Continuing with our Post-Easter series on the topic of “Voyage of discovery” viz . . . The journey of 2 disciples’ with Master from Jerusalem to Emmaus, today we come to other lessons
1. Canon exposition: With the confusion of the disciples’ coming to the fore, setting was picture perfect for Canon exposition by the Master. To align their minds with the Divine Sovereign Redemption plan, our Lord painstakingly exegetes the prophecies concerning Himself right from the Books of Moses. While, the Master highlighted those OT prophecies, which spoke clearly about His humiliation before exaltation, it would not be out of context to present this allegorical poem at this stage symbolically portraying the Saviour in the OT Scriptures.
– In GENESIS, Jesus is the Ram at Abraham’s altar.
– In EXODUS, He is the Passover Lamb.
– In LEVITICUS, He is our High Priest.
– In NUMBERS, He is the Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night.
– In DEUTERONOMY, He’s the City of Refuge.
– In JOSHUA, He’s the Scarlet Thread out of Rahab’s Window.
– In JUDGES, He is our Judge.
– In RUTH, He is our Kinsman Redeemer.
– In I and II SAMUEL, He is our Trusted Prophet.
– In KINGS and CHRONICLES, He is our Reigning King.
– In EZRA, He is the Restorer of Worship.
– In NEHEMIAH, He is the Rebuilder of Brokenness.
– In ESTHER, He is the God of Providence.
– In JOB, He is our Redeemer Who Ever Lives.
– In PSALMS, He is My Shepherd and I Shall Not Want.
– In PROVERBS and ECCLESIATES, He is our Wisdom.
– In the SONG of SOLOMON, He is our Chiefest of Ten Thousand.
– In ISAIAH, He is the Man of Sorrows.
– In JEREMIAH and LAMENTATIONS, He is the Righteous Judge.
– In EZEKIEL, He is the Lord Who is Always There.
– In DANIEL, He is the Smiting Stone.
– In HOSEA, He is the God of Redeeming Love.
– In JOEL, He is the Hope of His People.
– In AMOS, He is the Righteous One.
– In OBADIAH, He is the Executor of Justice.
– In JONAH, He is the One Sent into the World by the Father.
– In MICAH, He is the God of My Salvation.
– In NAHUM, He is the Stronghold in the Day of Trouble.
– In HABAKKUK, He is the Restorer of Faith.
– In ZEPHANIAH, He is the Lord Mighty to Save.
– In HAGGAI, He is the Desire of All Nations.
– In ZECHARIAH, He is our Wall of Fire.
– In MALACHI, He is the Refiner and Purifier of all who come to Him.
In a nutshell, the Canon exposition, His two disciples were exposed to on the Road to Emmaus would have been qualititatively better than the ones offered in any Biblical seminary, for it came from the Writer of the Bible itself (II Tim 3:16/ 2 Peter 1:20-21). Any doubts on why we call their journey to Emmaus as a “Voyage of discovery”?
2. Conviction: As Christ quoted the Bible, His words warmed their hearts convicting them about the truthfulness of the Scripture and the uniqueness of its Expositor.
What is the advantage of using the Scriptures to drive home a point, the way Christ did, not only on the Road to Emmaus but several times in His earthly sojourn? Mind you, Scriptures are Divinely inspired (2 Tim 3:16), so they make our words at once authoritative leading to the conviction of our audience. As much as our Lord used the Scriptures as the Sword of the Spirit (Eph 6:17) both for purpose of offence or defence (Matt 4:1-11) in His First Advent, are we, too, using the Scriptures effectively in our Spiritual warfare? Mind you, it is one thing to have the Scriptures in hand and quite a different thing to handle them properly. Every one who has a tennis racquet in hand, is not adept at wielding it like a Roger Federer. Right? To play like Roger, we need to have the spirit of Roger within us, similarly to use the Scriptures the way Christ did, we need to have His Spirit indwelling us and the Good News is that HE HAS PROMISED TO PLACE BOTH HIS WORD AND HIS SPIRIT WITHIN US (ISAIAH 59:21). Claim it in faith!
Prayer: Father, with enablement of Thy indwelling Holy Spirit, enable us to present the Gospel always with conviction and authority in order we win souls for Thy Kingdom. In Jesus’ Name. Amen
Please join us Saturday for the conclusion “A VOYAGE” OF DISCOVER.
Suresh Manoharan
(To access the entire “A Voyage of Discovery” mini-series, please click here.)