Tommy Walls' sermon centers on the profound events and teachings surrounding the resurrection of Jesus, drawing particularly from the account of two disciples on the road to Emmaus as recorded in Luke's Gospel. Walls highlights the initial confusion and sadness of the disciples following Jesus' crucifixion, contrasting this with the revelation and joy they experience upon recognizing Jesus when he breaks bread with them. This moment of recognition ignites a spiritual fervor within them, a kind of "heartburn" for the Gospel and the truths of Christ.
Walls emphasizes the importance of understanding and believing what the prophets spoke concerning the necessity of Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection for the redemption of Israel and humanity at large. He argues that this understanding should lead to a burning passion for the Gospel and a desire to grow more like Christ in loving others in the light of his sacrifice.
Further, Walls delves into the profound symbolism and teachings of the cross, as predicted in Isaiah 53, highlighting it as a central doctrine that reveals the power, wisdom, love, mercy, grace, and glory of God. The sermon elaborates on the multitude of ways in which the cross demonstrates God's power, from creation to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus.
Walls concludes by asserting the transformative power of the cross, not only as a historical event but as an ongoing source of strength, comfort, and salvation for believers. He lists numerous attributes and outcomes of Jesus' suffering as described in Isaiah 53, emphasizing the cross's enduring impact on redemption, justification, sanctification, and the believer's ability to endure trials.
The sermon ends with a prayer of gratitude for the gospel's power to save and sustain believers, thanking God for the covenant fulfilled through Jesus' crucifixion and the ongoing revelation of the gospel's glory.
Tommy Walls' sermon centers on the profound events and teachings surrounding the resurrection of Jesus, drawing particularly from the account of two disciples on the road to Emmaus as recorded in Luke's Gospel. Walls highlights the initial confusion and sadness of the disciples following Jesus' crucifixion, contrasting this with the revelation and joy they experience upon recognizing Jesus when he breaks bread with them. This moment of recognition ignites a spiritual fervor within them, a kind of "heartburn" for the Gospel and the truths of Christ.
Walls emphasizes the importance of understanding and believing what the prophets spoke concerning the necessity of Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection for the redemption of Israel and humanity at large. He argues that this understanding should lead to a burning passion for the Gospel and a desire to grow more like Christ in loving others in the light of his sacrifice.
Further, Walls delves into the profound symbolism and teachings of the cross, as predicted in Isaiah 53, highlighting it as a central doctrine that reveals the power, wisdom, love, mercy, grace, and glory of God. The sermon elaborates on the multitude of ways in which the cross demonstrates God's power, from creation to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus.
Walls concludes by asserting the transformative power of the cross, not only as a historical event but as an ongoing source of strength, comfort, and salvation for believers. He lists numerous attributes and outcomes of Jesus' suffering as described in Isaiah 53, emphasizing the cross's enduring impact on redemption, justification, sanctification, and the believer's ability to endure trials.
The sermon ends with a prayer of gratitude for the gospel's power to save and sustain believers, thanking God for the covenant fulfilled through Jesus' crucifixion and the ongoing revelation of the gospel's glory.
Verse 13, now we know this is actually the day of the resurrection. Peter and John had went down and seen the ladies had come and said, "Hey, Jesus is not here." And so they go and find the tomb as empty. And while that's going on, there's these two disciples that are on the road to Emmaus. And so let's begin reading in verse 13."That very day, two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about all the things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, 'What is this conversation that you're holding with each other as you walk?' And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, 'Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?' And he said to them, 'What things?' And they said to him, concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet, mighty indeed, and worded before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and elders delivered him up to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had seen a vision of angels who said that he was a lot. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said. But him they did not see. And he said to them, 'O foolish ones, and slow of heart, to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them and all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.' That's a moving passage, isn't it? Let's continue reading.'So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going on further, but they urged him strongly, saying,'Stay with us. Now still they don't know who it is. Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is far spent. So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, 'Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?' And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven, and those who were with them gathered together, saying, 'The Lord has risen indeed and has appeared to Simon.' Then they told what had happened on the road and how he was known to them in the breaking of bread.' Wow. So did you catch those couple of things that were swell? All of that. But he said to them, 'O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. What did the prophets speak of?' We're talking about the cross from the prophets. Then he said, 'Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted unto them all the Scriptures, the things concerning himself.' They were confused. We thought he was going to be the one who would redeem Israel. Oh, he did. Just not in the way that they thought he would. So he reveals to them from the Scriptures that the prophets spoke that he must suffer, that he must be crucified, that the cross must happen. So he revealed himself to him. He reveals himself to him when he broke bread and he vanished. And then I like this phrase. He said, 'Did not our hearts burn within us when he spoke with us in the way?' Now that's the kind of heartburn we should want, right? I mean, that's some burning of the soul, of the desires, our hearts burning over the gospel, igniting within us spiritual things, spiritual love and desires to love Christ more, to grow in his likeness, loving our brothers and sisters in light of the cross. Over these teachings on the cross and on Wednesday nights when we meet together, we're beginning to talk on the supremacy of Christ, the preeminence of Christ, the glory of Christ. When we hear the things of the cross, when we hear the things of the gospel, when we hear things of Christ, should not our hearts burn within us? Should it not ignite? Does it not you? If you're a born again Christian, if you're a child of God, when you hear of Christ and the things of Christ and the cross and his glory and his majesty, it ought to burn within us. When we think of the display of the cross from the prophets, our minds would probably go to Isaiah and in particular, chapter 53, right? Oh, what a passage. Without question, it's the most descriptive picture of the cross of Christ given in the Old Testament prophets. Clear and vivid are his images of the suffering servant of the Lord. What a glorious and even moving passage. It truly burns within me when I read the 53rd chapter of Isaiah. Why don't we do that? Isaiah 53. Now, I just read from the ESV and because I had copied it off the internet, but I didn't copy Isaiah 53. So I'm going to read it from the King James at this point. Who has believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of dry ground. He hath no form nor commonness. And when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid as it were our faces from him. And he was despised and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. And the chastisement of our peace was upon him. And with his stripe, we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and he was afflicted. Yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before his shears is dumb. So he opened not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment. And who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death because he had done no violence. Neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him, crush him. He has put him to grief. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see a seed. He shall prolong his days. And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many. For he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoils of straw because he has poured out his soul unto death. And he was numbered with the transgressors and he bear the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors. Doesn't get much clearer than that, does it? You know, the Jewish rabbi, some say that the Jews are forbidden to read this, but some of them do and many of them have and many who have read it have been converted. But we know the scriptures are clear. In the New Testament. Who this passage is talking about. You remember in Acts and there was this Ethiopian eunuch setting in his chariot. And the Lord told Philip to go down and he went down and he was reading this passage. And he asked Philip, who is he talking about this? He talked about himself or someone else. What's going on here? And what does the scripture say? That Philip took the passage and preached to him. Jesus. Jesus. That's all about Jesus, isn't it? Why do we and should we focus on the cross? Why have these lessons on the cross? Why preach on the cross? John Flavell says that there is no doctrine more excellent in itself or more necessary to be preached and studied than the doctrine of Christ and him crucified. Why teach on the cross? Why preach on the cross? Why see it throughout the Bible? Why look for it in the Old Testament prophets. First Corinthians one eighteen tells us something important about the cross. Does it not? For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. But what is it to us who are saved? The power of God. It's the power of God. The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ is the ultimate display of his power. We can look at creation just the mighty power that it took to create all that there is. We can look into creation and see the mighty powers that are displayed just within creation. When we think of a thunderstorm. A tornado. An earthquake. How many of you have experienced an earthquake Ben? In that massive power you think whoa. We had a few up in Greenbrier a few years ago and I remember that there was one like four point three or five or something. I was like wow. My God is awesome. It's the power that's in all of creation. All of that power that we see in creation. It's not that there is a powerful being behind it. But it is the being who has all power. There is no power except that which derives from our Father the God of creation and all things there. The scriptures are clear and telling us even those who hold power only have that power because it is given from God. And another of my favorite discourses is when Jesus was before Pilate and he was he said do you not know. That I have power. To condemn you or to release you. And Jesus said you have no power. Except that which my father. Gifts you. When we think of that we can apply that to our very lives that there is nothing or no one that's going to do anything to us. Except it be allowed by the father. No disease is going to take us. Except it be by the permission of the father. No one is going to harm us unless it be by the permission of the father. He has all power. But when he comes to the cross there's something much more powerful going on. God is flexing his mighty arm in all its glory. At the cross. This is the intent of the opening verses in Isaiah 53. This report is the revealing of the arm or of the power of God. His power. His wisdom. His love. His mercy. His grace. His glory. Is displayed in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Through humility humbling himself to death. Obedience unto death even the death of the cross. Who can believe this? Who have believed this report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? What did 1 Corinthians 1 18 say? Do you see the correlation there? For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. Who can believe this? But who to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? But unto us which are saved it is the power of God. Amen. What I want to do in our remaining time. I better hurry. Y'all ready for this? I want to give you the detailed descriptions from this passage. We've got two minutes. I've got 21 things. You don't think I can do it. Watch this. Verse 3 He's despised and rejected of men. Verse 3 A man of sorrows. Verse 4 Surely he hath borne our grief. Verse 4 Surely he's carried our sorrows. Verse 5 He was wounded or pierced for our transgressions. Verse 5 He was bruised or crushed for our iniquities. Verse 5 With his stripes or his wounds we are healed. Verse 6 The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Verse 7 He is oppressed. Verse 7 He was afflicted. Yet he opened not his mouth. Verse 7 He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter. Verse 7 And as a sheep before her shears is dumb he opened not his mouth. Verse 10 Yet it pleased it was the will of the Lord to bruise him or to crush him. Verse 10 He hath put him to grief. Verse 10 When you shall make his soul an offering for sin. Verse 11 He shall see the travail or the anguish of his soul and shall be satisfied. Verse 11 He shall bear their iniquities. Verse 12 He hath poured out his soul unto death. He was numbered with the transgressions. He bear the sin of many and then made intercession for the transgressors. There is more there but those 21 things speak so vividly of the cross. There is power in the cross. I said there is power in the cross. Power to save, redeem, justify, sanctify. Power to sustain the strongest temptation, trial or trauma. Oh there is power in the cross. The cross floats us when we are sinking. It encourages us when we are lofty and comforts us when we are crying. Oh the power of the cross. It is the song that sings to us safety. Cradles us when we are weak. Corrects us when we are wrong. Oh the glory and power of the cross. Father thank you for our time together. Thank you for what we have been learning over the past several Sunday mornings concerning the cross and the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What a plan! What a covenant that you have made and secured and accomplished through the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you that we can hear the gospel here and it is the power of the gospel that saves. Thank you for saving us. Thank you that you will continue to save for faith comes by hearing, hearing the glory of the gospel. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. at right?