"DID NOT OUR HEART BURN WITHIN US?"

LUKE 24:28-35
28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

Visiting my Mother recently, she showed me my Grandmother's Bible. Written in the frontispiece was:

"All things point to Christ's Resurrection- All things depend upon it."

We have special cause to reflect on this statement – for if we each have answered the call to live the life of Christ [Colossians 1:27 'Christ in you the hope of glory {in: or, among}'], then indeed 'all things depend on [the Resurrection]'.

ALL THINGS POINT TO CHRIST'S RESURRECTION

Sometimes our meetings with Christ can be restricted to formal occasions - church on Sunday; funerals; weddings (although this seems to be more and more a very secular event) - but every day and every moment of every day should be lived with the same intensity of abiding in The LORD. If we are to walk in life [His life], not in death [our own way], we must live in the resurrected life of Christ.
“All things depend on it”. Our life depends on it.
We need to be passionate about it – get 'hot under the collar' – so my title is taken from Luke 24:32 'Did not our heart burn within us?'. As we shall see, contact with The LORD, engenders a strong reaction – one way or the other. There are no half measures – there can be no apathy in this. It requires a burning passion for Him.

I don't know how many of you saw Mel Gibson's film 'The Passion of The Christ'. I saw it in Ireland some years ago. This was no sanitized version of the crucifixion. It was bloody and visceral in its depiction of events, with maybe about 30 seconds at the end to represent the resurrection. And many churches bussed many in their congregations to special screenings, cherishing the hope perhaps that an 'event movie' would bring 'the lost' to know Him, or swell the congregations.
Well, I'm sorry, but I do not believe that God works in that way. And anyone who is converted into having a close relationship with The LORD out of sympathy for the awful way we treated Jesus two thousand years ago is, I believe, living in deception.

The story of our LORD's death on the cross has much to show us – not the least being that our own road to salvation is never going to be an easy one, that there will be suffering and difficulty and misunderstanding, and that we must endure the crucifixion of our own 'flesh-nature' to be reborn into the resurrection life which is His 'spirit-nature'.
And that can be done in this life. The symbolism of the veil being 'rent in twain' is of our flesh being torn apart – the 'flesh nature' destroyed to allow access to the Holiest of all.
Matthew 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rentAnd those of you who know the Tabernacle pattern, know that the veil surrounded the Holy of Holies, into which only the High Priest could enter on one day in the year – the day of atonement, when he would seek to be reconciled to God for sins committed by all.
Hebrews 10:19 ¶ Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, {boldness: or, liberty}

The High Priest had thus to be pure and clean – without spot or blemish – completely free of any fleshly taint when he entered the Holy of Holies – any impurity and he would not survive. And of course, Jesus is now our High Priest – and at His crucifixion, He revealed the way to 'die to the flesh', to be purified, matured, perfected 'in Him' so that we might 'enter in'.
Hebrews 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; {consecrated: or, new made}
And the High Priest did not just stand in the Holy of Holies – he had ‘things to do’, as part of this ‘atonement’ ministration.
Leviticus 16:12 And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail:
13 And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not:

Atonement = 'at-one-ment' – being made whole again – at one with The LORD. It must also be constantly kept in mind that the need for atonement is not the cause of, but the outcome of God’s love for us. God ‘so loved the world’ not for itself, but that we might be re-united, reconciled, redeemed and restored to Him. Just as Jesus dying on the cross for us was first and foremost the outcome of His love for and obedience to The Father.
Luke 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. {willing, remove: Gr. willing to remove}
It was not Jesus' own will to do this thing. He did not desire it. But for Him, the will of Father God came first and could not be gainsaid.
John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
This was Jesus' only guide – to do as His Father directed through the Holy Spirit. We each can do no less if it is our desire to be like Him. 'Did not our heart burn within us?' Does it? Does your heart burn with passion for Jesus. Jesus did what He did, and lived the life He did because of His passion for Father God. And The Father has a passion for The Son. Does His word stir you to the very marrow? It is not enough to understand and love Jesus. That is ‘keeping your distance’. We need to have Jesus.
Remember the scene. This is the third day – the stone across the tomb has been found rolled away...
Luke 24:6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee [circuit from ring; circle; to roll together; trust],
7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again [3 – speaking of God's works].
8 And they remembered his words,
9 And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven [number of disorder – they were in disarray after the events of the last days], and to all the rest.
13 ¶ And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus [warm baths; hot springs], which was from Jerusalem about threescore [sixty; 10x6] furlongs [from root to stand; establish; set; stand by].
14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?
18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas [of a renowned father], answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?
19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day [‘this day’, which was ‘that day’ in Old Testament] is the third day since these things were done.
22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;
23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.
24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.
25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

This is one of the occasions when we have the subject of 'suffering' mentioned – only to be followed immediately by 'glory'. There are many occasions in Scripture where we hear of 'the glory' – but any time you hear of 'suffering', then we are always shown that it leads to 'glory'. When the sufferings are mentioned, we are not left to imagine that all is to end there. The glory is often mentioned alone, I believe because there is to be no end to it. But to the sufferings there was to be an end, and that end was to be revealed in glory. That is why, when the Lord makes the first mention of His sufferings, in Matt. 16:21, He at once proceeded to speak of the time when He "shall come in the glory of His Father" (v. 27), and to add that some of those who were standing should see it. [stand in the presence of the LORD].
Matthew 16:21 ¶ From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.And then, after six days [number of man], three [number of perfection, God's working] of them saw the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and were eye-witnesses of His majesty.

Now, having heard of the sufferings, the disciples were not left to believe that all was to end there. They were immediately given the most wonderful vision of the glory which was to follow. [This is why the Trans-figuration scene occurs in the third part of the Lord's ministry, which had to do with His sufferings. These three parts to Jesus' ministry reveal also the other significant three's – the Three Feasts, The Trinity, etc.]
1 Peter 1:11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
1 Peter 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

Suffering is also inherent in our consideration of the Atonement.
Leviticus 23:27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
And here comes the glory, back to Luke 24:
27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself
...and one of the first of those things must have been how the golden altar of incense in Moses’ tabernacle was a picture of Him – the golden altar of incense was ordained as a foretaste of Jesus – that by His sacrifice on the altar of the cross, He would go through the veil as our High Priest burned in the tribulation fires to become pure and spotless fragrance – a sweet-smelling savour to God.

So if we are abiding in Him, and He in us, then we have access to this holiest of all through Him. But whenever we read of the altar of incense it is located outside the Holy of Holies not inside. Going to the altar of the cross is the Brazen Altar in the sanctuary [The Holy Place], which is outside the Holy of Holies, just as the cross itself was located outside the city walls.

ALL THINGS DEPEND UPON IT
Jesus died as an atonement for sins, and it is only on the day of atonement that the altar of incense is placed inside the Holiest of all. Let’s just look at that very briefly. This is Hebrews Chapter 9 – from The Amplified Bible [which I believe has the better translation].
Hebrews 9:1 Now even the first covenant had its own rules and regulations for divine worship, and it had a sanctuary [but one] of this world.
2 For a tabernacle (tent) was erected, in the outer division or compartment of which were the lampstand and the table with [its loaves of] the showbread set forth. [This portion] is called the Holy Place.
3 But [inside] beyond the second curtain or veil, [there stood another] tabernacle [division] known as the Holy of Holies.
4 It had the golden altar of incense [Henry Alford, The Greek New Testament, with Notes: Not kept permanently in the Holy of Holies (normally in the sanctuary), but taken in on the Day of Atonement] and the ark (chest) of the covenant, covered over with wrought gold. This [ark] contained a golden jar which held the manna and the rod of Aaron that sprouted and the [two stone] slabs of the covenant [bearing the Ten Commandments].

As only the High Priest is allowed access to the Holy of Holies and then only on the day of Atonement each year, and if only He meets the standard of purity and spotlessness demanded, then Jesus was fulfilling the pattern as the great High Priest [great = of God]. Back to Luke 24 again:
28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them [just as at the Last Supper].
31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight [literally came into existence, made or became from/of the air, or atmosphere – suggesting a change from body to spirit? – but coupled with 'and they knew him' suggests that understanding suddenly came to them – that there had been a change in His nature. He is become spirit]. {vanished…: or, ceased to be seen of them}
32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us [G2545 set on fire; light; burning; consume with fire], while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? [suddenly, it all ‘became clear’ for them – they were ‘set on fire’ by the revelation in their spirits]
33 And they rose up [not just 'got up and left', but their spirits were lifted also] the same hour [now; this instant], and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

Is it any wonder that those met on the Emmaus road were 'on fire for Jesus'? For Emmaus means 'warm baths'. And do we not see the steam rising from warm baths? And often fragrant oils and spices would be put into the baths to cleanse the senses and spirit.
Psalm 39:3 My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned:
Psalm 142: 2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice [oblation].
This passage in Luke is ‘about’ many things, but principally it is showing that God’s plan is being fulfilled. And Jesus is the one to do it. He is the ‘golden altar of incense’. So the meeting takes place where there are warm fragrances; Jesus ‘vanishes from their sight’, becoming ‘made from the atmosphere’.
The ‘bottom line’ is this. Him abiding in us is now as simple as taking the next breath, if we will be in the place where the fragrance is released.
He walks along the road with us in the everyday, despite having gone on to glory. He is as insubstantial as atmosphere, yet as solid and real as the one who sits at table with us and eats the broiled fish and the honeycomb.
He has fulfilled all that scripture claimed for Him, the work is finished, yet He is still with us. His compassion for us faileth not.
It shows that the NT witnesses to and fulfills the promise of the Old and that what God has purposed, He will do!
All our hopes are in Him – there is no other hope. But He does not do it all for us – we need to nod our assent and give ourselves fully to the programme – there is much to do. We can either do it with or without Him. With Him is easier. Without Him simply doesn’t work.

Oswald Chambers said this about Luke 24:32:

We need to learn this secret of the burning heart. Suddenly Jesus appears to us, the fires are kindled, we have wonderful visions, then we have to learn to keep the secret of the burning heart that will go through anything. It is the dull, bald, dreary, commonplace day, with commonplace duties and people, that kills the burning heart unless we have learned the secret of abiding in Jesus.
We cannot stay on the mount of transfiguration, but we must obey the light we received there; we must act it out. When God gives a vision, transact business on that line, no matter what it costs.

On the last page of my grandmother's Bible she had written:
“He who walks with God always reaches his destination”
...and that destination – it should be emphasised – is one of His choosing, not ours.

We've come to the altar of incense,
no longer the many, but one;
We've come to the evening oblation,
to be offered in the fullness of the Son.
Burn thou fire till Christ be offered up,
and we enter into the holiest of all.