Sermon: New Beginning
Bible Passage: Isa 52:13-15; Luke 24:13-35
I. Jesus’ resurrection was prophesied about 700 years before it happened (cf. Isa 52:13-15)
1. The (Suffering) Servant will be successful (52:13)
2. He will be elevated, lifted high, and greatly exalted by God (53:13)
3. His success will startle many nations (52:14)
4. Kings of this world will be shocked by His exaltation (52:15)
5. They will witness something unannounced to them (52:15)
6. They will understand something that they had not heard about (52:15)
II. Following Jesus’ burial, the followers of Jesus were pushed in to a deep crisis
1. Let me illustrate it from Luke 24:13-35 (Two disciples on the road to Emmaus)
2. Talking and debating (verse 15)
3. Looked sad/gloomy (verse 17)
4. Hopes were apparently shattered and miscalculated: “we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel” (verse 21)
5. Confused about matters and discouraged with rumors (verses 22-24)
6. Unable to recognize Jesus when He met them on their road to Emmaus
a. Because they did not understand the Scripture (verses 25-27)
b. Were “foolish”—dull in their heart to believe all that the prophets had spoken (verses 25-27)
c. When Resurrected Jesus interpreted the Scripture, “their eyes were opened” and recognized Jesus (verse 31)
d. When Resurrected Jesus was interpreting the Scripture, their hearts were “getting warmed up” (verse 32)
e. They returned to Jerusalem where they needed to be, i.e., with the company of Christ followers (compare verse 13 and 33,
f. They began to announce to others about Jesus’ resurrection (verse 35)
III. Our situation with the virus is not so much different from that of the followers of Jesus between His burial and Resurrection
1. To name some: fear, gloomy, uncertainly with regard to job, finance, business, etc.
2. Dashed hopes because of our miscalculations
3. Dull in our understanding of the Scripture
4. Our hearts are not sufficiently warmed up by the teaching from the Scripture and are closed to things of God
5. We are not sufficiently in fellowship with Christ-followers (superficial, only-Sunday relationships!)
IV. Jesus’ Resurrection brings:
1. Hope
2. Courage
3. Motivation for life
4. New beginning, which is completely different from our plan and design, but according to His plan and design
Take Away:
Surround yourself with a company of believers whose hearts are warmed up because of the teachings of the Scripture and whose eyes are opened up by the Resurrected Jesus