Promise Fulfilled

This morning’s message ends our series on how Jesus was broken for us. Last week on Easter Sunday, John Farmer quickly went through Luke 24 to show us the convincing proofs that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead. This morning I am going to focus on some of these same verses with an emphasis on what God the Father had promised, how it was fulfilled back then, and how it is still being fulfilled today.

Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.

He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

“What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel—Luke 24:13-21a

This word redeem is a Greek word meaning deliver. Notice how the Jews were waiting for a deliverer like Moses who delivered them from Pharaoh and the slavery to the Egyptians, only in this case they were hoping to be delivered from Caesar and the slavery to the Romans.

And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning, but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”—Luke 24:21b-39

Jesus’ glorified body is still going to have scars for all eternity. Isaiah 49:15-16 says:

Can a woman forget her nursing child

And have no compassion on the son of her womb?

Even these may forget, but I will not forget you.

Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;

Your walls are continually before Me.

Back to Luke 24:

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.—Luke 24:40-43

Now this is important, because when we have glorified bodies we will still eat and drink just like Jesus did after He received His glorified body.

He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Our message title comes from here.

When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.—Luke 24:44-53

Now what kind of worship was this?  I speculate that this was worship in truth but only in the flesh not in the spirit.  For they had witnessed the crucifixion and Jesus’s death on the cross and they had seen Jesus raised from the dead in bodily form and seen him eating fish and had seen Him ascend into heaven and He said He was the Son of God.  These were facts and these fact were undeniable truths.  Now worshiping in truth is only half of what Jesus told the woman at the well.

Remember we read in John where Jesus was addressing the Samaritan woman:

Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”—John 4:21-24

We read another account in Acts of Jesus telling the disciples about the gift that God the Father had promised.

After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” —Acts 1:3-8

So we see that Jesus said that he was going to send them what His Father had promised and this promise would involve three things.

1. It would involve a Baptism

2. It would involve Power

3. It would involve the Holy Spirit

Did that happen?  Yes it did.  When?  On the Day of Pentecost. Pentecost is the Greek name for Shavuot, which is was the annual spring harvest festival of the Israelites, so there would have been lots of people in Jerusalem for the festival that would be witnesses to this power. Luke records it in Acts 2:

When the day of Pentecost came; they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”—Acts 2:1-12

So all three elements of the Father’s promise have been delivered to Jesus’ disciples.  They could from this point and worship the Father both in spirit and truth.  So what does that look like and how is it different from the way the way Jesus’s disciples worshiped the Father before they received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?  Well, they could now worship the Father wherever they are.  They no longer had to travel to Jerusalem to worship Him in the temple there like they did before.

Paul explains what this new worship looks like in Romans 12:1

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

So what is an example of a person that is a living sacrifice that is pleasing to God?

One who encourages.

One who contributes to the needs of others.

One who gives generously.

One who shows mercy cheerfully.

One who hates what is evil and clings to what is good.

One that is devoted to others in brotherly love.

One that honors others above themselves.

One who keeps their spiritual fervor while serving the Lord.

One that is joyful in hope.

One who is patient in affliction.

One who is faithful in prayer.

One that shares with God’s people who are in need.

One who practices hospitality.

One that blesses those who persecute them instead of cursing them.

One who rejoices with those who rejoice.

One who mourns with those who mourn.

One who lives in harmony with others.

One who is not proud, but is willing to associate with people of low position.

One who is not conceited.

One who does not repay anyone evil for evil.

One who is careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 

One who as far as it depends on them, lives at peace with everyone.  

One who feeds their enemy and gives their enemy something to drink when they are thirsty.

One who is not overcome by evil, but overcomes evil with good.

One who has the Holy Spirit and power that the Father promised to send.  

In short, a living and holy sacrifice that is pleasing to God is a person who has both the Holy Spirit and the power that the Father promised to send, and who lives his or her life in such a way that it bears the family resemblance of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Before we pray, I just want to give a reminder that this Thursday, May 2, is the National Day of Prayer. God tells us in II Chronicles 7:14-16: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.”

The Father has fulfilled His promise of sending the Holy Spirit to live in each of His adopted children; His Name is in our bodies forever and His eyes and His heart will always be in us.  These new temples are not made by human will or with human hands, but are made by the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit. 

Still we must obey these verses and humble ourselves and pray and seek His face and turn from our wicked ways if we want Him to heal our nation.  Remember His eyes are always open toward us and His ears are always attentive to the prayers that we offer.

In light of the National Day of Prayer, the church will be open from 9am to 5pm on Thursday for all who wish to join other believers in humbling themselves, praying, seeking His face, and turning from their sinful ways in order that our nation may be healed by God the Father.