Written Sermons

The Walk to Emmaus Part 3

This continues the study of the walk on the road to Emmaus where Jesus reveals and opens up scriptures to a couple of men troubled by the events concerning the death of Jesus on the cross. I'm sharing the scriptures I speculate He may have used.

Jeremiah 23:5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
7 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
8 But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.

Here again we have a prophecy of the return of Christ in the latter times. I wonder sometimes why prophecy was given this way. Some referring to His first coming and some referring to His coming to set up His kingdom. Perhaps it is only those that are seeking understanding with the right heart and motive will understand and those that just want to use the knowledge for evil and fault finding, will not understand. When we truly seek, we will find. The half hearted and unbelieving will not understand. Those men on the road to Emmaus probably rejoiced to hear this prophecy. Israel's final destination is good. They have a hope and a future and all those that have come to Christ both Jews and Gentiles have the same final future.

Now we go to another prophet, Daniel who was interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the latter days found in Daniel chapter 2. It concerned the nations and kings from Daniel's day until the return of Christ. The stone represents Jesus Himself.

Daniel 2:34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

He is returning to set up His kingdom. What a day that will be. This is what Israel was expecting at His first coming, which is why they missed the reason He came the first time. He was not to usher in the literal kingdom at that time but to usher in the way to the kingdom. First He had to die for sins, make a way for all to be saved including Gentiles, and baptize believers in the Holy Spirit.

Jesus first had to redeem lost mankind back to the Father. When Adam failed to obey God in the beginning, the whole human race was in danger of being lost and separated from God who created them. All was lost when sin entered the world. Jesus became a human man to live until adulthood yet without committing one sin. When He was killed, He was able to suffer the punishment of death caused by sin but the thing is, Jesus did not ever sin so His payment for sin can count for all human beings that believe in Him and what He did on our behalf. Jesus also instructed all believers to go into all the world and preach this same gospel to all who would hear.

Daniel 2:44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

The prophet Micah also prophesied of this coming king.

Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

He was to be born in Bethlehem from the tribe of Judah fulfilling the prophecy of Jacob in the book of Genesis. Jesus preexisted with the Father and will continue forever.

Zechariah 3:8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.
9 For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

The Messiah, the Christ is referred to here in Zechariah as the branch. At His return, He removes the iniquity of Israel in one day. When one is born again by His Spirit, individuals who come to Him for salvation will experience the same thing. Their sin is removed at the same hour or day when they come to Christ. They do not have to earn it. It has already been paid for by Christ's death on the cross.

Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

Now we see another prophecy in Zechariah where those who seek God for understanding can recognize the Savior back at His first coming. This literally happened. This was literally fulfilled when Jesus rode upon an ass when He entered Jerusalem. At that time He was praised and welcomed at that time but that sooned changed.

Matthew 21:1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.
3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

They later turned against Him when evil men stirred up the crowds against Him but first scripture is fulfilled and they spread palm branches in the streets.

Matthew 21:6And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

Again in Zechariah we see another prophesy fulfilled in

Zechariah 13:7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.

Jesus Himself mention this prophecy at the night of His crucifixion, later they were all scattered until after His resurrection when He revealed Himself to them again.

Matthew 26:31 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.

Malachi also prophecies of the coming of one that prepares the way for the coming of Christ which all nations who receive Him will be blessed fulfilling the promise given to Abraham recorded in the book of Genesis. John the Baptist was the forerunner who announced the one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit.

Malachi 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

As Jesus finished expounding the scriptures that told of His coming and the events of that day being fulfilled, they came close to the village and was asked to stay and eat. Afterward He vanished out of their sight when they eyes were opened. We might say that their spiritual eyes were open when they recognized who He was right before He vanished. He left when the purpose of the walk to Emmaus was fulfilled.

Luke 24:28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

Their hearts burned within them while Jesus expounded the scriptures. I've experienced that before when someone was teaching the word or preaching the word under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. I would sit on the edge of my seat in anticipation, drinking in every word as my heart burned with joy at hearing a word from the Lord. The word of God is powerful, life changing and very real. I pray that many others would return to the first love of studying and receiving the word of God diligently. There are many other scriptures in the Old Testament that foretell of the coming of Jesus.

Dorna