Third Sunday of Easter (A) 2020

+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.

Text: Luke 24:15
Theme: A Fellow Traveler



Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Dear followers to the empty tomb,

It’s more than a little remarkable- this short interlude of travelling to Emmaus. On the very day of His resurrection, the third day after His scourging and mocking, ending with the bloodletting and asphyxiation of His dreadful crucifixion, the day in which He asserts Himself not only against gravity, but against the immeasurable weight of death, the day on which He’s already announced His victory in hell and served notice to Satan, that day, Sunday, Jesus Christ, the conqueror of all catastrophe, and subjugator of all villainy… decides to go for a walk! He joins two locals on their way to a village called Emmaus. Do you see how lacking in grandeur, formality, and ceremony that is? Do you see how understated His re-entry into human affairs was? Nevertheless, faith sees the concealed Son of God here and cannot be prevented from expressing its alleluias. Jesus lives, never to die again.

The first Easter Sunday wasn’t demonstrably dramatic. Jesus doesn’t send a vanguard of angels ahead of Him to announce His resurrection with great fanfare. He certainly had them at His disposal. During His arrest He said, “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?”1 At the time a Roman legion contained about 5000 soldiers. Meaning Jesus readily had over 70,000 angels at His beck and call. He could have marshalled an army of followers to proclaim His triumph also. Instead, He casually integrates Himself back into the routine of humanity. It was a humanity whose worldview view He was about to radically alter.

So, even in His immortalized body His glory still remains hidden. He does pass through locked doors. But no fanfare is made of it. Dear friends, stop looking for God to impress you with His majesty, and start believing He’s with you in abject unpretentiousness. God doesn’t present bombastically, but humbly. God doesn’t need to overawe you with His power- you have the biblical accounts, and He will continue to intervene as He wishes-, but God doesn’t need to overawe you because faith is born of water and the Spirit. We don’t know God can deliver us from anything because He’s omnipotent but because we are baptised. We have the Spirit.

The followers on the way to Emmaus were visibly disappointed in how recent events transpired. They said to Jesus, “But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.”2 What did their hopes in His redeeming work entail? Did they think He would raise an army, overthrown the Romans and reestablish the Davidic dynasty? Did they think He would reconstitute the theocracy as it was under the leadership of Moses? Or did they understand Him to be the Messiah, whose kingdom is not of this world?

Jesus doesn’t initially comfort them, He chastises them. "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!”3 He does not scold them though for not believing the signs, words, works, and miracles that He Himself had performed. He doesn’t admonish them for not supporting Him during His trial or following Him to the cross. No, He convicts them in reference to the established word of Scripture. He calls on them to consider the basis of their trust. Why did they think their hopes were dashed?

If Jesus were to confront you about your sluggish faith and/or misplaced hopes, could you identify the problem areas? Are you aware of your idols? What are those things and those people, when looked at honestly, that we put more trust in than we do God Himself? He says, "You shall have no other gods before me.”4 It’s the foundational commandment. Consider the current context. Is the government, science, or the healthcare system going to deliver us from the present threat? Certainly, they all have a role to play and God works through human agency. Yet, when it comes to the only ‘deliverances’ that matter, human agency is as worthless as a paddle for a boat that’s already sunk. The forgiveness of sins cannot be obtained by any means within our power. Christ appeased the wrath of God. No one else can. No one else will.

Notice, also, that Jesus doesn’t enlighten them with new information. It’s not like He says to them, “Now that I’m risen, I’m free to explain to you how all the predictions and prophecies don’t really apply, but here’s the real story.” No, our account says, “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself.”5 It’s parallel to the response Abraham gives to the rich man, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.”6 It’s no coincidence.

Even with such explanation Cleopas and his companion still did not recognize Jesus. Now, we cannot fault them, because Jesus didn’t allow it, not yet. It wasn’t until He broke bread that their eyes were opened. You see, in Holy Communion we “see” Jesus as He wishes to be seen. In the sacred meal He is still veiled, but fully present with the power of His forgiving word, just as He is through the Spirit.

No one can recognize Christ as Saviour without the Holy Spirit. Wherever the word is, the Spirit is there. And wherever the Spirit is, there is life. What does Peter say today? “You have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.”7 Again, the Bible says, “The word of God is living and active.”8 Only the word of God can change lives. Only the gospel can breathe life into spiritually dead souls. And He does.

Dear friends, in the circumstances of the current pandemic God is opening up an exceptional opportunity for the church. Our natural tendency is to see ourselves as victims, but shouldn’t we also see ourselves as beneficiaries? At the moment many people have more time on their hands than usual. That fact provides another great opportunity to reassess what the main objectives in life are. Is this also meant to be a quiet time for our faith? There isn’t any question that Christians aren’t called to sit back passively and watch the world go by until the Lord returns. If we were meant to be passive observers why would God equip us with such outstanding spiritual armor? Why would He gift us with so much to offer to others? He gives you a heart to serve.

Of course, if we believe we have to change the world we can easily feel overwhelmed. The sheer enormity of the task is beyond grasping, let alone accomplishing. Imagine what needs, what challenges, what opportunities will arise all around the world as a result of the coronavirus? Yet, we’re not called to save the world. Christ has done that. Still, God will use you to make life-changing differences for particular people. Understanding the limited scope of God’s expectation in our vocational lives helps us to focus on the quality of the task. A panoramic view of the forest may not allow us to see individual trees. Similarly, if we view humanity en masse, in all its fallenness, we might be unable to see how our Christian vocations can make any real difference. How can we really help when so many are in need and we can’t even manage our own issues?

But God calls us to see the individual trees in our neck of the woods. He calls us to believe that in helping others we are helped. When you are feeling low, despondent, or depressed, don’t throw yourself a pity-party. Put your burdens on God and support someone who may be going through a tougher time than you. In serving others God will serve you. In loving, you will be loved. Maybe all you’re able to do is pray, but the Holy Spirit uses your prayer for the benefit of others.

Jesus Christ utterly abolishes all divine to human social distancing. What do the Scriptures say? “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”9 Not angels or demons, life, or death! The are no solitary travelers on the narrow road. In your journey with, in, or through addiction, Christ is there. In your journey supporting, or enduring someone with addiction, Christ is there. In the saga of strained, conflicted, and broken relationships, the risen Lord is present. Through all the trials and adversities, we encounter, He is faithful. And He’s not present merely as an observer, a cheerleader, or a spiritual life coach. And He’s not just a listening ear. He has authority to eradicate all the consequences of sin, including death. Would the Saviour who has died and risen again for you suddenly abandon you?

Therefore, we join with the prophet who said, “He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces...In that day they will say, ‘Surely this is our God; we trusted in Him and He saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in Him; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”10 The journey to Emmaus was only seven miles. Jesus isn’t concerned about the length of our journey, only the road we are on and the destination to which we are headed. Amen.


Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
+ In nomine Jesu +

Third Sunday of Easter
26 April 2020
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt

1 Matthew 26:53 2 Luke 24:21
3 Luke 24:25 4 Deuteronomy 5:7
5 Luke 24:27 6 Luke 16:29
7 1 Peter 1:23 8 Hebrews 4:12
9 Romans 8:35 10 Isaiah 25:8-9