The Road to Emmaus and The Ascension

We’re still on Easter Sunday at this point. Jesus does not come out and show who He is right away. One of the questions we’ll try to answer is why does Jesus beat around the bush? We’ll see how Jesus reveals what has happened, but only after giving it the context it deserves to be fully understood. Jesus coming back to life is incredible, but we’ll read how it is made even more impressive and transformational when weaved into God’s big picture. 

Luke 24:13-53

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. 

• Some weird stuff is going to happen. The flesh of Jesus has died and resurrected, and a lot of physical limitations aren’t a thing anymore. 
• People are kept from recognizing him, He appears and disappears from places. 
• These people here knew Jesus, maybe not well, but they were in the entourage. Clearly supernatural that they do not recognize him. 
• Luke probably got this account first hand from one of these disciples.

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; 

• Jesus is a funny guy. Knows exactly what has been going on, but wants them to tell him. 
• Reminds me a little of the first sin in the garden. God asks them where they are and what happened.
• Luke is name dropping who this is, so that people reading this will connect more to it. 

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.” 

• Todd spoke of “hope” last week. The women at the tomb maintained their hope, but these men seem to have lost it. vs 21 “had hoped”
• BUT, their hope in Jesus was not based in scripture, it was their own desires.
• The greek word for “redeem” here means to liberate from ransom, from roman rule.
• They wanted a political revolution, Jesus to become a physical earthly king. 
• V. 23 They did not believe the testimony of others. the women saw the angels, but they still don’t believe.

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. 

• God told Abraham his lineage would bless the world, specifically Isaac and Judah
• God told David the throne of his ancestor would be eternal
• “When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:12–13).
• The prophet Isaiah clearly stated how the messiah would be born
• “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). (God with us)
• Isaiah 53:5-6 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
• Jesus explains what scripture says the messiah will look like, what he came to do. Jesus had to do this; it was the plan from the beginning. 
• Jesus uses scripture, vs 27 “expounded” (Dier-men-euo) implies sticking close to the text. When Jesus explained things concerning Himself in the Old Testament, He didn’t use fancy allegories or speculative ideas.
• He is using the actual words of God to explain it. Do we believe that it is sufficient? Jesus considers this an authoritative text, do you?

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?”

• V. 29 Some translations say “constrained him”. they might have been pulling at his clothes, holding him close. Another word would be prevailed upon, to impose your will. Why would they do this? They didn’t know he was the Christ, but the truth He spoke was so magnetic, they needed to be around him. 
• V. 31 “eyes were opened”, is a passive verb, God is the one doing the opening. 
• These men didn’t know about the last supper, they weren’t there. Somehow that act opened their eyes to who Jesus was.
• Maybe the pierced hands that gave the bread. Maybe the blessing. Whatever it was, God used it to open their eyes.
• It says their hearts were burning, and their minds were opened. You can know scripture, but unless Jesus opens your mind you won’t understand. 

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. 

• While this has been going on, it appears that Jesus also appeared to Peter. 
• This is now multiple witnesses confirming the resurrection.

36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” 40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet.

• Jesus makes it abundantly clear that he has a physical body. He has actually come back to life. Examples of spirits coming back like Samuel.
• This is the same body that was beaten and hung on the cross. 
• The marks on his body remain as trophies of His great work on the cross.

41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence. 44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.

• The scene is unreal. The man you saw die on a cross is standing in front of you, eating, talking, teaching
• V. 41 “they still did not believe BECAUSE of joy and amazement”. How??
• God wants from us a faith that is reasoned and thought-out, not a giddy belief.
• In both cases, seeing the miracles themselves did not produce belief. It needed to be seen within the context provided by the scripture. 
• “I am not excusing, the unbelief of the disciples, but I claim that their witness has all the more weight in it, because it was the result of such cool investigation.” (Spurgeon)
• To get all the way there, it can’t just be all emotion. It must be combined with reason and understanding as well. 
• We can be excited about it, but without the scriptures, it will not manifest into belief. We need the scriptures. 
• But do not forget! These men knew the scriptures well, but needed Jesus to “open their minds” so they could perceive clearly the scriptures.

46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

• This is as clear Jesus has been to this point. Tells us why he died, and for who. 
• The cross is not an obstacle that needed to be overcome, it was a needed part of God’s plan of redemption.
• The gospel message includes repentance and remission of sin only by the virtue of His name.
• He also gives a command to stay in Jerusalem until the spirit is imparted. 

50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

• We know from other gospels and Luke’s second volume called Acts, that Jesus continued to appear to people for 40 days, so no longer on easter here. 
• The blessings of Jesus aren’t a “hope it works out!” thing. There is power in it!
• There is a finality in this goodbye. Unlike when he would disappear other times. Beginning of a new chapter in history.
• They were obedient, and (V. 52) “with great joy” means they really believed. 

SUMMARY

Jesus died but did not stay in the grave!

Jesus wanted the men on the road to understand God’s big picture before they saw Him for who He was.

The word of God has pointed to Jesus from the very beginning, laying out specifically what needed to be done. 

The body of Jesus was physically resurrected, and maintained the proof of the work He had accomplished. He died for our sins!

Jesus tells us we need the word of God, to ignore it is short sighted, prideful, and foolish.

You can read the bible a hundred times but unless Jesus opens the eyes of your heart, you won’t understand. It isn’t something we grasp on our own. 

This event fundamentally changed the relationship between mankind and God, and will result in a dramatic change in the actions of the lives of his followers. 

APPLICATION

Is your hope in Jesus the Messiah based on scripture, or your own desires? What can we do to truly know Jesus more?

Do you consider the texts authoritative, the way Jesus did? 

How well do you know the old testament? Do you think it’s important toward your relationship with Jesus?

If the events surrounding the death and resurrection hasn’t changed your actions, what does that say about your belief in it? 

The way we see Jesus is by spending time in the scriptures, and practicing and remembering his sacrifice. Is this a reality in your life?

What Christ did for each of us changes everything. 

In today’s passage I see three people who I am because of Jesus Christ. I am going to testify to this scripture, I hope you can and will too!

I Am Barabbas, I Am Simon, & I Am The Second Criminal!

In Luke’s Gospel we see God’s sovereign plan to bring full and permanent redemption to the human race. In the midst of Christ laying down His life He interacts with three men. All of these men are examples of how we are to be with Christ.

Last Week:

23:11&12: Then Herod and his soldiers began mocking and ridiculing Jesus. Finally, they put a royal robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. (Herod and Pilate, who had been enemies before, became friends that day.)

Luke 23:13-43

13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 

• It can be assumed that when they brought Jesus back he and Pilate talked
• When Pilate was done talking to Jesus he told the Chief Priests

16 Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.” 17 Every year at the Passover Feast, Pilate had to release one prisoner to the people. 18 But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.) 

• Pilate says: I will do my passover ceremony release thing and call it a day
• The crowd, led by the Sanhedrin will not take NO for an answer
• The ‘whole crowd’ was willing to put a killer back on the street, why?
• The work of sin, in the chief priests and the sinful crowd (any crowd)
• Sin in the leaders and the crowd condemn The Christ to die (God’s Plan)

20 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” 22 For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.” 

• It has kind of blown up on Pilate, he had no idea this was going to cause unrest
• The city was packed to the gills full of Israelites who came for Passover
• Pilate’s #1 job as a Roman Governor: KEEP THE PEACE!
• Three times pilate has tried to release Jesus

23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will. 

• Pilate’s 3^rd & final attempt to release Jesus is met with: ”Crucify Him’!
• The crowd had been won over by the Jewish religious leaders
• The threat of a riot was real so Pilate pronounced judgement
• Barabbas was to be put to death for Rebellion.
• Jesus was put to death in place of Barabbas, though totally innocent
• Barabbas was set free even though he was clearly guilty
• I AM BARABBAS! If Jesus Christ died in your place then so are you!
• God laid out a perfect illustration of what salvation would look like
• He would die in the place of those who were guilty of sin and deserved it.
• Barabbas was the 1^st of many Jesus The Christ would die in place of.
• Christ doesn’t’ die to save You from earthy death… 
• Christ dies to save you from eternal death!
• I wonder what became of Barabbas…

26 As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 

• There is this guy, on his way in from the country… minding his own business…
• Jesus must have been unable to carry it, the soldiers need to get to the ‘Skull’
• Very harsh & super random being called to serve like this (life changing)
• He is mentioned by name most likely because the readers of this know of him
• His son’s are mentioned in Mark’s Gospel (Mark usually has less detail)
• God uses Simeon to paint the picture of discipleship as Jesus had described it
• Luke 9:23, where Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me”

John Piper says: “Carrying the cross behind Jesus is a beautiful and painful picture of our calling as disciples… The call to suffer for Jesus is often sudden and costly and seemingly random.”

27 A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’

• The walk is an event, and it was recorded, it was know, it is historical fact! 
• Via Dolorosa: The Way of the Cross
• Jesus addresses the crowd of Jews as ‘Daughters of Jerusalem’
• It will be so bad for Israel that people will be better if they didn’t have kids
• Children were such a blessing; it had to be brutal conditions to not want them

30 Then “‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’ (Hosea 10:8b) 31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

• Asking the mountains & hills to cover you means, what is coming is worse than being buried by an avalanche! Doom is coming! The Wrath of God!
• The nation of Israel has lived in God’s favor & under His Judgement: 2^nd Exile
• Another translation renders this: If these things are done to me, the living tree, what will happen to you, the dry tree?
• Without belief in the Messiah the nation of Israel becomes a dry tree

32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” 

• These guys were slated to die today with Barabbas…
• The skull was just outside the ‘Old City’, I stayed close to it (Damascus Gate)
• Jesus was the focal point, and when all three were up there The Christ Says:
• The roman soldiers who were doing the deed had no idea

And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” 36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” 38 There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews. 

• Very unusual for someone to get to Crucification with anything of worth on them
• The soldiers commit this thievery because the crowd was so against Jesus
• The chief priests took the chance of becoming ‘ceremonially unclean’ to mock!
• The religious leaders mock Jesus just like occupying soldiers do!
• The sign really disproves those who say Jesus never declared Himself God
• God put that sign there. He is my king…I am a Jew (Spiritual Israel)

39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

• This guy who is dying on a cross gets in on the mockery!! (Sin loves company)
• The other criminal is like: ‘Really?” While you are dying you are gonna mock?
• He reminds his partner in crime that they got caught ‘red handed’ 
• He gets revelation of who Jesus actually is! The Christ.
• He speaks God’s words (scripture) “This One is blameless”

42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

• Remember my knowing you as God…remember me knowing you are King!
• Jesus Christ gives the promise to all who make Him Lord: Eternal Life!

SUMMARY:

The Sanhedrin getting the crowd to insist on having Jesus killed was no accident, it was God allowed, it was God’s will and it was God’s justice.

God orchestrated Pilate releasing Barnabas to demonstrate how One who was truly blameless took the place of another who deserved to die. I am Barabbas!

Awhile following Jesus Christ, you may have your life unexpectedly invaded as God sees fit. If you surrender to it, your obedience will change your lifestyle. I am Simon!

The fate of the nation of Israel is proclaimed by Christ and it has truly come to pass.

Religious rulers, soldiers and even a criminal mocked Jesus. If you don’t mock Christ, yet never convert like the 2^ndcriminal, you still have the same eternity as the mockers. I am the 2^nd criminal!

As Christ followers we are directed by scripture to live out the identity of Barabbas, Simon and the 2^nd Criminal. That is the identity of a Disciple of Jesus The Christ!

APPLICATION:

Do you believe in a fully sovereign or partially sovereign God? What is He not fully in charge of?

If you were facing death and someone else took your place how would you react?

How have you carried Christ’s Cross and how has it transformed you?

Have you fully believed on Christ’s divinity, sovereignty and ability to grant eternal life like the 2^nd criminal did?

In the final chapter of Song of Songs the Bride recalls the importance of family and exclusiveness. The Bride expresses her dependance on her darling, and declares their emotional and physical oneness. She and the community affirm the value of her physical purity and in perfect unity the Bride & Groom go to a life of sweetness together!

Song of Songs 8

(Bride) 1 I wish you were my brother, who nursed at my mother’s breast; then, if I met you outdoors, I could kiss you, and no one would look down on me.

• This is like calling him ‘Brother Groom’, like he called her ‘Sister Bride’
• It speaks of a love that is as strong as a sibling’s loyalty
• She longs to express her love fully in public. 
• She cares about the community and wants to be in unity with it

(Bride) 2 I would lead you and bring you to my mother’s house, and she would instruct me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, fresh juice from my pomegranates. 3 His left arm would be under my head and his right arm around me. 4 I warn you, daughters of Jerusalem, not to awaken or stir up love until it wants to arise!

• This is the ideal of marriage God’s way: it is a family affair
• She is going to seek the wisdom of one who has been where she is going
• This wisdom will be like wonderful refreshment for her Groom
• They would be in the perfect position to awaken the fullness of love

(Guests) 5 Who is this, coming up from the desert, leaning on her darling?

• The ‘Who is this’ speaks that transformation has occurred in the Bride 
• The community is recognizing the Bride has been in the ‘desert’
• She comes up out of the desert only with the help of her darling
• She has learned to fully lean on Him

(Groom) I awakened you under the apple tree. It was there that your mother conceived you; there she who bore you conceived you.

• The apple tree is a symbol of ongoing goodness, consistent and abundant
• The awakening of the Bride’s love was in the community of her family
• Your Mother conceived and bore you in the community of her family
• This is God’s plan for marriage, that it is blessed by the family (sin ruins ideal)
• Twice in the final chapter is the tie in of family to this marriage being ideal stated

Everything is ready now for the union to be consummated. The lessons have been learned, the fruits have been kept, the obstacles overcome, the community and family are on board.

(Bride) 6 Set me like a seal on your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, passion as cruel as Sheol; its flashes are flashes of fire, a flame of Yahweh. 7 No amount of water can quench love, torrents cannot drown it. If someone gave all the wealth in his house for love, he would gain only utter contempt.

• A seal such as a bracelet on the arm meant you belonged to someone
• This is the uniting, the consummation
• The Bride says: I want join with my beloved emotionally and physically
• She is now ready…She know what love is (She has learned & lived God’s ideal)
• Strong as death! Death ends each & every life on this earth… Not eternal life
• The cruelty of Sheol is that it is final, every time, for every one
• The flame of love is God’s flame. If you misuse what is His, you get burned
• The passions of love can engulf you… consume you
• Love is unquenchable, it is beyond your control (just like everything else)
• Strong as death…only thing stronger than death is God / Christ / Holy Spirit
• If you think love’s power is for sale, you’re a fool, you shouldn’t take seriously!

This next exchange is an expression of how the community plays a role in marriage. Now that this ideal marriage is happening they are giving some of the back story on how it happened. 

(Guests) 8 We have a little sister; her breasts are still unformed. What are we to do with our sister when she is asked for in marriage? 9 If she is a wall, we will build on her a palace of silver; and if she is a door, we will enclose her with panels of cedar.

• While the girl is yet a woman the community will keep her from marriage
• When the time is right the community will affirm the ideal bride as pure
• The ‘palace of silver’ gives honor to her, for being a wall, allowing none to pass
• If she has been accessible, she is cared for and enclosed by the community
• She is just not put out there as en example. GRACE!

(Bride) 10 I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers; so in his view I am like one who brings peace. 

• Here the Ideal Bride declares that she his barred all access
• Her intimate parts are out of reach, untouchable, inaccessible
• Because of this, her beloved sees her as THE source of peace (Shalom)
• This is God’s ideal for marriage: The exclusiveness is how it was meant to be!

(Bride) 11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-Hamon, and he gave the vineyard to caretakers; each of them would pay for its fruit a thousand pieces of silver. 12 My vineyard is mine; I tend it, myself. You can have the thousand, Solomon, and the fruit-caretakers, two hundred!

• Baal Hamon means: Overlord of Abundance
• Land owner would use share-croppers to tend their lands (common property)
• She is expressing how her abundance is not ‘farmed out’, she keeps it close
• The world (Solomon) can have everything else, she saves herself for the groom
• This is the final declaration of the Bride that she is the groom’s and his alone

(Groom) 13 You who live in the garden, friends are listening for your voice. Let me hear it! 

• Now that they are one flesh they literally ‘live in the garden’
• The community wants to affirm their union, the Groom calls His bride to confess

(Bride) 14 Flee, my darling! Be like a gazelle or young stag on the mountains of spices!

• Now the union is complete 
• Bride saying: ‘together we go, to live out the ideal

SUMMARY:

In a biblical marriage or relationship with Christ, we can have a ‘Familial’, sibling type bond, that transcends attraction.

In following Christ & doing marriage God’s way, we are to lean on our spouse and/or our Savior to get through life’s deserts.

God’s way of marriage & relationship with Him is meant to be experienced within the blessing of family.

God’s ideal is that our attachment to our spouses or God is meant to be all-encompassing.

Love is a passion rooted in the very existence of God and meant for His purposes, otherwise it can be deadly.

The community of God’s people has a role to play in setting standards and helping to protect the purity of young people.

We should value ourselves in a way that we save our intimacy for our God given spouse as we are to keep ourselves for God alone.

When united with our spouse or God, His way, we go to a place of sweetness unique to this life.

APPLICATION:

How might you relate to Jesus more as a ‘perfect’ brother or sister?

How well do you lean on your spouse? How well do you lean on Your Lord & Savior?

How can you treat your marriage or your walk with Christ with more awe and respect?

How can you participate in forming and affirming cultures of biblical marriage and Christ following here at midtown?

What makes this book so special: the layered meanings. In my research I have come across a wide variety of interpretations. But what is historical fact is that it has always been considered to be Scripture / Holy Writing / God Breathed.

The Jews sing Song of Song as part of their Passover celebration. As Christ and His disciples left the upper room and moved through the city headed for the garden of Gethsemane they would have heard people singing the lines of this epic poem. 

There is a 3rd character that has been seen previously in Chapter 3, The King, Solomon. Now we are going to see a memory of a run in with the Prince. This character represents the influences of the world: corruption, sin and excess. He will attempt to lure the bride away from the groom to come between them.

We are going to see the use of the garden again as a symbol of what is meant to be, and we will to see how this ‘Song’ is about marriage AND relationship with God. This comparison is throughout the Scriptures, an example from Isiah:

For the Lord delights in you, and to Him your land will be married. For as a young man marries a virgin, so your Creator will marry you; and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so your God will rejoice over you. ~ Isaiah 62:4b-5

Previously on Song of Songs…

The Bride, caught up in herself, hesitated when her darling called her…She was unsure of the relationship (Her feelings) & sought to be reunited with her darling. She suffered the loss of not being one with her darling, and wisely sought help. The community leads her to remember why Her darling is special. In that remembrance she finds peace, will she in turn find Him?

Chapter 6:1-13

(Guests) 1 Where has your darling gone, you most beautiful of women? Which way did your darling turn, so that we can help you find him?

• Again she is called by her community / God’s people: ‘most beautiful of women’
• The disunity / distance originated with her, she repented, now they can help
• They tell her she knows how to find him… come on you know where he went
• The remembrance of her darling will lead her to where The Groom is
• In marriage & with Christ, we need to feel & think to fully experience intimacy

(Bride) 2 My darling went down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to pasture his flock in the gardens and to gather lilies. 3 I belong to the man I love, and he belongs to me; he pastures his flock among the lilies.

• Her darling is exactly where he was meant to be, the shepherd in ‘His Garden’
• She is His Flock / She is His Garden / She is His Peace
• What she believes about him & their relationship is true
• She is His, He is Hers, and that is where they find Shalom 
• When she remembers fully who He is and what He means to her she is secure
• This is the essence of what every woman was made to enjoy: security

(Groom) 4 You are as beautiful as Tizah, my love, as lovely as Jerusalem, but formidable as an army marching under banners. 5 Turn your eyes away from me, because they overwhelm me! 

• This is a woman approaching Her Groom with passion
• Tizah was the seat of the 1^st kings of the divided kingdom: ‘Delightful’
• Nothing is more beautiful that Jerusalem, the height of excellence & favor
• With ‘fire in her eyes’ she is declaring who she belongs to
• Braziers (fire bearing devices) & Banners denoted your tribe, your allegiance
• The groom is blown away by ‘His Love’! Turn your eyes away = ‘I’m not worthy’

(Groom) Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down Gilead. 6 Your teeth are like a flock of sheep that have just come up from being washed; each of them is matched, and none of them is missing. 7 Your cheeks are like a pomegranate split open behind your veil.

• As he composes himself the familiar words she so longs to hear begin to flow
• The imagery of seeing goats descend by switching trails down a mountain
• Pretty unique to have white (washed), straight (matched) & all of your teeth!
• The skin of a pomegranate is very taught, super smooth 
• The veil: the bride is ever modest, ever chaste

(Groom) 8 There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, as well as young women beyond number; 9 but my dove, my perfect one, is unique, her mother’s only child, the darling of the one who bore her. The daughters see her and call her happy; the queens and concubines praise her.

• Now the groom puts her in a special class above all of the listed royalty
• Solomon is recorded to have had 700 wives / queens & 300 concubines!!!
• All women in the region… HIS dove, HIS perfect ONE, is one of a kind

(Groom) 10 “Who is this, shining forth like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the sun” — but formidable as an army marching under banners?

• He has compared her to cities, goats, sheep & pomegranates
• Elevated her above all the women in the land
• Now the groom compares her to things beyond his knowledge
• How the dawn breaks he doesn’t know, just that it is beautiful
• How is the moon so fair? How is the sun so bright?
• She is an imposing force come to fight for what is hers, she has his attention

The Bride becomes all she can be, the apex of her beauty, when she is undivided, when she is fiercely passionate for Her Darling. The Groom sees the fullness of her beauty flowing from her exclusive, passionate allegiance to Him.

This sort of union, this joining of souls has been constantly threatened and will be going forward. It is good to remember what has been overcome in the past to solidify a watchful mentality.

Next is a flashback scene… a remembrance of a time before

(Bride) 11 I had gone down to the nut orchard to see the fresh green plants in the valley, to see if the vine had budded, or if the pomegranate trees were in bloom. 12 Before I knew it, I found myself in a chariot, and with me was a prince.

• It was not yet full spring, so she was going to look for sings of spring
• This epitomizes innocence, the naivety of being immature
• Perhaps this was before she knew better than to be in such a place alone
• She seems to have been snatched up onto the Chariot of a Prince
• She is being swept up in ‘Tech’ & ‘Lux’… dazzled by the world of sin

(Guests) 13 Come back, come back, girl from Shulam! Come back, come back to where we can see you! 

• The prince takes her out of sight, perhaps to His tents…
• The community is worried about her, worried she might be in over her head
• They want her to stay in the safety of the community (1^st Peter 5:8)

(Guests) Why are you looking at the girl from Shulam as if she were dancing for two army camps?

• The community is concerned about the appearance of what is happening
• They know that the glamour of The Prince / The World, could allure her
• They realize we all face the prospect of split loyalties
• They are concerned it looks like she is ‘working both sides of the street’

In marriage we will be tempted to let our affections be divided, we will have opportunities to dance for more than one army. It is the same with Christ, the world is set up to divide us from Him. Are we prepared to fight off the temptation to share our affections with other gods, such as wealth, career, approval, image, self-fulfillment? The scripture teaches we should have a passionate allegiance to Christ and if God wills it, to our spouse. We need to demonstrate our undivided allegiance, our spouses need to see it & Christ desires to see it. But are we dancing for two army camps far too often?

What will the Bride, the girl from Shulam do? Will her passionate allegiance to her darling enable her to resist a prince? Tune in next week to see…

SUMMARY:

Biblical marriage is built on trust that flows from a balance of present feelings AND what we know to be true about our spouse. 

An intimate walk with Christ is about relating to Him with our intellect and emotions.

God wants us to be secure in our marriage, to be passionate about our marriages and to leave no doubt about the exclusive allegiance we have to our spouse. 

It is meant to be the same with Christ: A secure, passionate & exclusive allegiance.

The Union of one man and one woman done God’s way (Biblical Marriage) gives us a vision of the beauty, pleasure and fulfillment found in eternity with Christ. 

In marriage and in our walk with Christ our unity is always under threat, for even in innocence we will be divided by the world, dazzled by tech & lux, and lured into dancing for more than one army camp.

APPLICATION:

In marriage or with Christ, what are your trust issues that can hinder relationship?

What are situations where your emotions dominate in your response to God or your spouse?

How have you declared your passionate allegiance to your Lord or your spouse?

Why is it attractive when it is clear who a bride or a Christian belongs to?

All of our text today is spoken by The Groom. What we are going to hear is the way God intended a man to be attracted to and protective of his one and only bride.  We are also going to hear how God feels about each and everyone of those who have become HIS bride, how he sees and cares for those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ.

This epic poem, uses the most important of all human relationships to show how bringing that desire, passion & fulfillment completely under Jesus Christ’s control is a picture of how it was in the beginning, and how it will be in heaven. One of the constant themes throughout this ‘Song’ is how much better love is when we let God take the lead, that we submit to His timing. That the ideal love relationship must not be awakened before the right time. That the special things a man and a women can share in marriage are meant to be kept until the proper time, as God reveals.

This principal goes for everything; when we put our lives under Jesus’ Lordship we become what HE created us to be: His perfect, special, secure and fruitful Bride. This is how we are meant to be, in this exclusive, intimate with our Creator. ‘Shalom’

The CSNY song ‘Woodstock’ has a line: ‘We’ve got to get ourselves, back to The Garden’. We have God given desire to experience Shalom, to walk with God like Adam & Eve did in the Garden.  God wants to take us back to The Garden, That is why Christ came! This book is scripture because it helps complete the picture of God’s redemptive story.

Song of Songs 4:1-15

(Groom) 1 How beautiful you are, my love! How beautiful you are! Your eyes are doves behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down Mount Gilead. 2 Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep that have just come up from being washed; each of them is matched, and none of them is missing.

• The repetition is on purpose
• Imagery drawn from the experience of a shepherd
• Doves are a symbol of purity
• She is veiled, the totality of her beauty is still unknown; she is not his yet…
• Hair like goats on a mountain….picture it
• It was rare to have nice teeth…

(Groom)3 Your lips are like a scarlet thread, and your mouth is lovely. Your cheeks are like a pomegranate split open behind your veil. 4 Your neck is like the tower of David, built magnificently, on which hang a thousand bucklers, each one a brave warrior’s shield. 5 Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle grazing among lilies. 

• Using the things that were familiar in that world
• Scarlet thread was rare, woven into temple curtains & High Priest’s Ephod
• Pomegranate: soft and round yet behind the veil;  they are not fully known yet
• Tower of David was a Citadel, the description speaks of splendor & strength 
• The ‘lilies’ is a place of security and sweetness

(Groom) 6 When the day’s cool breeze comes up and the shadows lengthen, I will get myself to the mountain of myrrh, to the hill of frankincense. 

• Lengthening shadows denote the end of the work day
• He will seek the sweetness of His Bride when work is done; a fitting reward

(Groom) 7 Everything about you is beautiful, my love; you are without a flaw. 8 Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, come with me from Lebanon. Come down from the heights of Amana, from the heights of Senir and Hermon, down from the lions’ lairs and the leopard-haunted hills.

• It is a subjective vision, to see your Bride as flawless…
• If we are ‘In Christ’ God doesn’t see sinful you or me, He sees His perfect Son!
• The groom wants the bride to come to him, choosing to leave her world
• Mountains are a place of excitement and danger, the valley is secure & sweet
• ‘Leave and Cleve’  In marriage and ‘In Christ’

(Groom) 9 My sister, my bride, you have carried my heart away! With just one glance, with one bead of your necklace you have carried my heart away. 10 My sister, my bride, how sweet is your love! How much better your love than wine, more fragrant your perfumes than any spice!

• Calling her ‘Sister Bride’ is telling her how multifaceted their relationship is
• Protection & Loyalty for a sister, Union & Exclusivity with your Bride 
• She carries his heart away, he is naturally attracted
• Her love is what the Groom desires the most, it’s more intoxicating than wine
• The reaction of his senses to her is beyond any other experience
• This is How God sees you Christian: desirable for all the right reasons
• THIS love of a Bride & Groom can illustrate the love of God & His people

(Groom) 11 Your lips, my bride, drip honey; honey and milk are under your tongue; and the scent of your garments is like the scent of Lebanon.

• Kisses and words come from the lips
• He only calls her Bride now for these things are shared only with that one.
• Mystery & intrigue, the scent of the unfamiliar…

(Groom) 12 My sister, my bride, is a garden locked up, a pool covered over, a spring sealed shut. 

• Again the dual title invokes secure care and exclusive passion
• Water is what gives every growing thing life
• This water is not available to everyone, it is held for a one of a kind purpose

(Groom) 13 You are an orchard that puts forth pomegranates and other precious fruits, henna and nard —14 nard with saffron and aromatic cane, cinnamon and all kinds of frankincense trees, myrrh, aloes, all the best spices.

• V13 is sometimes over sexualized… (shoots or limbs translated as thighs) 
• Literal translation: ‘Your shoots, a paradise of pomegranates…’
• To Him she is all things stimulating to the senses
• In this God ordained love she is a place where everything is put right: Shalom
• The Big Idea: in God ordained marriage we can get a glimpse of ‘The Garden’

(Groom)15 You are a garden fountain, a spring of running water, flowing down from Lebanon.

• As they trust each other and enter into intimacy, the life giving goodness flows!
• When joined God’s way the spring is to be released and the Garden thrives

SUMMARY:

The Groom compares the beauty of his bride to the beauty of God’s creation from the perspective of a shepherd. This is how the ‘Great Shepherd’ sees His bride.

The Groom’s daily toil is rewarded by ‘The Sweet Heights’ of his Bride. The mountains are exciting & risky, the valley is safe & peaceful.  He calls her to come to him and find security.

Sister Bride is a name that expresses incredible protective care & loyalty along with passionate unity and exclusivity!  This is who Jesus Christ sees His followers as!

Our sexual intimacy is precious to God, He desires us to share it exclusively in the confines He prescribes (Biblical Marriage). In the same way He wants us to be intimate with Him exclusively.

This is a picture of how a ‘God Prescribed Marriage’ can give us a vision of what a return to the Garden of Eden Heaven will be.

APPLICATION:

What are some ways you can practice being a beautiful part of God’s creation? 

How do you respond to Jesus Christ seeing you as His unique ‘Sister Bride’?

Since Christ enthusiastically enjoys your honest love, how can you express it more?

What would it look like for you to be a garden spring of running water in your relationship with God?