Luke 24:13-32
On the Road to Emmaus
13Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16but they were kept from recognizing him.
The account of Jesus’ appearance to two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus only appears here, in Luke. It appears to be afternoon, since they say it is “nearly evening” later in the story. Jesus had already appeared to Mary Magdelene (John 20:10-18), and he also appeared to Peter at some point during these two disciples’ journey, though that encounter is not recorded in the gospels. So this seems to be the second or third appearance of the resurrected Jesus. It’s easy to understand why Jesus would appear to Mary and to Peter, since they were both very close to Jesus. But here, Jesus appears to two lesser known disciples, walking on their own. I can’t help but wonder why Jesus chose to appear to these two men in this circumstance. Only one of the two disciples is named, Cleopas. This is probably the Greek version of the Jewish name Clopas. Clopas is identified in John 19:25 as the husband of one of the Marys who was present at the crucifixion. The gospel writers often mentioned people by name because they were known in the early church. Clopas was the father of Simeon, who was later head of the church in Jerusalem.
These two disciples walked along the road, dejected, yet puzzled by the news they had heard that day. They didn’t yet dare to hope that what they had heard was true. They were so preoccupied with their conversation about everything that had happened, they didn’t notice that a stranger was walking with them. How long did Jesus walk alongside them, listening to their conversation, before they became aware that someone was there? How often do we go through life not realizing that Jesus is right there with us?
17He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
19“What things?” he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”
Jesus interrupts their conversation and asks them what they are talking about so intently. I imagine that he startled them. That may have been the first time they even noticed that someone was there. They stood still, their faces downcast. They were so surprised by this question that they stopped walking. The modern day equivalent of their question to Jesus would be, “Have you been living under a rock?” Everyone in Jerusalem knew of the events of the past few days, and this stranger appeared to be coming from Jerusalem like they were. How could he not know about what had happened with Jesus? Of course, Jesus did know very well. He was drawing them out. Even though God knows very well what’s troubling us, he still wants us to tell him all about it.
Their answer to Jesus revealed how little they understood Jesus’ mission and the nature of his kingdom. Though we understand today that Jesus was more than a prophet, for them to call Jesus “a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people” was high praise, putting him on the same level as Moses, Elijah, Daniel, and others of similar stature in Judaism. They “had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.” This shows that they had still expected Jesus to be a political Messiah, to free Israel from Roman oppression, in spite of all he had said. The concept of a suffering Messiah was not taught at that time. The idea was completely foreign to them. Then they related to Jesus the women’s account of what they saw at the tomb. So they had been there with the other disciples that morning when the women told their story, and had still been there when Peter and John came back from the tomb, but had not heard Mary Magdelene’s account. Don’t you hate it when you miss the best part?
25He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Did not the Christ[b] have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
Jesus rebukes them for their lack of understanding. He calls them foolish, using the Greek word anoetos, which means “unintelligent, foolish, dull-witted.” He’s calling them idiots! But the real indictment is when he also calls them “slow of heart to believe.” A lack of intelligence won’t keep us out of Heaven. But being slow of heart to believe will. Then Jesus began what has to be one of the greatest Bible lessons ever given. He went though all of the Old Testament, beginning with Moses and all the prophets, and pointed out to them how each of the prophecies regarding him had been fulfilled. Cleopas and his companion must have related these lessons to the other disciples. These lessons must have formed the basis of much of the Apostles’ teaching later. The Old Testament references quoted in Acts may well have come from Jesus himself in this conversation. One passage in particular that must have have been stressed by Jesus as they walked is the Suffering Servant passage in Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12. That passage was not taught as Messianic at that time, but if you read it and see the Suffering Servant as the Messiah, it’s clearly a prediction of Jesus’ death and resurrection. It’s so powerful and compelling that for centuries it was banned from public reading in the synagogues lest any more Jews see the Messiah in it and convert to Christianity.
28As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. 29But 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.
30When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
When they arrived at Emmaus, Jesus pretended to be going further, knowing they would invite him to come in. Emmaus must have been where one or both of them lived. They were going home. They probably left Jerusalem when they did in order to get home before dark. They were so enthralled with Jesus’ teaching, still not realizing that it was him, that they invited this stranger in to stay with them and continue his teaching. The more you walk with Jesus, the more you want him around.
They reclined at the table, and though Jesus was a guest, the disciples must have regarded him as a learned rabbi, and asked him to offer the blessing for the bread. This would have been unleavened bread, as the Feast of Unleavened Bread was still going on. It’s at this point that their eyes were opened. There’s lots of speculation about what it was that made them realize that it was Jesus there with them. Two things stand out for me. When Jesus offered the blessing, it would have been the same one he used at the Last Supper, the traditional Jewish blessing of the bread: “Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the world, who has caused bread to come forth out of the earth.” How many times had these two men seen and heard Jesus offer this blessing before breaking bread? I think when Cleopas and his companion heard Jesus’ blessing, it rang a bell for them. Then Jesus picked up the bread and broke it, using both hands. That made his sleeves drop below his wrists, and they saw the nail scars in his wrists. That’s when they knew it was Jesus.
As soon as they recognized him, he disappeared! Now why did he do that? Because the whole point of his appearance to them was to get them to believe. As soon as they believed, his presence was no longer necessary. They then realized that Jesus had been with them the whole time. What will it take for us to realize that Jesus is with us all the time?