130. ZZ Top "Jesus Just Left Chicago"

This ZZ top song Also alluded to as "Jesus Done Left Chicago", this track follows on from "Waitin' for the Bus"; in an interview with Jeb Wright of Classic Rock Revisited, lead guitarist Gibbons explained: "The two songs "Waitin' For The Bus" and "Jesus Just Left Chicago" were written separately during sessions that were not too far apart. We were in the process of compiling the tracks for the album "Tres Hombres," and that segue was a fortunate miscalculation by the engineer. He had been attempting to splice out some blank tape, and the result is that the two come off as a single work. It just seemed to work." The Deep South is noted for its Christian roots, and in spite of the hostile reception rock 'n' roll received from the Bible Belt when it first reared its head, many contemporary musicians began their musical careers in or around the church. The most famous white rock 'n' roller from the Deep South to combine the two was of course Elvis Presley, who recorded the odd religious song. Although "Jesus Just Left Chicago" isn't exactly a hymn, it does have a spiritual dimension, and is written more in the style of gospel music, adhering to a strict blues format.

Jesus just left Chicago and he's bound for New Orleans.
Well now, Jesus just left Chicago and he's bound for New Orleans.
Yeah, yeah.
Workin' from one end to the other and all points in between.

Took a jump through Mississippi, well, muddy water turned to wine.
Took a jump through Mississippi, muddy water turned to wine.
Yeah, yeah.
Then out to California through the forests and the pines.
Ah, take me with you, Jesus.

You might not see him in person but he'll see you just the same.
You might not see him in person but he'll see you just the same.
Yeah, yeah.
You don't have to worry 'cause takin' care of business is his name.

The song "Jesus left Chicago" contains themes of Journey, Eucharist, The "Hiddeness" of Jesus, Continuation, Commitment, Travel and Presence. There is an occasion on the morning of the resurrection that all these themes come together all in the same place. Luke the Apostle writes about this occasion in Luke 24. Our devotional this morning will highlight another aspect from the story of the Road to Emmaus. We covered the first part of the story in Rock Goes the Gospel No 125. Snow Patrol - "Open Your Eyes" in which we reflected upon the "Hiddeness" of Jesus. This morning we are going to reflect upon the "Presence" of Jesus or the Presence of God.

Prior to His arrest, Jesus travelled up and down the strip of land once ruled by David and Solomon, inviting the people of Israel to become a part of His kingdom, promising abundant life and being present with them. His followers fully expected that He would become their king and that Israel would again be prosperous and free. He was their Messiah. But on one fateful Friday afternoon, as the sun fell behind the horizon, the Son of God hung cold and lifeless on a Roman cross just outside the city walls.

As the sun rose on Sunday morning and the Passover feast came to an end, two of Jesus’s followers, disillusioned and resolving to leave their foolish dreams in Jerusalem, left for home. The dejected pair began the seven-mile walk to Emmaus even as rumours of resurrection circulated among the ranks of Jesus’s disciples (Luke 24:13). Dejected because the presence of Jesus among them was now gone and in their minds it was gone forever.

Luke describes the disciples’ conversation as bantering ideas back and forth with great emotion in a shared search for answers (24:14-16). The Greek phrase homileo suzeteo, “talking and discussing” (24:15), would be more literally translated as “conversing” and “disputing.” The disillusioned followers desperately wanted to know why their expectations of the Messiah had come to such a tragic end. Jesus approaches, travels and is present with them with the express purpose of helping the two disciples see, Luke tells us that Jesus reviewed the entire history of Israel from the time of the Exodus to His own resurrection, highlighting God’s plan for the Messiah (24:27). But they still do not get it.

In keeping with ancient Near Eastern rules of hospitality, the two followers then invited the “stranger” to stay the night and be present with them. Jesus accepted their offer, yet maintained His cover in order to complete the lesson He had begun teaching them just outside Jerusalem. According to Luke 24:16, their eyes were prevented from recognizing Jesus. He revealed His identity only after taking great pains to explain to them “the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures” (24:27).

Luke concludes this story with a twist. A dramatic opening of eyes. The disciples had been staring into the face of the risen Jesus all along, yet they were prevented from seeing Him until they buried their faulty expectations. Then, the disciples travelling with Jesus are treated to a careful review of the Scriptures which gave them a God's eye view on all that had happened in Jerusalem. At the meal table as Jesus was breaking bread their eyes were opened. He was present with them all along.  The Greek phrase ophthalmos dianoigo epiginosko, translated “eyes were opened and they recognized Him,” literally means “their eyes were completely opened” and “they came to fully comprehend Him.” It was a behold moment. They were looking God in the face. This moment was more than them simply recognising His features. They came to recognise Jesus in all His significance as the Messiah of God, and the one who they had hoped in and will hope in again. They know his confident presence with them restoring hope to them.Now, their new, resurrected hope carried them back to Jerusalem to bear the good news to others (24:33-35).

The devotional point that I want to get across this morning is "Thank God that when we cannot see him, He can see us, and he is present with us.  I'm thankful for this story as it illustrates the fact that Jesus is present with his disciples even when they cannot see him. The theme that Jesus is present with us is part of the lyrics of the song "Jesus Just Left Chicago" "You might not see him in person but he'll see you just the same" Thank God there comes a time when our blindness in life and faith will be ended and we will understand and sicover the Jesus of the resurrection is with us.. Just like the disciples at the meal table. All of us from time to time walk a lonely road and struggle to see the presence of God with us. This story is Luke's way of telling the story of the resurrection as the story of the Jesus/ God who never leaves us who turns us from people of the broken hearted to being people of the presence.