Walking With Jesus
An all-creatures Bible Message

Walking With Jesus
 
A Sermon Delivered to
The Compassion Internet Church
 
26 April 2020
 
Frank L. Hoffman, Pastor

Scripture References

Luke 24:13-35
Acts 2:36-41
 
Walking with Jesus is what two of the disciples experienced, and He appeared to be physically walking with them along the road.
 
It was also one of the first experiences or sensations I experienced after being born again; it was as though I could extend my hand and feel His presence; however, in my case I saw no one.
 
This sensation of walking with Jesus was not just when I was walking; it was all the time; I constantly felt His presence, and it’s something I hope and pray I never lose, though I must admit there have been a few times during periods of stress when I have reacted rather than relying upon the Lord for guidance.
 
I also believe that every single truly born again believer can and should be able to experience this same sensation of walking with Jesus.


In Luke 24:13-35, we have the written record of the two men who experienced Jesus walking with them…

13. And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem.
 
To get some idea of the travel distance by foot, consider the fact that the average person can only walk about three miles an hour, which means at best that this walk would have taken them two hours and twenty minutes.
 
There have been many sites suggested for the location of Emmaus, but the only credible one seems to be the modern city of Matza, which is in the vicinity of Jerusalem.
 
14. And they were conversing with each other about all these things which had taken place.
 
There is nothing to indicate what they believed or even if they believed anything, other than the events which had taken place over the past week, so let’s follow along with this narrative and see what they experienced.
 
15. And it came about that while they were conversing and discussing, Jesus Himself approached, and began traveling with them.
 
It seems that Jesus may just have appeared before them.
 
16. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him.
 
We need to remember that this was taking place after Jesus had risen from the dead, which was something that most people didn’t believe would happen.
 
17. And He said to them, "What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?" And they stood still, looking sad.
 
They were sad because they were in mourning for Jesus who had been killed.
 
18. And one of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, "Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?"
 
They talked this way, because they did not expect Jesus to actually rise from the dead, as He said He would.
 
19. And He said to them, "What things?" And they said to Him, "The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people,
 
They also didn’t believe that Jesus was much more than a prophet; they say or heard about what He did, and they still only thought about Him as a prophet.
 
20. and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him up to the sentence of death, and crucified Him.
 
Again, they only saw Jesus as being dead, and didn’t think that they were walking with Jesus.
 
21. "But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened.
 
Even though they had been walking with the resurrected Jesus their mental image was fixed upon the man Jesus, which was one of the reasons they were blinded from seeing the resurrected Jesus.
 
We also believe that this is one of the major reasons that most people, including many Christians and clergy, can’t sense that they are walking with Jesus spiritually; their hearts and minds are only set upon this physical world.
 
22. "But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning,
 
23. and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels, who said that He was alive.
 
These men had even heard the spiritual message, but even though they were amazed, they still were only thinking in the physical realm.
 
24. "And some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see."
 
Their minds could not accept the fact that Jesus had actually risen from the dead just as He said.
 
Because of this, note the way that Jesus responds to them.
 
25. And He said to them, "O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!
 
And in our opinion, the same thing could be said of all the people who choose to live in the corrupt ways of this world with all its violence instead of in the heavenly will of God, and sense the presence of the Lord in the person of the Holy Spirit.
 
And, Jesus goes on…
 
26. "Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?" 
 
Obviously, the answer should be “Yes.”
 
27. And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
 
This alone should have immediately convinced those men that they were walking with Jesus, but it didn’t.
 
28. And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He would go farther.
 
Jesus may have done this to test their faith and spirit of hospitality.
 
29. And they urged Him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over." And He went in to stay with them.
 
30. And it came about that when He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them.
 
Will they finally believe that they had been walking with Jesus?
 
31. And their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.
 
32. And they said to one another, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?"
 
Even though their hearts were burning, they didn’t allow themselves to enter the spiritual realm so that they could recognize the fact that they were walking with Jesus, and it wasn’t until Jesus broke the bread that they finally recognized Him.
 
33. And they arose that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them,
 
34. saying, "The Lord has really risen, and has appeared to Simon."
 
Elsewhere in the Bible it tells us that blessed are those who believe without seeing.
 
35. And they began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.
NASB
 
What about us today?
 
We need to believe without seeing.
 
We need to believe from hearing the word spoken to us just as we read about in Acts 2:36-41…
 
36. Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified.
 
This is to help people realize the worldly things they had done or are doing, and to hopefully repent of their sins, and become children of God.
 
37. Now when they heard (this,) they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do?
 
This is what every single person needs to do, because if we follow through, we too shall be saved.
 
38. And Peter (said) unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
 
In other words, this is being born again.
 
39. For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, (even) as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him.
 
This is the offer of God’s grace to everyone, but each of us needs to accept it, and then tell others, just as Peter was doing.
 
40. And with many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, Save yourselves from this crooked generation.
 
41. They then that received his word were baptized: and there were added (unto them) in that day about three thousand souls.
ASV
 
Now this is real evangelism!
 
This is helping everyone to be walking with Jesus.
 
Amen.

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