Luke 24:13-19
"Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him."
And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?” Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?” And He said to them, “What things?” So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,"
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These two dejected disciples were going over and over the events of the last several days, probably also the last three years, as they sadly walked along the road to Emmaus. They really thought Jesus was THE ONE, the Messiah Whose coming had been foretold for centuries by all the prophets and had pinned all their hopes on Him. Then, in a gut-wrenching turn of events, He was taken away from them, tried like some criminal and crucified though He was completely innocent! They were DEVASTATED AND CONFUSED!
At some point along their journey to Emmaus, Jesus Himself came and walked along beside them only they were not aware it was Him. One of them was Peter. The other, though the Holy Spirit has not named the person, was probably his wife. We'll discuss this later.
Don't you just love how Jesus comes to us when we're down? He comes IN PERSON!
This seven-mile journey is recorded only one place in the Bible: Here in the 24th chapter of Luke. It happened on a Sunday. In fact, all of Jesus' post resurrection appearances that the Holy has recorded for us occurred on Sunday. This is no accident; it's a message. He was showing us the best way to teach the Old Testament. This is what He wants His Church to doing every Sunday:
Teach the Old Testament scriptures in order to bring out Jesus and share in communion together.
(Aerial view of Emmaus Nikapolis ruins)
Isn't it strange that they didn't recognize Jesus? After all, this is the one with Whom they spent practically every waking, and sleeping, moment for the past 3 years. They saw countless healings and miracles and were ear witnesses to THE MOST AWESOME TEACHINGS OF ALL TIME.
So why did they not recognize Him?
Luke documents that "their eyes WERE RESTRAINED from seeing Him," in vs. 16. That means Jesus prevented them from recognizing Him.
Why did Jesus restrain their eyes? Here He was on the morning He arose IN PERSON! He could have easily and quickly dispelled their sadness by showing them His hands and side. So why didn’t He show Himself? The answer to that question shows the great love of our God for us!
So here we have this traveler walking alongside who doesn't seem to know anything that has happened of late and who, they assume, must be a stranger. They proceed to explain recent events to Him.
After quietly listening to their story, Jesus says these words to them:
“O FOOLISH ONES, and SLOW OF HEART to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!
26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 And beginning at Moses {the first 5 books} and all the Prophets, {not Psalms; it's at the end of their Bible} HE EXPOUNDED TO THEM IN ALL THE SCRIPTURES THINGS CONCERNING HIMSELF."
The Greek word for foolish here, "anoētoi," means "not understanding," and the word for "believe," is the word "pisteuein." It means "to have faith in, trust in; believe."
Jesus wasn't angry with them. He wasn't chiding or scolding them, even though it was Peter who at one time had actually confessed He was the Christ. But it was incredible to Him that, after all they had witnessed FIRST HAND, they still struggled with doubt and skepticism.
It is no accident that the name, "Emmaus," means "hot baths." The Romans had built a bath house in Emmaus somewhere around 496BC because this area was fed by natural hot springs. It was along this Emmaus road Jesus gave these two very discouraged disciples a "hot Bible bath," washing them with the water of the Word.
(Ruins of Roman hot bath in Emmaus)
The Greek word for "foolish" here, as I said, does not mean "stupid" in a condescending way but simply "not understanding," the exact same word Paul used when he called the Galatians "foolish." As it was then, so today there are two types of problems in the Church. Some people--Leaders are not exempt--are either foolish, meaning they don't have a proper understanding of scripture; OR, they DO understand the scriptures but have a hard time believing what it plainly says: That GOD'S GRACE REALLY IS THAT AMAZING!
Our people in the Church today NEED TO SEE JESUS!!! It's the ONLY WAY they can be transformed from glory to glory. It's the material the Holy Spirit uses to do His work in us. Without it we cannot be transformed. In fact, we become deformed!
We don't need to go into the Old Testament to learn laws, laws and more laws, what is good, what is bad, what to do and what not to do. You can teach all those things without unveiling Jesus at all. This will cause the people to live UNholy lives.
Jesus didn't come to give us laws, laws and more laws. He came to set us free from bondage!
At last the trio arrived at the town of Emmaus where the two disciples lived. They urged the stranger to come in for dinner. Let's follow the story.
"Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and HE INDICATED THAT HE WOULD HAVE GONE FARTHER. But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them.
"Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.
"Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.
"And they said to one another, “DID NOT OUR HEART BURN WITHIN US while He talked with us on the road, and WHILE HE OPENED THE SCRIPTURES TO US?”
So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” And THEY TOLD ABOUT THE THINGS THAT HAD HAPPENED ON THE ROAD, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread." Luke 24:28-35
That's why He concealed Himself: Because He knew it was more important for them to be able to SEE HIM IN THE SCRIPTURES than to see Him in the flesh. He knew that after He went back to His Father, they would no longer be able to see Him in the flesh.
What was their immediate response? MISSIONS! All the two wanted to do was to tell the other disciples at once! They were so encouraged, in fact, and had such great strength that they got up and made the entire seven-mile trip back to Jerusalem that very night!
Wow! They just walked seven miles and now they're walking all the way back!
As soon as the two arrive, they both declare that the Lord Himself had appeared to Simon! They both told the disciples all that had happened on the Emmaus Road.
Immediately after they had finished speaking look what happened:
"Now as they said these things, JESUS HIMSELF STOOD IN THE MIDST OF THEM, and said to them, “Peace to you.” But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”
When He had said this, HE SHOWED THEM HIS HANDS AND HIS FEET. But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?” So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their presence.
Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the LAW of Moses and the PROPHETS AND THE PSALMS concerning Me.” And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
Ah! Jesus finally got His chance to "GO FURTHER." You see, He would have expounded to Peter and his wife the scriptures concerning Himself IN THE PSALMS, too, but they asked Him to turn aside into their home and eat with them. In the place where all the disciples were gathered together He did that AFTER they really believed it was Him.
In the story of the Emmaus Road, the woman kept silent while the man did all the talking. Womankind has been validated and vindicated for her part in the fall! That's why Jesus first appeared to a woman after He rose from the dead. He honored and elevated all women by His actions. Oh how He loves us! Isn't God good?!
See how their hearts "burned within them" as Jesus opened the Scriptures to them? They saw Him in all the types, offices and stories in the Old Testament. Seeing Jesus there will soften the hardest heart and warm the coldest soul. It will cause the people to want to draw nearer to Him; to fall head-over-heels in love with Him! Their hearts will burn within them!
That's why He concealed Himself: Because He knew it was more important for them to be able to SEE HIM IN THE SCRIPTURES than to see Him in the flesh. He knew that after He went back to His Father, they would no longer be able to see Him in the flesh.
You and I are in the same boat today, Church. We can't see Him physically either. He wanted us to know how we, too, could feel warmed, filled, strengthened and encouraged by "seeing" Him IN THE SCRIPTURES.
Notice the Holy Spirit said that Jesus indicated that He would have GONE FURTHER. Why would He want to go further if Cephas and his wife were headed to their home in Emmaus? Remember what the passage said further that Jesus expounded to them in the LAW: the first five books, and THE PROPHETS: Joshua through Malachi NOT INCLUDING PSALMS which was at the end of their Bible, explaining all the scriptures concerning Himself. He would have gone further so that He could show them scriptures IN THE PSALM concerning Himself as well but they urged Jesus to come aside into their home because it was nearing evening. He came in and as they sat at the table He served them communion. THAT'S WHEN THEY RECOGNIZED HIM: In the bread and the wine!
As soon as their eyes were opened, He vanished from their sight.
Notice the Holy Spirit said that Jesus indicated that He would have GONE FURTHER. Why would He want to go further if Cephas and his wife were headed to their home in Emmaus? Remember what the passage said further that Jesus expounded to them in the LAW: the first five books, and THE PROPHETS: Joshua through Malachi NOT INCLUDING PSALMS which was at the end of their Bible, explaining all the scriptures concerning Himself. He would have gone further so that He could show them scriptures IN THE PSALM concerning Himself as well but they urged Jesus to come aside into their home because it was nearing evening. He came in and as they sat at the table He served them communion. THAT'S WHEN THEY RECOGNIZED HIM: In the bread and the wine!
As soon as their eyes were opened, He vanished from their sight.
Where there had been doubt, grief and despair now they were filled with faith, great joy and hope!
What was their immediate response? MISSIONS! All the two wanted to do was to tell the other disciples at once! They were so encouraged, in fact, and had such great strength that they got up and made the entire seven-mile trip back to Jerusalem that very night!
Wow! They just walked seven miles and now they're walking all the way back!
As soon as the two arrive, they both declare that the Lord Himself had appeared to Simon! They both told the disciples all that had happened on the Emmaus Road.
Immediately after they had finished speaking look what happened:
"Now as they said these things, JESUS HIMSELF STOOD IN THE MIDST OF THEM, and said to them, “Peace to you.” But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”
When He had said this, HE SHOWED THEM HIS HANDS AND HIS FEET. But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?” So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their presence.
Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the LAW of Moses and the PROPHETS AND THE PSALMS concerning Me.” And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
Ah! Jesus finally got His chance to "GO FURTHER." You see, He would have expounded to Peter and his wife the scriptures concerning Himself IN THE PSALMS, too, but they asked Him to turn aside into their home and eat with them. In the place where all the disciples were gathered together He did that AFTER they really believed it was Him.
Jesus was incredulous that they at first did not really believe He was there in their midst in the flesh. They thought He was a ghost or something. That is why He asked for something to EAT in their presence. THEN they all believed!
In this heart-warming story Jesus is showing us that in order to teach the Old Testament we need to bring out the portraits of Jesus hidden in every story, every description, every typology and in the meanings of words, names, numbers and places from one end of the Bible to the other. We need to bring out the spirit of the word which gives LIFE...not the letter, the Law, which KILLS. Don't go there to find laws, laws and more laws; go there to SEE JESUS!
Epilogue:
As for the identity of the other disciple walking along with Peter, most naturally assume it was a man. But women were disciples too, you know. She kept silent, or at least the Holy Spirit has not recorded that she spoke. It is no accident that the Holy Spirit talks about the first couple Jesus came and WALKED ALONGSIDE after He rose from the dead.
There was another couple long ago that God WALKED ALONGSIDE in the cool of the evening. The very first couple when the earth was new: Adam and Eve. Remember them? Unfortunately, back then, when the serpent showed up, the woman did all the talking while her husband remained silent. Because he allowed the woman to do all the talking, his failure to speak up plunged all mankind into sin.
You see, Adam knew the serpent was feeding her a pack of lies yet he did not say one word to counter those lies. So, we needed a Savior, Jesus, to come to our rescue.
In the story of the Emmaus Road, the woman kept silent while the man did all the talking. Womankind has been validated and vindicated for her part in the fall! That's why Jesus first appeared to a woman after He rose from the dead. He honored and elevated all women by His actions. Oh how He loves us! Isn't God good?!
So you see, this story in the Bible is so much more than just an account of an wonderful, private, personal encounter with Jesus. There are many, many lessons, messages and blessings to be had from this wonderful appearance of Jesus HIMSELF on the Emmaus Road.
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