HBC Website

Each January we mark a tradition in our church: Prayer Emphasis Sunday. This Lord’s Day we will focus on the subject of prayer and be reminded of the essential role it plays in the outworking of the plan of God for his people.

The Gospel of Luke comes to a climax in chapter 24. The dominant theme in this chapter is that the Scriptures (Old Testament) predicted both the suffering and resurrection of the Christ as the necessary prelude to the promised kingdom. At the conclusion, Luke briefly summarizes the mission Jesus gave to his followers to proclaim this truth throughout the world (Luke 24:46-48) and his promise to empower them for the task by sending the Holy Spirit (24:49). In the final verses, Jesus blesses his followers and ascends to heaven, after which they return to Jerusalem to wait for the Promised One.

Every Sunday we gather for worship to remember the Lord Jesus who was raised from the dead on the first day of the week. This week, our worship gathering will occur on Christmas Day, a rare Sunday that marks both the beginning and end of our Savior’s first advent. The apostle John declared of that advent, “the light shines in the darkness.” The sermon for our Christmas celebration will trace that theme throughout the prologue of John’s Gospel (John 1:1-18).

As Luke draws close to the conclusion of his book, he records Jesus’ words as he entrusted his followers with a message and mission. The message is the good news of forgiveness declared in the Scriptures and secured by Christ’s death and resurrection. The mission is global in scope, proclamational in nature, and empowered by the Spirit of truth.

Two unknown disciples hurried to Jerusalem late on Resurrection Day to share with the other believers the truth about Jesus’ death. They learned this truth in the Scriptures as taught by Jesus along the road to Emmaus. As they explained these things, Jesus suddenly appeared among them. The account that follows (Luke 24:36-43) describes the mixed response of the disciples: joy mingled with fear and disbelief. They could hardly believe their eyes. Jesus called them to look and touch to confirm the truth. Then he ate a meal in their presence. Jesus made it absolutely clear to them: He is risen, indeed!

As we previously studied Luke 24:13-27, we “eavesdropped” on a conversation that took place on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus on the first Resurrection Day. The conversation occurred between two obscure disciples and the risen Christ, though he walked with them incognito. The disciples were forlorn and agitated because Jesus was crucified. So, Jesus explained the plan of God for the Christ found throughout the Old Testament Scriptures. He showed them that the cross did not thwart Kingdom hopes, rather it was the essential prelude to the Kingdom. This is true because Christ vacated the tomb.

In today’s text (Luke 24:28-35), Jesus reveals his identity to these disciples as they enjoy table fellowship. The climax of the passage arrives in v. 32 as the disciples declare, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked with us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” The risen Lord Jesus convinced them from the Scriptures that the crown will certainly follow the cross.

Joel Owen will preach the morning message this Lord’s Day from Psalm 34. He will use the testimony of David in this psalm to help us develop a “theology of trials.”

On Resurrection Day, two followers of Jesus left Jerusalem and walked to the little town of Emmaus. On the way, they aired their discouragement, frustration, and confusion caused by the death of Jesus. But then, the Lord Jesus, incognito, joined them on their journey. He confronted their lack of faith and proceeded to show them how the Scriptures taught the necessity of his cross. His point was that his suffering and death were the necessary prelude to the promised Kingdom.

It is our privilege to welcome a Baptist Mid-Mission’s missionary to our services this Lord’s Day. He travels around the world to meet with indigenous pastors who do not have access to adequate training. He and other team members provide teaching in intensive training classes. In the worship service, he will preach from Revelation 2:1-7. This passage records Jesus’ letter to the church in Ephesus. Though that church had many positive, praiseworthy qualities, Jesus chided them because they “lost their first love.”

In our continuing study of the Gospel of Luke, we come to the end of Jesus’ Passion Week. His suffering has ended and death gives way to life. Last Lord’s Day we contemplated the significance of Jesus’ burial. We know that Jesus was really dead—but all of that changed as we will see in Luke 24:1-12. In this Lord’s Day sermon, we will retell the story of the resurrection and explore its significance.