LutheranLectionary.org

Reflections on Scripture with Dr. Leins

Time Stamp	Transcript
0:00	[Music]
0:11	hello today let’s talk about when the
0:15	resurrected Lord Jesus appeared to his
0:18	disciples and opened their
0:22	minds our scripture reading is from the
0:25	gospel of St Luke the 24th chapter: 36-4
0:31	49 first I want to tell you a story
0:35	about a little girl who lived in the
0:38	northeastern corner of
0:40	Minnesota her home was near the Canadian
0:43	border nestled between the slopes of
0:46	Eagle Mountain the highest mountain in
0:49	Minnesota and Lake Superior the largest
0:53	freshwater lake in all the world her
0:56	home was in a spectacularly beautiful
1:01	location however for the little girl
1:04	life was not so very
1:06	spectacular
1:08	why she had been born crippled she could
1:12	not stand or walk no she even had
1:16	trouble sitting up in her bed her view
1:19	of the Magnificent scenery that
1:21	surrounded her home was limited to the
1:24	small patch of sky that she could see
1:26	from the top corner of her bedroom
1:29	window
1:30	other than that her only glimpse of the
1:33	outside world was a painting that her
1:35	mother had made it showed snow on the
1:38	side of Eagle Mountain and the silver
1:41	water of the great lake in the distance
1:44	she loved to look at her mama’s
1:48	painting what a shock it was when one
1:51	day her parents were told by the doctor
1:55	that their little girl was allowed to
1:56	get up finally she could sit up and she
2:01	could even be moved around their little
2:03	home well that was exactly what she
2:05	wanted to do most of all she wanted to
2:08	see
2:09	outside so the little girl was taken to
2:13	the front door her parents opened it and
2:17	for the first time in her life she felt
2:19	the sting of cold winter air on her
2:23	cheeks the touch of falling snow on her
2:26	skin she felt her lungs constrict as the
2:29	piercing cold entered her throat and she
2:32	had to squint her eyes because of the
2:34	bright Sunshine reflecting on the
2:37	crystal white snow she loved it she did
2:41	not know that anything could be so
2:43	wonderful her senses were alive and
2:46	overwhelmed she had no idea that outside
2:50	Could Be So
2:52	Glorious after several seconds her
2:55	parents shut the door oh mommy she
2:58	exclaimed that was the best I want to do
3:02	that every day with a gleam in her eye
3:06	mother said that’s not all the world
3:09	changes every day soon spring will come
3:13	then the sun will warm your skin the air
3:16	will fill with smells from Mountain
3:18	flowers and birds will dance in the
3:21	breeze and sing in the
3:23	trees this was too much to imagine the
3:27	little girl had no idea that outside di
3:30	could ever be that wonderful one trip
3:33	out of bed had opened her eyes one trip
3:36	to the front door had opened her
3:40	mind point one I am
3:44	myself the Bible teaches us that when
3:46	the resurrected Jesus met his disciples
3:49	they had an even greater eye-opening
3:52	experience today’s Gospel lesson is the
3:54	story of how Jesus opened the front door
3:58	to the kingdom of God for his disciples
4:00	and Jesus opened their
4:03	minds in Luke 24:36 and following we
4:08	find the disciples talking about Jesus
4:11	when suddenly he himself stood in their
4:13	midst you remember that the doors were
4:16	locked they had taken precautions to be
4:19	safe and alone but shockingly Jesus
4:23	suddenly was there he didn’t climb
4:26	through a window or break down a door he
4:28	simply appeared appeared the disciples
4:31	were startled and frightened the word
4:35	startled from to too indicates that they
4:39	were about to either fall down or run
4:42	away the second word from Phobos means
4:45	they were
4:47	afraid the appearance of the Risen Lord
4:50	was terrifying they thought he was a
4:53	ghost immediately Jesus Took pains to
4:57	verify his identity he showed them his
5:00	hands look do you see where the nails
5:03	pierced my hands and my feet see here
5:06	now put your fingers in my hands and
5:09	look where The Spar spear went into my
5:12	side here put your hands here and see
5:16	I’m I’m not a ghost I have Flesh and
5:20	Bones the Lord wanted to assure them
5:23	that he was not a figment of their
5:25	imagination he was not a ghost or an
5:28	apparition no
5:30	it was Jesus and Jesus was real he even
5:35	asked them for something to eat he took
5:37	a piece of fish and ate it right in
5:39	front of them see no
5:41	ghost it was very important that the
5:44	disciples understand that this was
5:47	indeed the same Jesus whom they had
5:50	known and followed this was the same
5:52	Lord who had been crucified three days
5:55	before and he had a real human body
6:00	but Jesus wanted his disciples to
6:03	understand something more listen to what
6:06	Jesus said in verse 39 see my hands and
6:09	my
6:10	feet that it is I myself now it is easy
6:16	to miss in English but in Greek it’s
6:18	absolutely startling it is I says Jesus
6:21	is Greek we read ego am me and egoo a me
6:25	are the words I am this is the name of
6:28	God in the old Testament this is the
6:30	name that when Moses asked what God
6:33	should be called who should he say has
6:36	sent him God answered him saying my name
6:39	is I am tell them I am sent you Jesus
6:44	used that name for himself on many
6:47	occasions Jesus said I am the Good
6:50	Shepherd I am the bread of life I am the
6:55	light of the world I am the resurrection
6:58	and the life and and so on in each
7:01	instance Jesus is claiming to be one
7:04	with the father in other words Jesus Is
7:07	God Jesus himself is the great I
7:10	am now the resurrected Jesus says it
7:13	again I am I am Jesus your Rabbi and
7:17	teacher and I am the god of the Old
7:20	Testament in Flesh and Bones I am raised
7:23	from the dead I am myself The Great I Am
7:28	oh he opened their minds this was a lot
7:31	to take in Jesus was fully human born of
7:35	Mary he had lived among them traveled
7:38	with them ate and slept with them Jesus
7:41	had been beaten bloodied and crucified
7:43	his dead body had been buried and yet
7:46	Jesus was fully Divine the fullness of
7:50	the godhead all of the Eternal wisdom
7:52	power and glory of God dwelt in him he
7:56	was resurrected the everliving God Jesus
8:00	was a lot to take in but it was
8:03	essential that they understand this God
8:05	had become a human for the sake of human
8:08	beings God had taken sin and death as a
8:11	human for the sake of human beings if he
8:14	were not fully human he could not stand
8:17	in the place of human beings could not
8:19	be the living savior of human beings but
8:22	if he were not fully God he could not
8:25	take all of the sin all of the
8:27	punishment all of the death of all human
8:30	beings for our Salvation we needed Jesus
8:33	to be both fully human and fully God
8:36	Jesus was proving himself to be exactly
8:41	that all of that and more was contained
8:44	in three words ego Amy alos I am
8:49	myself Jesus opened their
8:51	minds point two The
8:54	Exodus our lord Jesus was not finishing
8:57	opening their minds do you remember the
9:00	Old Testament story of Moses and the
9:02	Exodus the people of God were enslaved
9:05	in Egypt they cried out to the Lord and
9:08	he set them free on the night of the
9:10	Passover God told the people to paint
9:12	their doorposts with the blood of the
9:14	Lamb then the angel of death would pass
9:17	over their homes but the firstborn in
9:20	every Egyptian household would
9:23	die and in this way God protected his
9:27	own people so Pharaoh was moved to
9:30	release God’s people they were
9:33	miraculously delivered through the Red
9:34	Sea God brought his people through the
9:36	waters and led them to the promised land
9:39	now what you may not
9:41	know is that when Jesus met with Moses
9:44	in Elijah on the Mount of
9:45	transfiguration Luke tells us what it
9:48	was that they discussed Luke
9:53	9:31 says that Moses and Elijah were
9:55	speaking with Jesus about his departure
9:58	which he was about to accomplish in
10:00	Jerusalem the word in Greek for
10:03	departure is
10:05	Exodus Jesus was about to accomplish an
10:08	exodus in Jerusalem you see the Passover
10:12	and deliverance from slavery in Egypt
10:15	The Passage through the Red Sea the
10:16	entrance into the promised land these
10:18	were just Shadows types of what was to
10:22	come Jesus was going to lead God’s
10:25	people you and me and all believers out
10:28	of slavery
10:30	spiritual slavery from sin and death and
10:32	the devil Jesus was going to provide the
10:35	blood of the Lamb so that the angel of
10:37	death would pass over each of us who
10:39	believe Jesus would lead us through the
10:42	waters of holy baptism freed from the
10:44	slavery to sin and death and Deliver us
10:47	into the promised land of the Kingdom of
10:50	Heaven that begins now and is brought to
10:53	perfection in the world to
10:56	come that is the kind of thing
10:59	that Jesus explained when he met with
11:02	his disciples we’re told that Jesus
11:05	explained all things which are written
11:08	about me in the law of Moses and the
11:10	prophets and the Psalms end quote in
11:15	fact Jesus explained how every word of
11:19	the Old Testament was really about him
11:23	do you see what Jesus is
11:25	teaching all of the laws of the Old
11:27	Testament are obeyed in Jesus all of the
11:31	judgments and Wrath of the Old Testament
11:33	are poured out onto Jesus and all of the
11:38	hopes and Promises of the Old Testament
11:40	are bestowed upon
11:42	us through Jesus by grace through faith
11:47	everything in the Old Testament was
11:50	about Jesus his disciples could Now read
11:52	the Old Testament through the lens of
11:55	the
11:56	Cross this was such a new perspective
11:59	the disciples would no longer look at
12:01	God’s kingdom like a picture or catch a
12:04	glimpse of it through a window now the
12:07	disciples would get the full force of a
12:09	winter snow their skin would tingle and
12:12	they must catch their breath because the
12:15	picture had come to life the door had
12:19	opened and Jesus had opened their
12:24	minds point three
12:27	worship with Jesus
12:30	still the Lord Jesus was not finished
12:33	opening their
12:34	minds when Jesus met with the disciples
12:38	on the road to Emmas he taught them Holy
12:42	Scripture their hearts burned within
12:44	them then when they sat together at
12:47	table Jesus Took bread and blessed it
12:51	and breaking it he began giving it to
12:55	them then their eyes were opened and
12:59	they recognize the Lord Jesus among them
13:02	you see the
13:04	pattern Jesus is teaching and sharing
13:08	the
13:09	word and then giving the Sacrament in
13:12	the same way Jesus entered the room
13:14	during the disciples meal he ate with
13:17	them he began to explain the law and the
13:19	prophets and the Psalms mostly
13:21	especially he explained that the Christ
13:24	must suffer and Rise Again from the dead
13:26	and that repentance for forgiveness of
13:28	sin sins should be proclaimed in his
13:31	name Beloved Jesus is giving us the
13:36	pattern for
13:37	worship we are gathered in the Divine
13:39	name we read his holy word and his word
13:42	is taught and proclaimed among us we
13:46	sing hymns of praise and offer prayers
13:49	and then comes the
13:51	feast we eat as Jesus has taught us he
13:56	himself is the host and he himself is
13:58	the feast his body and blood are the
14:00	meal that give us complete forgiveness
14:03	of our sins his body and blood are the
14:06	sacrament that bestows Upon Us salvation
14:09	and eternal life this is our worship His
14:13	word his Sacrament for our forgiveness
14:18	and our eternal life we each one are
14:22	like a sick and broken child confined in
14:27	our Illness but in wor ship Jesus The
14:30	Great I Am enters our little house he
14:33	teaches us his word and he feeds us with
14:36	his
14:37	sacrements then he opens up the front
14:41	door to His Holy Kingdom and we are
14:45	overwhelmed by his glory his
14:48	forgiveness his
14:51	love well we love it we didn’t know that
14:55	anything could be so wonderful our
14:57	senses are alive and overwhelm welmed we
14:59	had no idea that our lord Jesus and his
15:02	kingdom were So Glorious and each and
15:06	every time the Risen Savior opens our
15:10	minds and we say oh
15:13	savior that was the
15:15	best I want to do that every day with a
15:20	gleam in his eye the Savior
15:24	says that’s not
15:27	all hey
15:35	[Music]