Luke 24:14-35
Listen link is a video: https://www.facebook.com/gregory.dubois.547/posts/10157923265761195
For today’s message we are going to backtrack on the Scriptures a bit. Last week I talked about what happened in the evening of Easter day. Today’s story happened in the midday or afternoon of that day. But I wanted to save it for our Communion Sunday because Jesus breaks the bread for them at the end of this story and that is what we will be doing today at the end of the message when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper together.
We’re talking about two of Jesus’ disciples who left Jerusalem to walk to Emmaus, perhaps the home of one or both of them. But Jesus walked with them and once they realized Jesus was alive, these two disciples hurried back to the rest of the disciples to alert them to the wonderful news. They arrived Just before Jesus showed up in the upper room.
But before I go back and get into the story of the journey to Emmaus, I think it’s fun to notice that the two disciples were so excited they practically ran all the way back to Jerusalem. Jesus appeared in the upper room shortly after these two breathless disciples did. But I bet Jesus wasn’t out of breath at all! I don’t think he even ran.
Ok, now, there were these two disciples, they had heard the women’s report that the tomb was empty. But they didn’t know what to make of it. You’ll hear about that in a moment when they answer Jesus’ question about what they were talking about. But in light of their dismay and grief, mixed with the fear of the religious leaders who might come after them next, maybe these two guys were running away again, to get out of town for their own safety. They were on the lam!
They 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.
There are always theories about why they didn’t recognize Him. For one thing, in their minds it couldn’t be Jesus even if it did look a lot like him because they already knew that Jesus was dead! He was the last person they were expecting to see again. For another thing, I believe Jesus didn’t want to be recognized just yet. So, he didn’t call them by name. He just acted like a total stranger who happened to be going the same way.
Back in those days, total strangers used to be perfectly comfortable with banding together as they walked along. Safety in numbers you know. And they were a very social culture. With no cell phones for people to find out what others were talking about, the only thing they could do was talk to people they were with, and even people they met along the way. They did Facelife instead of Facebook.
So, it was perfectly natural and acceptable for Jesus to walk up to them and ask them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” But what he asked stopped them in their tracks. The Scripture says, “They stood still, their faces downcast. 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?” Jesus was also coming from Jerusalem, so how could he not know?
Are you kidding me? They were talking to the victim of everything that happened there in those days! But they still didn’t know it was Jesus. They were talking to the guy who was at the center of all the attention. It was the only thing worth talking about that day. Jesus’ arrest, trial and crucifixion were the only thing in the news cycle in Jerusalem. They were not talking about the resurrection, except the part about what the crazy women said about it, and they didn’t believe them!
Well, I wonder if Jesus smiled a little as he asked, “What things?” Was he testing their memory? Was he being playful? Jesus can read their minds, so why did he even ask them anything before he taught them the truth about Himself and the meaning of these events?
One thing I have noticed in Scripture is that God asks a lot of questions, especially when his creatures are not getting life right. The first question God ever asked is in Genesis 3. Adam and Eve were hiding after they had sinned. God called out to them, “Where are you?” It’s not that God didn’t know. The truth is maybe Adam and Eve didn’t really know or confess where they were in their relationship with God until they began to talk about it. God also asked Cain, “Where is your brother?” Another question was addressed to childless Abraham, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”
So, I think that whenever God asks a question, He is meeting a need. We humans have to process our thoughts, emotions and experiences through the careful use of language. So, Jesus asked these two disciples, “What things?” This gave them the opportunity to summarize and review the status of their faith in Jesus.
They didn’t mind sharing all the news and how they felt about it. Listen again, “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. 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 they did not see Jesus.”
They said Jesus was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. That’s saying a lot! Not many people achieve that! But, at the moment, this is all they believed Jesus to be, not God, not risen from the dead, not alive again, not alive at all. And they were grief stricken. If he had lived longer, he could have accomplished so much more!
They were probably angry about how he died too. Just because he challenged the status quo, He was hated by the people who should have honored him most, welcomed him, and supported him. He was an innocent man! Had committed no crime! But the “powers that be” felt threatened by the changes Jesus would bring. So, “the chief priests and rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him!”
The last thing these two disciples said is very significant. “But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.” That’s all past tense. They had hoped. But now that hope is gone! And that hope remains dashed to pieces despite the women’s report.
They noted the time, “It is the third day since all this took place.” But they didn’t mention that Jesus had said he would rise in three days. And then the latest news: “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 they did not see Jesus.”
These were the parts they could not make sense of. It is obvious from their speech that they still do not believe that the tomb was empty because Jesus had risen. They didn’t believe the women’s testimony, because the men could not back it up. The men didn’t see Jesus, so, he was not risen! Women are so emotional you know.
And that’s the news. Now they wait to see what the stranger will say. I wonder how long of a silence there really was before Jesus spoke up. Maybe he let them think he was taking it all in and thinking it over. But when he spoke, they must have been truly shocked! Jesus did not express sympathy for their sorrow. He did not express any amazement that he had been so out of the loop that he hadn’t been aware of these happenings in Jerusalem.
What he started out with and said was quite the stinging rebuke, especially coming from a stranger they had just allowed into their little circle. He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”
And there’s another question. “Did not the Messiah have to suffer?” It’s like asking these devout Jews, “Haven’t you read your Bible?” But this time he didn’t wait for them to answer. He lectured them! And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
I wish that speech was written down! Exactly what did Jesus say to them about himself? You remember they had stopped in their tracks when Jesus asked them what they were talking about? Well, somewhere a long in there they started walking again. I imagine that Jesus took the lead and started moving on down the road. He opened the Scripture to them as they made progress toward their supposed destination, and at the same time Jesus was leading their hearts to an even better destination.
It says he began with Moses, but surely that’s not just the story of Moses. It means Genesis to Deuteronomy, the five books that Moses wrote. The very first promise of Jesus and prophecy about God’s plan is in Genesis 3:15. God is talking to satan, who showed up in the form of a snake and he said, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” This verse speaks of the Savior who would be born of a woman, as Jesus was, and that satan would strike and wound, but that Jesus would crush and kill the devil.
We do not have time to cover every single verse in in the Old Testament that was prophetic about Jesus. What we do have time for is to point out that the Old Testament specifies Jesus’ family line, down to tribe and clan. It announces that he would be born of a virgin, and that he would suffer and die as the perfect lamb of God. His crucifixion was described in detail in Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22!
By one count, there are three hundred prophecies that are fulfilled in Jesus! And it is impossible that anyone could have manipulated or falsified all that data to make it look like Jesus kind of fit. In addition, it is a near mathematical impossibility that any given life could just sort of accidentally end up fulfilling all those prophecies in one person. This is powerful evidence that Jesus really is authentically a miracle worker sent by God to save the world. In fact, this is one of the major reasons why we believe He IS God.
And finally, I really like what Sally Lloyd-Jones, the author of the Storybook Bible says about Scripture: “Every story whispers His name.” Isaac the only son, sacrificed, almost, is a picture of God’s beloved Son who really was sacrificed. Joseph, sold into Egypt as a death sentence, only to rise and rule all of Egypt, is a picture of the death and resurrection of our Lord. Every story whispers His name means that we see foreshadowings and echoes of his unique ministry everywhere in the Old Testament. Yes, Jesus had a lot to talk about as they walked the seven miles to Emmaus.
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. In other words, they stopped at a house or a side road and Jesus took a few more steps down the main road. But they called out to him, “Hey, where are you going? It’s getting late. You should stay with us.” They urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.”
This is good Middle Eastern hospitality. They were almost required, by the customs of the land, to make this offer. But it says they urged him strongly, meaning they were not just fulfilling their societal duty and hoping that he would politely decline. No, they really wanted him to stay with them. Perhaps he hadn’t finished with going through all the Scriptures and they wanted to hear the rest. Certainly, they were very interested in his knowledge and moved by his understanding of the Scripture. Maybe it began to help them believe that maybe Jesus was alive, if their Bible said it must be so.
So, He went in to stay with them. When Jesus 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.
That was probably the biggest surprise in their lives! It’s Jesus! He IS alive! Why didn’t we see it before? 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?” Only Jesus had ever had that effect on them before. They jumped up saying, we have to go back to Jerusalem and tell the others. Now it doesn’t matter that the day is late. They have to get back to talk about what has happened to them. Now they know Jesus is alive!!
Do you know why this story is in the Bible? First, because it happened. The Bible tells the truth. It is true history, not myths, legends, or fairy tales. But more importantly, God uses this testimony in our lives, to help us understand that the resurrection story was not an invention of religious people who wanted to start a new church. Jesus’ first disciples did not believe in the resurrection and would not have dared to make it up. The only reason anybody believes that Jesus rose from the dead if because these guys that watched him die also met him again three days later!
So, now that we have walked with Jesus and these disciples. I hope that we are all moved with awe and wonder to find that we are in the presence of the living God. Also, that he wants to dine with us and serve us holy food that is like manna from heaven. Even though what we hold in our hands is just bread and juice, what we receive in our hearts is a divine gift!
It is my prayer that as we observe the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Him, we will experience a renewed or awakened sense of Him really being here with us, with all of us at once, no matter where you happen to be sitting.
This is the Lord’s Table. And wherever you are sitting is the Lord’s Table. Isn’t it interesting that in that house in Emmaus, Jesus took over as host and blessed and broke the bread and made that table His table? Our Savior invites those who trust him to share the feast which He has prepared. So come to this sacred table, not because you must, but because you may; come to testify, not that you are righteous, but that you sincerely love our Lord Jesus Christ, and that you desire to be one of his true disciples. Come not because you are strong, but because we are weak; not because you have any claim on the grace of God, but because in our frailty and sin we stand in constant need of his mercy and help; come not to express an opinion, but to seek his presence and power.
Now as I recite the Apostle’s Creed think about whether you believe this gospel. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered. Under Pontius Pilate, He was crucified, dead and buried. He descended into Hades. The third day he rose again from the dead! He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
We have assurance from God’s Word that anyone who believes these things we have just spoken and heard is welcome to receive this sacramental meal as a gift of God’s grace. And if any watching do not fully believe, we pray that observing this moment will be for you a demonstration that God truly is gracious and forgiving.
Now hear the words of our Lord Jesus Christ as they were delivered by the Apostle Paul. In 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 it says: “The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said: ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying: ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink from this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
We are about to give thanks for this sacramental food. Perhaps it would be meaningful for all of you to hold the cup and bread, or extend your hands over them or towards them as we pray. Let us pray.
Gracious God, each time we prepare to receive communion we are reminded that you are always with us, even if we don’t recognize you. As we receive this bread may our eyes be opened, and as we receive this cup may our hearts burn within us, because of Your Holy Spirit at work in us. We give you thanks for these holy gifts and for the gift of this sacred meal. Bless and be known to us again through it. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!
Now, let each one who is participating in this meal hold a bit of bread in your hands. 1 Corinthians 10:17 says, “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” Jesus Christ is the True and living bread. It is his oneness that makes us one in Him.
“Take and eat, this is the body of Christ, which is broken for you.”
Now lift up your cups and prepare to drink.
At the Passover meal this was the cup that reminded the Jews of the blood that was painted over the door posts of their houses in Egypt so that the angel of death would pass over and they would be spared the pain of death. This is the cup for which Jesus changed its meaning to the fulfillment of all of us being delivered from death by his blood, his sacrifice for us. “This cup is the new covenant in the blood of Christ, drink of it in remembrance of him.”
Let us pray: Loving God, you have graciously accepted us as living members of the body of Christ and have fed us with spiritual food in this sacred meal. Give us now your peace, and grant all of us your healing strength and sustaining power, through Jesus Christ our Lord. And may we be as eager as the disciples of Emmaus to run and share the good news of Your life in us and with us by the power of Your resurrection. In Jesus name, Amen!
Listen link is a video: https://www.facebook.com/gregory.dubois.547/posts/10157923265761195
For today’s message we are going to backtrack on the Scriptures a bit. Last week I talked about what happened in the evening of Easter day. Today’s story happened in the midday or afternoon of that day. But I wanted to save it for our Communion Sunday because Jesus breaks the bread for them at the end of this story and that is what we will be doing today at the end of the message when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper together.
We’re talking about two of Jesus’ disciples who left Jerusalem to walk to Emmaus, perhaps the home of one or both of them. But Jesus walked with them and once they realized Jesus was alive, these two disciples hurried back to the rest of the disciples to alert them to the wonderful news. They arrived Just before Jesus showed up in the upper room.
But before I go back and get into the story of the journey to Emmaus, I think it’s fun to notice that the two disciples were so excited they practically ran all the way back to Jerusalem. Jesus appeared in the upper room shortly after these two breathless disciples did. But I bet Jesus wasn’t out of breath at all! I don’t think he even ran.
Ok, now, there were these two disciples, they had heard the women’s report that the tomb was empty. But they didn’t know what to make of it. You’ll hear about that in a moment when they answer Jesus’ question about what they were talking about. But in light of their dismay and grief, mixed with the fear of the religious leaders who might come after them next, maybe these two guys were running away again, to get out of town for their own safety. They were on the lam!
They 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.
There are always theories about why they didn’t recognize Him. For one thing, in their minds it couldn’t be Jesus even if it did look a lot like him because they already knew that Jesus was dead! He was the last person they were expecting to see again. For another thing, I believe Jesus didn’t want to be recognized just yet. So, he didn’t call them by name. He just acted like a total stranger who happened to be going the same way.
Back in those days, total strangers used to be perfectly comfortable with banding together as they walked along. Safety in numbers you know. And they were a very social culture. With no cell phones for people to find out what others were talking about, the only thing they could do was talk to people they were with, and even people they met along the way. They did Facelife instead of Facebook.
So, it was perfectly natural and acceptable for Jesus to walk up to them and ask them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” But what he asked stopped them in their tracks. The Scripture says, “They stood still, their faces downcast. 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?” Jesus was also coming from Jerusalem, so how could he not know?
Are you kidding me? They were talking to the victim of everything that happened there in those days! But they still didn’t know it was Jesus. They were talking to the guy who was at the center of all the attention. It was the only thing worth talking about that day. Jesus’ arrest, trial and crucifixion were the only thing in the news cycle in Jerusalem. They were not talking about the resurrection, except the part about what the crazy women said about it, and they didn’t believe them!
Well, I wonder if Jesus smiled a little as he asked, “What things?” Was he testing their memory? Was he being playful? Jesus can read their minds, so why did he even ask them anything before he taught them the truth about Himself and the meaning of these events?
One thing I have noticed in Scripture is that God asks a lot of questions, especially when his creatures are not getting life right. The first question God ever asked is in Genesis 3. Adam and Eve were hiding after they had sinned. God called out to them, “Where are you?” It’s not that God didn’t know. The truth is maybe Adam and Eve didn’t really know or confess where they were in their relationship with God until they began to talk about it. God also asked Cain, “Where is your brother?” Another question was addressed to childless Abraham, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”
So, I think that whenever God asks a question, He is meeting a need. We humans have to process our thoughts, emotions and experiences through the careful use of language. So, Jesus asked these two disciples, “What things?” This gave them the opportunity to summarize and review the status of their faith in Jesus.
They didn’t mind sharing all the news and how they felt about it. Listen again, “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. 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 they did not see Jesus.”
They said Jesus was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. That’s saying a lot! Not many people achieve that! But, at the moment, this is all they believed Jesus to be, not God, not risen from the dead, not alive again, not alive at all. And they were grief stricken. If he had lived longer, he could have accomplished so much more!
They were probably angry about how he died too. Just because he challenged the status quo, He was hated by the people who should have honored him most, welcomed him, and supported him. He was an innocent man! Had committed no crime! But the “powers that be” felt threatened by the changes Jesus would bring. So, “the chief priests and rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him!”
The last thing these two disciples said is very significant. “But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.” That’s all past tense. They had hoped. But now that hope is gone! And that hope remains dashed to pieces despite the women’s report.
They noted the time, “It is the third day since all this took place.” But they didn’t mention that Jesus had said he would rise in three days. And then the latest news: “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 they did not see Jesus.”
These were the parts they could not make sense of. It is obvious from their speech that they still do not believe that the tomb was empty because Jesus had risen. They didn’t believe the women’s testimony, because the men could not back it up. The men didn’t see Jesus, so, he was not risen! Women are so emotional you know.
And that’s the news. Now they wait to see what the stranger will say. I wonder how long of a silence there really was before Jesus spoke up. Maybe he let them think he was taking it all in and thinking it over. But when he spoke, they must have been truly shocked! Jesus did not express sympathy for their sorrow. He did not express any amazement that he had been so out of the loop that he hadn’t been aware of these happenings in Jerusalem.
What he started out with and said was quite the stinging rebuke, especially coming from a stranger they had just allowed into their little circle. He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”
And there’s another question. “Did not the Messiah have to suffer?” It’s like asking these devout Jews, “Haven’t you read your Bible?” But this time he didn’t wait for them to answer. He lectured them! And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
I wish that speech was written down! Exactly what did Jesus say to them about himself? You remember they had stopped in their tracks when Jesus asked them what they were talking about? Well, somewhere a long in there they started walking again. I imagine that Jesus took the lead and started moving on down the road. He opened the Scripture to them as they made progress toward their supposed destination, and at the same time Jesus was leading their hearts to an even better destination.
It says he began with Moses, but surely that’s not just the story of Moses. It means Genesis to Deuteronomy, the five books that Moses wrote. The very first promise of Jesus and prophecy about God’s plan is in Genesis 3:15. God is talking to satan, who showed up in the form of a snake and he said, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” This verse speaks of the Savior who would be born of a woman, as Jesus was, and that satan would strike and wound, but that Jesus would crush and kill the devil.
We do not have time to cover every single verse in in the Old Testament that was prophetic about Jesus. What we do have time for is to point out that the Old Testament specifies Jesus’ family line, down to tribe and clan. It announces that he would be born of a virgin, and that he would suffer and die as the perfect lamb of God. His crucifixion was described in detail in Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22!
By one count, there are three hundred prophecies that are fulfilled in Jesus! And it is impossible that anyone could have manipulated or falsified all that data to make it look like Jesus kind of fit. In addition, it is a near mathematical impossibility that any given life could just sort of accidentally end up fulfilling all those prophecies in one person. This is powerful evidence that Jesus really is authentically a miracle worker sent by God to save the world. In fact, this is one of the major reasons why we believe He IS God.
And finally, I really like what Sally Lloyd-Jones, the author of the Storybook Bible says about Scripture: “Every story whispers His name.” Isaac the only son, sacrificed, almost, is a picture of God’s beloved Son who really was sacrificed. Joseph, sold into Egypt as a death sentence, only to rise and rule all of Egypt, is a picture of the death and resurrection of our Lord. Every story whispers His name means that we see foreshadowings and echoes of his unique ministry everywhere in the Old Testament. Yes, Jesus had a lot to talk about as they walked the seven miles to Emmaus.
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. In other words, they stopped at a house or a side road and Jesus took a few more steps down the main road. But they called out to him, “Hey, where are you going? It’s getting late. You should stay with us.” They urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.”
This is good Middle Eastern hospitality. They were almost required, by the customs of the land, to make this offer. But it says they urged him strongly, meaning they were not just fulfilling their societal duty and hoping that he would politely decline. No, they really wanted him to stay with them. Perhaps he hadn’t finished with going through all the Scriptures and they wanted to hear the rest. Certainly, they were very interested in his knowledge and moved by his understanding of the Scripture. Maybe it began to help them believe that maybe Jesus was alive, if their Bible said it must be so.
So, He went in to stay with them. When Jesus 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.
That was probably the biggest surprise in their lives! It’s Jesus! He IS alive! Why didn’t we see it before? 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?” Only Jesus had ever had that effect on them before. They jumped up saying, we have to go back to Jerusalem and tell the others. Now it doesn’t matter that the day is late. They have to get back to talk about what has happened to them. Now they know Jesus is alive!!
Do you know why this story is in the Bible? First, because it happened. The Bible tells the truth. It is true history, not myths, legends, or fairy tales. But more importantly, God uses this testimony in our lives, to help us understand that the resurrection story was not an invention of religious people who wanted to start a new church. Jesus’ first disciples did not believe in the resurrection and would not have dared to make it up. The only reason anybody believes that Jesus rose from the dead if because these guys that watched him die also met him again three days later!
So, now that we have walked with Jesus and these disciples. I hope that we are all moved with awe and wonder to find that we are in the presence of the living God. Also, that he wants to dine with us and serve us holy food that is like manna from heaven. Even though what we hold in our hands is just bread and juice, what we receive in our hearts is a divine gift!
It is my prayer that as we observe the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Him, we will experience a renewed or awakened sense of Him really being here with us, with all of us at once, no matter where you happen to be sitting.
This is the Lord’s Table. And wherever you are sitting is the Lord’s Table. Isn’t it interesting that in that house in Emmaus, Jesus took over as host and blessed and broke the bread and made that table His table? Our Savior invites those who trust him to share the feast which He has prepared. So come to this sacred table, not because you must, but because you may; come to testify, not that you are righteous, but that you sincerely love our Lord Jesus Christ, and that you desire to be one of his true disciples. Come not because you are strong, but because we are weak; not because you have any claim on the grace of God, but because in our frailty and sin we stand in constant need of his mercy and help; come not to express an opinion, but to seek his presence and power.
Now as I recite the Apostle’s Creed think about whether you believe this gospel. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered. Under Pontius Pilate, He was crucified, dead and buried. He descended into Hades. The third day he rose again from the dead! He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
We have assurance from God’s Word that anyone who believes these things we have just spoken and heard is welcome to receive this sacramental meal as a gift of God’s grace. And if any watching do not fully believe, we pray that observing this moment will be for you a demonstration that God truly is gracious and forgiving.
Now hear the words of our Lord Jesus Christ as they were delivered by the Apostle Paul. In 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 it says: “The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said: ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying: ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink from this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
We are about to give thanks for this sacramental food. Perhaps it would be meaningful for all of you to hold the cup and bread, or extend your hands over them or towards them as we pray. Let us pray.
Gracious God, each time we prepare to receive communion we are reminded that you are always with us, even if we don’t recognize you. As we receive this bread may our eyes be opened, and as we receive this cup may our hearts burn within us, because of Your Holy Spirit at work in us. We give you thanks for these holy gifts and for the gift of this sacred meal. Bless and be known to us again through it. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!
Now, let each one who is participating in this meal hold a bit of bread in your hands. 1 Corinthians 10:17 says, “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” Jesus Christ is the True and living bread. It is his oneness that makes us one in Him.
“Take and eat, this is the body of Christ, which is broken for you.”
Now lift up your cups and prepare to drink.
At the Passover meal this was the cup that reminded the Jews of the blood that was painted over the door posts of their houses in Egypt so that the angel of death would pass over and they would be spared the pain of death. This is the cup for which Jesus changed its meaning to the fulfillment of all of us being delivered from death by his blood, his sacrifice for us. “This cup is the new covenant in the blood of Christ, drink of it in remembrance of him.”
Let us pray: Loving God, you have graciously accepted us as living members of the body of Christ and have fed us with spiritual food in this sacred meal. Give us now your peace, and grant all of us your healing strength and sustaining power, through Jesus Christ our Lord. And may we be as eager as the disciples of Emmaus to run and share the good news of Your life in us and with us by the power of Your resurrection. In Jesus name, Amen!
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