Luke 24:13-17
Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.And He said to them “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?
Pause & Reflect
How many times did Jesus appear to His disciples on the day He resurrected? (Mark 16: 9, Luke 24:13-17, John 21:14)
What were the disciple’s conversations about? John 24:19
Why were the disciple unable to recognized Him and why. Mark 16:12-13, Luke 24:13-17
Why were the disciples sad?
Jesus appeared to 2 of His disciples on the Road to Emmaus, which was 7 miles from Jerusalem on the same day of the resurrection but their eyes were restrained from recognizing Him so that they did not know Him because of their unbelief and harden hearts. Mary Magdalene, the 1st eyewitness of the Christ resurrection told the disciples that He is alive and had been seen by her, yet they did not believe.
Christ, in compassion drew near His disciples for He knew they were afraid and uncertain about the future, so He walked with them and probe their heart to understand why they were sad. “Jesus seeks to understand before being understood” -He always asked his audience probing questions to get to the heart of the matter as He assesses His audience understanding on the particulars of the matter; He then He expound on their understanding so that they may grow in the knowledge of Him. “Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep water, but a man of understanding draws it out.” (Proverbs 20:5)
Luke 24:18- 24
The one whose name was Cleopas answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who doesn’t know what happened there in the past few days?”He asked them, “What things? “They answered him, “The events involving Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet, mighty in what he said and did before God and all the people, and how our high priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and had him crucified. But we kept hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel. What is more, this is now the 3rd since these things occurred.
Cleopas, possibly the husband of Mary’s who stood by the cross of Jesus revealed his heart content as he describe Jesus as a prophet who taught as one had authority, and as one attested by God by miracle, wonder and how the rulers condemned Him to death in fulfillment of scriptures: “I will raise up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto you, and will put my words in His mouth; and He shall speak to them all that I shall command him. Listen to Him. And another scripture says, “They looked upon Him who they pierced. Cleopas also conveyed Israel misguided hope that Jesus would redeem them from the roman’s political power and expected something significant to occurred on the 3rd day after His crucifixion and it did.
There have been many messiahs in scripture who redeemed Israel but there is none worthy like Jesus: who fulfill all righteousness, sacrifice his soul as sin offering by shedding of His blood to make atonement for sin and who is also a mediator of a better covenant established on better promises. Our God appeared in the likeness of man and offered himself as a sacrifice to put an end to the old religious sacrificial system and He made His soul an offering for sin so that we might live in righteousness. As a result, through Christ we offer sacrifices to God not to appease God but in obedience, praise, gratitude and faith through Jesus Christ to God for what He done for us.
And when He had given thanks, He broke it and said,”Take eat, this is my body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of me. In the same manner, He also took the cup after supper, saying this cup is the new covenant in my blood. This do, as often as you drink it , in remembrance of me. (1 Corinthians 11:24-15)
Jesus said : Let it be so now, it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness .Then John consented.(Matthew 3:15)
Luke 24:22-24
Even some of our women have startled us by what they told us, they were at the tomb early this morning and didn’t find his body there, so they came back and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who were saying that he was alive. Then some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said. However, they didn’t see him.”
Cleopas and the other disciples were influenced by what they saw as oppose to what they heard. They did not respond in faith to the good news that Christ is alive!
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen. The disciples heard the word of the Lord, but did not receive it, rather, they went to the tomb looking for evidence and the evidence spoke louder than words, an empty tomb with missing body.
In another scripture, Jesus work through a woman, to save many Samaritan souls who believe not only in her testimony but also in His own word that He is Christ, the Savior of the world, when the disciples did not see the harvest. The source of this good news astounded the disciples (seem like nonsense to them) and influenced their response to message of Christ is risen. They did not fully understand in Christ, both male and female are one; as a result, He reveals Himself and work through either male or female-“The foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of men.”
Luke 24:25-27
Then Jesus said to them, “How foolish you are, how slow you are to believe everything the prophets said! Was it not necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and then to enter his glory?” And Jesus explained to them what was said about himself in all the Scriptures, beginning with the books of Moses and the writings of all the prophets.
As usual, Jesus rebuked the disciples for their unbelief. They did not believe the word immediately, they needed signs or evidence to validate their belief. For with the heart one believe unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. He expected them to remember the voices of the prophets Isaiah, Hosea, Daniel or Zachariah, however, He did not condemned them, rather, He encouraged them by revealing to them what was said about Him in scriptures, and we know the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ, this is the true God and eternal life. The disciples read the voices of the prophets and they knew the law but they could not connect the dots together to see the big picture.
Jesus revealed to the disciples He is Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God, the root and offspring of David, who is greater than Moses, greater than Isaiah and wiser than Solomon – He is the fulfillment of the law and prophet .So for 7 miles, He walked and talked with His disciples from Emmaus to Jerusalem, revealing to them scriptures concerning Him.God reveals truth through scripture and scriptures bears witness that Jesus Christ is the Messiah.
Jesus answered them: I told you and you do not believe .The works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. (John 10:20)
Jesus said: But I have greater works than John’s; for the works which the Father has given me to finish-the works which the Father has given me to finish – the very works that I do bear witness of me, that the Father has sent me. (John 5:36)
Jesus said: And The Father Himself, who sent me, has testified of me, you have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen Him. But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the scriptures for in them you have eternal life and these are they, which testify of me. (John 5:39)
Who is he that overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is He who came by the water and blood-Jesus Christ. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. For these are 3 that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit and these 3 are one. And there are 3 that bears witness on earth, the Spirit, the water and the blood, and these 3 agree as one.
Pause & reflect
How did Jesus fulfill the 5- fold ministry?
Hebrews 3:1, John 20:21, John 10, Matthew 4:23, 9:35, John 20:31, John 3, John 4
Who testify that Jesus is the Christ? John 10:20, John 5:39, 1 John 4:4-6
Luke 24:28-31
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 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. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.
Arriving at the village, the two disciples asked Jesus to stay with them because it was in the evening and the day was far spent. Jesus explanation of scriptures must have been a great joy to them – “The works of the Lord are great, studied by all who have pleasure in them; His work is honorable and glorious and His righteousness endures forever. “ So He stayed and had fellowship with them in the breaking of bread and open their eyes, so that the eyes of their understanding may be enlighten that they may grow in the knowledge of Him. Jesus said: I am the light of the world, whoever, follow me shall not walk in darkness but will have the light of life. With Him is the fountain of light; in His light we see light.
“The entrance of His word gives light and it gives understanding to the simple”
Pause & Reflect
How does spending time with God enlighten the eyes of our understanding of Him and His truth?
Luke 24:32-35
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? They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the 11 and those with them, assembled together saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how they recognized Jesus when he broke the bread. Jesus Said: I am the bread of life, whoever come to me shall never hunger and whoever believes in me shall not thirst.
In the breaking of bread, not only were the eyes were open to recognized the stranger was Jesus, but also their minds were open to comprehend scriptures, so that their doubt turn to faith as they remembered the things that were written about Him in scripture, indeed–Jesus is risen. The disciples’ eyes and mind were open to receive revelation from our Father as exemplify in the life of Peter. Jesus said: “Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but My Father who is in heaven”(Matthew 16:16), or as exemplify in the life of Paul when He said “But I make known to you brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to men. For I neither received it from men, nor was taught it but it came to me through the revelation of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:11-12).
When we commune with the Lord in the breaking of bread, we become one with Him and He become one with us and He reveals Himself to us. When we break bread in remembrance of the Lord, in fellowship we are buried with Him in baptism and raised to a new life by the glory of God. When we break bread in terms of scriptures that bears witness of Him, we grow in the knowledge of Him as we ask Him probing questions; He will not only answer and reveal Himself to us but also He will also show us great and mighty thing we do not know Him as demonstrated when He walked with the disciples from Emmaus to Jerusalem or when He was found in the temple sitting in the midst of the teachers both listening to them and asking them questions. (Luke 2:46) Jesus said: I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me shall never hunger and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. And He also said, man shall not live by bread alone but every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
Acts of Faith
- Break bread in remembrance of Him
- Abide in Him and He will abide in you
- Obey His command by this our Father will be glorified through the Son.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you now and always! Amen.