“Transformation & Motivation”

May 08, 2011

John 20:19-31 Acts 2:14a, 22-32 1 Peter 1:3-9

Last week I told you of my love for Westerns, and action movies and how, in some of them the nature of the
main character was dramatically changed. This morning the example is similar but the picture I want you to
hold in your head is from an altogether different group of celebrities (who are also among my favorites),
Tom and Jerry and Tweety and Sylvester. In each of these cartoons there is a show where Tweety bird is
being chased by Sylvester the cat or Jerry the mouse is being chased by Tom the cat and in each of these
particular cartoons there is a secret formula of some kind that transforms a previously tiny and weak animal
into an amazingly strong creature who turns about and begins chasing the one who had, only moments
before, been chasing them.

The title of today’s message is “Transformation and Motivation” but it could just as well be a second act or
“Part 2” to last week’s message on transforming fear and doubt. In today’s scripture we walk with two
disciples of Jesus and we follow along with them as they make the long walk home from Jerusalem after the
events of Passover, Holy Week, and the crucifixion of Jesus. (Luke 24:13-35) In this story, the followers of
Jesus are returning to their hometown, hopeless, discouraged and fearful of the dangers that lie in the dark
but something happens to completely transform them and send them running back to the place they had just
left…
13
Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.
14
They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed
these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from
recognizing him.
17
He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one
visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
19
“What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and
all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they
crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it
is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb
early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels,
who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had
said, but they did not see Jesus.”
25
He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did
not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all
the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

1
28
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther.
29
But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in
to stay with them.
30
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31
Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 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?”
33
They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them,
assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the
two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

The followers of Jesus had been walking with a man that (they thought) they did not know for seven miles
which, as most people walk, would have been the better part of the day. As evening approached they arrived
home but the man with whom they had been walking continued on as if he was going farther and so they
invited him to have dinner and to spend the night with them. It is possible that they invited him simply
because they had enjoyed his company and his teaching as they had walked together but there is another
possibility which is far more likely. Travelling was dangerous. Just as we heard in the parable that Jesus
told of the Good Samaritan, the roads were narrow and the mountainous and often were the hiding places of
thieves and bandits. Most prudent people travelled in groups and never at night. Even without the bandits,
the terrain alone would have made travelling at night a dangerous proposition with a traveller risking a fall to
his or her death after tripping on a stone or some other unseen obstacle. For a variety of reasons it was
simply so dangerous to travel at night that these men thought that it was better to invite a stranger to stay the
night with them than to allow him to continue on alone. But something happens that dramatically changes
how they feel about the dangers of the night.

All day long as they had walked and talked, this stranger had been carefully interpreting the events of
Passover (what we now call Holy Week), the things that had happened to them and to their leader Jesus. The
stranger had been reminding them of the scriptures from the story of Moses and the teaching of the prophets
showing them all of the places where the Messiah appeared and what things had been said about him. It was
only as they sat down to dinner and Jesus broke bread and began to pray that they were finally able to see
who Jesus really was. Finally, the fog lifted and they knew that Jesus had truly risen from the dead and had,
in fact, been travelling with them all day long and as they realized who he was, Jesus disappeared from the
room. It is with this realization that these men are transformed. Moments ago they had been so afraid of
travelling, so aware of the dangers of the darkened paths, that they had asked a stranger to spend the night
and now, in an instant, they leap to their feet and travel those same roads in the middle of the night so that
they can tell the other disciples what had happened.

Moments ago these men were hopeless, discouraged and fearful of the dangers that lie in the dark but
suddenly they are transformed by the good news that they now possess. Their hopelessness has become an
abundant hope, their discouragement has reversed into certainty and their fear transformed into fearlessness.
These two men brave the dangers and terrors of the night and return to Jerusalem so that they can witness to
the disciples and the other followers of Jesus that what the women said was true, that Jesus had indeed risen
from the dead. In every case we discover that the news and the knowledge of the resurrection of Jesus Christ
is transformational, it changes the lives of those who hear it and believe it regardless of whether or not they
are firsthand witnesses. In Acts 2:14a, 36-41, the disciples go out into the streets to share the good news that
they have received and again, something amazing happens…

2
14
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of
you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.
36
“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and
Messiah.”
37
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers,
what shall we do?”
38
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness
of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and
for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
40
With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt
generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to
their number that day.

The people in the streets of Jerusalem had heard the stories of Jesus and many had heard him preach in the
synagogues and in the countryside. They had heard about the events of Jesus’ arrest and trial and crucifixion
but they had not heard the good news of his resurrection. As they hear of Jesus’ resurrection and as they
understand that he is indeed the promised Messiah, they immediately want to know what they must do and
three thousand people become followers of Christ in a single day. Even when the people do not see Jesus
face to face, even when they are not able to put their fingers in the nail prints and their hands in Jesus’ side,
even then the good news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is transformational and changes the lives of the
people who hear it. The events surrounding the arrest, trial, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus happened
more than two thousand years ago but the good news of Jesus Christ still transforms lives every day. Every
day men and women are rescued from lives enslaved by alcohol and drugs. Every day lives of desperation,
and hopelessness and fear are transformed and filled with hope and courage. Every day lives of sin and death
are transformed into lives of wholeness, forgiveness and abundant and eternal life.

But even better, the story doesn’t end there. When the disciples on the road to Emmaus discovered the truth
their lives were transformed but they didn’t just sit at home and bask in the moment, they didn’t just sit and
talk about what happened and they didn’t stay at home and write books. They immediately got up and ran
into the dangers of the night so that they could tell their friends what they had seen and heard. The disciples
heard the good news and they too shared it with others and then those people told their friends and they told
their friends until more than three thousand people had become believers in Jesus Christ in a single day. The
good news of Jesus Christ is not something that we can keep to ourselves. The good news of the resurrection
is not something that we are meant to keep to ourselves. This good news is bigger than we are. We are
intended to share the Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection with everyone so that their lives can be
transformed just as ours have been.

In 1 Peter 1:22-23, we hear the apostle Peter as he writes to the churches of Asia Minor, people from the
very same places that were represented in the day of Pentecost when the disciples went out into the streets of
Jerusalem to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ. To these people Peter provides instruction about what
they should do next…

3
22
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other,
love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of
imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

On this day we celebrate Mother’s Day and remember and appreciate the women who gave us birth and who
did so much to raise us and to teach us but we also remember that because of the death and resurrection of
Jesus Christ, we have been born again. When we were born we were born into a sinful and mortal life but
because we are born again, we have been given a life that has been purified and is immortal. Because of this
we are called not only to obey and love our mothers, but to obey the truth, to love one another and to tell the
world the Good News that has been transforming lives for more than two thousand years.

As you leave today remember to tell your mother that you love her, but also remember to tell others of the
love that has been given to you through the transformation of Jesus Christ.

4

You have been reading a message presented at Barnesville First United Methodist Church on the
date noted at the top of the first page. Rev. John Partridge is the pastor of Barnesville First.
Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this
way, we would love to hear from you. Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or
any of our other projects may be sent to Barnesville First UMC at 123 W. Church St., Barnesville,
OH 43713. These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.
You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address
noted, or by contacting us at subscribe@barnesvillefirst.com. If you have questions, you can ask
them in our discussion forum on Facebook (search for Pastor John Online). These messages can
also be found online at http://www.scribd.com/Pastor John Partridge and audio podcasts at
http://www.sermoncloud.com/ (type the church name in the search box). All Scripture references
are from the New International Version unless otherwise noted.