—great joy. “Greater is he who is within you than he who is in the world.” Greater the joy in your heart than the fear that infects the world! God knocked a few Roman soldiers down with the mere appearance of an angel. That’s to remind us that God is not only all powerful but also has a sense of humor. So the resurrected Christ dealt a death blow to evil, sin, and even death itself. 

The angel promises the women that Jesus will go ahead of them. They run with fear and great joy. They meet the resurrected Christ along the way. So Jesus goes ahead of us, behind us, and beside us. So we meet Jesus along the way. We find the resurrected Christ among his people, in his Word, Baptism, and Holy Communion. Jesus says one word to the women: “Greetings!” which is based on the Greek word rejoice! Joy-filled Jesus playfully and joyfully greets them. Their fear melts into reverential awe and profound joy. They fall at his feet and worship. Jesus sends them and us off with the same charge: Tell others the good news that he is risen!

Lo, Jesus meets you, risen from the tomb!
Lovingly he greets you, scatters fear and gloom;
Let his church with gladness, hymns of triumph sing,
For the Lord now lives; death has lost its sting!
Yours is the glory, risen, conquering Son;
Endless is the victory, You over death have won!
          (“Thine is the Glory” LBW 145, v. 2)

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

“Rejected” (Matthew 26–27)

Matthew 26–27

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The Taking of Christ (1602) by Caravaggio

Pastor Tom Johnson, April 2, 2023

In this long and heavy reading, we journey with Jesus and his disciples from the night he was betrayed to his crucifixion and death. 

One of Jesus’ twelve disciples—Judas Iscariot—betrays Jesus. He is disagreeable with Jesus because of the very costly ointment lavishly poured over his head. Judas argues that it should have been sold and given to the poor. Jesus does not live up to his expectations. Judas’ outspoken priority was for the poor. His unspoken priority, as the one in charge of the money, was to pilfer the money for himself—just a little bit each day so that no one would notice him lining his own pockets. So Judas rejects Jesus.

Jesus does not live up to the expectations of the Pharisees and Sadducees, The religious authority. They want a Messiah who follows all their rules—to fit in their little box. They don’t want a Messiah who constantly blows their minds and throws them off their rigid center. So they too reject Jesus.

The Jerusalem crowds greet Jesus with the word “Hosanna” which means “Save us.” They want Messiah to militarily deliver them from Roman occupation and politically save them from corrupt leadership. Jesus does not live up to their expectations. His Kingdom is not of this world. So the Jerusalem mobs reject him. The crowd who once cried “Hosanna! Hosanna!” now is a mob shouting out “Crucify! Crucify!” Jesus is rejected by his own people.

Jesus does not live up to the expectations of the Romans—Pontius Pilate and the soldiers. They expect a religious zealot bent on their murderous overthrow. They expect a liar or a lunatic who has delusions of grandeur. And so they mock him, punch him, spit upon him, and put a sign with a sick joke above his head: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” So they too reject Jesus and almost scourge him to death. 

Jesus does not live up to the world’s expectations. The world mocks Jesus while he is crucified—even those crucified with him. “Save yourself if you are the Son of God!” “Save yourself if you are the true King!” “Save yourself and us!” Ironically, that is exactly what Jesus was doing. They reject the Savior of the world.

We live in a time when we can return just about any item we purchase if it does not live up to our expectations. We will give a product or a company a bad review if we are dissatisfied. It seems that is in our power to accept or reject things.  

Does Jesus live up to your and my expectations? Did we wish for a prosperity teacher that would guarantee good health and line our pockets with wealth? Do we get frustrated when Jesus does not fit into our little box? Do we reject him and forsake his perplexing but gracious work in our lives? Do we get frustrated because of who Jesus allows to become president or governor? Or who he allows to be your boss? Or who he allows to serve and work under your authority? Do we have the faith to accept disappointment but also to trust that through the chaos and confusion Jesus will do his gracious work? Do we get frustrated with Jesus’ humanity and humility—that he does not just write his Word in the sky? That he does not just come down from his heavenly throne to stop war-mongering nations, corrupt political leaders, toxic bosses, and abusive spouses?

In our reading today, Jesus experiences the rejection of male and female, Jew and Gentile, and slave and free. He is rejected by all humanity. He sees rejection in the hateful scowls, raised fists, and instruments of torture and death. He hears rejection in the mockery, accusations, and taunts. He smells rejection in the sour wine raised up on a stick. He feels the rejection in his body—the punches, thorns, whips, and the nails. Emotionally, Jesus feels forsaken by his Heavenly Father: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” But at the same time he knows he is not forsaken. He is not abandoned by God. It is not what he deserved. He is not rejected. With confidence and finality, Jesus says, “Into your hands I commit my spirit.” So Jesus breathes his last and yields his spirit to the Father. Jesus is received by God the Father. It is what he deserved—as the spotless Lamb. He is accepted. 

Jesus answers our prayers of Hosanna—“O Lord, save us!” Jesus saves us from our sin, the devil, and even death itself. He takes it all to the Cross. He forgives us even when we do not know what we are doing. We truly do not know what we are doing when we sin and reject him. He forgives us and sets us free from guilt and condemnation. It is not what we deserve. Although we do not live up to God’s holy and righteous expectations, he accepts us. When we feel rejected by others, even God or ourselves, we have the assurance that we are accepted by God. Jesus faced rejection for us to gain our acceptance—he purchased us—not with gold and silver—but with his own precious blood. Just as God the Father received Jesus into his hands so he receives us into his hands and his eternal Kingdom. 

O seed of Israel's chosen race
Now ransomed from the fall,
Hail him who saves you by his grace
And crown him Lord of all.
Hail him who saves you by his grace
And crown him Lord of all.
                (“All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name!” LBW 328, v. 3)