Dr. Shin explores the walk to Emmaus to discover a key principle that Jesus revealed by His own example.

Give Me the Bible

David Shin

Ouachita Hills College

01 The Preeminence of Scripture

This message was recorded on the campus of Wachita Hills College.

For more information visit our website www.ohc.org.

Our Father in heaven we thank you so much for the privilege and opportunity that we have to have our Bibles, recognizing that individuals gave their lives so that we could have this book.

Lord, we pray that you would help us to live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, that your words would become sweet, and we pray that you would create in us a deeper desire for you so bless us this evening Lord we need help we need the Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds to impress and to convict our hearts we pray that you would tailor my feeble words this evening through the agency of the Holy Spirit as we reflect on the Word of God that we would receive exactly what we need individually.

Lord, only you can do this and Lord we surrender ourselves to you tonight.

We ask these things in the precious name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I invite you to open your Bibles this evening to Luke 24.

We'll be looking at 3 different passages this evening.

In verse 13, this is known as the walk to Emmaus.

I want to read it through and then give some observations regarding this passage.

Before we read verse 13, I want to give you a little bit of background what has taken place prior to this walk to Emmaus.

Jesus has died, he has risen, and the disciples do not know what has happened to the body.

There's a report from women that have gone to the tomb, and there's a report that his body is no longer there.

And there is this unique, fascinating story in the last chapter of Luke, Luke chapter 24, and it takes up a great portion of this chapter.

Now when you read the Bible it's important to know how much space the Bible writer dedicates to a particular passage, and this space in Luke chapter 24 is significant.

In other words, there is a particular point that needs to be brought out by Luke, who wants to enunciate and elaborate a little bit about this passage.

And there are 2 obscure disciples that are going from Jerusalem to Emmaus.

These 2 disciples have never come into the biblical narrative before.

This is the first time they come on the scene.

Jesus has died, he's risen, they don't know that he's risen, and this is the beginning of a very depressing and downtrodden walk, the 7 miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus.

And the conversation is quite depressing.

And as the story goes, Jesus walks with them the 7 miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus.

So let's pick up in our story here in verse 13.

Now behold, 2 of them were traveling the same day to a village called Emmaus, which was 7 miles from Jerusalem.

And they talked together of all the things which had happened.

And so it was while they conversed and reasoned that Jesus himself drew near and went with them.

But their eyes were restrained so that they did not know him.

And he said to them, What kind of conversation is this that you have with 1 another as you walk and are sad?

Then 1 whose name was Cleopas answered and said to him, Are you a stranger in Jerusalem, And have you not known the things which have happened in these days?" And he said to them, What things?

The solution, if you're looking at it from an efficiency standpoint is I'm Jesus right we live in a Western society it's all about efficiency and effectiveness the most effective way to cure the problem of the disciples here in Luke chapter 24, and these 2 obscure disciples that you've never seen before these are not Peter, James, and John, Cleopas and the other 1, we never know their name, is to come up upon them and say, here's my hands and my feet, I'm Jesus.

Now the question is, does Jesus know what things are depressing them?

And so he's engaging them in a conversation for a particular purpose and a particular point.

And so they said to him, the things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet, mighty indeed, and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and own rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and crucified him.

But we were hoping that he was who was going to redeem Israel.

Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things have happened and yes certain women of our company who arrived at the tomb early astonished us when they did not find his body they came saying that all they'd also seen a vision of angels who had said he was alive and certain of those who are with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said but him they did not see and here it is verse 25 26 and verse 27, read it carefully as I read, and he said to them, O foolish ones, slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets had spoken, ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory?" And verse 27 is the point.

Verse 27 is why Jesus went on the walk to Emmaus.

Genesis to Deuteronomy, and beginning at Moses, and how many of the prophets, and all the prophets, so let's put it together here, beginning at Moses, Genesis, and all the prophets to Malachi.

And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them all the scriptures, the things concerning himself." This is the greatest Bible study in history.

Notice the way that this verse is framed.

And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them all the scriptures, the things concerning himself.

In other words, on this walk to Emmaus, Jesus is giving them the most phenomenal Bible study in history.

Jesus walks up, doesn't show them who he is, But he says, let me show you who I am.

And it's an exhaustive Bible study from Genesis to Malachi.

Text after text, and it says, He went through all of them.

And then in verse 28, so they just went through this exhaustive Bible study, and he did everything.

Genesis to Revelation, every Messianic prophecy, every Messianic text.

Then they drew near the village where they were going.

And he indicated he would have gone farther.

He gave the Bible study, and he was about to keep going and by the way this is a good plug for hospitality amen I mean if they did not give the gift of hospitality they would have missed out on the Son of God so so Jesus is just about I mean he doesn't intrude in people's homes he's like okay you know I guess we got here all right I'll see you guys and he's about to walk off and they're like wait wait wait a minute like hey why don't you stay with us right?

And then verse 29 but they constrained him saying abide with us for it is toward evening and the day is far spent And he went in to stay with them, and now it came to pass, he sat down at the table with them, and he took bread and blessed it and broke it and gave it to them." Now this is what's happening.

So they're sitting at the table with Jesus and they're like, hey, can you say the blessing, please?

And then the Bible says their eyes were opened.

And the Bible says, he vanished he vanished from their sight it's like breaks the bread it's Jesus he's gone and notice what they said their reflection Then they turned to 1 another and said, did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us on the road, and while he opened the Scriptures to us." And so the story goes, they run all the way back to Jerusalem.

They run all the way back, stumbling maybe in the dark, but with joy in their hearts, Jesus is alive.

The Zarephath's age says that someone was going back with them.

Let's pick it up Here in verse 33 So they rose up the very hour and returned to Jerusalem found the 11 and those who were with them gathered together saying the Lord is risen indeed and has appeared to Simon and they told about the things that happened on the road and how he was known to them in the breaking of bread and in verse 36 look at what look what happens and as they said these things who stood in their midst Jesus stood in their midst so here here's the narrative Jesus walks with them down the road to Emmaus, gives a Bible study, they see who he is, then they run all the way back, Jesus goes back with them, appears to the rest of the disciples, and notice what happens here.

Verse 36, and as they said these things, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and said to them, Peace be to you.

And supposing that they had seen a spirit, and he said to them, Why are you troubled?

02 The Holy Spirit Our Greatest Need

For more information, visit our website www.ohc.org.

Our Father in Heaven, we thank you so much for the Word of God.

We recognize this morning that people died so that we could have this book.

We pray that you would help us to make the Word of God a priority in our lives.

We pray that you'd help us to live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

We recognize that you have chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise and through the foolishness of preaching you have communicated the gospel through weak and frail human beings so we pray for the Holy Spirit to bless us as we open the pages of your Holy Word.

I invite you to open your Bibles to John 14, verse 26.

Jesus is getting ready to leave and go to heaven, and in John chapter 14 and verse 26, he promises them the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Verse 26 of chapter 14, But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance the things that I've said to you." As much as these tools, because they are tools, of Bible study and even these checklists can And even these checklists can assist us in the process of reading Scripture.

Even knowing Greek and Hebrew, even having a theology degree, even having all of the tools at your disposal, we need help in Bible study.

We can't approach the Bible like we do any other subject.

And here, Jesus frames for us the notion, the implication that we need the divine helper, the Holy Spirit, in the process of Bible study.

And so, As we are elaborating on our theme, give me the Bible, I want to spend a little bit of time on the Holy Spirit because Jesus here indicates and by implication, Bible study requires the assistance of the Holy Spirit.

And let's go back a few verses here to our scripture reading, John 14, verse 15.

If you love me, keep my commandments, and I will pray the Father, and he will give you another helper, that he may abide with you forever, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him." And this last part I want us to focus on, but you know him for he dwells with you and will be in you.

Notice that Jesus indicates that the Holy Spirit is with the disciples at the time that he's speaking to them.

He says the Holy Spirit is with you, alongside of you.

The word here for the Spirit is paraclete and para means alongside.

So he says the Holy Spirit is with you, but notice what he says in the last part of this phrase.

He says, for he dwells with you and will be, what?

In other words, Jesus is indicating that the Holy Spirit is presently with the disciples, but there will come a time, will be, future tense, that he will be what?

In other words, the Holy Spirit, in relationship to the disciples, is going to take a position from with to in at a future time, at the time that he's speaking.

The Holy Spirit is with you and will be in you.

And we know that that took place on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples and the Bible indicates and uses this term that they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

Now, the significance of being filled with the Holy Spirit cannot be minimized because in 1 John 3 24, I invite you to turn there with me.

The Apostle John makes this statement that is similar to John chapter 14 verse 15, 16, and 17.

He says, for he who keeps his commandments abides in him.

Have you heard that phrase before in John chapter 14 verse 15?

So here the apostle John says, now he who keeps his commandment abides in him and he in him.

And By this we know that he abides in us.

Jesus, and by this we know that he, Jesus, abides in us by the whom?

By the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

In other words, the notion that John is bringing out here, and the Spirit of Prophecy elaborates on this concept, that when Jesus took on the form of humanity, he voluntarily chose to take on some limitations.

And by the way, Ellen White states that Jesus will forever retain the human nature.

1 third of the Godhead forever identified with humanity.

In other words, in the redemption plan, not only did he save only did he save us, he elevated the entire human race.

And in that limitation, Ellen White indicates in the book Desire of Ages that he voluntarily gave up, set aside, the omnipresent ability.

Important question for Seventh-day Adventists.

He's in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary.

And by the way, if you ask our evangelical friends, interesting question that will engage in discussion.

And Seventh-day Adventists have a unique message with a biblical understanding of what Jesus is doing right now.

So Jesus is in heaven in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary and Ellen White indicates that in this physical limitation The agency of the Holy Spirit is able to be everywhere at once.

And it is through this Holy Spirit that Jesus abides in our hearts.

The idea of Christ in us, the hope of glory.

Here it is, and by this we know that he abides in us by the Spirit whom he has given us.

In other words, How does Jesus abide in our hearts?

So when you receive the Holy Spirit, whom are you also receiving by representation?

He brings with Him the Spirit, the presence of Jesus Christ.

Now very quickly here, I want to read from Desire of Ages.

I was listening to Desire of Ages in my morning devotions and this just came just pressed upon my soul as it was being read by the narrator.

I've read the book Desire of Ages multiple times and this just spoke to me this morning specifically about the Holy Spirit.

Listen to this, Ellen White, Desire of Ages, page 806.

The Holy Spirit is the breath of spiritual life in the soul.

The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ.

It imbues the receiver with the attributes of Christ.

Only those who are thus taught of God and those who possess the inward working of the Spirit, and in whose life the Christlike life is manifested, are to stand as representative men, to minister in behalf of the Church." I want to touch on these points very quickly.

I shared it also with our canvassing leaders.

But very quickly, there are 3 types of individuals.

According to the book, Steps to Personal Revival, I highly recommend that book.

Transform My Life, specifically in relationship to the Holy Spirit.

Series

Give Me the Bible

01 The Preeminence of Scripture

Transcript

Description

Parent Series

Sponsor

Recorded

The Parables

The Four Grounds

42m

Rooted in the Word

54m

Wilderness Wandering

Fiery Serpents

41m

Growth

45m

Practical Christianity

06 Practical Christianity: How Do You Use the Bible?

42m

Plenary

Our Soul-Winning Bottleneck

52m

Power of the Everlasting Gospel

An Unwanted Guest: Jesus at the Door

1h 25m

Angelo Grasso and Justin Kim - One Step at a Time: Pathways to Spiritual Growth

By the Wayside: Devotion - Growing in the Right Place

41m

How to Stand at the end of Time

1h 6m

The Parables

Without A Wedding Garment

47m

Unlocking the Mysteries of the Sanctuary

25 The Feast of Tabernacles

1h 2m

The Supremacy of Scripture

1h 11m

Sound Doctrine