Luke 24 On the road to Emmaus

¹⁵ While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. ¹⁶ But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. ¹⁷ And he said to them, "What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, looking sad. ¹⁸ Then one of them, named Cle'opas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" ¹⁹ And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, ²⁰ and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. ²¹ But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened. ²² Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning ²³ and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. ²⁴ Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see." ²⁵ And he said to them, "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" ²⁷ And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. ²⁸ So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, ²⁹ but they constrained him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them. ³⁰ When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. ³¹ And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight. ³² They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?" ³³ And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, ³⁴ who said, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" ³⁵ Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

I love this post-resurrection story about Jesus. Cleopas and another unknown person were on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus discussing the events of their day. The two were distraught. They obviously had put their hope in Jesus as a prophet who was mighty in deed and word. But, they were aware of his trial, death and crucifixion. And now, there were rumors that his body was missing from the tomb and that a vision of angels had declared his resurrection. But, they had not seen him with their own eyes.

As Jesus walked with them he gave them a lesson that they would never forget. In verses 25-27 (bolded above) he expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Jesus apparently began with the Torah (the first 5 books of the Old Testament). I would suspect that he would have begun with Adam and Eve, undoubtedly tracing the Seed of woman in Genesis 3:15. He might have continued through the raised-up Prophet of Deuteronomy 18:15, the virgin birth of Isaiah 7:14, the suffering Servant of Isaiah 53, and the reign of Jesse's offspring in Isaiah 11. I wonder if he might have used Psalm 16:9-10:

My heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption."

I wonder if he made reference to the the prophets Jeremiah and Daniel, describing the righteous Branch that would come from King David (Jer. 23:5-6) that would be "cut off, but not for Himself" before the destruction of the second Temple in A.D. 70 (Daniel 9:26). Or, perhaps before he vanished from their sight, I wonder if he quoted from Zechariah 12:10, explaining that one day "the inhabitants of Jerusalem" will be given "the Spirit of grace and supplication," when "they will look on Me whom they pierced." I find it fascinating that it is when Jesus breaks the bread that he is made known to them. And, at that same instant, he vanishes. The result was that their hearts were burning while he opened the scriptures to them. I believe that the same results happen to us today. When we truly study the scriptures seeking to understand the revelation of God, there is a phenomena whereby when we worship and break bread together that we have the confirmation of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our hearts that testifies to the truth of the gospel. The psalmist wrote, "Blessed are those who put their trust in Him" (Psalms 2:12). No doubt, these two men on the road of Emmaus did exactly that. And, we are invited to join them on the road of our journey through life in the here and now.