How to Move from Depression to Joy. (Luke 24: 13-32)
Part and parcel of life involves experiencing disappointment sometimes.
It starts when we're very young; children get disappointed. But we all experience disappointments. Now, as a rule, when that happens, we have a tendency to get over it. Time tends to erase some of those disappointments.
We just move on, forget it, and begin to take on the future again.
But there are times when we need to deal with disappointments a little differently, and maybe more times than we are aware of.
So, what I want to do tonight is talk about a certain kind of disappointment, a disappointment that's built on wrong expectations.
When we get disappointed because of our expectations, at that point, we can become discouraged, sad.
However what I want to do is talk about how you can take that kind of disappointment and actually become excited about it. You can move from sadness to gladness with one simple little principle, and that's what I want us to unearth tonight as we dig into this scripture.
So welcome to TBPDP.
Today we are going to read together a rather well-known story about two men who on the day of the resurrection were walking from Jericho to Jerusalem and these guys are very discouraged.
So what I wanted to do is just sort of trace their steps so to speak and first I want us to see how disappointed and perplexed they are.
So, turn with me to Luke chapter 24, where I'm going to begin reading with verse 13. Luke chapter 24, verse 13.
On the Road to Emmaus.
13: Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14: They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15: As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16: but they were kept from recognizing him. 17: He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. 18: One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19: “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. 20: The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him.
(Luke 24: 13-20)
So, let's begin at verse the start. It says there were two men on the same day as the resurrection, they were going from Jerusalem to Emmaus, and then it tells us it was 7 miles.
Now, that's an interesting little detail we'll come back to later.
So, they were just leaving Jerusalem apparently, and they were headed home to Emmaus and they’re talking, about all the things that had happened.
Now, "all the things" throws us back into the first part of this chapter and no doubt includes things even in chapter 23.
So, specifically, they were talking about the crucifixion. They indicate that in what they say later in the passage. They were talking about the fact that the women went to the tomb and found it empty. They mentioned that later in the passage and they will even mentioned the fact that Peter and John went to the tomb and found that what the women had said was true, but they didn't see the Lord. So, these are the kinds of things that they were talking about.
Verse 15 says, "So while they were talking and reasoning among themselves." Now, that's critical. It's critical for this reason: What were they expecting?
Did they believe Jesus was the Messiah? Yes.
So, what were they expecting the Messiah to do? Set up a Kingdom. And now, instead of him setting up a Kingdom, he gets crucified.
So, when it says they were talking about all of this and reasoning, they were no doubt trying to figure out how in the world if he was the Messiah, had got crucified, how in the world did he work all these miracles, and he didn't, to use their language, redeem Israel, set up the Kingdom? They were really confused.
So, while they're walking and talking, verse 15 tells us Jesus himself shows up, joins them, and just walks with them. And verse 16 says, ": but they were kept from recognizing him."
There are all kinds of speculation as to how that happened. Maybe the Lord did it but I think there are many possible explanations from the intervention of God or just perhaps they were walking toward the sun and it blinded them.
Perhaps they were just not paying a lot of attention, and besides that, they were very discouraged and down in the mouth, and they probably wouldn't have expected much anyway.
At any rate, whatever the explanation, they didn't realize who it was.
So, verse 17 says, "He said to them, what are you discussing together as you walk along?'" Now, they were clearly, disappointed, and the disappointment had led to sadness.
But before we get to that, I just want to point out something. He asked them a question. Did you notice that?
He asked them why they were saying that, so he starts with a question.
Obviously, they don't know who he is, and they are discouraged.
And they reply "Are you the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard happened there recently? I mean, this is the talk of the town, and you don't know what's going on."
But then, Jesus asked a second question, "What things?" Now, do you think he knew? But he says, "What things?" And they unloaded everything. They tell him about everything that has happened, they say in verse 19, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet and who did all kinds of miracles and taught great things before God and all the people. But, the chief priests, our rulers, delivered him over to the Romans to be condemned to death, and the Romans crucified him. But we were hoping..." Ah, stop!
And here friends is their their expectation. So, you need to note that they were sad in verse 17, but in verse 21 it reveals what they where hoping for.
21: But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22: In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23: but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24: Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.” 25: He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26: Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27: And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
(Luke 24: 21-27)
That it was he who was going to redeem Israel and what they meant by that is kick the Romans out and set up Kingdom.
Their confusion and depression arose from their shattered expectations. They believed Jesus was the Messiah, but they were disappointed because they expected him to establish a kingdom, not suffer and die.
Jesus chided them for their lack of understanding of the Scriptures, emphasizing that the Messiah had to suffer before entering glory. This misunderstanding stemmed from their selective belief in the prophecies.
They acknowledged Jesus' miracles but disregarded the prophesied suffering.
The rabbis of the time similarly struggled to reconcile the Messiah's suffering with his kingship. They viewed him as both the son of Joseph, who would suffer, and the son of David, who would reign. Thus, Jesus taught them the necessity of his suffering by explaining Old Testament prophecies, but they couldn't put those two things together.
These two men believed in the Messiah's reign but didn't grasp the concept of his suffering, a crucial aspect of Scripture they choose to overlook.
Jesus then embarked on a remarkable journey of instruction, beginning with Moses, and continuing through all the prophets, expounding on the Scriptures concerning himself. Imagine being part of that Bible class! The distance they covered, about 7 miles, suggests to me it probably lasted for around two hours—a significant teaching session.
So, if I can be so bold let me just step into this virtual Bible class that I believe Jesus taught that day.
He is starting with Genesis 3:15, we encounter the promise of a Messiah who will triumph over Satan—a profound revelation echoing throughout Scripture.
Starting with Genesis 3:15, we see the promise of the Messiah's victory over Satan, affirmed in Romans 16:20. Genesis 22:18 also prophesied and reinforces this, indicating that the Messiah will descend from Abraham to bless all nations.
Galatians 3 elaborates on this connection, linking it to justification by faith. Then, Genesis 49:10 identifies Judah as the lineage of the Messiah, foretelling his reign and universal obedience. Shiloh, another term for the Messiah, signifies his kingship.
This is just from Genesis; there are 65 more books to explore. In Exodus 12:21, the Passover lamb symbolizes Christ, as affirmed in 1 Corinthians 5:7, emphasizing his sacrificial role.
In Exodus 12:3, a male lamb without blemish is prescribed as a sacrifice, paralleled in 1 Peter's reference to Christ's unblemished sacrifice.
Numbers 24:17 prophesies a star rising from Jacob, symbolizing the Messiah's kingship, echoed in Hebrews' depiction of Christ's triumph over his enemies.
Deuteronomy 18:15 anticipates a prophet like Moses, identified in Acts 3 and 7 as Jesus. These references, spanning Genesis to Deuteronomy, lay the foundation for understanding Jesus as the Messiah throughout the Old Testament, and that is what it suggests Jesus talked to them about on this walk to Jerusalem.
The point is Jesus started with Moses I'm going to stop with Moses and spare you 2 hours of Bible study but the point is Jesus took the Old Testament scriptures and demonstrated that the Messiah must suffer as well as reign. That he must suffer as well as go to glory.
So Jesus gave them a Bible lesson what a Bible list and now he's come to the end of that because they arrive at their destination, I bet you they wish they were going further but they weren't.
28: As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29: 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.
30: When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31: Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32: 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?”
(Luke 24: 28-32)
As they neared the village, Jesus indicated he would continue, but they urged him to stay, captivated by his teachings. At the table, he took bread, blessed, broke, and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes opened, recognizing him before he vanished. Maybe they saw the nail holes in his hands, or maybe it was a spiritual awakening by them digesting the teaching of Jesus they had just been exposed too.
Maybe they reflected and realized their hearts burned with conviction while he spoke and opened the scriptures to them on their journey there.
Anyway, they had gone from confusion and depression to understanding and joy.
They grasped and understood fully for the first time the Messiah's suffering, and then resurrection, into glory.
They started out sad and they ended up glad they even described it as their hearts burning within them.
I wouldn't hesitate to say they got excited They understood the scripture properly for the fist time and their hearts burned within them.
Let me say that same thing another way When they rationally understood spiritual truth they spontaneously responded joyfully.
That's an incredibly simple truth but one that we need to think about for a minute. They heard it, they saw it, and they got it. They saw the spiritual truth within the scriptures, and they spontaneously responded Their hearts burned within them.
And I want to say a couple of things about this
The key principle to grasp, particularly in western evangelical churches, of which I declare I am part of and ascribe too, is understanding that spiritual truths should precede emotional experiences.
Some churches today focus on making attendees feel good through music and worship, which is of course not inherently wrong, but if feeling good becomes the main objective, then there is a danger that revealed spiritual truth can be overlooked.
Biblically, truth should be the priority, leading to the kindling of a burning heart, the emotional response which arises out of it.
Therefore, all elements of a church service, praise, worship, prayer and the preaching of the Word should all aim at conveying spiritual truths for enlightenment leading to encouragement, as emphasized in 1 Corinthians.
What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.
(I Corinthians 14: 26)
The goal is to elicit those "aha" moments of understanding Scripture, facilitated by the Holy Spirit's enlightenment. whose transformative power though experience underscores and apples that new understanding, that revelation into the heart of the believer.
And who wouldn’t be excited about that? power of grasping spiritual truth.