Drivng the Dark of Doubt Away [9-27-26]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60cOSCzAVOA?is=rTPHLYH1FL5IsxSH

September 27, 2026

Luke 24:13-35

“Driving the Dark of Doubt Away”

Back when I was a young, liberal pastor…I know, shocking, right?...my Emmaus Road experience came through a sermon series by Chuck Swindoll. This was back in ancient times…days of yore…when you would call on the phone…a landline…to order the series on cassette tape. We were barbarians.

Anyway, Swindoll’s sermons laid out the Biblical foundation for the right-to-life. He explained God’s Word clearly and concisely. It figuratively pierced my heart, with Biblical truth and the sinful errors of my ignorance. It was a beautiful thing.

Let’s begin with something you might want to write down:

WHEN JESUS OPENS THE SCRIPTURE, HE SHATTERS THE

DARKNESS AND CONFUSION WITH THE LIGHT OF TRUTH.

Let’s look at how that plays out in Luke 24:13-35:

That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 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. 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?” 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, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 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. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 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. 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.” And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Before we get into the most important details, there’s a big question worth asking. Why didn’t the resurrected Lord tell the two weary, worn out travelers who he was? From the get-go, why didn’t Jesus simply say, “It’s me, Jesus?” Cut through the fog of sorrow and sadness. Cut-to-the-chase, as it were. The simple answer is the easy way is not always the best way. This moment gets to the heart of how God opens the eyes of sinful people to His saving Truth.

In fact, verse twenty-seven sums it up perfectly:

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

That is huge. The key moment is when the suffering Christ becomes known to them as the Risen Christ. It’s huge because that’s the whole point. Remember the trajectory of our salvation history. When Jesus set his face for Jerusalem, he knew he was heading for his suffering and death on the cross. That is the most important truth in the world. That is the most important truth for anyone to know.

And there’s only one place where that truth is found. God’s Word. The Bible. That’s why it was so important for Jesus to let this encounter play out. These travelers to Emmaus had to have God’s Truth explained to them so they could understand it and remember it, so they could then share it with others, so as others heard it and remembered it and understood it, they could pass it on, so it could eventually get written down in the gospel we’ve been studying for the past two years, so that anyone with an open heart and mind could hear it and be saved.

Here’s something important to remember:

ONLY THOSE WHO UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE CAN KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT SALVATION AND BE SAVED FROM HELL.

Amen? Only those who know the truth of the Bible can live fulfilled, obedient, blessed, effective, joyful lives. It’s all contained in the Bible for us to know and apply to our lives. Which is why Jesus did what he did. Which is why we do what we do. When God’s Word goes out, it never comes back empty. The greatest service that can ever be rendered is to share and explain the meaning of the Bible.

So, here we have two people traveling to Emmaus. We’re told it’s about seven miles from Jerusalem. One traveler is named Cleopas. Luke tells us his name because he’s probably the source of the story. But that’s all we know. We don’t know why they were traveling to Emmaus. That’s not important. All we’re told is they were “discussing” some things together. The sense of the meaning of the word translated, “discussing,” suggests they were not walking along with peaceful conversation on Easter morning. Instead, they were passionately discussing the events of Good Friday. They were neither clear nor in agreement on what to think. Events and meaning were in dispute.

Why do you think they couldn’t deal with the death of Jesus? They knew

him. They knew those who were even closer. They heard his teachings. They knew everything that happened from Good Friday to Easter morning. They had either seen it or heard about it. The bottom line is they knew

about Jesus’ suffering and death.

They were struggling to understand. Verse sixteen tells us why. I love how one translation captures it:

“Their eyes were seized so as not to recognize him.”

In other words, these two travelers had been divinely kept from recognizing Jesus until he explained Scripture and shared a meal with them. There was much they needed to understand. That’s what Luke says Jesus said to them in verse twenty-six:

“Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”

As John MacArthur has pointed out, we can break down this encounter into three key pieces:

THE NEED FOR UNDERSTANDING – They were dejected and lost in their sin.

THE SOURCE OF UNDERSTANDING – The promises of God’s Word.

THE RESULT OF UNDERSTANDING – Joy and a desire to tell

others.

What does verse seventeen tell us about the two travelers? They were

glum. The word means to be sullen, gloomy, downcast. Have you ever been there? Think about times you’ve been at your lowest. It can be hard for positive, affirming truth to break through. That’s exactly where these two were. And it’s consistent with where everyone else was after Jesus died. Every time Jesus appeared, no one knew who he was. Mary Magdalene thought he was the gardener. I think this is Luke’s way of reinforcing what Jesus said in 10:22:

“All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

We don’t find Jesus. Jesus finds us. Whether we’re lost in sin or grief or unbelief, Jesus opens our eyes so we can see him. Jesus gives us hearts and minds to believe.

It’s instructive when you realize how fear and sorrow can cloud your

mind. Even when these travelers heard reports of the empty tomb…some of the women from our group astounded us…they could not connect the dots. In spite of all they saw and what they heard from others, they were weak-hearted. That’s what Jesus means when he calls them “slow-hearted fools.” He’s not saying they’re stupid. Their inability to see clearly is a moral failure. They were unable to fully wrap their brains around all that Jesus taught and did. It’s like he was saying, “Come to your senses, man.”

There are things we need to understand. Jesus draws our attention to what God’s Word says. Jesus invites us to think things through. Grab hold of every detail about God’s promise of salvation. Why Jesus needed to die on the cross. How we are broken. And what will make us whole again. Hold in your mind every parable about lost sheep and lost coins and lost sons and who finds them and why. All those things break through the fog of fear and doubt. And when they do, that’s when we see the Risen Christ.

I love how Psalm 119:103-104 puts it:

How sweet are your words to my taste,

sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Through your precepts I get understanding;

therefore I hate every false way.

Next week, we’ll continue, with these two travelers, to see how the Risen Christ moves us from the pit of despair to the height of joy. We will continue to explore the good news that we are saved because Jesus is alive. No matter what we experience or go through in life, all is well because the crucified Christ is Risen.

Listen to the words {in verses 1 and 4} of that wonderful hymn once more:

1. Joyful, joyful, we adore You,

God of glory, Lord of love;

Hearts unfold like flow'rs before You,

Op'ning to the sun above.

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;

Drive the dark of doubt away;

Giver of immortal gladness,

Fill us with the light of day!

Mortals, join the mighty chorus,

Which the morning stars began;

God's own love is reigning o’er us,

Joining people hand in hand.

Ever singing, march we onward,

Victors in the midst of strife;

Joyful music leads us sunward

In the triumph song of life.

Those two verses lead us to where the journey to Emmaus takes us. And that place is where we need to be.

Let’s close with 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 {most likely written a few years before Luke}:

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

As Luke makes clear, we can only understand these things through the clarity of God’s Word. It is Christ, and Christ alone, who draws our hearts to believe.

Let’s Pray:

HEAVENLY FATHER, MAKE US WILLING, EAGER, OBEDIENT LEARNERS OF YOUR WORD. GIVE US STRONG VOICE TO PROCLAIM YOUR WORD. USE US FOR ALL THE KINDNESSES THAT CAN BE SHARED WITH OTHERS. HELP US TO UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF SCRIPTURE SO WE CAN CLEARLY SHARE IT WITH OTHERS. THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST. IN HIS NAME WE PRAY. AMEN.