Luke 24:13…

Imagine the disappointment. However long you’ve been walking with Jesus, learning from Him and learning of His ways – it’s all over.

When it comes to the two disciples of Jesus traveling to the village of Emmaus, we don’t know much. (We don’t even know which Emmaus they were traveling to, as there are two villages named Emmaus about that far from Jerusalem.) The only thing we do know is one of them was named Cleopas.

The other thing we know is they were disappointed, and they had a lot to be disappointed about. Whatever they had thought about what Jesus had come to do, His death had brought all of that to an end. Their lives which had soared emotionally and spiritually and legally and logically in His presence were now ship-wrecked. Back to square one...

Jesus joined them in their disappointment, drawing them out and drawing them along. One thing we can say for Jesus: He always desired people to come to Him out of thinking for themselves about Who He was, and coming to their own conviction and conclusion.

For this reason, Jesus did not physically reveal Himself to these disappointed disciples. His physical presence was veiled in a way we cannot understand. Their eyes were hindered from recognizing the One they had followed and seen many times. In fact, I think we can be fairly certain when in Jesus’ presence, His disciples could not take their eyes off of Him. Now their eyes failed them because Jesus would not allow recognition by sight. Not yet.

Jesus spoke to them of their sadness; and the source of it – as if He didn’t know. The obvious nature of their disappointment was being borne by all of Jesus’ disciples in these days, and is revealed by the incredulous response of Cleopas. Basically – “Have you been living under a rock? How could you not know what has been happening in Jerusalem in these days?”

But Jesus was not rebuffed by his response, because He was on a rescue mission. Jesus will never leave His followers alone, and this is one lesson we certainly learn here. He would end their quandary – but not before completely informing them why these things had to be.

-Pastor Bill

Luke 24:1…

The last thing they expected to find on the first day of the week was an empty tomb.

The Jews of that day placed great importance on the proper handling of the body of the deceased family member or friend. It was how they showed respect for their loved one, and it was how they showed reverence for God.

This would have been particularly true for those who followed Jesus, as He had taught them more than reverential fear of God. Jesus had ushered in the new notion of reverential love for their Father – Who is in heaven.

And so, with reverential love for Jesus - as for His Father - they approached the tomb where He had been lain three days prior, with their only anticipation being to anoint His body with burial spices customary of their day.

(We remember Joseph and Nicodemus, two ruling members of the Sanhedrin, had requested the body of Jesus from Pilate. They had respectfully removed His dead body from the cross, washed it carefully and lovingly, wrapped it in burial cloths, and placed it in an unused tomb owned by Joseph, who was a man of wealth. This caring for the body of Jesus had been rushed as it was the preparation day for the Sabbath, and all needed to be completed prior to sundown.)

So these ladies, who loved Jesus so well, were on their way to the tomb to finish the anointing of His body. It was very early in the morning, the hour itself indicating their urgent desire to complete this reverent task.

Even among His closest followers there was no anticipation of His resurrection. None.

This fact would be an embarrassment - and surely would not have been included in the historical accounts had it not been true. Mythical and fictional accounts always make heroes of their main characters.

Of all the bodies that have been born in the history of the world, there is only one body that cannot be accounted for and never found.

When the women arrived at the tomb, they found it empty. Everything Jesus had said was true! Jesus was risen from the dead! He IS the firstfruits of all who choose to follow Him!

-Pastor Bill

Luke 22:1…

Think of all Judas betrayed in betraying Jesus:

Judas betrayed the One Who loved him to a greater extent than anyone had ever loved Him. The love Jesus had for Judas was a demonstrated, felt love. A powerful love of healing, restoration, and of wholeness and peace.

Judas betrayed the One Who rescued him from his banal, pointless, merciless life, and restored him and brought him into greatness of life. (The greatest life anyone could possibly live.) In following Jesus, Judas’ life-potential was fully realized.

Judas had witnessed so many great things if all the libraries of the world were combined they could not contain all the glorious works Jesus had performed in his sight. (John 21:25.)

One thing only Judas had NOT seen. He had not seen Jesus even begin to act as a political figure, as a conquering king. Judas was such a political zealot he saw everything through the lens of defeating Roman rule. This was The Messiah he sought. Jesus presently was not living up to that expectation. Judas desired a king who would defeat, drive out, and deliver Israel from the tyranny of oppression.

He had not imagined The One Who would deliver Israel - and indeed the whole world – from the tyranny and oppression of sin.

He wasn’t thinking about that when he allowed Satan to enter his heart.

Once Judas allowed Satan to enter his heart he followed a path of destruction. Judas had no way of knowing even this act of unholy sedition had been prophesied in scripture. (Psalm 41:9.)

In the strangest and most detestable way, we are reminded even under Satan’s influence our actions are controlled by God for His purposes. It was necessary for Our Passover Lamb to be slain – and Judas unwittingly and foolishly became the instrument.

Was Judas then not responsible for his actions? Jesus said it would have been better for him if he had not been born. (Matt 26:24.)

-Pastor Bill

Luke 20:1…

Rather than listening to Jesus while seeking to discern God’s voice in the things He said, the scribes, elders, Pharisees and Sadducees put Jesus on trial - seeking to demonstrate He was not Who He said He was.

It is difficult to argue with God – and impossible to prove God is not Who He says He is.

Yet people have always tried. While many may sense some degree of success in arguing with an invisible God, the task is made insurmountable by God in flesh.

We have understood Jesus is our Passover Lamb – slain since the foundation of the world.

Jesus on trial fits that scenario perfectly.

In the Book of Exodus, the prescription for the Passover lamb was that it be brought into the house on the 10^th day of Nisan, the beginning of months. The lamb was kept in the home for four days of inspection to determine the worthiness of the lamb being offered. (The lamb would be inspected to determine it was without spot and without blemish.)

On the 14^th day of Nisan, the lamb was to be slaughtered and completely consumed, its blood marking the lintels and doorposts of the homes of those who had partaken of the Passover lamb and removed the leaven from their homes. The Death Angel ‘passed over’ every home marked by the blood of the lamb slain. All the firstborn in the land of Egypt whose homes were not so-marked died.

It was then the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt began. The Jews were expelled from the land and scattered into the desert – heading for the Promised Land.

In the same way, Jesus entered Jerusalem on the 10^th day of Nisan, and was inspected and found to be without spot or blemish by all who examined Him. He was found to be perfect. On the 14^th day of Nisan, He was crucified – The Lamb slain to save us from our sins.

Following His crucifixion, resurrection and ascension, Jesus’ disciples were scattered throughout the known world, and the Church Age began. An ‘exodus’ from the slavery of religion.

-Pastor Bill

Luke 19:28…

God is always right on schedule.

Sometimes in our lives we attempt to run ahead of God, or lag behind – but in the end we always find out we cannot do either – and the reason is because God is ALWAYS right on time.

Imagine if you could control time the way God controls time. There would never be anything outside or apart from that schedule, because you would always be in complete and total control of all things taking place in that schedule.

The God we serve is a God of order and design and intent, and so His schedule is always in place, and it is always right on time. To even imagine anything contrary to this is illogical and ultimately harmful to your existence.

This is why Jesus wept so upon His approach to Jerusalem. Everything in His life was playing out exactly according to God’s schedule, and the people – think of it - God’s chosen people – were completely unaware of what was taking place in their midst because they were unaware of God’s schedule.

This would have a HUGE effect upon the future of the nation of Israel. It wasn’t as if God had not given them fair warning – or at least so much evidence of His coming to earth that He couldn’t be missed unless you were deliberately not paying attention. (But this should come as no surprise to us, as today people SHOULD know all about Jesus and the timing of His life on earth – and even those who spend a lifetime in His church have no clue about any of the prophetic events unfolding before their very lives.)

The result is tragedy of epic proportions. Who is this Man on the back of the donkey? Why is He riding a donkey? Why is this happening today? “Look, everyone is praising Him, I wonder why? Maybe we should join in?”

That’s the attitude that would result in death and destruction for the children of Israel. In 70AD, right on schedule, Roman General Titus would come and destroy Israel and Jerusalem, 1.5 million would die, and Israel would disappear off the map for 2000 years.

All because they did not know the time of their visitation from God. How about you?

-Pastor Bill