What is Jesus Doing in Your Life?

WHAT IS JESUS DOING IN YOUR LIFE? by Pastor Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson

Introduction: This morning is part 3 of our miniseries “Before the Manger” and today’s message is titled – “What is Jesus doing in your life?”

Luke 24   13 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him…27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

Overall Background: In the passage we just read, two of Jesus’ disciples were on their way to the village of Emmaus, to the west of Jerusalem. We don’t know the exact location of the road but Nicole and I were in the vicinity. These disciples were trying to make sense of all that had happened. Their Master had been brutally crucified and now His body was nowhere to found. Just then Jesus joined them but they didn’t recognize Him. He asked them why they were so sad and they were shocked – “Don’t you know that Jesus of Nazareth ‘a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people’ had been brutally killed by our leaders? We were hoping He was the One to redeem Israel but He failed.”

What is Jesus’ response? First, He gets on to them and then – 27 beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” In other words, “You think I failed to do what I came to do? Apparently, you don’t know me and you don’t know what I do.” What was their response after He showed them who He was and what He did? Luke 24:32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” I was going to title this message – “How to get spiritual heartburn?” but I figured y’all would misunderstand it. What they were saying is – “Didn’t it set us on fire when He explained to us who He was and what He did?!!”

Listen carefully: The antidote to spiritual dullness is getting to know Jesus like never before! Question: How is your spiritual fire? Is it raging or is it flickering? Do you think that some favorite song or book or series is going to light it? The only thing that will light your spiritual fire is getting to know Jesus like never before and recognize what He is doing in your life. If that doesn’t light your fire, your wood is wet! Are you saved?

First, we will understand who Jesus is and then, we will understand what He does:

I. WHO IS JESUS? 

15 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him

Background: I think there is some irony here. These disciples were talking about Jesus but they could not recognize Him! No different than today! 27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” Wouldn’t you have loved to be in that Bible study?!! Jesus identifying Himself throughout the Old Testament! He is showing them every Christophany – His pre-incarnate appearances. For the next few minutes we will look at the most prominent Christophany – “the Angel of Yahweh/Lord.” Who is this Angel of the Lord?

1. He is referred to as God. In Genesis 28 Jacob had a dream in which he saw a ladder set up between heaven and earth and angels of God ascending and descending on it. On the top stood God who blessed Jacob. When Jacob woke up he said, 16 “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” He set up a stone pillar and called the place Bethel. Meaning = house of God. Later he says in Genesis 31 11 Then the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, “Jacob.’…13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Angel of the Lord = God.

Another example: In Exodus 3 Moses was tending his father-in-law’s sheep in the back of the desert. Verse 2 the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. The bush kept burning so Moses turned to investigate. Verse 4 So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” 6 …“I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. Angel of the Lord = God.

One more example: In the book of Judges we meet a man named Manoah and his wife. They couldn’t have any kids. Judges 13 3 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and promised them a child. When she told that to her husband, he prayed that God would reveal this person once again. So the Angel of God returned and Manoah asked Him His name. Listen to His answer – 18 “…And the Angel of the LORD said to him, “Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?” This is the same name given to Jesus in Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given…And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace..” Later in verse 22 listen to what Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God!” I can give many other examples. The point is the Angel of the Lord is God.

2. He is not Yahweh. Some people think that the Angel of the Lord is Yahweh. Not true. One clear example of that is Zechariah 1:12 Then the Angel of the LORD answered and said, “O LORD of hosts, how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry these seventy years?” Here the Angel of the Lord is interceding on behalf of God’s people to God. He is God but He is talking to God. Can you see the hints of the Trinity here? Two individuals are God.
3. The Angel of the Lord is not the Father or the Holy Spirit. Why not the Father? Because He never shows Himself visibly. John 1:18 “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” Why not the Holy Spirit? Because He never shows Himself visibly. John 3:8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

What is the conclusion? The Angel of the Lord is God but not Yahweh. He is one of the Trinity but not the Father or the Spirit. Who is left? Jesus Christ – the one who has always been there. He is the one who keeps coming to His people but they keep missing Him.

Application: Have you missed Jesus? Do you realize that He is the KEY to the work of God throughout history? Do you realize that He is central to our faith? Have you met Him before? If you haven’t, you may know a lot but you are still blind like the disciples.

II. WHAT DOES HE DO? 

Emmaus was not very far from Jerusalem. Time must have stood still. It always does when you truly begin to see God. They got to their destination and He kept on going but they begged Him to stay and He did. Luke 24 30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. Meaning: He came in as the guest but He became the host. How would you like that if you invited someone to your house and they walk in and take over! What He was showing to them was that He has always been the host! We are the guests. He is the doer and we are the receivers.

What does He do?

1. He shows God to us. He’s always done that and He always will.

In the Old Testament He came as the Angel of the Lord to Moses in the back of the desert and said in Exodus 3:6 “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Later in the New Testament He is doing the same work. John 8 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” 57 Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” Later in Matthew 11:27 Jesus said All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

Question: Are you getting to know more and more about God through Jesus?

2. He calls us and sends us. He’s always done that and He always will.

In the Old Testament He tells Moses in Exodus 3  9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” In the New Testament He is doing the same thing. He walks by the Sea of Galilee and sees two brothers Simon Peter and Andrew casting a net into the sea. Matthew 4 19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Later He called Paul on the Road to Damascus. Acts 26 16 But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. 17 I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you. Then at the end of His ministry on earth He gave the Great Commission – Matthew 28 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Question: Can you hear God calling you through Jesus Christ?

3. He intercedes for us. He’s always done that and He always will.

We saw Him interceding for the people of Israel in Zechariah 1 12   Then the Angel of the LORD answered and said, “O LORD of hosts, how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry these seventy years?” 13 And the LORD answered the angel who talked to me, with good and comforting words. In the New Testament we seem praying for His disciples in John 17 11 “…these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are…13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves…17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. Guess what He is doing for us today? Romans 8:34 “…It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” Again in Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Question: Can you hear Him interceding for you?

Invitation: Have you come to Jesus? He is the Way, Truth, and Life. He has always been and will always be.