Pastor Chris Royce, Messiah Lutheran Church
Sermon Text: Luke 24:36-49
Sunday, April 18, 2021
I want to introduce you to one of the more interesting celebrities you’ve never ever probably heard of – the one and only Don Gorske. Don Gorske is a living legend because he currently is the world record holder for most Big Macs eaten – over his lifetime he has consumed over 30,000 of those signature sandwiches. I encourage you to look him up on google or youtube later, he has a fascinating story. Big Macs are essentially the only thing he’s eaten for daily sustenance since the early 70’s. As a matter of fact, since 1972, there have been eight days where he has not eaten a Big Mac. He keeps meticulous track of his receipts and boxes. His health is actually quite good, all things considered. He loves this food so much that he has devoted his life to this obsession. You might think that after awhile one would get tired of eating the same food every day for nearly now 50 years. But don’t say that to him!
Maybe not to this extreme, but I think we can relate to this, too, in a way. We like things to stay the same. You take your coffee the same way every day. You might go out to eat at the same restaurant once a month and you always order the same thing. You have your favorite stores you shop at, your favorite brands. You have your favorite bands and movies. You come to church and I’ve noticed that many of you have a favorite spot you like to sit in week after week. Yeah once in awhile, it’s nice to try something new and switch things up. But for the most part, we are creatures of habit. We stick with what’s familiar and comfortable and consistent. It makes us happy.
In our lives of faith, we keep things pretty similar Sunday after Sunday. We engage in these same rituals weekly – Confess our sins, sing some songs, hear a message, prayers and creeds. There are songs and hymns that you’ve sang since you were three feet tall. These Bible stories we cover every Sunday are the same ones at 70 as they were at 37 or 7 years old. Not only are our church habits and practices so often the same, but as we’re going to see today – our Savior Jesus, the one we come here to worship, is always the same – from generation to generation, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. For those of us who appreciate familiarity – this truth about Jesus is such welcome, wholesome news. Because even though we live in an ever-changing world, Jesus is our constant.
Our Luke 24 lesson is very similar to what we talked about last week – John chapter 20. Jesus meets with his disciples on Easter evening to greet them, encourage them, and give them peace. Last week we talked about how Jesus silenced the fears of the disciples. In what Luke writes for us here today, we see more details about that first meeting post-resurrection. It’s neat when we read the different gospels that we get multiple different perspectives on some of the same events.
Luke doesn’t tell us why the disciples were gathered together behind locked doors. They were huddled together here because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Luke tells us though that when Jesus first appeared, it wasn’t exactly “fear be gone” instantly. If anything – Jesus’s arrival scared them at first. Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. As far as these disciples were concerned – their friend Jesus had died. Killed on the cross a few days earlier. They never fully understood what Jesus meant when he told them that he must die and rise again. So, it makes perfect sense that they would be fearful and startled by his miraculous appearance here.
But Jesus quickly challenges their fears with his words of peace – Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” He showed them his hands and feet. They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. A full hands on experience! These might just seem like minor details – looking, touching, feeling, eating. But through these simple acts – the disciples were reminded that this was the same Jesus that walked with them and talked with them and taught them before Calvary’s cross. This Jesus here on Easter evening was just like they were – hands and feet and eating. A real human being, just like them, just like before. These verses are a great reminder that Jesus is fully a human, just like we are. Jesus isn’t just a name we sing about on Sundays. Jesus isn’t this figure who is in heavens far away. Jesus is similar to you and me. Real hands, real feet, real person. God took on human skin, breath and bone – purely out of love to save us from our many sins. Standing before them that night was their same Lord as before.
Then Jesus breaks into a quick impromptu Bible study there with them “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” This was their same Lord standing in front of them, but now featuring holes in hands, feet and side. These disciples had to be brimming with questions. Jesus, why did all this have to happen? Why you? Why so gruesome a death? The answers all were found in the Word. Numerous times, the Old Testament told of what would happen to Jesus. And then in the New Testament, in Jesus’s life, it all comes true. That’s what “fulfilled” means. The answers were in the Scriptures all along. The disciples just didn’t fully grasp and understand what Jesus was saying.
Until now. Now all of these words and events and happenings will make sense to them. He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. What did this whole procedure look like that day? “Opened their minds”? I’m not sure. But it was a miracle, that’s for sure. And it’s by this same means that God uses to assemble believers today. We believe the lessons and stories written in the Bible. Why do we believe them? Is it because we’re intellectually superior to everyone else? No. Is it because there’s something endearing about us in particular that drew God’s attraction? No. It’s by grace that we understand and believe these things. It’s because God’s powerful activity has worked on us. This is the same way that people come to faith today. Not be searching, not by study or intellect – but by the Holy Spirit, who creates faith when and where it pleases.
And then now that the disciples can understand these things, Jesus reiterates that same message that he’s told them all along – and he instructs them on what their new task will be. “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Soon, the disciples, as people who had seen and been close to Jesus first hand would go out and spread these words of Jesus, repentance, and forgiveness. The book of Acts is devoted to this, right here. Going out and spreading the message. And this is the same mission that the church has had for the last two millennia. Peter, Paul, and Co. traveled city to city telling people about Jesus who died and rose, telling others to repent and believe, for the forgiveness of sins. This is the exact same message that those who came before us held to so dearly and passed along to us. This is the same message we base our ministry on, and when we’re long gone this is still the banner that the church will carry into the world.
He lives my Jesus – still the same. Even though this Easter appearance happened so long ago, so little has changed since then. Our living Savior lives to bring us peace. He is fully human, just like us. Today, just like then, God reveals himself to us through the Word and he creates faith in hearts. Our message and mission is unchanged. And that’s how it always will be.
Is it a good thing that Jesus is unchanging? Is it a good thing that all of this stays the same? If you were to poll society, the answer would be no. One of the chief objections to Christianity is that its out of touch with the times. One of the biggest problems with the Bible, as some see it, is that it has outdated principles for the world we now live in. Over the years, some church bodies have drastically altered their teachings and changed their stances on certain issues to accommodate the times and sacrificed truth in the process. But we gather here at this church, we pride ourselves on remaining committed to these Scriptures, regardless of what’s going on out there. With our mouths, we confess unchanging truth every Sunday.
But I wonder if our hearts sometimes tell a different story. Think of Jesus’s words again: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations. This is what is written. I don’t think any of us have a problem hearing the message of Jesus dying and rising. I know that we love reminders that we are forgiven. But I wonder if in our hearts, we could sometimes do without the “repentance” part. Being told to repent, to turn away from our favorite sins. Are there habits or relationships of yours where you wish Jesus would stay out of it? Do you wish that Jesus would soften his expectations of his chosen people just a little bit? In your heart, have you ever said that “yeah, I know what God’s word says. It’s always said that. I know that yeah, I probably shouldn’t be saying that or doing that. But you don’t get it. It’s okay when I do it. My situation is the exception.” These words that Jesus gave to his disciples are true for all time. True for them, true for us. Our mission will always be based on Christ and forgiveness AND calling out sin and urging others to turn from it. Telling one another to turn from sin (after applying it to ourselves first) – It’s not a popular thing to do. It might not always seem like the most wonderful thing to hear or deal with. But it’s the message that Christ has tasked his church.
Treating sin and grace with seriousness is something our church will always do. Because it’s what our Savior always does too. God demonstrated the seriousness of sin for us by sending the only perfect sacrifice – his Son – to pay it all. Jesus calls his workers, his witnesses in this world to call others to repent and turn to Him. Sin is serious. Paul said in one of his letters: God our Savior wants everyone to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. But so is grace. Our unchanging message is also one of forgiveness – that because Jesus bore the punishment, by his dying and rising – we are all forgiven in the sight of God. As his witnesses, we take this message into the world too – that no matter what you’ve done or how far away you’ve strayed – you are loved by God. Forgiveness of sins is yours, even yours. And before we take these messages out to others, we remember that they apply to us too. Our sins are serious. The call to turn away from sin is always on our radar, even as believers. But that precious forgiveness is ours, too. Because of Christ’s rich love for us.
Like we talked about earlier, there’s comfort in familiarity. We like things that stay the same. And what’s a better constant than Christ? Constantly he pursues us, even when we don’t want to be pursued. Constantly he forgives us, even though we don’t deserve it. He lives my Jesus still the same – yesterday, today, and forever. Amen.
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