Don't Miss Jesus

River Valley Church • Dr. Joel Muddamalle •

Summary

Dr. Joel Muddamalle, theologian from Proverbs 31 Ministries, delivers a powerful message urging believers not to miss Jesus on His terms. He warns that the greatest issue facing this generation isn't the denial of Jesus, but something far more subversive—the attempt to make Jesus in our image rather than being conformed to His image. The message centers on Luke 24, resurrection morning, where two disciples walk to Emmaus in confusion after Jesus' crucifixion. As they walk, Jesus Himself joins them but they don't recognize Him. He spends the two-hour walk giving them a masterclass through the Hebrew Bible, showing how all Scripture points to Him. When they arrive at Emmaus, Jesus reclines at table, blesses the bread, breaks it, and gives it to them—their eyes are opened and they recognize Him. They realize their hearts were burning not when He broke bread, but when He opened the Scriptures. The message powerfully concludes that the central message of all Scripture is Jesus Himself, and dead hearts come alive when the Scriptures are opened. The economy of the kingdom: blessed, broken, and blessed again—experiencing God's blessing in the midst of brokenness through Christ.

Key Takeaways

  • The greatest issue isn't denying Jesus—it's making Jesus in our image instead of being conformed to His
  • You can be in confusion and simultaneously in conversation with the risen Christ
  • God's nearness to us is not dependent on our awareness of Him
  • All of Scripture points to Jesus—He's the master key of the entire Word
  • The economy of the kingdom: blessed, broken, blessed again
  • Our hearts come alive not when bread is broken, but when Scripture is opened
  • The most important preposition in the Bible is 'through'
  • Dead hearts come alive when they encounter the risen Christ through His Word
  • Don't miss Jesus on His terms—know His terms through His Word

Outline

Introduction: Don't Miss Jesus on His Terms

  • Dr. Joel Muddamalle introduced as theologian from Proverbs 31 Ministries
  • Central plea: Please don't miss Jesus
  • Greatest issue isn't denial of Jesus, but making Jesus in our image
  • Need to be conformed to the image of Jesus, not vice versa
  • Know His terms through His Word
  • Study passage: Luke 24 - Resurrection Morning

Context: The Hope of Israel

  • Jewish children grew up hearing about the long-awaited Messiah
  • Signs of the Messiah: blind will see, lame will walk, dead will rise
  • Jesus fulfilled all the signs—He was the one
  • Hope: the Davidic king would return and set Israel free from Rome
  • Darkest day in human history: Jesus hung on a cross
  • The hope of Israel hung with Jesus on that cross
  • Three days later: women find the tomb empty

The Walk to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-14)

  • Two disciples walking to Emmaus, 7 miles from Jerusalem
  • Discussing everything that had taken place
  • Personal illustration: not a walker for fun or no reason
  • Wife Britney loves to walk—different perspectives on walks
  • Joel thinks destination, Britney thinks intimacy during the journey
  • Genesis 3: God walked with Adam and Eve in cool of evening
  • Real life is walking in the presence of God
  • Collision of everyday moment with the cosmic Christ

The Argument and Jesus' Intrusion (Luke 24:15-17)

  • While discussing and arguing, Jesus Himself came near
  • Deep in conversation—Type A optimist vs Type B pessimist
  • Jesus walks up and 'sees Himself' into their A&B conversation
  • They were prevented from recognizing Him
  • Jesus asks: 'What is this dispute you're having?'
  • They stopped walking and looked discouraged
  • Jesus is funny—He knows exactly what happened

The Crucifixion: Death and Failure (Luke 24:18-24)

  • Cleopas responds: 'Are you the only visitor who doesn't know?'
  • Jesus: 'What things?' (Jesus is a great hang—He's funny)
  • They explain about Jesus of Nazareth, prophet powerful in action and speech
  • Chief priests and leaders sentenced Him to death and crucified Him
  • The word 'crucifixion' has lost its bite—we say it too flippantly
  • Cross was utter totality of death and failure
  • Verse 21: 'But we were hoping' he would redeem Israel
  • Women found tomb empty, saw vision of angels saying He's alive

Confusion and Conversation with Christ (Luke 24:25-27)

  • Two individuals caught in total confusion
  • Simultaneously in conversation with the risen Christ
  • God's nearness not dependent on our awareness of Him
  • Jesus: 'How foolish you are, how slow of heart to believe'
  • Verse 26: 'Wasn't it NECESSARY for Messiah to suffer?'
  • Not optional, not conditional—necessary
  • Verse 27: Beginning with Moses and all prophets, He interpreted Scripture
  • Jesus gave them a masterclass of the entire Hebrew Bible

The Two-Hour Bible Study

  • 7 miles at 17 minutes per mile = 119 minutes (about 2 hours)
  • Jesus went through Moses (first five books: Genesis-Deuteronomy)
  • Then through the prophets (Joshua through Malachi)
  • Masterclass: Genesis through Malachi showing what they missed
  • Possibility: Jesus turned to Isaiah 53:3-5
  • Despised, rejected, man of suffering, bore our sickness
  • Pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our iniquities
  • Augustine: entire Old Testament is christological

Scripture Points to Jesus

  • All of Scripture in some form points to Jesus
  • Old Testament: anticipates Jesus will come
  • Gospels: announce that Jesus is here
  • Epistles: proclaim Him
  • Revelation: promises His triumphant return
  • Central message of Scripture is Jesus Himself
  • He's the master key of the entire Word
  • What they needed: the very Word of God Himself

Blessed, Broken, Blessed Again (Luke 24:28-31)

  • Jesus gave impression He was going further
  • They urged Him: 'Stay with us, it's almost evening'
  • He reclined at table—correlation with communion
  • He took bread, blessed it, broke it, gave it to them
  • Why this order? Why not break, then bless, then give?
  • Back to Genesis: God blessed humanity first (Genesis 1:26-27)
  • First experience: sound of good Father singing blessing over life
  • Genesis 3: blessing interrupted by breaking
  • Genesis 4-incarnation: God redeeming people back to blessing

The Economy of the Kingdom

  • Jesus: blessing of heaven coming to earth in incarnation
  • Broken on the cross so blessing pours out on us
  • Blessed, broken, blessed again
  • Would be nice if we only had one brokenness—but we have many
  • Phone call from doctor, shaky marriage, prodigal children
  • Jesus: blessing comes BEFORE brokenness
  • For those in Christ: blessing IN THE MIDST of brokenness
  • In multiplication, we become means of blessing to broken world

Hearts Burning Within (Luke 24:31-35)

  • Their eyes were opened and they recognized Him
  • Jesus disappeared from their sight immediately
  • They said: 'Weren't our hearts burning within us?'
  • NOT when He blessed bread, NOT when He broke bread
  • But: 'while He was talking with us on the road explaining Scriptures'
  • Dead hearts came alive encountering the risen Christ
  • How did Jesus teach us to encounter Him? Through His Word
  • That very hour they returned to Jerusalem

The Hope Through Brokenness

  • So much heartache in our world today
  • Promise: hope of new heavens and new earth
  • Hope not in absence of brokenness, but in midst and through it
  • Most important preposition in Bible: THROUGH
  • Israelites went THROUGH Red Sea to experience God's power
  • Through wilderness to experience God's provision
  • Jesus went through Samaria to meet woman at well
  • It was necessary for Jesus to go through the cross

Conclusion: It's All About Jesus

  • One reason our feet don't float: Jesus
  • One reason sun doesn't scorch earth: Jesus
  • John 1: In beginning was the Word, Word was with God
  • Through Him all things made
  • Invitation to experience presence of His name
  • Invitation to real relationship with Jesus
  • Experience His presence, put faith and trust in Him

Scripture References

Luke 24:13-14
Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.
Luke 24:15-16
As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.
Luke 24:25-27
He said to them, 'How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?' And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
Luke 24:30-32
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, 'Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?'
Isaiah 53:3-5
He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
John 1:1-4
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
Genesis 1:26-27
Then God said, 'Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness.' So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.