Every Story Whispers His Name

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Harry Potter, The BFG, To Kill A Mockingbird, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Famous Five, The Hungry Caterpillar, The Wind in the Willows, The Gruffalo, Lord of the Rings, The Bible. They are top 10 books a thousand surveyed adults said every child should read.

Harry Potter is about a child wizard, the BFG is about a big friendly giant and the hungry caterpillar is fairly self-explanatory! But what about the Bible? If you were asked to sum up what the Bible is about in a sentence, what would you say? This morning we're going to find out Jesus' answer. Let's pray…

Last week in Luke we saw how Jesus' body was placed in a tomb. The women went to dress the body as was the custom but found an empty tomb. There they met some messengers from God saying, "He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you…"

So they went and told the disciples. But Luke records they did not remember Jesus' words! Luke 24:11 says:

"But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense."

Peter ran to the tomb but even he left, "wondering to himself what had happened." The disciples are unconvinced. So much for the idea that people in ancient times were push overs and would believe anything! Thomas wasn't the only doubter; they all were!

And so Luke shifts the focus of his lense to two disciples walking to Emmaus, a village on the outskirts of Jerusalem. They're not part of the Eleven disciples, but they're clearly in their circle. As they discuss the momentous events of the week they are joined by the risen Christ. Verse 15 says "they were kept from recognising him." I take it that God keeps them from recognising Him until the right time. As they walk the risen Christ asks them what are they discussing? Luke records their response in 17b:

"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?"

They're grieving their loss. They're shocked he hasn't heard of the events. So the risen Christ draws out their account of what happened in verse 19b:

"He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel."

They say Jesus was just a prophet, a spokesman from God. He'd been defeated by the chief priests. They had hoped that he would redeem Israel, most likely meaning he'd free the country of their Roman rulers. But there was more! The women had visited the tomb and met an angel who had said, "he was alive." Yet the disciples had been to the tomb but they found no Jesus no nor messenger. On top of grief there was now disbelief. What is Jesus answer to their disbelief?

He explains what the scriptures have to say about the Christ. More than that he calls them to Recognise Scripture concerns the Christ (25-27). That's my first point. Come with me to verses 25-27.

"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 the Moses and the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself."

Jesus doesn't duck the issue with them: he calls them out for being fools! Why were they so foolish? They had failed to believe what the Old Testament prophets had spoken about the Christ. The Christ, was God's king, who would redeem Israel. What is it that they'd not seen in the prophets? The Christ would first suffer before entering glory! They had not understood that Jesus must first die at the cross before being raised to life!

All throughout Moses and the Prophets, our Old Testament, is the promise that God's king would come. All throughout the Old Testament had been signs that he would suffer then rise. Think back to the very start of the Bible. Think of God's promise to the serpent that one of Eve's offspring would crush his head, and the serpent would strike his heel. One day the Christ would crush Satan but be struck himself on the cross. Think of Abel in the next chapter whose spilled blood cried out to God for justice. One day the Christ's blood would be spilled and speak a better word of forgiveness. Think of Noah who saved his family from God's judgment by placing them in the ark. One day Christ would come and save his people by providing himself as the perfect ark and refuge from God's judgement. Think of Abraham of who was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac but was stopped by God providing a substitute. One day Christ would become the ultimate substitute for us by dying on the cross. That's only the first 22 chapters of Genesis! Or think of Psalm 16, from our second reading, where David says God will not abandon his body to the grave. One day the true David, Jesus, would rise from the grave!

The scriptures concern Jesus. Last year my wife gave a children's bible to a friend of ours who was a new Christian. We saw her recently. Our friend said she'd learnt so much about Jesus reading the Old Testament stories to her daughter. She was struck by the story of the Passover, that the story really concerned the true Passover lamb: Jesus. The children's Bible in question is called the Jesus Story Book Bible and its subtitle is this: Every story whispers his name. That sums up what Jesus says to the disciples here: the scriptures whisper my name; it's about me!

So let me say if you want to teach your kids this (and you haven't finished your Christmas shopping!) the Jesus Story Book Bible is a great place to start. They've also published an adult version which is a lovely help in getting our heads round what Jesus is saying: Recognise the scriptures concern me.

If the scriptures primarily concern Jesus it means the Bible is not primarily a law book or a book of people to copy. In fact there are a lot of bad examples in it! Having said that, it does have laws that concern us. It does give us some examples to follow. But primarily it concerns Jesus! So we need to read it that way.

Many of us enjoy detective novels. Mostly we like to read them as a puzzle trying to figure out who has committed the crime. Some folks like to read the end, find out who the culprit was, so as they read it makes sense from the beginning. You might think that's an odd way of reading a book, but that is the way we're to read the Bible, especially the Old Testament. As we read the Bible we are to ask, 'How are God's purposes heading towards Christ?'

So take for example David and Goliath. It's not actually about how if we have enough faith we will defeat the giants in our life. It's about David rescuing God's people, pointing us forward to the ultimate rescuer Jesus who defeats God's enemies for us. Or take for example the law. Ultimately the law shows us our need of a rescuer. We can't obey the law, so we need someone who will obey for us: Jesus.

Firstly, that means you may have to change your attitude as you come to reading the Bible. It's not ultimately about you following laws or examples. It's about the Christ, our rescuer king. And that's good news. If the Bible is ultimately about us following laws and examples it will crush you or make you proud. But if it is about God's rescuer king, He will humble you, life you up and change you. Secondly, as you hear sermons preached on the Old Testament expect to be pointed to Jesus. It is ultimately his story.

So if the Bible is Jesus' story, what are we to do? Jesus tells the disciples to believe! He calls us to recognise he is the Christ. That's my second point: Recognise Jesus is the Christ (28-35). After the conversation on the road to Emmaus Jesus is invited to join the disciples for dinner. Let's pick up the story in verse 31:

"Then their eyes were opened and they recognised 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?"

The disciples have their eyes opened and recognise their fellow traveller is the risen Christ. The word of God and the work of God show Jesus to be the Christ. That is the scriptures and the resurrection show Jesus to be God's son. Let me say, if you're here this morning looking into Jesus and you're struggling to recognise who he is, ask God to help you see who Jesus is in the Scripture. That's why we pray at the start of our sermons asking God to help us understand His story. As the disciples have their eyes opened, they reflect on Jesus' explanation of scripture. Their hearts were burning!

Their hearts are stirred and gripped by the Christ's work. Earlier they were downcast. Their hopes of redemption shot through. But now their hearts burn. What Jesus offered was far greater than the defeat of the Romans, but the defeat of sin and death!

People today long, like Cleopas, for hope and redemption too. Just go to the cinema this Christmas; we love movies that concern hope and redemption. Star Wars: Rogue One is the story of a heroine rebelling against an evil empire. Disney's Moana is a story of two heroes saving their island from evil forces. The American pastor Tim Keller says we love such stories because:

"We want to see and, if possible, participate in the final triumph over evil in the world. People turn to fairy tales because they depict their desires coming true."

But the story of the Christ is not a fairy tale. It is a gritty story: our rebellion against God means we deserve death and judgment. Yet, the Christ is the ultimate hero who dies in the place of rebels and rises to life so his people can see the end of evil and enjoy eternity. But unlike the stories and movies we enjoy, the story of the Christ is true. How do we know? The word and work of God show it be true!

Therefore it demands to be told. After Jesus has left them the disciples hot foot it to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples. There they learn Peter has seen the risen Christ too. Let's pick up the action in verse 33b:

"There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, "It's true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognised by them when he broke the bread."

As the disciples are confronted by the word of God and the work of God their disbelief turns to belief! The scriptures and the resurrection appearances show Jesus is the Christ. The story of the Christ is a story of hope and redemption, but more importantly it's a true story! So Jesus calls the disciples to believe he is the Christ. He calls us too to believe in him, and make him our rescuer king. He's given us the evidence of scripture and the resurrection. You don't have to bin your brain to believe! So what's stopping you from believing?

Let's close. We started with the question: What is the Bible about? Jesus says the Bible is about him. It's his story! So let's recognise the scriptures concern the Christ, and let's recognise Jesus is the Christ. For when you recognise the Christ you will have true hope and true redemption.

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