22. A New Message
March 2007
Topics:
What did the Stranger say?
Back to the Story
A New Message
Emmanuel: God With Us
It had been two days since the crucifixion, and two friends stood talking together.
"Cleopas, let us go. It isn’t safe for us to be in Jerusalem. Come with me to my village."
"Yes, Jonas, you are right. Who knows what that serpent, Caiaphas, will do next."
With these words the two men silently and sadly walked rapidly away, taking the north-west road. Their lives had been shattered. It seemed now that nothing mattered. They had seen their beloved Master crucified just two days before, and with Him all their hopes and aspirations died. The road was crowded as it was the Passover. But they kept their heads down, avoided people and spoke sadly to each other:
"Cleopas, it was time for the Messiah. He came just at the time prophesied by Daniel the prophet."
"Yes, Jonas, and He was born in Bethlehem just as had been prophesied."
"All Israel loved Him, except those wicked men who call themselves our leaders."
"You know, Jonas, I have no love for the Romans, but Pilate tried to save Him. Only if he had more backbone! And even that centurion, he confessed that Jesus is the Son of God."
"Right you are, and He is a friend of publicans and sinners. That gave me hope too."
"And now it is all over. May God bring justice to those who did this evil deed."
They continued to talk in low tones. A Fellow Traveler walked beside them. He seemed pleasant and very earnest. "What are you men talking about, and why are you so sad?"
Jonas turned his shoulder and looking at Cleopas, walked on. The Stranger failed to take the hint, and continued walking beside them. Finally Jonas turned to Him and with a little irritation, said, "Are you new in town? Weren’t you here for the passover? Didn’t you hear about the crucifixion?"
The Stranger rejoined with, "What are you talking about?"
"Jesus of Nazareth, a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done" (Luke 24:19-21).
"And to add to our trouble, today the grave is empty. The body is gone. Next thing they will send soldiers for us, His disciples."
The Stranger looked thoughtful, then said with some authority,
"O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself" (Luke 24:25-27).
Don’t you remember, after Adam and Eve sinned, God did not abandon them. He was still their God. He put in man a desire to do right, an enmity against sin, a conscience. Man was not to be helpless before the evil one. But God did this only at the price of His own suffering. Through His suffering, sin and evil eventually are destroyed, and His people reconciled to Him. In His own words He said: "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" (Genesis 3:15).
Then "by faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain" (Hebrews 11:4). How was the sacrifice of Abel "more excellent"? From Genesis 3:15 we know that the promised Redeemer would suffer. The sacrifices go one step further showing that He would give His life, for "without shedding of blood is no remission" (Hebrews 9:22).
In the story of Abraham, he is called by God to sacrifice Isaac, his only son. On the surface, this demand made all the promises of the covenant impossible—unless God performed a miracle and raised Isaac from the dead. Abraham wrestled with God and with his own thoughts for hours over this matter. But he had learned to trust God, and knew that blessing comes only by implicit obedience to God.
"By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure" (Hebrews 11:17-19).
To Isaac's question Abraham responded with this truth, "God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering" (Genesis 22:8). Not knowing the truth of his own statement, Abraham proceeded with the sacrifice. By faith, Isaac willingly cooperated. At the critical point, the "angel of the Lord" stopped the proceeding, and a ram was found caught in a thicket. In the first part of this acted parable, Isaac represented Jesus, the Lamb of God. In the second part, God showed in a beautiful way that He provides the sacrifice.
In the Passover, the lamb was slain and his blood sprinkled on the door posts and the lintel. It was the blood of the lamb that saved the firstborn from death. But why did a lamb have to die? A lamb cannot save a person from sin. It must mean something. It pointed forward to a Redeemer who suffers and dies for the sin of man.
Isaiah 53 showed what the death of the lamb accomplished. The Redeemer suffered not just death, but suffering, opposition, and rejection.
"He is oppressed, and he is afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities" (Isaiah 53:7,11).
8 "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered" (Hebrews 5:8).
Through His suffering, He experienced what all men go through. He is now qualified to intercede with the Father for all men (Hebrews 4:15-16).
The exact time was given in Daniel 9:24-27. The Messiah came as expected. He was cut off, died, as prophesied. The sacrifice and oblation have now met their fulfillment. To make this sacrifice was the purpose of His life, and the will of God. This prophecy has been fulfilled to the day!
Joseph, husband of Mary, was told to "call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). Not just to teach, not just to forgive, but to save His people from their sins.
By now they had walked the five miles and arrived at Jonas’ house. "Come in and have some refreshment." Jonas invites, "I have learned much from your words, and I would like to hear more."
"Thanks, but I need to be moving on."
"Please, my dear man. If you don’t need to come in for your sake, please come in for my sake. You must come in." By this time the men were on either side of the Stranger taking his arms and moving Him toward the door. He willingly went with them.
Jonas hurried to get cold water and some bread. As he placed these on the table, the Stranger "took the bread, blessed it, and brake, and gave to them" (Luke 24:30).
"Jonas, it’s Him!"
"My Lord and my God!" They both jumped up and ran to bow at His feet. But He had vanished.
With great excitement, they forgot the cold water. Forgot the uneaten bread. Forgot the soldiers in Jerusalem. They ran out the door, and hurried on the road back to Jerusalem. "Cleopas, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures" (Luke 24:32)?
Now their eyes were bright with hope. Their voices excited as they talked rapidly to each other. The words "He’s alive" were repeated over and over. Travelers on the road looked on and wondered. The two men quickly found the disciples and gave them the news. . . . .
The resurrection made effective all that had gone before: Jesus sinless life, His sacrificial death on Calvary and the promise of His coming again. The disciples began to see the purpose of Jesus coming for the first time. They were energized. They had a new message. In emphasizing the commandments, Jesus also emphasized the agape love that must be shown in all that they did and taught. Jesus Christ and Him crucified was now the gospel to go to the nations. The lives of men would now be changed. The direction of nations would now be changed. Jesus Christ was now alive and in heaven, ministering the blood of the covenant, and preparing to return again soon!
Was this message really new? Moses gave a message of love in Deuteronomy. David wrote of the love of God in the Psalms. Isaiah ....... But these things were forgotten in the stresses of time, war, and in the cares of this life. Rather than submitting to the sweet influences of a God of love, men chose the "easy way" and tried to earn their way to salvation. It became a heavy burden.
All these things were put aside for the love of Him who died for us. Religion became something for everybody and every nation; not for just one people or one nation. All were welcome and persons from all walks of life began to come in. The grace of God began to conquer the world!
A lesson Christians can take from this story is that prophecies are not always clear ahead of time. But they always contain important details so that when the event happens, it is recognized and faith is strengthened. "And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe" (John 14:29).
When Jesus gave Himself to join the human race, He did not take back the gift. He is still a man and will be human for eternity. In doing this, He laid aside some of the attributes of Divinity. He is even now physically limited to one place at a time.
"Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11).
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2).
"His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden" (Habakkuk 3:4 ).
"And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends" (Zechariah 13:6).
"This same Jesus," human, eternally human. "We shall be like Him," eternally a member of the human race. "I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:" The everlasting covenant is now eternal. God is with men. The scars in His hands are an eternal reminder of the cost of our redemption. Better yet, we have this promise: "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God" (Revelation 21:3).
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