Faith founded on Scripture

Sermon for the Week of Easter

Acts 10:34-41  +  Luke 24:13-35

The account you heard this evening about the disciples on the road to Emmaus is the reason why we reviewed all those Old Testament prophecies last week. It’s important to know the events of Holy Week. In fact, it’s vital for us to know them. But it’s just as important to know the Word of God that prophesied those events ahead of time. Because that’s how the Holy Spirit works faith in a person’s heart, not by seeing the crucified and risen Lord Jesus, but by hearing the Spirit-inspired words pointing to the crucified and risen Lord Jesus. Faith has to be founded on Holy Scripture.

Who were the two disciples walking toward Emmaus? One is called Cleopas. They weren’t among the Twelve apostles, but they were obviously disciples of Jesus. They had witnessed all the events of Holy Week, and then their hopes that Jesus might be the Christ were dashed when He died. Even the reports of the women and of the empty tomb weren’t enough to give them hope.

Why did Jesus not allow them to recognize Him as He walked with them? Why did He “restrain their eyes”? Because the kind of faith they would need for the rest of their life doesn’t come from seeing. It comes from hearing.

And so Jesus walked through the Old Testament with them, making the connections between prophecy and fulfillment, even as we did last week. Using the Holy Scriptures, Jesus swept out the debris in their hearts, the debris of misinterpretation that plagued the people of Israel, the notions that the Christ would appear glorious at His coming, that He would restore an earthly kingdom to Israel, that He would take up the throne of His kingdom without suffering, without dying, and without rising from the dead. As they walked, they began to see the truth, that the Christ had to come and suffer for sin, that He was to be like the Passover lamb, and like all the Old Testament sacrifices, shedding His innocent blood in order to keep safe all who believe in Him. He had to be lifted up on a cross, like the bronze serpent that Moses lifted up in the desert, so that all who look to Him in faith are saved from the serpent’s venom. He had to be like the tabernacle and the temple, God’s dwelling place on earth. And the temple of His body had to be destroyed and rebuilt in three days.

The hearts of those two disciples burned within them as they listened to the Word of God that Jesus spoke, and only then, after their faith was kindled by the Holy Spirit through the Holy Scriptures, only then did Jesus reveal Himself to them and allow them to recognize Him. He didn’t first show them visible proof of His resurrection. He first led them to faith through the Word. Then He allowed them to see.

And so it is with us, too. We haven’t seen Jesus. But He has sent His Gospel out into the world, and His Holy Spirit has caused our hearts to burn as He shows us that all of Scripture, in fact, all of history was pointing to the cross and to the empty tomb of the Christ. That’s the message that brought us to faith, and it’s the same message and the same preaching of Law and Gospel that will bring others to faith. No programs, no activities, no youth groups, no amount of fun and entertainment will bring a single soul to trust in Jesus for salvation. Only the Scriptures. Only the Word of God. Only the preaching that centers on Christ, and on Him crucified. And risen! In accordance with the Holy Scriptures.

And if the Scriptures were telling the truth about the Christ’s death and resurrection, then you can be sure they are also telling the truth about Christ reigning at the right hand of the Father, and about His constant care for His Holy Christian Church and for every single baptized believer.

So even though you don’t see Jesus, listen to the Scriptures! Listen to the Word of God! And your faith will grow! And then, if you know someone who doesn’t know the risen Lord Jesus, don’t try to convince them with arguments and proofs. Use the Scriptures. It’s the Holy Spirit’s only tool for bringing people to faith. And if we come to know Christ through the Scriptures, then He will surely abide with us here on earth by His Spirit, until we see Him in person, with our own eyes, when He comes again. Amen.