On Our Road to Emmaus

We are beginning a Sunday School series about the connections between the Old and New Testament.  Often, people view these two books very differently.  They doubt the truth of the stories and scoff at the wrath of God in the Old Testament.  Yet they embrace the forgiveness of Christ in the New Testament.  We would argue, you can't have it both ways.  Either the entire Bible is the Word of God and totally and completely true, or we cannot depend on the sacrifice and forgiveness of Jesus to forgive our sins.  We cannot pick and choose what we like about the Bible, because there is no guarantee the things we chose are eternally true.  We must accept all that God said, or none of it.  As C.S. Lewis wrote, Jesus was either who he said he was, the Son of God and the ONLY way to eternal life, or he was a madman and liar.  It doesn't work both ways. In this series we will attempt to show how Jesus was present in the Old Testament and the direct correlation between both parts of Holy Scripture.  We pray this study will strengthen your walk with Christ.  Please write to me with any questions or comments. Because this is a Sunday School lesson, it is meant to be discussed.

Old and New Testament Connection Week 1:

“On our road to Emmaus”

TBC Sunday School

 January 11, 2015

 Tenille & Dustin Shrock

“I believe that the Holy Spirit is indispensable for an interpreter's reaching a correct interpretation of the text. The Spirit must work in the interpreter's heart so that he or she welcomes the biblical message that one's egotistic, sinful heart otherwise hates with a vengeance.” – Dr. Daniel Fuller author of The Unity of the Bible

Let’s pray for eyes to see, ears to hear, and a mind to understand what God's Word says…

Lets’ talk about common criticisms of the Bible, particularly the Old Testament…

Let’s face it…sometimes it is difficult to believe those old testament stories, because things seem so different than what we see around us today.  What should we do when we come across something that we find difficult to believe? 

Hebrews 11:6     Matthew 17:20     John 20:24-29

 Let's read how David Limbaugh views the unity of the Bible...

David Limbaugh: The Bible: Product Of A Divine Conspiracy

In my new book, "Jesus on Trial," I explain how the Bible itself serves as its own apologetic. Holy Scripture, if we'll give it a chance, can bring us to faith. So one of the main goals I have with my book is to encourage people to crack open this amazing book and give it a chance to work in their lives. They may be surprised.

"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17). "From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15).

I must say that I didn't always have this high opinion of the Bible. When I was a young lawyer, in my skeptical days, I was visiting my friend Peter Kinder, now Missouri lieutenant governor, at Christmastime. He had brought some of his law school classmates home to stay at his parents' home during the Christmas break.

Peter, his friend Steve Springer and I were sitting around the fireplace discussing various things, when the subject of Christianity came up; I can't remember who initiated the discussion. I allowed as how I did not buy into Christianity and wasn't at all sure about Christ's divinity, among other things.

Steve - who was a devout believer, as it turned out - surprised me. He didn't fit my stereotypical image of Christians at the time. Had I known he was a strong believer, I would have expected him to wag his finger at me and scold me for my irreverence, but he did just the opposite. (By the way, this is no slam on Christians; it's just the impression I had at the time of many of them, and I was wrong.)

Steve responded patiently and graciously. It was as if he knew, intuitively, what Christian apologist extraordinaire Ravi Zacharias now teaches his students. It is just as important, says Zacharias, that the evangelist focus on the questioner as it is that he focus on his questions. In other words, really pay attention to the person you’re talking to, and try to meet him where he is. Don't just give him some bullet points about the validity of the Christian faith; otherwise, your words are very likely to have no effect.

Steve didn't rebuke me for questioning Christ's divinity or for doubting certain doctrinal teachings. He just quietly excused himself from the conversation for a few moments, went to his guest bedroom, retrieved his Bible and returned.

At the appropriate time - without being overbearing, judgmental or arrogant - he simply opened up that brown leather-covered book and walked me through certain passages of Scripture. He then pointed out how these passages were linked to other passages that spoke to the same subject. As far as I know, it was the first time I'd ever been introduced to a reference Bible.

Lights went off. I know, I know - it's embarrassing how ignorant I was. I didn't realize the extent to which the Bible - Old Testament and New Testament - was wholly integrated. It truly fascinated me and piqued my interest. Intuiting my interest, Steve gave me that Bible on the spot.

I didn't become a believer immediately as a result of Steve's enlightening gesture. But he had planted a critically important seed for my spiritual journey, which would later bear fruit.

Steve had no earthly idea the impact he had on me. I know that for a fact because when he was visiting Peter many years later, the two of them came by my house to see me. While we were all sitting at the table catching up, I excused myself from the room, went to my library, retrieved that very Bible and returned to the room. I told the story of how important this moment, some 20 years ago, had been in my life. Steve was moved and, I believe, quite gratified.

This incident should be encouraging to Christians. Don't ever assume that your evangelism is having no impact just because you see no immediate evidence of it. Not everyone's conversion is the result of some "lightning bolt" epiphany. It often happens gradually and over an extended period of time.

Steve's particular approach to me has also been very significant because one of the most compelling proofs to me of Christianity's truth claims is the marvelous unity of Scripture, to which Steve initially exposed me.

I am so moved by the unity of the Bible that I devoted a chapter to the subject in my book. As many know, the Bible was written over a period of some 1,500 years by 40 different authors, writing in different languages and different geographical locations. Yet the themes, the moral lessons and God's revelation about his nature are consistent throughout. It's as if it were the product of a conspiracy.

But how can that be? Most of the Bible writers didn't even know one another. Well, it can be because the true author of the Bible is God. It was a conspiracy, all right, but not by human hands. It was a divine conspiracy.

 (We highly recommend David Limbaugh's new book Jesus on Trial.)

Before we can study the connections between the two parts of Scripture, we must agree the entire Bible is the Word of God, true from beginning to end…but how do we know?

From GotQuestions.org:

There are both internal and external evidences that the Bible is truly God’s Word.

1.   Its unity - Even though it is really sixty-six individual books, written on three continents, in three different languages, over a period of approximately 1500 years, by more than 40 authors who came from many walks of life, the Bible remains one unified book from beginning to end without contradiction. This unity is unique from all other books and is evidence of the divine origin of the words which God moved men to record.

2.  Its prophecies - The Bible contains hundreds of detailed prophecies relating to the future of individual nations including Israel, certain cities, and mankind. Other prophecies concern the coming of One who would be the Messiah, the Savior of all who would believe in Him. Unlike the prophecies found in other religious books or those by men such as Nostradamus, biblical prophecies are extremely detailed. There are over three hundred prophecies concerning Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. Not only was it foretold where He would be born and His lineage, but also how He would die and that He would rise again. There simply is no logical way to explain the fulfilled prophecies in the Bible other than by divine origin. There is no other religious book with the extent or type of predictive prophecy that the Bible contains.

And today we live in the unique generation that is seeing the future prophecies of Revelation (as well as many other books of the Bible) coming to fruition right before our eyes. –Tenille J

3.  Its unique authority and power - The Bible’s authority is unlike any other book ever written. This authority and power are best seen in the way countless lives have been transformed by the supernatural power of God’s Word. Drug addicts have been cured by it, hardened criminals reformed by it, sinners rebuked by it, and hate turned to love by it. The Bible does possess a dynamic and transforming power that is only possible because it is truly God’s Word.

4.  Its accurate history - Because the Bible details historical events, its truthfulness and accuracy are subject to verification like any other historical document. Through both archaeological evidences and other writings, the historical accounts of the Bible have been proven time and time again to be accurate and true. In fact, all the archaeological and manuscript evidence supporting the Bible makes it the best-documented book from the ancient world. The fact that the Bible accurately and truthfully records historically verifiable events is a great indication of its truthfulness when dealing with religious subjects and doctrines and helps substantiate its claim to be the very Word of God.

5.  Its integrity of its human authors - As mentioned earlier, God used men from many walks of life to record His words. In studying the lives of these men, we find them to be honest and sincere. The fact that they were willing to die often excruciating deaths for what they believed testifies that these ordinary yet honest men truly believed God had spoken to them. The men who wrote the New Testament and many hundreds of other believers (1 Corinthians 15:6) knew the truth of their message because they had seen and spent time with Jesus Christ after He had risen from the dead. Seeing the risen Christ had a tremendous impact on them. They went from hiding in fear to being willing to die for the message God had revealed to them. Their lives and deaths testify to the fact that the Bible truly is God’s Word.

6.  Its indestructibility- Because of its importance and its claim to be the very Word of God, the Bible has suffered more vicious attacks and attempts to destroy it than any other book in history. From early Roman Emperors like Diocletian, through communist dictators and on to modern-day atheists and agnostics, the Bible has withstood and outlasted all of its attackers and is still today the most widely published book in the world.

Throughout time, skeptics have regarded the Bible as mythological, but archeology has confirmed it as historical. Opponents have attacked its teaching as primitive and outdated, but its moral and legal concepts and teachings have had a positive influence on societies and cultures throughout the world. It continues to be attacked by pseudo-science, psychology, and political movements, yet it remains just as true and relevant today as it was when it was first written. It is a book that has transformed countless lives and cultures throughout the last 2000 years. No matter how its opponents try to attack, destroy, or discredit it, the Bible remains; its veracity and impact on lives is unmistakable. The accuracy which has been preserved despite every attempt to corrupt, attack, or destroy it is clear testimony to the fact that the Bible is truly God’s Word and is supernaturally protected by Him. It should not surprise us that, no matter how the Bible is attacked, it always comes out unchanged and unscathed. After all, Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Mark 13:31). After looking at the evidence, one can say without a doubt that, yes, the Bible is truly God’s Word.

We need to get away from viewing the Old Testament and New Testament as two separate books.  If we search for the connections, our faith will be strengthened and our walk with God will become more amazing, as we see how he crafted his Word to reveal who he is, and is crafting our life to bring us closer to him, and ultimately to live with him in a perfect eternity.

Let’s read Luke 24:13-35 The Road to Emmaus.

In this story two disciples are walking along the road discussing how Jesus, the one they thought was the Messiah, was killed, buried and then his body disappeared.  As they are talking, much like we would discuss a tragedy that had recently happened in our town, the resurrected Jesus appears to them.  They do not recognize him, but go on to tell him this crazy story about Jesus.  Jesus then explains that they should have known the Messiah would be crucified, buried, and resurrected.  He explains all of the Old Testament Scripture that have predicted what would happen to him and he shows them all of the stories that pointed to him as the Christ.  The men are amazed.  They do not want him to leave, in fact they invite him to eat with them.  He accepts their invitation, and just as he is breaking bread, he opens their eyes and they recognize him...and then he disappears.  The men are overcome with joy, and run to tell their friends that it is true!  Jesus is risen and he is the one true Lord...and all of the Old Testament pointed to him.

What can we learn from this story?

1.  Jesus met the men on the road, right where they were...confused.  He meets us where we are and will teach and guide us.  

2.  Once the men had a little time with Jesus, they didn't want him to leave.  When we experience quality time with the Lord, we will want more and more.

3.  In time, Jesus opened the eyes of the men to the truth.  If we seek and trust him, he will help us understand the things that are confusing in Scripture.

4.  When the men realized it was Jesus, they couldn't wait to run and tell their friends.  When we have experienced a personal relationship with Jesus, and we begin to grow, learn and experience his blessings, we will want to run and tell those we love!

***Next week we will look at how the story of creation and Adam and Eve connect to the New Testament.  If you would like to, read Genesis 1-3.