Luke 24:13-35

1. Let us mark what encouragement there is to believers to speak to one another about Christ.
2. Let us mark how weak and imperfect was the knowledge of some of our Lord's disciples.
3. Let us mark how full of Christ the Old Testament is.

"Perhaps we read our Bible's, and pray in private, and use public means of grace. It is all well, very well. But if we stop short here, then we neglect a great privilege and have yet much to learn."

"Clear and accurate knowledge is a most useful thing, but it is not absolutely needful to salvation and may even be possessed without grace. A deep sense of sin, a humble willingness to be saved God's way, a teachable readiness to give up our own prejudices when a more excellent way is shown - these are the principal things."

"Let it be a settled principle in our minds in reading the Bible that Christ is the central sun of the whole book. So long as we keep Him in view, we shall never greatly err in our search for spiritual knowledge."

"Our Lord sees it good for us to prove our love by withholding mercies until we ask for them. He does not always force His gifts upon us, unsought and unsolicited. He loves to draw out our desires and to compel us to exercise our spiritual affections by waiting for our prayers."

Questions:

1. Ryle says that perhaps we read our Bible's and pray and go to Sunday services, but if we fall short of spiritual conversations, we have much to learn. What do we know of spiritual conversation with other Christians? Do we seek out such conversations and find them lifegiving, or do they only come up if someone says something?
2. Ryle warns us that we should not be surprised by spiritual ignorance around us, if men such as those on the road to Emmaus had the same problem. Clear and accurate knowledge is a most useful thing, but not needful for salvation and can be possessed without grace. Are we growing in clarity of doctrine? But just as importantly, are we growing in hatred for sin, and a depth in humility, and teachability?
3. I hope it doesn't surprise you that Christ is the central figure in the Old Testament, though how that is known is a great area of study. Do you agree that Jesus Christ is the key to Bible knowledge?
4. Ryle points out that Jesus acted as if he intended to go further, and stayed because the disciples asked him to. From this he draws out that God loves to be asked and exhorts us to ask much, ask often, and lose nothing for lack of asking. How does this encourage or challenge us? May it not be said of us, we had not because we asked not.