Listen here. (Please note, we had a power outage that lasted until right before the sermon, so the flock was a little more cantankerous than usual.)

Luke 24:36-49

³⁶ As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” ³⁷ But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. ³⁸ And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹ See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” ⁴⁰ And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. ⁴¹ And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” ⁴² They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³ and he took it and ate before them. ⁴⁴ Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, ⁴⁶ and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, ⁴⁷ and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹ And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Death died when Jesus rose. The stone is rolled away. The tomb is empty. The grave’s strength is spent. The guards could not keep Him. Death could not hold Him.

Our Gospel text today is a replay of last week. Easter evening Episode 2. Why? Why would we look at the same event two weeks in a row? Well, Luke tells us some things that John doesn’t. Dr. Luke wrote his Gospel for a different reason and to a different audience than John, the fisherman. So Luke gives us some details that John doesn’t.

To set this all up, I want to tell you about a real problem that is common among pastors. I’ll call it clerical tautologitis (‘tautology’ means “the same word twice”). I’m going to call this problem clerical tautologitis. Yes. I know I said that twice. It’s humor.

I’ve been around pastors all my life. I was born right before my dad’s last semester of seminary. So I’ve been listening to pastors repeat themselves since I was born. Pastors have an uncanny ability to tell the same story in the same way to the same person – over and over and over. I think it happens because pastors are supposed to preach Jesus Christ crucified, risen, and coming again. Part of their calling is to say the same thing repeatedly. I think another contributing factor is that pastors get asked the same question by several different people. When I give the same answer several times, I forget who has already heard what I am saying.

Please, I beg you, help me curb the early onset of clerical tautologitis. If we’re having a conversation, let me know if you’ve already heard what I’m saying. Please, save yourself and me. I promise I won’t be offended.

But you know what? Jesus was repetitive too. Especially when He used one little word in our text. That word is in v. 44 of our text, and gets translated here ‘must.’ “These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

The Greek word that gets translated ‘must’ there is the Greek word δεῖ. In English it means ‘it is necessary’ or ‘must happen.’ When Jesus says something “must happen,” it is probably good for us to listen to Him.

In the Gospel of Luke particularly, when Jesus uses this little word δεῖ, it forms an interesting arc through the Gospel. We aren’t going to look at all of the times Jesus uses the word, but the ones we are going to look at are listed in your Scripture insert. I’d invite you to follow along as I go through them:

The first comes in Lk. 2:49. Jesus is twelve-years-old. Mary and Joseph have taken Him to the Temple to celebrate the Passover. Mary and Joseph start to travel back home, but pre-teen Jesus stays behind. His parents are terrified when they can’t find Him, and Jesus is lost for three days. Finally, they find Him in the Temple listening to teachers and asking them questions. Joseph and Mary get after Him a little bit, “Why are You doing this to us?” Jesus’ first words in the Gospel of Luke are His response to that question, “Why were you looking for Me? Did you not know that I δεῖ be in My Father’s house/about My Father’s business?” (the phrase is literally translated ‘in the things of My Father’).

What is Jesus talking about? What does it mean that He has to be about His Father’s business? We don’t know yet. But we will find out as we continue through Luke’s Gospel – especially when we find Jesus using the word δεῖ again.

The next comes in Lk. 4:43. Before Jesus calls the first disciples, He is casting out demons. The people in that area want Jesus to stick around and help them with all their problems. But Jesus won’t. Why? Jesus said to them, “I δεῖ preach the good news [the Gospel] of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”

So, It is necessary for Jesus to be about His Father’s business and it is necessary for Him to preach the Good News of the reign of God to everyone. What is that Good News? What’s the Father’s stuff? We still don’t’ know. But we’re about to find out.

The next time Jesus uses the word δεῖ comes in Lk. 9:22. Peter has just confessed that Jesus is God’s Messiah. Jesus tells the disciples, “Don’t tell anyone because the Son of Man δεῖ suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

Jesus says He must suffer, be rejected, be killed, and rise again. But maybe the disciples figure Jesus doesn’t know what He’s talking about. Maybe Jesus is simply mixed up on what He must do.

But look at what happens later when Jesus uses the word δεῖ. In Lk. 13:32-33, Jesus is outside of Jerusalem and lamenting over the city. He wishes that Jerusalem would have listened to the prophets. But because they didn’t, they are going to be destroyed. Some people warned Jesus that He should get away because Herod is seeking to kill Him. But Jesus responds “Go and tell [Herod] that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish My course. Nevertheless, I δεῖ go on My way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’”

Jesus is saying, “Hey, I’m not worried about Herod. I know I’m going to die. That is what I’ve been saying all along. But I’m going to die in Jerusalem. Since I’m not there yet, I’m not going to be killed.”

What is necessary? It is necessary for Jesus to keep preaching, but it is also necessary for Jesus to die. Jesus’ death must happen. It must happen for you, for your redemption.

But keep going. [We’ll skip the next few times Jesus says δεῖ 17:25; 19:5; and 21:9). In Lk. 22:37, Jesus tells Peter, “You are going to deny Me three times.” Then, Jesus tells the disciples to be ready. He tells them to make sure they have a moneybag, a knapsack full of food, and even a sword because dark times are coming. Jesus says, “For I tell you that this Scripture δεῖ be fulfilled in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about Me has its fulfillment.”

Δεῖ: it is necessary that sinless Jesus be numbered with the transgressors. It is necessary for Jesus to take the sins of the world upon Himself. He must carry the disciples’ burden, your burden, my burden on His shoulders and die. The disciples still don’t get it. They say, “Here are two swords, Lord.” But Jesus stops them, “It is enough. Guys, you are missing the point. I’m saying I’m going to die.”

The incomprehension of the disciples is about to change because, before δεῖ gets used again, Jesus does suffer. Jesus is crucified. He does die and is buried. But surprisingly, Jesus can’t be found at the tomb. In Lk. 24:6-7, an angel says to the women standing at the empty tomb, “He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee,  that the Son of Man δεῖ be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”

Later that day, Jesus appears to the two disciples who are traveling on the road to Emmaus. They don’t understand what is going on. People keep saying that Jesus is risen. And Jesus says to them Lk. 24:25-26, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not δεῖ that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”

Then again in v. 44 of our text, Jesus says, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms δεῖ be fulfilled.”

Now, finally, Jesus opens the disciples’ minds to understand the books of Moses, Genesis – Deuteronomy; to understand the Prophets, more than just Isaiah – Malachi, also what we call the Historical Books; and to understand the Psalms. Jesus opens their minds to the whole Old Testament. All the Old Testament is fulfilled when Jesus dies and rises again.

If you have a hard time understanding anything in the Bible, simply ask yourself, “How does this fit in with Jesus’ death and resurrection?” because that is what all the Bible is about. The story of Scripture is about God pursuing you, forgiving you for Jesus’ sake, and creating faith in you.

The disciples, you, and I are totally dependent upon God opening our minds, just like the disciples were. The task of accomplishing salvation was Jesus’ work, and it is still God’s work to grant faith in that salvation. God wants nothing more than for you to have your mind opened by the Holy Spirit as He works through the Word of God.

Jesus wants you to know that you are redeemed, forgiven, and have eternal life because:

Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.