Know Jesus? Really?

An issue that I’ve struggled with for a large part of my life is “what does it mean to know Jesus.” I can read about Jesus, but is that the same as knowing him personally? At times, I’ve felt distant from God and struggled with what to do about it. I start to think maybe I just don't know Jesus and then long for some special revelation to know him better. There are seasons that I still feel like that. Maybe you are like me.

But God is good and directly addresses the question of how we can know Jesus personally. We see this in Luke 24:13-35.

The story starts with some travelers on the road and Jesus comes up to them. Seems like Jesus is about to get to know them. Then verse 16 takes a strange turn: “their eyes were kept from recognizing him”. Obviously these people knew who Jesus was before this moment. It’s a small verse and seems totally strange.

So here's the main question: Why were their eyes kept from recognizing him? It's almost like Jesus did not want to be known!

It’s a good question because Jesus had just resurrected from the dead. The first thing I would do is personally show myself to people. But the fact that their eyes were kept from recognizing him seems completely contrary to what we would expect.

So they are all on this road and Jesus intentionally draws towards them and asks them what they are talking about.

The travelers give him a kind of bitter sarcastic attitude: “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” Verse 17 says “they stood still, looking sad”.

At this point, you would expect Jesus to personally reveal himself and say something like “Don’t be sad. I’m alive!” But nope, he doesn’t. He actually keeps pressing in and asks them more about what happened. So they tell him all about Jesus and how they were disappointed because Jesus had died and therefore he could not be the saviour whom everyone has hoped he would be.

Now maybe Jesus will reveal himself to them.... Nope, instead he rebukes them for being foolish and slow to believe.

Come on Jesus, you had so many perfect chances to reveal yourself. Like a blockbuster reveal: lights, glowing, thunder, lighting, booming voice from above. “Surprise! I’m Jesus.”  But that wasn't Jesus' plan.

Then comes verse 27. It’s like Jesus pulling out a Bible and saying let's do a Bible study! “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”

This is really important here, so let's bookmark this and come back in a little bit. But at this point, Jesus still does not reveal himself to the travelers on the road.

Remember our main question: Why were their eyes kept from recognizing him? We don’t find the answer written explicitly. We find it through the traveler’s reaction to finally recognizing Jesus. Look at verse 31.

31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”

So they are in the room and Jesus reveals himself. All of a sudden they recognize Jesus...and Jesus disappears….come on Jesus. You finally let people see you, so why didn't you stick around so people can get to know you?

You would expect the travelers to say “Wow, that was Jesus! Where did he go?!” Or maybe they would say “I finally got to see the resurrected Jesus! I 100% believe!”

But the scripture tells us what they said “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” Their response points us back to that important verse 27 that we bookmarked.

Remember on the road, he walked them through each of the Bible stories and showed them how they pointed to Jesus. It's helpful to bring in John 1 to understand this better. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. [...] And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

This passage in John is describing Jesus. Jesus is the Word.

So it's awesome here in Luke to see that the word of God in flesh (who is Jesus) is actually the one explaining the written Word of God (who is Jesus). The Word of God is explaining the Word of God.

See Jesus took out the Bible and showed them how all of it is connected; leading and point us to the savior Jesus, himself.

Maybe Jesus showed them the story of the final plague to hit Egypt - killing of the first born and the passover blood of the lamb, which was actually all about Jesus‌‌. Or maybe the story of the Bronze Serpent when Israel was in the wilderness and how it was about looking to Jesus to save them.‌‌ The stories of how the Israelites were looking for a good king to restore the nation, but all failed - and how Jesus is that good king that has come to restore all that is broken.‌‌ Or walked them through the Psalms and showed them how this longing for redemption is found in Jesus. Maybe he showed them how the tabernacle, temple, sacrificial system, the offices of prophet, priest, and King - how it all pointed to the one, Jesus.

The Bible is all about Jesus and not only that, the scripture itself is Jesus. When we start seeing and exploring that, that's when an excitement, joy, a burning fire is kindled within us. When we open the Bible, the Holy Spirit is at work in us helping us to recognize our Savior.

In the beginning, the question we wanted answered was this: “Why were their eyes kept from recognizing him?”

Here’s the Answer: Their eyes were kept from recognizing Jesus in the flesh, so that they would see him clearly and most importantly in the Scriptures.  Jesus is fully and personally revealed in the scriptures. And recognizing Jesus in the Scriptures is what set their hearts and our hearts on fire.

This is a really big deal, because maybe you are like me and struggle with doubts and we think: “Oh if I just saw the real Jesus once, then that would remove those doubts, and I would know him.”‌‌ You do have Jesus, he’s right here in the Bible.‌‌ You can know him. He has been revealed to you.‌‌ Open your Bible - meet him.

Maybe you are struggling because you feel distant from Jesus.‌‌ This passage should be a great encouragement to you.‌‌ You can grow close to the actual Jesus.‌‌ You can know him personally through the scriptures.‌‌ You don’t need to see him physically because he has been right here all along.‌‌ Open your Bible - get to know Jesus: grow close to him because he is there.

Maybe you lost the fire, excitement, and joy for Christ. You want it back but not sure what to do.‌‌ You don’t need the latest Christian book. You don’t need a spiritual conference.‌‌ You need your Bible.‌‌ Open your Bible - see the gospel message from Genesis to Revelation. See it all pointing to and talking about your savior.

Maybe you struggle with how to share Jesus with kids.‌‌ You don’t need to be cool.‌‌ You don’t need to come up with an exciting story: You already have it.‌‌ Open your Bible - show the kids that Jesus is there: from beginning to end.‌‌ Show them a savior that gave his life for the lost and wants to draw near to them.

We all want to know and be known by someone deeply. There is someone who is worth knowing and wants us to know him. It’s Jesus. He’s right there in your Bible. Open it, read it, see him, know him.