Sermon Audio

That we may obtain this faith [by which is received justification], the Ministry of Teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was instituted. For through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Ghost is given, who works faith; where and when it pleases God, in them that hear the Gospel, to wit, that God, not for our own merits, but for Christ’s sake, justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christ’s sake. (AC V, Triglotta)

Also [our churches] teach that one holy Church is to continue forever. The Church is the congregation of saints, in which the Gospel is rightly taught and the Sacraments are rightly administered. (AC VII, Triglotta)

Although the Church properly is the congregation of saints and true believers, nevertheless, since in this life many hypocrites and evil persons are mingled therewith, it is lawful to use Sacraments administered by evil men, according to the saying of Christ: The Scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat, etc. Matt. 23, 2. Both the Sacraments and Word are effectual by reason of the institution and commandment of Christ, notwithstanding they be administered by evil men. (AC VIII, Triglotta)

So it was written by the Reformers in the 17th century in three articles, and to this day, I find it amazing that we can look at what is written in the Augsburg Confession—in fact, in all of the Book of Concord—and found it taught in Scripture. We really do have it right, fellow Lutherans, at least insofar as our official teaching and doctrine go.

For instance, if you wanted to defend the real presence of Christ in, with, and under the bread and wine in the Sacrament, look to 1 Corinthians 10, especially verse 16: “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” As surely as Paul writes, the bread and wine still remain, but are fully in communion (joined with, you could say) the body and blood of Christ. And so, Philip Melanchthon takes this up in the Apology when he writes, “it would follow, if the Lord’s body were not truly present, that the bread is not a communion of the body, but only of the spirit of Christ.” And to this day, there are Christians out there who subscribe only to a spiritual presence when they take Communion.

However, today’s Gospel lesson also serves as proof of another key doctrine of Lutheranism: God does His work to us and in us through His instituted means, which in short we refer to as Word and Sacrament. You have just heard three articles of the Augsburg Confession which clearly articulate this teaching, so let us examine today’s Gospel.

Two disciples (in the broad sense) are walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus in the late afternoon on the day of the Resurrection. They are recounting the events of the week, and especially this day; how things went from joyous and triumphant to a grisly death and burial. Now, there are reports of a resurrection—angels and an empty grave—but not a word of where Jesus is; not a word of having seen Jesus except from a hysterical Mary Magdalene and the other Mary. It all seems so unbelievable, that had someone else told them that they had seen Jesus, their response might have been similar to that of Thomas: “We won’t believe unless we see Jesus.”

It is into the middle of this conversation when Jesus joins them. However, “their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.” You must note here that these two were not simply blinded by sin that they were unable to recognize Jesus. Like Mary Magdalene in the garden of the tomb, they were prevented from recognizing Him; Jesus was concealing His identity from them.

“What are you talking about?” this third man asks the two disciples. You might well imagine the bewildered look on the two disciples’ faces: “This man is walking from Jerusalem and doesn’t know what we’re talking about? Where has he been? What cave has he been hiding in?” Cleopas speaks up: “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?” “What things?” he asks.

Now, this must almost seems sadistic, I’m sure. But let’s think about it this way: How often have any of us thought that we’d like to be a fly on the wall, to hear what others say about us when we’re not there. Here’s Jesus doing that very thing; He’s hearing from these two exactly what they believe about Him:

The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. And certain 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.

“But Him they did not see.” That’s the dagger in the heart of hope for these two. It confirms that they didn’t believe what Jesus had said about Himself.

That’s when this “clueless” man starts teaching them: “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” It is as if He asked them, “Didn’t Jesus say this was going to happen?” Then, beginning with Moses and the Prophets, He expounds to them all that was written about Him, still not revealing who He really was to them.

And as He spoke to them, their hearts burned within them. It was all making sense. Connections were being made between what had been written and what had happened over the past week, and especially this day, two days after Jesus’ death and burial—the third day. It is as St. Paul wrote, “Faith comes by hearing.” (cf. Romans 10:17) In the hearing of the Word of God, as Jesus expounded it for them, faith in Christ was produced.

They still didn’t recognize that it was Jesus walking with them and teaching them, but they believed in Him on account of the Word. And still, to this very day, faith comes by hearing. Jesus still comes and walks among us as His Word is faithfully expounded, giving the Holy Ghost who works faith when and where God pleases in those who hear the Gospel, as Article V of the Augsburg Confession states.

The daylight is almost gone, and Jesus, still incognito, insists that He has further to travel. “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” Jesus obliges. He goes into their house and shares a meal with them. How does He do it? He seems to take it over, becoming host at the meal; for He takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to those around Him to eat. At that very moment, the two disciples who had their eyes restrained, now have them opened, and recognize Jesus, and at that instant, He disappears from their view. Him they no longer see.

This time, however, things are different with these two. No longer were their hopes dashed. Now, they have faith. They didn’t need to see Jesus for they now knew where to look for Him: in His Word and Sacrament. They hear Him in His Word and see Him revealed, with eyes of faith, in the Sacrament. And so it has been done for centuries since then. As already proclaimed, the Lutherans have it right—Word and Sacrament.

From here, armed with Word and Sacrament, these two return to Jerusalem. It doesn’t matter that the daylight is gone or nearly gone. They had to return to the disciples and talk to them. By this time, the ten are locked in the upper room and see Jesus themselves. When the two get back to Jerusalem, the eleven are reunited (probably telling Thomas, “We have seen the Lord.”), and others are with them. And they recount everything that had happened to them. The Word of God has some amazing effects on the heart made faithful.

It wasn’t some cruel game that Jesus was playing on these two disciples. He was teaching them that they didn’t need to see Jesus as Thomas wanted to (and a week later would), for following His ascension, no one would see Him again until His return to earth in order to judge it. But, as He has promised, He would be with them and all who believe in Him always, to the very end of the age, speaking to the faithful (and giving faith) in His Word, and revealing Himself in the Sacrament.

Still, many Christians don’t get it. They are like the two disciples as they walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus. For instance, there is a certain LCMS congregation in a certain city in a certain state where the certain former pastor loved to use a particular song in his created service in place of the Agnus Dei. These all shall remain nameless, except the song, whose words are: “Open our eyes Lord / We want to see Jesus, / To reach out and touch Him / And say that we love Him.” While it is certainly salutary to ask of God for a right faith in order to hear Jesus in His Word and to see Him in His Sacrament, the words of this song express a sentiment held by many in Christendom.

These still seek a Jesus-experience as Thomas wanted. These still have hearts like the two disciples as they walked to Emmaus—hopes dashed because Jesus was not seen, as reliably as they would have liked, following His resurrection. These, to put it quite bluntly, refuse to hear Christ in His Word, where He walks with us in lives assaulted by the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh (keeping our hearts and minds in Him, you might recall from last week’s sermon). These refuse to recognize the Savior in His Supper, where He feeds us with His own body and blood. These look for visions in toast, cheese curls, reflections in windows, and the shape of the clouds. These want to see Jesus, now, with their own eyes of flesh, before He comes again and reveals Himself to all flesh as He has promised to do.

However, these need not our pity or loathing, but they need the constant preaching of the faith and reception of the Sacrament. For, as has been mentioned, faith comes by hearing, and “through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Ghost is given, who works faith; where and when it pleases God, in them that hear the Gospel.” Jesus did not pity or loathe the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, but revealed Himself to them through Word and Sacrament. Jesus does not pity or loathe us when doubts have their way with us, but comes to us through Word and Sacrament to forgive our sins and strengthen our faith.

So, dear Baptized, you have been gathered here by the Holy Ghost, who was given to you in Word and Sacrament. You have been beaten and bloodied by the devil, the world, and your own sinful flesh, and so you are gathered here by grace and mercy to receive your Lord who comes to you in His Word and body and blood hidden in bread and wine. These you believe and receive by God-given faith. These are effective for the simple reason that they are the very means that Jesus used as He walked and spoke in His own flesh and blood to His disciples, as He instituted and commanded—His word which endures forever (cf. Matthew 24:35, 1 Peter 1:25), and He did say, “Take and eat, this is My body...Take and drink, this is My blood.”

Therefore, wherever the Gospel is rightly taught and the Sacraments are rightly administered, there is Christ present. We rejoice, as the two disciples on the way to Emmaus did, that such happens here as it did to them, because Christ is most certainly present here and He has forgiven you for all of your sins.