On The Road to Emmaus

     Every once in a while I will be including in the blog, one of Ted's sermons. Today I have chosen the introduction to a sermon that is one of my favorite.  This short introduction is like a poem and stands on it's on without the remainder of the sermon.
     I have attempted to write it down in the same free, open style in which he wrote his sermons with lots of space and big letters.  This allowed him to glance at his notes and kept him on track while not losing eye contact with the congregation.  Losing eye contact would have been fatal to Ted's preaching because he reacted to the people.  He knew the joys and sorrows each were experiencing because he knew them.  When he preached their faces reflected their hearts and touched his.  As you will be able to tell from this short piece, the man had a poet's heart and all of us who heard him preach will hear his ringing oratory as we read.  I hope it comes across to all of you.

     "Oh, how we all would have loved...would have given anything to have traveled that road...
                                            and heard what He
                                                       had to say!

     One can easily imagine as he thinks through the Old Testament, what He might have said,
                                         ...this stranger....
 as He took their own Sacred writings and broke them open
                           like bread,
                                                                    interpreting their deepest meanings.

     They listened to Him as He traced the MESSIANIC note in the music of all the prophets!  Showing how He was 
                                              David's King,
                                                   "fairer than the children of men!"

     ...and in the days of Solomon's doing, He was "the altogether lovely One!"

     He was Isaiah's child King...
                    with a shoulder strong enough to bear the Government
                                                            and the name EMMANUEL.

     He was Jeremiah's ...
                                        "Branch of Righteousness,
executing justice and righteousness in the land."

     He was Ezekiel's "Plant of renown, giving shade and offering fragrance to all!"

     He was Daniel's "stone, cut without hands,
                                                   smiting the image,
                                                           becoming a mountain
                                                                         and
                                                             filling the whole earth!"

     He was Joel's "hope of the people and strength of the Children of Israel!"

     He was the usherer in of the
                                                     vision of Amos...of "the plowman overtaking the reaper and...
                 the treader of grapes to him that seweth seed!"

     ...and to Obadiah, the "deliverance upon Mt. Zion and holiness"

     He was the fulfillment of that of which Jonah was but a sign!

     He was the "turning again to God" of which Micah spoke,

     ...the One Nahum saw upon the Mountain..."publishing peace!"
 
     He was the Anointed of Whom Habakkuk sang as "going forth for salvation".

     He was the One who brought to the people, the pure language of Zephaniah's message...
                         the true Zerubbabel of Haggai's word....
"forever rebuilding the house of God!"  Himself being the dawn of the day when "holiness shall be on the Bells of the horses!"
...as Zechariah foretold.

...and He, this Stranger... the refiner sitting over the fire,
                                        the "Son of Righteousness"
                                                    of Malachi's dream...

spoke of these things, to these men on the Road to Emmaus until they arrived,
                   ....and their hearts burned within them!   
                                                and 
wouldn't we have loved to have been there?

(c)copyright LauraGehrke 2014