Discovering Our Risen King

Luke 24:13-29

St. John’s United Church of Christ
Greeley, Colorado
April 20, 2025
Rev. Juvenal Cervantes

Your view of God determines your whole life and what you think of him. We are all in a journey. Your view of Jesus determines your response to him.

A.W. Tozer is the one who said, “What comes into our minds when we think of God is the most important thing about us.”

When Lanetta Grace and Sylvia Leonor were much younger, I placed a picture of the Laughing Christ in the living room. I wanted my daughters to have an image of a Christ that is joyful, not sorrowful; loving, not condemning. The Laughing Christ reminded me of John 10:10, “The thief comes but to kill, steal and destroy. I have come that you might have life and have life in abundance.” I also thought of Ecclesiastes 12:1, where Salomon reflects, “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them.”

Life is often like a walk in the park and at other times it is like a roller coaster with its drastic turns and twists that bring pain. In all the seasons of life, we need an anchor we can rely on, a guide that will see us through, a God who will love us no matter what.

Across the years we have observed a variety of images of Christ.

The most popular print was by Warren Sallman, The Head of Christ, 1940, pre-war world II. This picture has been viewed by over one half billion people. It is a picture of Christ looking over us, stoic, amazing hair. He looks quite American. Of course, it was painted by a Deutch-American.

Then there is the picture of the Christ as told in the gospel of Luke and one whose movie, “The Jesus Film” has been watched in every country. It is a 40-year-old picture.

Of course, many of us remember the depiction of Christ in “The Passion of the Christ,” Mel Gibson’s classic movie. Christ was played by actor Jim Caviezel.

In more recent years, we were introduced to Jonathan Roume of The Chosen, a wonderful series that feature the story of Christ.

A few years ago, a group of theologians, archeologist, scientists and forensic experts were on a mission to describe what Chis would look like in the first century. They examined skulls and skeletons from that era and they came us with their version of what Christ looked like more than two millennia ago.

What we think about Jesus is the most important thing about us.

Voltaire suggested: God created us in his image and we returned the favor. Often, we create a God that looks like us.

Today’s Scripture tell us, “They knew who he was, but they did not recognize him because their preconceived ideas of what he was up to in the world did not match with their thinking.”

I want us to explore the story of the disciples on the way to Emaus in Luke 24. Three ideas: An unexpected conversation, an unexpected confrontation, and an unexpected confirmation.

Two disciples were walking down the Emaus Road. We don’t know who they are. We are told one was Cleophas and his wife. Cleophas was the brother of the lesser James whose mother was Mary, not Mary Magdalene or Mary the mother of Jesus.

Women have always been at the forefront of the gospel of Christ. Women were the last to leave the cross of Christ and the first to share the good news of Christ’s resurrection.

My friends, God is alive. Today perhaps thousands or millions of people will respond to God’s message. God is alive and thriving. God is alive.

If you struggle to believe, if you can only see what you can measure, may I invite you to open your heart and believe.

I. An unexpected conversation

Luke 24:13-24

That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened.

While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.

This walk from Jerusalem was about 2 and half hours long. The couple is commiserating on the events. They are despondent, confused, disillusioned. The Christ they thought was going to be a revolutionary and take Rome by a storm is now crucified. They are doubting.

Can any of us identify with these disciples today? How has life caused you to feel despondent?

Suddenly Christ appears before them and they did not recognize him. Do you recognize Christ in your life? Have you come to the cross and ask for Jesus to take residence in your life? Do the care and burdens of life keep you from seeing Jesus in creation, in His word, in others?

The disciples were surprised by the unexpected conversation.

II. An unexpected confrontation

Luke 24:25-27

And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” himself.

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

These disciples did not recognize that the living Christ was with them. Christ admonished them saying, “O foolish ones…” It was not the same word that we use when we call others that. The word foolish means “ignorant.”

The disciples surely knew what the prophets of yesterday preached that in Genesis 1, Christ was the breath of life and that in Genesis 3, Christ is the redeemer of humanity. The Book of Number say that Christ is the lamb of the Passover and in Isiah, Christ is the coming king.

Christ confronts the disciples, “You, out of all people, were blessed with precious knowledge of me.’

Do you know the king? Has there been a time and a place when you placed your faith in the living God?

III. An unexpected confirmation

Luke 24:28-35

So, they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So, he went in to stay with them.

When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.

After their visit with Christ, the disciples were assured that Christ was with them and the sweet presence of Christ brought them reassurance.

In Too Busy Not to Pray, Bill Hybels reflects: “Sometime when you're in an airport, observe the difference between passengers who hold confirmed tickets and those who are on standby. The ones with confirmed tickets read newspapers, chat with their friends or sleep. The ones on standby hang around the ticket counter, pace and smoke, smoke and pace. The difference is caused by the confidence factor. If you knew that in fifteen minutes you would have to stand in judgment before the Holy God and learn your eternal destiny, what would your reaction be? Would you smoke and pace? Would you say to yourself, "I don't know what God's going to say—will it be 'Welcome home, child,' or will it be 'Depart from me; I never knew you'?”

You know that you know that you know that you are a child of God when you persevere in the faith, in life’s ebb and flow. Be encouraged, the King loves you and desires for you an abundant life on this earth and in eternity.

This is the word of the Lord.