THE LONE STRANGER REVEALED
Luke 24:13-45
By Walt Dyer
After Jesus was risen from the dead, much discussion was made among many
concerning His resurrection. Two people were traveling that same day from
Jerusalem to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles northwest of
Jerusalem. As they walked, they talked together of all the things which
had happened in Jerusalem. While they conversed and reasoned, Jesus drew
near and went with them. Their eyes were restrained and didn't know He was
Jesus. Jesus asked them what they were talking about. The one whose name was
Cleopas asked the question, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem and you
don't know the things which happened in these days?"
After they told Him, He rebuked them for being slow to believe what the
prophets had spoken. Then He began to explain to them what Moses and the
prophets had written about Him in the Scriptures. Luke may not have told us all
the things that Jesus told them, but there are many other things He could have
told them. He may have said, "I will take you back in the Scriptures to the
beginning of which IAM. I AM the Alpha and the Omega, meaning I AM almighty from
the beginning to the end of all creation. I AM the first and the
last. I was in the beginning with God. All things were made through ME,
and with Me nothing was made that was made. I AM the image of the
invisible God; by Me all things were created. I AM before all things and
in Me all things hold together. I AM the brightness of My Father's glory,
the express image of His person and upholding all things by the word of My
power.
"Moses wrote in Genesis about the creation of Adam and Eve, that they
were put in the Garden of Eden. The garden was perfectly prepared, a paradise.
God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. God
gave Adam and Eve permission to eat of every tree except the tree of knowledge
of good and evil. If they ate of it, they would surely die. They disobeyed God
and ate of the forbidden tree, after the serpent tempted them. Because they
brought sin into the world by disobeying God's command, God cursed the serpent
and put enmity between the seed of the serpent, who was the devil, and the Seed
of the woman (Genesis 3:15). The Seed of the woman is fulfilled by Me, meaning
I, as a man in human flesh (the God of Peace) will crush Satan (Romans 16:20).
The Seed is Christ (Galatians 3:16). This is fulfilled through Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob, Judah, David, and to Me, Christ.
"The prophet Micah wrote that I would come and be born in Bethlehem (Ephrathah);
that I whose goings forth are from old and from everlasting. Isaiah's prophecy
was that I would be born of a virgin and they shall call My name Immanuel. He
also wrote that I would be born and be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah also wrote that I will occupy the
throne of David, fulfilling God's promise to David as written in the Psalms. I
would be both exalted while humbled and humiliated. I, the Word, who was in the
beginning with God, became flesh and dwelt among the people. Nothing of the
essential nature of My deity was lost in this event. God highly exalted Me and
gave Me a name which is above every name, that at My name, Jesus, every knee
should bow and every tongue should confess that I am Lord to the glory of God
the Father. In Me dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and I am head
of all principalities and power. God put all things in subjection under My feet.
He left nothing that is not under Me. He made Me lower than the angels for a
little while, for the suffering of death crowned Me with glory and honor that I,
by His grace, might taste death for everyone.
"Just as the people have partaken of flesh and blood, I also shared in
the same, that through death, I might destroy Him who has the power of death,
the devil. I, in all things, had to be made like my brethren, that I might be a
merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make
propitiation for the sins of the people. Isaiah wrote about Me as the suffering,
sin-bearing Servant, that I would prosper, that I would be high and lifted up
and greatly exalted. My appearance would be marred more than any man and my form
more than the sons of men. I would startle many nations; kings would shut their
mouths on account of Me. It would not be because of a wonderful appearance that
people would look at me or be attracted to me. I would be despised and forsaken
of men, a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief. I would be despised and not
esteemed. I would be pierced through for their iniquities. By My scourging, they
would be healed. All of them like sheep would go astray. Each would turn to his
own way, but the Lord would cause the iniquity of all of them to fall on Me.
"You two may have been there when this was being fulfilled and witnessed
these things. If you were there, you should remember that the Roman soldiers
dressed Me in a purple robe and made a crown of thorns and put it on My head.
They beat Me, spit on Me and mocked Me, they led Me out to crucify Me. There was
probably no one among the people who realized that it was their sins for which I
was suffering and dying. I was buried like a criminal in a rich man's grave.
Isaiah also said it was God's plan for Me to die for the sins of all, that I
would justify many and I would bear their iniquities. I poured My soul unto
death. I was counted as a sinner, yet bore the sins of many and made
intercession for the transgressors.
"Now Cleopas, I want to briefly summarize to you and your companion what
I have told you and then tell you a few other things. As you recall, I told you
about My being with God in the beginning, and that all things were made through
Me. It was God's will that I should be made in the likeness of men, such as you
two, that everyone who sees Me and believes in Me may have everlasting life. It
is My will to do the will of My Father and it is His will that you believe in
Me, that you believe that I am the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing,
you may have life in My name.
"If you were among many of the crowds who followed Me during My
ministry, you no doubt observed the conduct of those who rejected Me and wanted
to kill Me. Many of these were My own people whom I came to save. On the other
hand, there were some who recognized that I am the Messiah, the Son of the
Living God, that Moses and the prophets wrote about. They believed in Me and
shall never perish but have everlasting life. One example is the Samaritan woman
and how many of the Samaritans believed because of what she testified. Many more
believed because of what I said and the many miracles I performed. They
themselves heard Me and knew that I am the Christ, the Savior of the world.
"Another example was the nobleman's son. The whole family believed after
I healed the son. Also, the man whom I healed that was born blind stood firm in
defending Me against the Pharisees to the point of being excommunicated. He
believed in Me even before he understood who I was. When I asked him if he
believed in the Son of God, he said, 'Lord, I believe!' And he worshiped Me.
Many others believed in Me after I resurrected Lazarus, who had been dead four
days. Because many were believing in Me, the religious leaders became jealous
and more anxious to kill Me.
"If you two were there during the trials, you know what a sham that was.
I was not guilty, but it was necessary for Me to die the way I did to take away
man's sin. If you were there when I was crucified, you saw the two criminals,
one on each side of Me. They were reviling Me. Later, one began to believe in
Me. When the other criminal blasphemed Me, saying, 'If you are the Christ, save
yourself and us,' the one believing in Me rebuked Him, telling him that I had
done nothing wrong. Then he said to Me, 'Lord, remember me when You come into
Your kingdom.' I said to him, 'Today you will be with Me in paradise.' By
turning from unbelief to belief in a very short period of time, he passed from
eternal death to eternal life. There are many other things I could tell you, but
we are drawing near to where you are going.
"I accepted your invitation to abide with you and went in to stay with
you. As we sat at the table, I took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to
you. Then your eyes were opened and you knew Me. You were so joyful that you
left that very hour and returned to Jerusalem to tell others that I had risen
from the dead. Some believed and some did not. Those who believe in Me have
everlasting life; those who do not believe shall not see life, but the wrath of
God abides in them."
After these things, Jesus returned to the Father in heaven, as stated in
Hebrews 10:12-14. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins
forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time, waiting till His
enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering, He has perfected forever
those who are being sanctified. Christ's citizenship is in heaven. He was a lone
stranger. As a visitor from heaven, He fulfilled every command of the Father and
every prophecy of Scripture that the Father had sent Him to do. He said,
"It is finished." Everyone who receives Him by faith becomes a citizen
of heaven.
