Luke 24:36-53: Abundant Life
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Dirty Jobs - Mike Rowe - some odd jobs like Deer Urine farmer, beaver relocator - Highlight people who work jobs no one else wants to work - Penguin counter in Antartica - no running water, no internet access for 4 months - sounds like a great job - https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/penguin-counters-wanted-remote-post-antarctica-training-provided-tasks
Life is more than a dirty job. Life is more than counting penguins. Life is more than your hobbies, sports.
Deep within, you know that life is more than what you settle for. Deep within, you want more, yet how many of us settle for far less than what God has for us?
Life is even more than marriage and family. The Gospel of Luke has taught us that life is found in Jesus and life is Jesus.
Philippians 1:21 - to live is Christ, to die is gain.
For 15 months, studying the Gospel of Luke. Who is Jesus? He is God who has taken on human flesh to rescue you from your sins through His death and resurrection so you may have abundant and eternal life (John 10:10).
If you don’t feel like life is so abundant, the conclusion of Luke’s Gospel is for you. Three truths about your faith in the risen Lord that will help you to live abundant life.
You can have real peace.
You can have real peace.
Two disciples who saw Jesus on road to Emmaus return to Jerusalem to tell the eleven apostles what they had witnessed.
Resurrection appearances - Peter apparently had already seen the risen Lord, but the rest had not.
Eleven confused after getting word about the empty tomb. Mary Magdalene had seen Jesus, Peter had, and these two disciples claim to have seen Jesus. Was He really alive?
Jesus appears in their midst (vs. 36). The doors were locked (John 20:19).
Jesus appears, disappears, shows up even when the doors are locked. Disciples thought they were seeing a ghost of Jesus (vs. 37). (You would have thought that too.) Resurrected Lord is not a ghost (vs. 39), but His resurrected, glorified body is different than His body before the resurrection. Jesus not limited by a fallen world.
Not teaching us specifics about our future resurrected, glorified bodies, but we can know that our glorified bodies will be different than the bodies we inhabit now because our earthly bodies are corruptible. Someday we will put on the incorruptible (1 Corinthians 15:53-55).
Jesus reassures His disciples that it’s really Him. Wants them to be confident that He is alive. Invites them to touch his hands and feet - where the nails pierced His body. Resurrected body carries the scars of the crucifixion (John 20:25-27).
Jesus asks for something to eat. He’s really alive.
When He appears, a simple phrase: “Peace to you!” (vs. 36) A customary greeting but in this instance much more than a customary greeting. Resurrection assures us of peace.
Peace with God - all is well with my soul because all is well with God.
Peace of God - whatever life throws at me, it can’t take away what was accomplished for me on the cross. I have peace because I know my future resurrection is secure (Philippians 4:4-7).
I need to quit saying, “My life will be at peace when…” We think of peace as a future event based on how our circumstances work out. We make poor choices to try to get out of unpleasant circumstances instead of trusting God to bring us through for our good and His glory. Life will be peaceful/good when I get out of debt, when I graduate school, when I get the job, when I get through the disease, etc. Problem is that when you get through whatever situation is causing a lack of peace, something else comes up.
I need to learn to say, “My life is at peace because…” Peace isn’t wishing for a better future reality hoping that circumstances turn out my way. Peace is a present reality based on a past event and a future certainty.
No wonder Paul said don’t worry but make your requests known to God - No wonder he said peace of God that passes all understanding guards our hearts. He wasn’t short-sighted. He was certain of future reality based on a past event - the resurrection.
Abundant life is peaceful life that is yours because of the resurrection.
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2024/march/wendys-retracts-surge-pricing-following-outrage.html - God isn’t going to “up the price” on us, and He’s not going to go back on His Word.
You can have real purpose.
You can have real purpose.
Peace with God frees you to pursue real purpose because you’re consumed with the worries of life. You’re consumed with His peace. You’re not going to pursue God’s purpose well until you understand the peace that comes in a relationship with Jesus.
The resurrected Lord gives the disciples real purpose. They had already been prepared for this. (Take up your cross, Jesus sent them out in Luke 10). Now, Jesus tells them how they would spend their lives.
Just like Jesus took the Emmaus disciples back to the Hebrew Scriptures, He does the same with the eleven. He roots the event of the cross and resurrection in the Old Testament. Another reminder that all of Scripture points to Jesus. Jesus fulfills it all.
vs. 46-48 - Jesus doesn’t just show them from Scripture that He’s the fulfillment of Moses and the Prophets. He shows them that He is the Savior of the World.
Gen. 1 - Creation mandate - fill the earth with the glory of God.
Gen. 12:3 - Blessing to all peoples.
Joshua 2 - Rahab, an outsider, becomes a part of people of God.
Ruth - Moabite pagan brought in and in the lineage of Jesus.
Psalm 67:2 - “That your way may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.”
Habakkuk 2:14 - Earth filled with knowledge of Lord’s glory as water covers the sea.
Zechariah 2:11 - Salvation of many is the hope of the prophets.
Could go further - but Jesus to the disciples - NOW is the time. The death and resurrection of Jesus is not the end of the story but the beginning. Followers of Jesus (the church) the fulfillment of God’s plan to reach the nations with the good news of the death and resurrection of Jesus. That’s the purpose that purpose for which Jesus leaves us on the earth.
You need a new bucket list.
Luke’s new bucket list - Wants to start at the top of the milkshake list and eat all the way through at Cookout. I couldn’t be more proud…
You have your goals and dreams - and they’re not big enough. Visit the Grand Canyon, get really good at pickleball, visit all the major league ball parks, save a million dollar nest egg, help my kids get to college on a baseball, music, etc. scholarship, a dream marriage, etc.
Nothing wrong with goals and dreams, but you weren’t left on earth to merely accomplish your goals and dreams. Your bucket list motivates how you think, how you spend, how you live.
Some of us will stand before God, and we’ll completed everything on our bucket list, but we will not have lived for His purpose.
What should be on our bucket list? The names of our neighbors who don’t know Jesus. The salvation and sanctification of our children. Wando Woods, Gethsemane, and other churches that are dying that God would have us help to live again. The 3.2 billion people who live around the world who have little to no access to the Gospel.
You can’t tell God “I can’t.”
Jesus promises the Helper to empower (John 14:15-17) to do greater works (John 14:12).
Why do you need constant power?
You can’t do anything for God’s Kingdom apart from the Spirit of God (John 15:5).
You are easily distracted - by your bucket list, by your own sin, etc.
If the Spirit of God lives within you, you have the power of Christ within you to live out His purpose. You have no excuses.
You can’t say you can’t. Your “I can’ts” are an indicator of a lack of desire, disobedience, etc. You need to ask Jesus to change your heart’s desires.
Abundant life really is living out your God-given purpose.
You can have real joy.
You can have real joy.
Jesus takes them right outside of Bethany - where he raised Lazarus from the dead. He blessed them - and ascended into heaven. (Imagine what that must have been like - they had seen Jesus appear and disappear, now ascend?) Church of ascension? Marks the spot of the lift off?
Why is the ascension of Jesus so important? Acts 1:11 - Angels stood by and told the disciples that Jesus would return in the same way He ascended.
Another reminder of who Jesus is: the exalted King. (Hebrews 1:3-4) At the right hand of God not limited by time and space, but over all, seeing all, reigning and ruling.
Since He is the exalted King, He gives the orders, and He has given His power to fulfill His orders.
After Jesus ascended disciples return to Jerusalem with joy, praising God.
Joy? How could they have joy? Jesus was gone…
Joy because of the promise: the Spirit would come.
Joy because of the Gospel: Jesus was alive. They had seen Him. They touched Him. They saw Him ascend. Resurrected and ascended - no doubt about His identity.
From this point on, disciples would have hard lives. Persecuted for their faith in Jesus - hated by many of their friends and family members, but joy because the resurrected Lord gave them peace and purpose.
You have joy because the King is calling the shots of your life. Disciples don’t say, “We have a better idea… We’d like the mission to be…” When you see the risen Lord, and you know the risen Lord died and rose for you, you know life is much better when He calls the shots. There’s much joy in allowing Jesus to control your life.
You have joy because you have everything you need to live for His purpose. You are not left alone. Since the Spirit of God now lives in you, what excuses could you possibly give for not living on His mission? No time? Scared to open your mouth? Don’t think you know enough theology? You have everything you need in Christ.
You have joy because Jesus has removed your despair. You know the future! He will accomplish His mission! You don’t have to question your eternity, whether He will return or not. You can walk in joy.
This morning, are you experiencing the abundant life Jesus offers? Have you placed your faith in the One who died and rose again to give you life abundant and eternal?
If you are a follower of Jesus, are you living the abundant life, or are you constantly going back to a life of self-seeking and self-absorption that lacks peace, purpose, and joy.