023 - Great Expectations

You pick up your Bible and wonder, is there more here than meets the is there something here for me. I mean it's just words printed on paper right it may look like just print on the page but it's more than eight. Join us for the next half hour, as we explore God's word together as we learn how to explore it on our own. As we ask God to meet us there in its pages welcome to more than I expected and well what do you expect I don't know, 20/20 is not what I expected. Some was 2021 what to expect from this year.

I think we need to have her expectations reset by God, please, oh you'll find up to guys that's exactly what happened today on 1 million oh because dad 2020 hindsight get it yet alligator might more so bad, but it does lead us to the point that weight since were in this day.

Usually it's January 2 or so when you start thinking forward in the new year. Think about that much on the first but second it is like okay back to life. Well, for a lot of us 2020 was a year of unmet expectations. Actually dashed expectations expected and and just never knowing what was coming next. Just when you think it's a can't get any worse. It does right so that's what makes this this passage will look at today so interesting taxes if things don't go exactly the way think they supposed to write you not just exactly like by monitoring close and then how do you get out of that hole.

That despair could just Envelop you and maybe you look at 2020.

That way maybe look forward into 2020 the same way big black. What are your expectations going forward right have they been changed at all by what we've been through last year, so were going to really get on expectations and in despair and in the key to changing all men are best or best way to look at that is to follow with a couple guys on a road from Jerusalem to Emmaus who were dealing with the despair of the situation and were walking into a new life that didn't match with the thought of this is either the day of the resurrection or shortly after just yeah and Excel and believe we just read the text. So if you are in a position you can identify with these guys so just climb on with the summer going to read were Luke 24 to read the whole passage and go back and plant some observation so Luke 2413 starting verse 13 now, and behold, two of them were going that very day. Okay, so is the data resurrection to a village named MAS which was about 7 miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about these things, which had taken place talking and discussing Jesus himself approached and traveling with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him that you like to stop their talk for second about what I mean. Well, let's just make it noted that venting them from recognizing realistic interesting okay so Rita and he said to them, well, what are the words that you're exchanging with one another as you're working and they stood still, looking sad like that name the clip is answered and said to him, are you the only one visiting Jerusalem unaware of these things that have happened in these days and he said to them, what things and they said to him things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to the sentence of death, and crucified him, but we were hoping that it was he who was going to redeem Israel in deed. Besides all this is the third day since these things happen, but also some women among us amazed just when they were at the tomb early in the morning and they did not find his body. They came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels.

Who said that he was alive, though some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women had said, but him did not see any said to them all foolish men, slow of heart to believe in all the prophets have spoken, was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory, and then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, he explained to them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures and they approached the village when they were going as though he were going farther but they urged him, saying, staying with us for getting toward evening and the days now nearly over.

So he went in to stay with them and when he had reclined at the table with them. He took the bread and blessed it and breaking it. He began giving it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight and they said to one another word our hearts burning within us while he was speaking to us on the road while he was explaining the Scriptures to us and I got that very hour and returned to Jerusalem and found gathered together the 11 and those who are with them, saying, the Lord is really resident Simon began to relate how their experiences on the road and how he was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread yeah so go back and try and capture their emotional state for Jesus shows up on me lately. Clearly her bone. Maybe you're bummed about what's going on with you.

Can you expect, but they were poems, look at that little bit and see a bum they want to help figure out what was controlling her thinking before Jesus went back the question what really didn't prevent them from recognizing him because they're just reviewing for themselves. All of their dashed expectations they had gone to Jerusalem for the Passover gone to Jerusalem, expecting this one they been following to be recognized and proclaimed his Messiah, and the crowds even had done that when he entered the donkey and they were convinced he was the Messiah right yeah so but how do you square that with the fact that he's dead right and he's gone. It's is a problem with some passages in the Old Testament a few weeks ago about the fact that his throne will be forever. So how can that if this is the Messiah maybe were mistaken. But he's dead and he's gone so it's an honest and honest despair in a way to say it really invest a lot of their emotional and intellectual confidence in who Jesus wasn't looking like the circumstances are working against you and not only that that that things have gone from bad to worse that it's like suddenly they they were with the guy who was famous so they, by extension, were famous too. But now he's dead and I don't believe that he is resurrected in our they don't believe the witnesses who told them they had and the guys who were with him closest to him are in hiding right there all schedule.

These guys are going back where I came from. The plan is too hot for me were everyone was wrong since really it's really a bummer because they were so excited about Jesus what you can see in the Gospels and Jesus one this is going to happen but you know their expectations are so deeply planted that he would come in be the redemption of Jerusalem is said he was going to be the guy, but he's gone. So how can you arthritis, but they did. I think they did. Remember the three days come back from the dead, as they say this is no third dance is to they personally haven't seen them yet right exec is amazing that there are going back where they came from and there on the road actively training verbally work this out.

How could we have been so mistaken. How were our expectations so misplaced and she says comes to them on the road. I think it's for me is it's an instructive thing that when when you're in the midst of a bad situation almost always find someone that you can commiserate with. Unfortunately, that may not always be the best place to go because you end up amplifying you chose despair in the verbal processing repetitively doesn't always get you anywhere keeps you in the pit and because you don't you don't see you know if I wrote a better story right. He was going. One of them would be godly.

You wouldn't in the government was awake, you know, things are unfolding the way we thought with let's go check the Scriptures again. Maybe we are wrong right that they're just recounting the bad story right there for you recounting the best or the events that happened and I think it's just kind of make them swirl further and further down there really getting much perspective because the only perspective it's going to change them is the word right, and they're not doing and I think answers my question at the beginning. That's what then did their eyes from recognizing Jesus when he came to them were so fixated on their own, crashed, disappointments and unmet expectations that they just had no eyes to see him with Wayne came and went, guys, blindness is not helping the other guys going this and you know I I recently have been studying limitations and and so when I read this in preparation for talk about today. Suddenly it connected with Lamentations 3 where Jeremiah says you know I've my soul is rejected for peace. I forgotten happiness is a limitation is my strength is perished and so is my hope from the Lord, my affliction, my wandering my soul remembers and is bowed down within me. He's doing the same thing to say things totally fixed on the circumstances, I went down telling the bad story over and over and over again enforces what we do, we just revisit the story over and over, and we actually expand on and think you could even get works right so that this right you crazy right, but then I Lamentations 3 comes that beautiful section recess, but this I recall, to my mind like lovingkindness is never ceased. So he comes to a place where he literally actively turns his mind from focused on those horrible circumstances to what God is actually said about himself that what we call the real real circumstances don't change it all but Jeremiah changes the heart calls to his mind the word of God tells him about the ultimate reality. So that brings us back to the 24th of these guys are not helping each other according Scriptures to one another. We don't think so, Jesus decides.

We need to change this, but I think it's interesting that he doesn't take task instantly.

He doesn't berate them instantly when you're dealing with honest things. He instead he just says, well, so what's going down what you talking like that because when God comes near when he lifts his face upon us. As we talked about last he's he's listening.

First, rather than speaking and God is intent on hearing your heart, so give me opportunity well and then they do, they just dump it into the ears of the sky that they think is but for us now when Jesus comes to us and says now what is troubling you. We have an opportunity to then lay it all out.

This is one of things I learned from my study of Lamentations we we have freedom to dump our sadness are disappointment our anguish great access we have to the king out to sport like water is limitation of this passage tells me he wants to know just spill it guys, what's the deal. So what were they hoping we had hoped, but got smashed 21 I just I hear that all the time, but we were hoping he thought he was the guy thought he was that you can hear such dashed expectations and hopes just almost breaks my heart to read because well they identify him as Messiah said he was that he was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and people loved him. This is a prophet.

They downgraded him down disappointed that they identified it was Messiah before exactly died than they're saying on the committees of the Messiah may result prophet we go that right was a prophet. Well, that's what we've always done.

I think I was kind of the outcome of the discussion together, look at this, look at this, look at this, not the Messiah but will give him prophet status.

So when Ricky recounted Jesus, and we were really hoping we were hoping to find would be that hope has perished. Just like Jeremiah said, perished, and they don't discount what they saw.

Mean early on their 19. He was mighty in deed and word in the sight of God. I mean, he had all the credentials everything lined up and we worked alone all the people saw this as well and you know but somehow the chief priests and the religious authorities got him killed so invasive that he can't be the Messiah right right logic is okay but there they're not remembering the bigger picture and even carried a story as far as the empty tomb come back and told him hey, you know, just like they said but you know we didn't see him. We found the tomb always crusted is described but we didn't find they did fight when they went, but JonBenet went didn't so it's like all social and believe that women saw. Okay, that's one thing but Peter and John who Jesus counters big guys and instructed them maybe everyone's mistaken and maybe the women are just kinda hallucinating minutes all this fall apart, but the tomb was empty that the big data point would on how to deal with that resurrected Jesus, who has come to them and met them in this disappointed this place of disappointment turns the conversation that's like you he let them finish the story fully identify their issues laid out their boys laid out their boys and doesn't interrupt the muses put it out there but him.

We didn't see that the last words I have that's what they wanted.

They wanted to see Jesus will guess what is right now.

I like that we wanted to see him all you foolish men and slow of heart.

I really like that because he could be read every cruel kind of way, but he he basically says that you're not ignorant, but you're not willing to fully believe what you are no right is a belief issue and and is not a willingness not to assist the slowness of heart and I get that because circumstances circumstances does belong to our hearts willingness to biblically the idea of a fool is one who doesn't take God into account right, it's Psalm 14 and Proverbs also says that fool says in his heart there is no God is not relevant to anything where is God and this is what they're saying here to this is the Messiah God was asleep, your God big enough to raise the dead right sold out of the living dead.

So this is really a pretty foolish position to take based on what the new rank should have embraced you know they should have said instead like if I was writing the perfect Bible said no is the third day, but he'll show up because he said he would, but they don't think Jesus says, you know, let me connect the dots for you wasn't necessary for the anointed one to suffer these things to enter into his glory right and so beginning with Moses mind he unpacks for them all the things in the Scriptures concerning himself while they were walking on the road.

Yeah, Internet 2 to 3 hour journey. They could cover a lot of ground both on the ground as well as the Scriptures and we also email I would like to fly on the wall. We can file this scene but we haven't Scriptures they had exactly exactly. We just don't need them and I like affected 27 says Jesus didn't actually give them a new knowledge. But what he does is explain her and we are looking earlier this this word used other places to meet interpreter translate like a translator mostly so he's he's using is the sense of luck. He knew this.

This is written here.

Now let me let me explain.

That means because they may not have connected the dots. So now he connects the dots and explains what these things meant. It's interesting. This is another layer on John 118 when it says no man has seen God, but but the living, the only begotten son is in the bosom of the father. He has explain the same Greek word there, but the idea is the same that he has opened and completely explain completely declared who God is person of Christ and you know God is intent on you. Understanding absolutely he's not going to make a fool of your breach on the spot just because you can't connect the dots are not willing to connect the dots. He he once you understand Psalm 32 says that he doesn't want to be like a right like a doll that you left and right, you will want you to understand and so here's Jesus carefully and respectfully and dramatically explaining what's in the Old Testament. They knew because he wanted them to understand and they still haven't yet recognized this is the one note, but if this is going to resurrected crime responding positively to rest the word right, that's a great thing. Oh, right. Oh, and I think if Jesus is done in reverse order.

If you'd revealed who was this is okay listen. I don't think it would've been listening as well because here in their in their despair and their struggles are listening very carefully to engage them right. He's open the Scriptures and set you know well. Don't you see here that it's evident that that like Isaiah 53 had crashed right had to be so you know they're there minds are working he's engaged them in connecting the dots themselves. Yeah it's it's a wonderfully tender thing in the midst of a really difficult situation for them. If you're in a difficult situation and you trying to say I don't understand what's going on. I thought this is going to be like this. I have these expectations.

Young Christians should have this expected life will be rosy and just, you know, there's no problems or difficulties and then things go badly, so I was expecting something different way that can happen throughout your entire Christian I thought just just a believer, you ask yourself constantly. I don't understand I don't understand, and so so God like what Jesus does right here can say will tell me what's on your heart. What's on your mind with mess and you want just dump it here and will work on this and he lets you dump it. This is okay, let's work on understanding the real question is are you teachable are you open to allowing the spirit of God. The Lord himself to change your mind as he unloads and opens the Scriptures to you. I think sometimes that's what we get stuck think we've already understood it completely is nothing new to add to this I've shot it and it didn't happen so we in humility before the Lord say okay like Habakkuk set on the stand my watchtower and see how cats can answer me and how I should turn when I'm reproached by him, what, where, was I wrong and how should I repent and turn that willfulness about not wanting to believe.

Your ears should be able to hear very well right so here they leave so this just move the story on because just a few minutes left. They finally do recognize him and how we tell so amazing when they they say will stay with us and they sit down to dinner at the end and and they were still talking. But in verse 30 says when he reclined at the table with him. He took the bread and blessed it and breaking it and began giving it to them and suddenly their eyes were opened. The peg drops in the hole and knew him always seen this before the blessing and the breaking of the bread will that had only been a couple of days since the last supper. So these guys the room were probably among that group that was there when they saw Jesus say this read that I'm breaking is my body broken for you and then the writer Luke and his gospel uses exactly the same phrasing he blessed it and broke it and gave it to to talk about this event to talk about that event at the Last Supper and also the event to the feeding of the 5009 so the whole idea of the breaking of bread became very Jesus what they had seen a man that they identified as Messiah and who didn't meet their expectations. At that at the cross.

Do this break the bread blast sent break the bread and give it and suddenly they recognized not only what he said who he is. He was acting now as he has acted in the past, right enough to keep for us understanding and recognizing God's presence right now in connecting what he did what he said about yourself and who God is and that he was faithful, and he actually did their same third day in here they are on that day day, the resurrection, we didn't see him, and now they saw him in there kicking themselves any idea is that they recognize experienced all this is we've been here before us like a déjà vu moment in reality and you know if I was writing the narrative again thankful I'm not the author of the Bible but fostering the narrative than the first thing other malls. After Jesus disappeared would not be what they said something really really really different said words was you know were not our hearts burning with speaking to us in the road while he was explaining literally opening the Scriptures weren't our hearts burning and the way it's self indicting. It's like that should've been enough lit on fire. Yeah we we saw the Jesus during his ministry during his ministry. He was the person who spoke with authority when I can hear a little regret in their voice that know that should've been enough for us but man our hearts for his grace met in here gave in this very unique experience.

He met them. He came came to down the middle of their despair, but they had to invite him to stay and eat dinner right now but that's good word for us in no despair in the middle of your horrible circumstances he's intent on coming to you, Lord, break the bread to me.

He wants to sit down well is the revelation thing is to doorknob documents and to gather all of that passage so that we are here that's the heart of God wants you to understand once you understand in a gentle kind of way, but he's going to give you the whole thing is going to give you understanding that you never had before.

If your heart desires for understanding and what is to give you his himself as a text says that they make that very hour they pick up their skirts and rice to down the road to connect think we've seen him. He really is alive and at the very end where it says and Andy told how he was recognized by them in the breaking about that in the breaking and giving of himself.

Suddenly they saw that the cross had to happen at this anointed one had to die in order to accomplish their salvation right in the penny drops and they get all of that came to him breaking of the bread. I like to the fact that the addition stay in Emmaus.

Well I guess it's still on, but you will hear the boys are doing later on we are back in the game we write back in the back and go two or three hours back to Jerusalem to tell them we saw him to work were back in this all over again. So as you go to change the wording to 2021. What's your attitude toward those broken expectations are you going to carry forward into this year and teachable heart that says the Lord Jesus break bread to me, reveal yourself to me. Show me who you are and where you are and how you are enough for me and cry out to him about your real circumstances were met. God, if you read the Psalms received in the first Apple of somebody's stump to start this worm and then he listens, you need to do that as well. Heart to God and ask him for understanding we want for 2021 not to be just more of the same right if it is right. You don't have to be the same because Jesus can give himself to you, and you can be different. Whether your circumstances are different, so I thanks for being with us next to her and go back to John studied John in the we really look forward to continuing that work on the coming were actually in our very favorite part so it gets intense but just fascinating. So join us next week. I'm Jim and I