310-The First Teaching of the Risen Jesus to the Disciples#
310-The First Teaching of the Risen Jesus to the Disciples
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
Luke 24:13-27
13 That very day, two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad.
18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 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. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”
25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise You! Thank you for starting our new week of life, and thank you for giving us the opportunity to worship and praise You! Through today’s words, let us know the risen Jesus. Each of us has times when we feel down, but we know that even on the downhill path, when we meet Jesus, we will be renewed in strength. Today, once again through Your words, ignite the fire within us, so that we can live a new life with Your power. Thank you and praise You! Bless every brother and sister who seeks You, renew us through this word, in the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!
This passage of scripture is the first teaching of Jesus after his resurrection to the disciples. Every time the Bible mentions a first time, we should be cautious, as it is very important to us. Two disciples were on their way to Emmaus from Jerusalem. If you read the history of Israel in the Bible, you will understand that the city of Jerusalem is built on a hill, while Emmaus is down in the valley. Even now, when you travel to Israel, you know this terrain. In other words, these two disciples are currently going downhill, which is also a state of their lives. Spiritually speaking, their spiritual lives are also going downhill.
When they followed Jesus, they had hope and joy every day because they could see miracles and hear Jesus’ teachings. But now, Jesus has been dead for three days, and they do not know what to do or where to go. They are starting to walk down from Jerusalem. When people go downhill, they inevitably become more discouraged and will inevitably recall past failures. The two disciples are discussing Jesus as they walk.
Soon we will celebrate Easter. In fact, many churches are discussing the death of Jesus. The Passion of Jesus also talks about his death. The death of Jesus is significant. For everyone who believes in him, he shed his precious blood, so that all our sins are forgiven, which is very important, but more importantly, if we only focus on his death and do not mention the resurrection of Jesus, then our faith is no different from other religions.
Did not the leaders of other religions also die? They have left many classics and said many famous sayings, and their followers worship them in the same way. If we only discuss the death of Jesus, then we have no hope, just like these two disciples. We might walk down the spiritual path, not knowing what to do, discussing the death of Jesus, which is good, but what is better is to remember the resurrection of Jesus. Amen!
Some people call this week Passion Week, but I hope everyone remembers Resurrection Week because the death of Jesus is not the end; his end is his resurrection from the dead. We must deliver the complete message, Hallelujah!
What does the resurrection of Jesus mean to us? We always have hope, even if we die today, we still have hope because we will be resurrected from the dead. Jesus is the firstfruits of the resurrection. Every spring, when you see the fruit ripening on the trees, the other fruits are also nearly ripe. Jesus rose from the dead, and in the future, we will also rise from the dead with Jesus, and that will be a glorious body. This is our ultimate hope. Amen!
Now these two disciples still do not know about the resurrection of Jesus. They are discussing the events that happened three days ago in a heavy tone. Even when discussing the scene of Jesus’ suffering at that time, do they not feel more wronged and sad as they talk? Because Jesus was humiliated and abused, and when he died, he did not comfort the disciples, saying, “You should avenge me…” In short, he left no last words.
Isn’t this how we see in past TV dramas? When people are unwilling to die, they tell their children, “You must remember the faces of these people and avenge me in the future.” Does that not give the child motivation? They know what to do. What did Jesus say? Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. This left the disciples unsure of what to do.
So the more they talked, the more discouraged they became, their hearts were in deep sorrow, discussing how the Jesus they admired was condemned by the religious leaders and crucified. The more they talked, the more despair they felt. Brothers and sisters, is this the way of Jesus? No, if talking about Jesus makes you more discouraged, it proves that the Jesus you are preaching has a problem, not that Jesus himself has a problem. Jesus always brings faith to people.
When people are discussing the death of Jesus, what should we do? Reading 1 and 2 Peter, you will know that the letters he wrote bring hope. The twelve disciples are different; their gifts are different, and what they received from Jesus is also different. The letters of Peter are meant to tell you where your hope lies.
Let’s take a look at 1 Peter 1:20-21
20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
What does this mean? Peter takes us back to before the foundation of the world. He is speaking from God’s perspective to give you hope. In other words, before the foundation of the world, when there was no world, God already knew that these things would happen. At that time, He knew what to do. God knew you would fall and be weak, so He had already predetermined that His son, Jesus Christ, would be revealed to you.
You must remember the Bible is written for you. When you are discouraged, look at this Bible; it is God speaking to you. When you see Jesus shed blood for humanity, you must understand that it was for you that he shed blood; this is how you should view the Bible.
Through him, you believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory. Brothers and sisters, Peter did not say, “Jesus died,” always emphasizing Jesus’ death. Peter emphasizes that God raised him from the dead and gave him glory. What you now believe is the one who rose from the dead, Jesus will give you faith, because after Jesus died and rose again, his power is greater than before; no one can stop him anymore. The resurrected Jesus is a spiritual body; he can instantly preach the gospel here, and he can also instantly preach the gospel there, and he can appear among the disciples. Is this not the way of the resurrected Jesus? Such a Jesus will bring us ultimate hope and faith.
In other words, when you pray today, can Jesus hear you? Yes, those two disciples are now going downhill, becoming more and more discouraged, feeling more and more uncertain. Jesus suddenly appears before them. What is the purpose? To show his power? “Come and see, I have risen; you two are still saying I am dead, I am alive.” No, Jesus’ appearance is to comfort them, to give them faith and hope. We will indeed encounter some problems, trials, and obstacles in this world, but when you pray, you must know that the risen Lord hears you, and the Holy Spirit will help you remember the words of Christ.
But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. Jesus said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. One of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” Why did this person ask this question? Because he found that three people were going downhill and felt a sense of shared suffering. Have you noticed that many times we seek this kind of resonance, “What have you experienced? My experience is similar to yours.” “Then tell me how you overcame your situation.” We think that this way can comfort ourselves.
Are not these two disciples also seeking hope, hoping the risen Jesus would tell them, “Jesus died so tragically, shedding so much blood; what a good person was killed, what a pity…”? Are they hoping to hear Jesus say these words? Did Jesus give them these words? No, we now represent Jesus Christ living in this world. When the people around you say to you, “It is impossible to live in this world; my family is a mess, I cannot work…” should you complain with them, “Yes! The world economy is bad; it is hard to make money…”? The more you say, the more discouraged you will become. We should comfort and teach them like the risen Jesus. First, you must have the risen Lord within you. Amen!
Cleopas then recounted the events of Jesus, mentioning how Jesus was crucified, and their dreams were shattered. He said one sentence, “But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.” These two disciples had great hope for Jesus. What were they hoping for? Have you ever thought about why these two disciples became discouraged? It is clearly stated here, “But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.” They actually needed a great king like Moses, David, or Solomon to rise up, defeat the Roman government, and help them become masters. They hoped for such a savior to appear, which is why when they saw Jesus perform miracles, they immediately wanted to make Jesus king.
Do not think that just because these disciples followed Jesus, their faith or vision would be very great; it was not that great. These disciples are like us, with a narrow vision, but Jesus did not despise them. Do not think that you are worthless; Jesus does not despise you, and He can lift you up. Although they always hoped Jesus would be king in this world, Jesus did not fulfill this request, and he did not do this until he died.
Jesus did not even kill a Roman soldier. In the past, Moses, in a fit of anger, killed an Egyptian. David defeated many enemies, and Solomon conquered many foreign lands. Jesus, you say you performed many miracles, but you have not done a single serious thing. What we wanted you to do, you did not do at all, so they became discouraged.
I think many people have encountered this situation in prayer, “Lord, please quickly resolve my child’s issue.” Every time you pray, God reminds you of church matters, of praying for others. You think, “Lord, I do not want this; please quickly accomplish that.” You feel that matter is the most important. Many times we are like this, and then we find that Jesus seems not to have done that.
Brothers and sisters, I ask you: Does Jesus think it is better for the Israelites to live under Roman rule? No, in fact, the trials we encounter are not the problem; the problem is that people do not have permanent hope, and that is what is terrifying.
Proverbs 18:14, A man's spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? What does this mean? If the body is sick, it can be endured, but if the heart is dry and does not know what it is living for, that is truly terrifying. When I was very young, I saw the older generation around me sitting at the door after meals, either playing mahjong or smoking long pipes. Every day like this, many old people sat blankly at their doorsteps, and then a day passed, a year passed, just like that. Some people walked their dogs after meals, wandering around all day…
Seeing this, I do not know what your feelings are, but I feel that this is wasting life. But on the other hand, I also do not know what the meaning of life is. Even if I earn money in the future, it is just a different way of living, like them. They are just walking their dogs, but some people go to work in the morning and come home at night, eating and sleeping just like them, just in a different way. This is a problem of the spirit; this problem can only be solved by meeting Jesus, and it must be the risen Jesus. If you only meet the Jesus in Israel, you will find that he is also busy with ministry every day, then eating and sleeping, and then busy with ministry. But if you meet the risen Jesus, everything will be different because you have ultimate hope.
The reason the disciples became discouraged is that what Jesus did was not what they expected. They did not want this savior, and they also heard strange things. Some women went to the tomb and said he was alive. Did Jesus not tell them before he died that he would live? Now that he is alive, is it surprising? It should not be surprising, but why are they still surprised? Because the Jesus they have always hoped for is the one who can overthrow tyranny and establish an earthly kingdom, but Jesus does not do such things. Even today, the resurrected Jesus does not do this; the kingdom he wants to establish is not on this earth. He wants to save not only your body, your family, and your finances… but also your permanent hope, letting you know what the meaning of your life is.
Although those women went to the tomb and found it empty, and the angels spoke to them saying he was alive, Cleopas still did not believe. So Jesus began to correct them, saying, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.”
They only knew about the death of Jesus and hoped that Jesus would solve their household issues, but what they did not know was that Jesus had already accomplished these things. Once you have the hope of resurrection and permanent hope within you, the trials you encounter in this world can no longer stop you. Peter was fearless of life and death, and Paul was also fearless of life and death. What did Paul see that allowed him to give up everything in this world?
Brothers and sisters, is it good to marry and have children, living harmoniously as a family? Yes, it is good. Why did Paul not do these things? Did he go crazy? Did he really go mad as the Bible says? Paul was a highly educated person; he was not foolish at all. What did he see? In his heart, he already had ultimate hope; his hope was not on this earth but above. He met the risen Jesus, and his life was completely turned around. Amen!
You must meet this risen Jesus in your life.
When did Paul meet him? Before he met the Lord, he was zealous in serving the church, thinking that what he was doing was in line with God’s will. He always thought this way until he met the risen Lord, and the great light shone on him, and he suddenly realized that he was on the wrong path. From that moment on, God changed his life, and his service was no longer based on what he thought was right, but on what was right according to Jesus Christ. Amen!
You will find that after this, all of Paul’s service changed, and his entire life was different. I believe that in heaven, the reward God gives to Paul will be great, certainly greater than ours. In terms of rewards, our contributions and rewards are proportional; this is a manifestation of God’s justice. Now what I need to do is to explain clearly to you, so that you can fully understand the truth, and tell you everything I know.
Jesus began to teach these two disciples, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.” Seeing the surprised reaction of these two disciples, it is clear that they did not understand, so Jesus immediately said, “Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”
I recommended the Passion of Jesus to others during Easter, and many people said after watching it, “It scared me! It is so cruel; I cannot bear to watch it, crying again and again.”
I asked, “Why are you crying?”
She said, “Jesus is so miserable…”
Isn’t this off-topic? She cried because Jesus was miserable; does she not think that is a problem?
We should cry for ourselves, not because Jesus suffers. Why do we feel so miserable? The focus is wrong; the one who should be crucified is us. Jesus died for us; we should mourn for ourselves, saying, “That is me.” We should cry for ourselves, not because Jesus is so miserable.
Every time you watch the Passion of Jesus, you should see that the one being crucified should be you, but Jesus was crucified instead. The punishment should be borne by you, but Jesus bore it instead. That is why you have peace and healing, but all of this was predetermined by God before the foundation of the world.
The Christ suffered in this way and then entered into his glory. Why did Jesus suffer? Because you have sin, and he wants to solve your sin problem. Once he has resolved your sin, he enters into glory. When you see this, should you not rejoice? Ultimately, this should give you permanent hope, that you are rejoicing and knowing you are in glory.
Jesus used many prophecies from the Old Testament, the words of the prophets, and some verses in the Scriptures, explaining to these two disciples everything concerning himself.
Brothers and sisters, the purpose of what I am sharing today is this. I also believe that the faithful servant whom God sent is only to reveal Jesus through the Scriptures. If someone preaches like this, it is the best sermon, allowing you to see the risen Jesus when you read the Bible, giving you hope and letting you know you can rely on this Lord. Amen!
Jesus explained to these two disciples all the words of the Old Testament prophets concerning himself. It certainly mentioned the prophecies spoken by Moses and Elijah, how he would go to the cross; all of this was necessary. Was it not necessary for him? Because the purpose of his coming into the world was precisely for this.
Brothers and sisters, after we understand these things, knowing that Jesus did these things for you, your heart can be warmed, and the fire in your heart can be ignited. Jesus suffered for our sins, freeing us from the heavy burden of sin, so you can be at ease. Amen! To correct the erroneous faith of the two disciples, Jesus began from Moses and all the prophets, explaining to them everything in the Scriptures concerning himself.
I just mentioned that this is the first teaching Jesus gave to the disciples after his resurrection, proving that this is our required course. The first teaching is something we should always remember. When reading the Old Testament, we should see the work that Jesus accomplished through the Old Testament. In the future, we will have the opportunity to share this point with everyone. No matter which book of the Old Testament you read, you will see Jesus in it.
For example, most people do not like to read Leviticus, which talks about who offered how many bronze bowls, silver plates, etc. What does this mean? Why is the construction of the tabernacle written in such detail, how long and how wide…? Why record these things? Many people do not like to read these. Do you know what these mean? The Israelites had nothing in the wilderness; everything they had was supplied by God. Why should God supply them? Because were their behaviors good? If you understand these types of foreshadowing in the Old Testament, today you will know how to live your life.
The behaviors of the Israelites were not good; they often thought of all sorts of chaotic things, sometimes opposing Moses and being disobedient. Many problems persisted, but God continued to supply them. Why? Because of the existence of the tabernacle. If there were no tabernacle, bringing the two stone tablets among the people, all of them would die, not leaving one, including Moses.
But with the tabernacle, everything was completely turned around. In the innermost part of the tabernacle, at the very bottom of the Ark of the Covenant, those two stone tablets were placed there. What they could see was the glory of God, covered layer by layer. Why so many layers of covering? It is to tell you that you are constantly covered by Jesus.
From the courtyard all the way to the Most Holy Place, it all speaks of Jesus’ salvation for you. The things in the courtyard are basically made of bronze, which represents judgment. To enter the Most Holy Place, one must go through slaughter; someone must die for you to enter the Most Holy Place. If no one dies for you, you will die if you enter the Most Holy Place.
In the past, I prepared a series of lectures called “The Way to the Most Holy Place.” At every step, you will see Jesus. That bronze altar, when viewed from above, looks like a cross, with lambs being thrown in and burned continuously, and only then can one qualify to move forward; moving forward is the basin for washing, to wash hands and feet clean before entering the Holy Place; entering the Holy Place, there is supply and light, and you will know how to walk the path ahead; moving forward, you will reach the Most Holy Place, where there is no light, but the essence of God shines, and the golden mercy seat emits enough light; that is our ultimate destination, to enter before God’s mercy seat.
You can imagine that this is the path we take to the kingdom of heaven. Where are you now? You are right in front of the mercy seat, receiving the supply from Christ every day. Looking back at this path, it is truly a path full of grace. From the moment you enter the gate of that courtyard, you know that all of this is done by God. Jesus died for you; he cleansed you and supplied you with everything, and all of this is explained in detail in Leviticus.
A few days ago, someone asked me, “Teacher Ren, can we use cookies for communion? Many churches distribute cookies, and it is easy to buy those small cookies online; is that okay?” I said, “Yes, but I hope everyone makes communion themselves.”
I have previously shared a series on communion. When you take the bread, that bread has already been crushed into fine flour, and you can understand that as a grain offering. Jesus crushed himself into fine flour, then added water and began to knead it. Jesus’ body was kneaded and became your food. When you make this bread, you are constantly kneading it with your hands, just as Jesus was continually trampled upon. He suffered humiliation in this world; this is the part of his suffering. When you make it into a bread, this is not the end; when it is placed in the oven to bake, you can understand that Jesus is hanging on the cross, undergoing the Father’s judgment, the judgment of fire, and the judgment of righteousness, which is in place of your sin. Amen!
You see this bread is almost baked; you turn it over to bake the other side until the bread is fully baked, and then you turn off the fire. That also represents Jesus absorbing all the anger and judgment of the Father, and then the Father says, “Enough, I have satisfied all the judgment.” Then Jesus offered his life.
Once this bread is baked, does it stop there? No, that is just the beginning. The death of Jesus is only the beginning; after he rose from the dead, it symbolizes that this living food is now to become your supply, which needs to be received by you every day.
So brothers and sisters, the contents of the Old Testament are very interesting. When you truly read these with the heart of Jesus, you will find that each of these points to Jesus. At that moment, you will realize that God has written about Jesus in great detail in the Old Testament, and all of this is for you. The risen Jesus is still serving you today.
At the beginning, we read in verse 13 that two of the disciples were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. You know that the outcome is that these two disciples received communion with Jesus, and then their eyes were suddenly opened, and these two disciples returned to Jerusalem from Emmaus that very night. How much distance did they walk in a day? Fifty miles.
Who among you runs fifty miles in the morning? Because we think this road is too difficult to walk. When these two disciples were going downhill, Jesus began to explain the Scriptures to them. As they walked, they listened to the word, and after finishing the word, they received communion.
This is exactly the same as our situation! After receiving communion, when they returned home, they were filled with strength, and then they began to work with that strength, their hearts were burning with passion. Brothers and sisters, why do we arrange such things? It is to tell everyone that you must first meet Jesus in the word. The Jesus you meet must not be the dead Jesus; Jesus buried himself, and you must also bury yourself; you must hang yourself on the cross…
Is it to make you die? Now many churches preach the message of death, saying you must kill the old self. Why do you still sin? Because you have not died completely; continue to die… So they keep preaching the message of death, constantly leading you downhill. Originally, you had some faith in church, but after listening to the sermon, you lost your faith and did not take communion. Some churches do not take communion for years; how can there be faith? You cannot see the risen Jesus.
So I want to let everyone see the first teaching of Jesus during this Easter, which will be of great help to everyone. The Holy Spirit has recorded this dialogue between these two disciples and Jesus on the road to Emmaus in such detail; it is written for us. Even if you are now going downhill, it does not matter. When you meet Jesus on the downhill path, you will immediately be filled with strength to go uphill. Hallelujah!
So I hope that every time you come here, you can hear Jesus and meet the risen Jesus. This is not an ordinary meeting; Jesus specifically went to find them. In this story, God has reserved many precious teachings for us.
Proverbs 25:2, It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.
Do you know you are kings? Not kings who rule over others like in this world; you are kings who continually discover the treasures that God has reserved.
Since childhood, we have liked to play hide and seek and treasure hunting, finding the unusual and being eager to explore it. This is particularly evident in small children. When a two or three-year-old child sees something new at home, they are particularly curious. We may not notice anything, but they easily discover it because there is something new at home, which is very unusual.
Do you know how compassionate our God is? In the beginning, in Genesis chapter one, God created all good things, food, drink, things to use, and things to see. However, some things are buried in the ground. How do you discover them? At this time, a king is needed; you exercise your glory to find the hidden things of God, but you need a guide. This guide is the Bible; the Holy Spirit will lead you to find it. As long as you find Jesus, your heart will be filled with immense joy.
Some people say that smartphones are evil; do you agree? What you can see now is all permitted by God; it depends on how you use it. Brothers and sisters, when we discover this thing, if you can find Jesus in it, that is a good thing.
Can you find Jesus on your phone? You say, “My phone is full of action movies, who kicked whom, who divorced whom…” Then your heart must be filled with deceit and entanglement because there is no Jesus in it. You must see Jesus in the things you are currently experiencing, and your life will change. Just now, I asked you whether your phone is good or bad; in fact, it is a neutral thing. If you listen to sermons through your phone every day, that is a good thing.
You can listen while driving, when you are feeling down at home, or when you are running in the morning; this is a healing method. Technology is so advanced to provide you with a wonderful opportunity to meet Jesus anytime and anywhere, so I say this is good.
All kinds of gems are good; they all shine brightly under the spotlight. When you see Jesus here, you will say this is amazing! The Bible clearly states that the glory that shines from Jesus is greater than that of gems. Gems themselves do not shine; they only reflect light. The one who truly shines is the glory of Jesus. Amen!
So today you can envy gems, but one day you will not need to envy diamonds. When you get to the kingdom of heaven, everyone will wear a halo, which is incredible. Amen! Adam and Eve did not need to wear clothes at first because the glory of God filled them; they had their own halos, so they did not need worldly clothes.
Today, because we have sinned, we need to wear clothes. One day, when we return to the new heaven and new earth, we will not need them. The glory of God will completely cover us again; this is our hope.
Paul must have seen these things, so he thought, “What are these things in the world?” He must do meaningful things, so his life was truly very meaningful. I hope everyone sees the work of Jesus in the Bible and sees these when reading the scriptures.
If you still cannot see it, it does not matter! I suggest everyone must listen to my sermon sequence once; you will definitely grasp this method because I will repeatedly tell everyone how to search for Jesus and continuously reveal Jesus in the sermons. Listen repeatedly; the teachings Jesus gave us after his resurrection are extremely important.
Indeed, we will encounter many problems and trials in life. When we only focus on these problems and do not see the risen Jesus, we will lose hope and joy. Sometimes we keep praying, but things do not develop as we imagined. Jesus does not save us in our way, and it is easy to fall into discouragement, disappointment, and despair because we have focused on ourselves.
Just now, the two disciples were discussing Jesus, saying how miserable he was, how unfortunate, and that there was no way out. Suddenly, the risen Jesus appeared. When they focused on that person, the situation changed. Later, they testified, “On the road, when he explained the Scriptures to us, was not our heart burning within us?” Amen!
When you meet Jesus, your heart will be ignited. Hallelujah! Do not look at your current problem as too difficult; turn around and look at the risen Jesus, and you will find that this problem is not difficult at all. God will give you the most direct solution. Amen!
As long as you look up to Him, God will give you infinite wisdom and ability, easily solving the big troubles you currently think you have. Focusing on oneself is truly very painful. How can you break free from self? Let Jesus fill you. Through today’s story, you can see that meeting Jesus in God’s word, letting Jesus’ love fill you, you can overcome all trials and bitterness. Has not Paul already overcome these?
He said, “Whether I am full or hungry, whether I am rich or poor, I have learned the secret, the secret of joy and peace; he has obtained all of this and can also be content.
Was the persecution in Rome a big deal? For Paul, it was nothing because he already knew how to deal with these problems and how to overcome these circumstances. Once you meet the risen Jesus in your life, you will find the meaning and value of life. First, we look at the understanding of these two disciples regarding what happened in the past. They thought Jesus came to redeem them from Roman rule, but Jesus did not do this.
In fact, Jesus came to solve their life problems. Once the internal problems are resolved, the external ones do not matter. Was persecution a problem for Jesus? In the song we just sang, what can separate us from the love of Christ? Is it trouble? Is it persecution? Is it death? No, amen!
The disciples hoped Jesus would save the Israelites from physical suffering. They only hoped Jesus would end all this; they focused more on saving the Israelites than on the Savior himself. Does everyone understand this? Many people actually fall into this misunderstanding. Many times, they hope for a Lord to help us solve problems. What the Lord is does not matter; what is more important is to focus on Jesus. When you focus on Jesus, those problems can be easily solved.
If you only think Jesus can solve your problems and keep helping you solve problems, if one day you find that Jesus cannot solve them, you will seek other gods. This is why some Christians are willing to consult fortune-tellers; they say, “This time when I prayed, it seems Jesus did not listen; I need to find someone else who can help me solve it.” The reason is right here; they are only seeking a god to help them, not seeking Jesus himself.
I hope you focus on Jesus. When you focus only on solving problems, you will definitely be frustrated. Because Jesus did not come just to save the Israelites; this sounds noble. Our hearts should center everything around Jesus. Simply put, Jesus indeed came to bless us, but not just to help us live a little better.
If believing in Jesus is merely to obtain blessings, then over time, grace becomes very cheap, and people will become ungrateful because they keep thinking Jesus should help them solve this and that. In the end, they will truly become ungrateful. If believing in Jesus is only for benefits, then it does not matter whether the Lord Jesus is resurrected or not; it does not matter if he is alive or dead, as long as I pray and he accomplishes it.
If your focus is only on Jesus himself, his resurrection is of great significance to you.
From a young age, I knew I could not live like them; I had to find a way out. I did not know what the meaning of my life was. Although I did not want to live like them, I did not know where the way out was until I met the risen Jesus. Many people may think that being a pastor is meaningless, but I do not think so. I believe I am doing the greatest work in the world. It is not because I am great, but because the work I am doing, this Lord Jesus, is great.
Brothers and sisters, to be used by Jesus is the glory of our lives, and it is the greatest glory. Do not forget that you are being used by the King of Kings. Hallelujah! And this reward lasts forever.
So one day, when Jesus turned my life around and opened my eyes, I understood all of this. In the past, I just wanted to earn money to live a little better. Does that seem very worldly? Believing in Jesus means living practically, living better, and being respected. But now I feel that what truly makes people respect you is how many people you can help recognize the risen Jesus in this world. This is the blessing you bring to others, and this is the greatest significance of my service. I do not care whether you understand or not; I am willing to pay this price for you. Hallelujah! Let us look at a person, Abraham.
Genesis 12:1-3
1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Do we particularly like this passage? We also say we are descendants of Abraham, so let us practice the privileges of being descendants of Abraham. First, let us see that God first blessed Abraham and made his name great. Brothers and sisters, is your name great? It seems not many people think their name is great. Some say, “Teacher Ren, you may be famous now.” No, I am not talking about being famous in front of people. First, you must believe that your name is great in front of God. Then go do things that make you famous. If you think from the beginning, “What fame do I have? I cannot do anything,” you despise yourself in God’s eyes. In front of people, you will always be like this unless you first realize: In front of God, He knows my name. Jesus places me on His chest; He remembers my name and calls me every day. You must first know that your name is great and valued by the King of Kings, and then you can do things that make you famous.
Tell people what you know about Jesus, and your fame will grow. Amen! Go with the authority of Jesus to help others, and your fame will grow. Your center should only be to glorify Christ; God will lift you up. This is the latter part; you will also be a blessing to others.
Abraham knew this principle; he knew he was very valued by God, so he also did things that God valued. Amen! Have you noticed that in parenting education, it is also like this? If you love your child, your child will love others. If you beat and kick him every day, he will also beat and kick other children at school. It is the same; we first receive God’s love, and then we know how to love others joyfully, knowing that what we do is very meaningful because we are doing the work of saving souls. If you feel fearful, anxious, or depressed today, quickly check whether your focus is wrong. What fills your heart? Do you have confidence in Jesus?
In your life, have you met this risen Lord? He is the shepherd of your life. When He fills you, all your fears will disappear, including the fear of the current situation and the worries about what you are doing. All the wrong things you cannot let go of will disappear because you know Jesus loves you.
The reason the disciples became discouraged is that they did not believe the words Jesus had said: I must suffer, and I will rise again. All of this was carefully arranged by the Father to save us. If these two disciples understood this, they would have been filled with great hope over the past three days, right?
Today you know the ending. If we pull you back to the Roman era, when Jesus was crucified and then went to the tomb, would you feel discouraged and say, “How miserable it is! We have no hope; let’s go back to fishing”? Would you say that? You would say, “It’s okay; three days later, no one can stop our Lord, not even the universe.” The hope would be even greater.
This is the reason. You know the ending; the risen Jesus is in your heart, and you have eternal hope. Thank you and praise the Lord! So Jesus said, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.” They did not understand, so why do we need someone to explain the Scriptures? It is to let you see Jesus in the Scriptures. Thank you and praise the Lord!
When Jesus taught the disciples, it was gentle teaching. Even when he said, “You are so foolish,” sometimes I advise everyone not to do certain things because I may have experienced them. For example, I have previously told everyone not to participate in capital operations, as they are too risky. In the church, do not form cliques or do things that divide the church.
I comfort you this way because I have experienced these things, and I know how harmful they can be. They are of no benefit to you. So Jesus said, “Your hearts are so slow to believe.” This is not meant to belittle them but is a gentle heart hoping they will turn back.
So I hope everyone gathers here, not centered on me, but for the purpose of knowing Jesus, to know more about Jesus. This is our goal, hoping we can enter this family together and make it better and better.
Let more people meet this risen Lord Jesus here, and let them learn to rely on Jesus in their lives. Jesus does not want us to lack knowledge of Him, for ignorance leads to failure.
Proverbs 10:21, The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of wisdom.
You are also righteous, so you must first know this risen Jesus, and then use your lips to teach others, letting them know this risen Lord. They will experience the great power of Jesus in everything. You come here to learn God’s word, not to accumulate more biblical knowledge or historical facts. You listen to Christ’s words to bring the revelation of Christ into your heart, letting you meet this risen Lord in your life, and let your life also meet this risen Jesus.
So what should we do? You can understand this passage when you read the Bible and learn His words, realizing that this passage refers to what Jesus has accomplished for you. What was not accomplished in the Old Testament has now been accomplished. When you read this, you will know that this blessing has come upon you. Amen!
Many people read the Bible without seeing Jesus; they may see a lot of things they can or cannot do, or a lot of dreams that can or cannot be realized. If you meet the risen Jesus, all of this becomes real. Amen! I hope everyone sees Jesus through reading the Bible. No matter what kind of situation we encounter, you can meet Jesus in the Scriptures. He is our strength and help. When you have needs, you can pray to Him, believing that He will definitely help you, revealing through His words how to act. Amen!
Finally, let us look at a passage of Scripture, Galatians 2:19-20
19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
I hope everyone writes down this passage and meditates on it this week. Have you died to the law? What is the law? It is when God requires me to do this, and I require others to fulfill this before I can accept them. This is the heart of the law: to die to the law and live to God, living to the risen Jesus.
The latter part mentions that we have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in you. This refers to the risen Jesus. Amen! You are now living in this world, not for yourself. Remember: Receiving blessings from God and living out the appearance of God’s blessings is not living for yourself. If you have this intention, you will definitely become a help to many people, and you will know how great your meaning and value are. He loved me and gave himself for me.
What is self-denial? Forgetting oneself, letting go of oneself, having no self. We find answers in the Bible. Now it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. This is called self-denial; it means you are not living for yourself, but Christ is living in you. This is self-denial; do not make it complicated: I must kill the old self, and then there is no self…
How can there be no self? You are clearly alive; how can you say there is no self? What does it mean to deny oneself? Let Christ fill you; let His thoughts, words, and actions fill you, and then there will be no self. It is that simple; live every day like Jesus.
Look at how Jesus lived in the four Gospels. Live out that kind of Jesus. Of course, today, it is the Holy Spirit who helps us live it out. You really cannot do it by yourself; forgiveness, compassion, love… these are all there, and these fruits are what people long for. This is called self-denial.
Every day, continually know Jesus, let the words of Christ fill you, and live out Christ. “Lord! Help me live out your likeness today.” When they insult me, “Bless you in the name of the Lord Jesus.” This is living out the likeness of Jesus; you are not affected by their words, but rather you can influence them. This is Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15
14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
Is it not so? This is very similar to the previous passage. First, receive the love of Christ. The song we just sang, living out love, does it not require first receiving the love of Christ before you can live out this love? Finally, you can live it out to the world.
We first receive love, love one another, and build a loving home together. This church cannot be built by me alone; it requires everyone to do their part. What can you do for this church? Do it with love, and the church will be built up. Hallelujah!
At that time, you will unknowingly live out the style here. Unknowingly, others will say, “There is an attraction about you that we cannot see, but we do not know why we are particularly willing to approach you and communicate with you.” Many people’s lives have been turned around while listening to my sermons, and the people around them have turned around with them.
I hope that every brother and sister experiences this risen Jesus in their lives. Meeting Him will turn your life around. Hallelujah!
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You! Thank you for helping us through such words. We also wish to meet this risen Jesus. The first teaching of Jesus to the disciples at his resurrection is truly important. I need to meet You in my life. Please lead me to first receive the love that comes from You and live out this love.
Help me, bless me, let me be a blessing to others like Abraham. Thank you and praise You! All glory belongs to You! In the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!