You Are Witnesses

I. Twelfth Night 00:00

Last night my wife and I went to see my brother Gavin (many of you know him) in a play up in Hollywood. The play is a classic, Twelfth Night by Shakespeare. There’s this big mix-up happening, because a girl who was shipwrecked disguises herself as a boy. And she has a twin brother. It’s like the soap opera before soap operas. But either way, she has a twin brother who was also shipwrecked, and she is 100 percent convinced that he is dead. He is not dead, because it’s Shakespeare; it’s a comedy. But she has lived this life for three months among people, and he shows up. And because she’s disguised as a boy, he looks like her, she looks like him, and people start thinking she’s doing things, and she’s like, “What is happening?”

She gets to the point where somebody even says “Sebastian,” which is the name of her brother, and she has this little monologue after that moment where she goes, “What could possibly be happening? He called me Sebastian. There’s somebody who looks like me who’s doing all of these things. But my brother died.” What had happened was that the heartbreak of that moment, when she thought her brother had died in the sea, had seared her heart so much that even when all evidence pointed to him being alive, she could not believe it. She couldn’t believe that her twin brother was alive, even though all these things are happening that are obvious: “Oh, duh, it’s my twin brother.” But she’s convinced. And when he has his encounter with her, he goes, “You could be my sister, but my sister’s dead.” It’s like he can’t fathom it.

And that is kind of what’s going on in our Gospel lessons last week and this week. The disciples are told that Jesus is alive, but they just can’t believe it. And so, what’s going on this Sunday? Because if you just put the Gospel lessons from last Sunday and this Sunday, you’d be like, “Those are the same story.” And that’s absolutely true. It’s actually the same story.

II. The Road to Emmaus 02:22

And so Luke, the careful historian and doctor, provides some emphases that John does not, and Luke gives us the great story of the road to Emmaus, right? So what happened here is, we’re still on Easter Day today in our Gospel. We haven’t moved on from three weeks ago. We’re talking about this day and all the various things that happened. I mean, it’s the most important day in history, so let’s celebrate it for fifty days like we’re supposed to, right?

And all of this is happening on Easter Sunday. Jesus appears to the ladies who are coming to anoint him with spices. They’re coming to care for his dead body, and yet the angel tells them he’s alive. And he appears to Mary Magdalene. She says, “Rabboni,” that precious moment. She comes and tells the disciples, and they lock themselves in their room. And on top of that, we’re told from the road to Emmaus story that we’ve got this other disciple, Cleopas, who’s run away. He left Jerusalem. And then Jesus shows up walking next to Cleopas and another disciple. I think it’s his wife. So I’m just going to say it like that: Cleopas and his wife are walking. They’re like, “We’re going home.” They’ve been told that Jesus has risen from the dead, and they left. They’re like, “We don’t believe it. We’ve already accepted his death. We’re grieving. We don’t believe it.”

And this guy shows up and goes, “What’s going on?” And they’re like, “Haven’t you heard what’s going on in Jerusalem? They crucified a messiah, this person. We thought he was it, but he was killed, and so we were like, ‘No, he’s not it.’ But now they’re saying he’s risen from the dead. So we’re just getting out of there. We’re done with this confusion.” And in the road to Emmaus story you have this beautiful moment where this random stranger just explains the whole Bible to them, and they’re like, “This guy is interesting. This guy knows a lot.”

III. Known in the Breaking of the Bread 04:30

But then, of course, the great moment, and we remember it in our collect this morning, where it says, “O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread.” What is going on there? We didn’t read it in our Gospel lesson, but basically what it says is that as Cleopas and the other disciple are telling the apostles what happened on the road to Emmaus, Jesus shows up. So this is the prelude, right?

And why in the breaking of the bread? We can’t talk about the road to Emmaus all day, but it’s important that we mention it, because the only way you can know God, Jesus, is in the breaking of the bread. You cannot know God if you do not know Jesus dead on a cross, pouring out his body and blood that you might be saved, that the entire world might be redeemed. If you know any other God, it is not God. The only God, the God of the universe, can only be known in him breaking himself, that we might have life. That’s the God we worship. That’s why, even though he explained all the Scriptures, they couldn’t know him until the breaking of the bread, until that moment, and the Holy Spirit awakened, opened…

IV. Believing Is Seeing 05:46

What does it say? It said, “O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work.” The eyes of their faith were opened in bread. And so I want to focus in on that for a second, because it’s just like in Twelfth Night, where even when these twins see each other, they have two minutes of dialogue saying, “It can’t be.” We’ve been told seeing is believing. That’s just not true. What you believe determines what you see. And I’ve mentioned that several times.

And the disciples were not only told by the ladies that morning, but now Cleopas and the other disciple show up at the beginning of this Gospel lesson, and they’re told, “We met Jesus too.” We know from the other Gospels that the door was still locked when Jesus showed up. They didn’t run out of the room going, “Where’s Jesus?” They had the door barred for fear of the Jews, after crazy miracles started to happen, after people reported sightings of the resurrection. Because, you know what, seeing is not believing. Believing is a requirement for seeing, especially for God, right?

I’ll mention one more thing. There’s this trope in storytelling called the Agent Scully trope. It’s where you have somebody who is a materialist; they only believe the science. And in the course of the story, aliens show up, or something supernatural occurs, and they come up with all these reasons why it can’t be true. It’s so apparent, it’s so true, that it’s become tropey. It’s like a joke at some point: “Can’t you see the alien in front of you, that came down on a spaceship and walked out the door?”

In our modern age, that is the spirit with which we contend. Everything in the world says that any reason besides the power of God is more believable. Any explanation besides that God himself came in the form of a servant, was crucified on a cross, rose from the dead, and is now working miracles in your life, is more believable, according to our culture in our day and age. And no matter what you do, you will be influenced by that. And so over time, day in and day out, you go to work and you hear the news and you read books and you watch TV, and you stop looking for God to show up. You bar the door for fear of the Jews. And he shows up in your midst, and you go, “It can’t be him.” Something miraculous happens in your life, and you go, “How lucky am I! What a coincidence!” We need the eyes of our faith to be opened, because God is here. If you don’t see him, you should ask for faith. Ask him to open your eyes. He works in our life all the time. We need to see him, and we need belief to do so.

V. Peace to You 08:22

So let’s jump into our story here. We’re not going to cover the whole thing, but let’s go into verse 36. Cleopas and his wife are telling them, “We saw Jesus on the road to Emmaus”:

36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. Luke 24.36–37

It’s like the scientist who sees the alien and says, “I must have eaten some funky mushrooms this morning.” You have to come up with another explanation. It can’t be the risen Christ. In that moment they cannot believe it, because their hearts are broken. They knew he died, and their broken hearts closed the eyes of their faith. And what did Eric say this morning? God is here to heal broken hearts and open the eyes of our faith. You won’t believe this part. This is what I’m talking about this morning.

VI. It's Not Your Fault 09:27

So let’s talk about another example. I love film, obviously, so I’m going to give you another example from a film. There’s this great movie; it’s pretty good: Good Will Hunting, right? You’re at the pulpit; you don’t know. Sometimes you’ve got to be a little bit careful. But Good Will Hunting is a good film, and there’s a moment in it where Robin Williams’ character, who’s the therapist, and Matt Damon’s character, who’s the rebel (he gets sentenced to mandatory therapy), are having this moment, and it comes out that he had been brutally beaten by his father. It’s hard to imagine the pain. Having an amazing father, it’s impossible for me to imagine, right?

So he has been brutally beaten by his father, and Robin Williams strikes on a moment of insight: “You think it’s your fault.” As a kid, that’s what kids do sometimes, right? We know this. In this great moment he says over and over to him, “It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault.” And eventually it just breaks, and that spirit that had hold of him lets go, and he’s able to accept love. Because if it’s his fault, then he’s not worthy of love.

The Gospel’s better than that. The Gospel is: it is your fault. Now, I’ve got to be really clear here. It wasn’t that kid’s fault that his dad abused him. And there are probably people in this room who need to be healed, because you have taken responsibility for somebody else’s sin. You’ve been abused, you’ve been betrayed, and you think you’re not worthy because you were abused and you were betrayed, and it’s your fault. Jesus comes here to say it is not your fault in those circumstances.

But even better: every one of us has betrayed Jesus in our life. In the Gospel, this story is about Jesus’ closest friends, who said, “We’re going to go to the cross with you,” and as soon as he was arrested, they ran away from him. God, the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth, became a man, loved these people for three years, did miracles in their midst. And even though they know who he is, they’ve believed, they’ve declared, they just don’t get it yet. They run away. They have betrayed him. And so, just like in this story, where Robin Williams, the therapist, has to say again and again, “It’s not your fault, it’s not your fault,” what does Jesus say? “Peace to you. Look at the way I was pierced. Look at the stab wound. Look at the way I was killed. Your sin did this. And yet I say to you, peace to you. I forgive you.”

So the story this morning is: if you have a broken heart because you were abused, or because you were the abuser, each of you is given peace this morning by the power of Jesus. You do not have to carry that burden. He took it to the cross. It’s all about forgiveness. And as he heals your heart, he’ll open your eyes of faith, and you’ll see him.

VII. It Is I Myself 13:00

Let’s keep going. So he says to them, “Peace to you.” They’re still afraid. They still don’t know. They’re like, “This is a spirit.” Their faith is still challenged. And he says to them:

38 “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” Luke 24.38–39

I love that: “It is I myself.” It’s like if I, who know many of you very well, walked up to you and said, “It’s me, Jesse.” They knew Jesus, so that when he showed up and said, “It’s me,” they could verify: “Oh, it is the guy I’ve been spending three years with.” Maybe our problem is that we haven’t spent any time with Jesus, and it’s hard to recognize him when he shows up. He says, “It is I myself,” and we go, “Who?” Just a thought that struck me. They know who he is, and so when he shows up, even in their doubt, they’re able to verify, “Oh no, it is you.”

And then he says, “I’m hungry. Give me something to eat” (Luke 24.41–42). And this is kind of like a proof, right? I don’t think the risen Lord Jesus couldn’t have gotten something to eat himself. But he wants to sit and have a meal with them. He wants to do what they used to do: “Remember that fish that James used to make? Do you have any of that? Oh yeah, you just made it? Okay, great. Let me eat with you.” And he has that moment, and there’s a reality there.

So you might be thinking to yourself, “Well, of course they believed. Who wouldn’t believe? They’re touching him. He’s flesh and blood. They see his wounds. They eat with him. They can have faith. But what about me?” Well, my argument today is that your whole life, the risen Lord Jesus is showing up and saying, “It is I.” And it’s only through the eyes of faith that you recognize him: cancer healed, depression lifted, relationships redeemed, addiction vanished, lives restored. We all have stories like that. We all have stories where we prayed and someone got better. Or we all have stories where we had a relationship that was broken, and only by God’s mercy and grace was it restored. And we think, “Man, that therapist really helped.” Which maybe the therapist did. Maybe you did something good that restored the relationship. But do you know that every good thing comes from God?

Sometimes faith is knowing that God helped you. It’s like this silly one where, you know, there are two sets of footprints, and then there’s only one set of footprints in the sand, and it’s like, “Oh yeah, that’s where God had to drag you.” Or carry you, you know. In everything in our life God sustains us. God brings his mercy and grace. You can live your life never seeing God or always seeing God. There are two ways to view the world. Let’s open the eyes of our faith and look for him.

And look, I’m not even saying you have to be like, “Oh, look at this pulpit. It’s exactly 36 inches wide, and 36 is like a number.” You don’t have to decode the world to find God. He makes himself evident, right? So let’s pay attention. Let’s open our eyes: the beauty of creation, his miracle works, the people of the Church, his body on earth, the Eucharist, and personal encounter through prayer and worship. And if anybody here is like, “I’ve never seen him”: look, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you (Matt 7.7).

VIII. Jesus in the Scriptures 16:28

We also see Jesus in the Scriptures. And this is where Jesus starts to give them evidence, right? He says, “Look at me, whom you have pierced. Touch my wounds. It is I. Let me eat with you.” And then he starts giving them proofs out of the Scriptures. Let me explain:

44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. Luke 24.44–45

There’s evidence in the Scriptures of the reality of God, and every one of us should look for him there. If you’re wondering where to start, the Eucharist is a great spot, and we’re going to do that this morning. If you’re wondering what your next step is, the Bible: you can do that every day. Start reading the Bible. Ask God to show himself to you. If you need recommendations, I would start with one of the Gospels, the stories of who Jesus is: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. You’ll find him in there. Not only the historical account, but the actual, real Jesus will make himself known to you in the Scriptures, because they’re living and active. It’s not just a story.

So Jesus is explaining to them, because they had some questions. They’re like, “Okay, we get it, you rose from the dead. But what the heck? Why did you have to die? What is this all about?” And so he just walks through it, and he goes, “Remember when I said I have to die?” And they go, “Oh yeah, that’s right.” “Remember when I told you I would be raised from the dead?” “Yep, you did say that, didn’t you?” You know, it’s like he’s helping them. And that’s encouraging to us, because he does that for us all the time. “Remember when I saved you that one time?” “Oh yeah.” “Remember when I warned you that in this world you will face persecution?” “Yep.” “And did you remember when I said, ‘Don’t fear, I’ve overcome the world’?” (John 16.33). “Yes, you did say that, didn’t you?” So there’s nothing in this world we have to be afraid of, because what can God not heal? What can God not redeem, overcome? That’s the faith, the faith that’s born of seeing God, encountering God, understanding the resurrected Jesus.

IX. You Are Witnesses of These Things 18:58

Okay, the last verse says:

48 “You are witnesses of these things.” Luke 24.48

We’ve got to think about that, right? Because that’s not just the apostles. Let’s start with them, though. How are they supposed to be witnesses? Are they supposed to stand up in a court of law and say, “No, I testify that he showed up on this date at this time”? I’ll give you a hint: no. That is not how they witness to Jesus. Yes, they tell people what happened. That’s a huge part of their witness. But a bigger part is that they live differently. They live like Jesus lived.

They start as terrified followers of a failed messiah. Someone they followed, and they were feeling pretty good walking around telling people, “We’re following Jesus.” They wanted everybody to know they had power. They even came back to Jesus: “Even the demons obey us!” (Luke 10.17). They go from that swagger to locking themselves in a room for fear of the Jews. And they go from cowardly individuals, who even when they’re told Jesus rose from the dead just as he said are still locked in a room, to the people who die proclaiming, “Jesus is alive.”

It’s undoubtedly the greatest evidence of our faith that these people changed the entire world. These eleven men, plus women and other followers like Cleopas, went out from this place after Pentecost, and were beaten and brutalized and murdered. And yet they loved. And yet they prayed for healing. And yet they declared that Jesus was risen and Lord. And yet they started churches. I don’t know what you do when you’re threatened with death, but probably not start a church. “Don’t do it, or we’ll kill you.” “I’m going to do it anyway.” That’s not us. That’s the Holy Spirit. That actually wasn’t the disciples either. They were the ones who would hide in a room. But God came, the risen Christ came, and their eyes of faith were opened. If he can even raise people from the dead, what do we care what the Romans do to us, what the Jews do to us? He can just raise us up from the dead.

So all of this is happening, and I just wanted to quote this great quote from this guy Chuck Colson. A lot of you probably know who he is. He was an advisor to Nixon, one of the Watergate Seven, and he’s got this great quote about the resurrection. He says, “I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me.” And if you don’t know what Watergate is (I see there are some younger individuals in here), Watergate was this thing where the president did some bad stuff with some people, and then he got in trouble for it. That’s all I’m going to say about it; it’ll be in the quote. Watergate, one of the worst scandals in the history of the United States, proved the resurrection. Well, how, you might ask? “Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead.” I know, Judas betrayed him; he’s not a part of it. But you’ve got eleven people plus Cleopas. Hey, okay.

“12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Every one was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren’t true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world—and they couldn’t keep a lie for three weeks. You’re telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.”

I like that quote, personally. Maybe you didn’t connect with it. Let me make it a little clearer, or maybe use a different example. If you saw your favorite person in the world, the person you thought was the Son of God, the Messiah, brutally killed and murdered, would you, threatened with death, claim that he had risen from the dead if it wasn’t true? Their whole faith was shattered already. Who makes up a lie like that and then dies for it? Because, you know, if Jesus wasn’t raised from the dead, it’s not like they get any reward in the afterlife. It’s all over either way.

Evidence is great. Faith is built on evidence. It’s the thing that takes us from evidence to encounter. You can see God show up, you can get all the evidence in the world, but faith is the thing that allows you to believe God, right?

X. Like the Moon Witnesses to the Sun 23:35

Okay. Now, “You are witnesses of these things.” How are you witnesses of these things? We inherit the mantle of the apostles in the Church, and the Church is to go out and tell people who God is (Jesus crucified on the cross, risen from the dead) and what God’s plan is: to forgive you and to bring you into right relationship with him, right? Repentance and forgiveness. That’s what we’re witnessing to.

How do we do it? We do it like the moon witnesses to the sun. It’s a great classic illustration. How does the moon witness to the sun? It reflects the reality of the sun, and that’s what we do. But, you know, the moon doesn’t reflect the reality of the sun when it eclipses the sun. So that’s a great lesson. We just had this big solar eclipse, right? Don’t make it about you. That’s dark. It may have been beautiful in the sky, but it’s dark, and they’re terrible. Also, when is the moon not reflecting the sun? In a lunar eclipse. Don’t let the world get in the way of focusing on and seeing Jesus.

I know these are simple illustrations, and maybe you’re like, “That sounds like kindergarten stuff.” But God made these things. Did you know no other planet ever has a solar eclipse? Not a single planet ever has a full solar eclipse, where the moon eclipses the sun almost perfectly. Either way, I could go on and on. My point is, the only way the moon reflects Jesus, the sun, is if it looks at the sun. That’s it. How are you going to witness to the world? You’ve got to keep your eyes on Jesus. You have to have your eyes of faith opened, that you might look to him.

And you know what looking to Jesus will do? Finding him showing up in your life, in that dark moment where there is no hope, and you look, and the light comes, and you’re saved. Or in that moment where you share good news with someone, and they are redeemed. All of the moments where Jesus shows up: you know what happens? You become like him. You start walking around bearing his likeness. God made you that way, and he’s making you that way.

Last thing I’ll say, and we’ll be done with this, I promise. Unlike the moon, we actually have the Spirit within us, the Holy Spirit. So we’re not just reflections. We, like Mary, are God-bearers. We bear God into the world. So let God heal your broken heart. Bring your sin, bring your pain, bring everything to him. He took it on the cross, and he’s ready to embrace you with his peace. And then be a witness of that transformation to the world, because everyone out there needs a hug. Everyone out there needs the embrace of Christ. You are witnesses of these things. Amen.