The Emmaus Road
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13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does 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. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but 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. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 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.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 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?”
33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
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One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Published by Emmaus Rd Ministries, October 22, 2024
We are still in the Easter season, and we pick up the story of the very first Easter day. It is late Sunday afternoon. Two people walking along the Emmaus Road.
That Emmaus Rd is a pilgrimage that challenges us that this journey has to be personal, a personal walk with the risen Lord Jesus Christ - a personal relationship.
Three things to notice on the Road to Emmaus today…..
1. The Walk
2. The Word
3. The Reveal
The Walk
1 [The Walk] - Pick up the story of 1st Easter day late Sunday afternoon.
Two of JCs friends Cleopas & another [possibly married, John 19 Clopas&Mary]. Still bereaved leaving Jeru returning home to Emmaus. It was a 7-mile walk [Newport to Ryde]. And just as we would expect, their conversation was full of what had happened in Jerusalem [Luke 24:18].
Picture them trudging up the road? [Up Fairlee Road, onto Lushington Hill, weary, walking, heading home, so forlorn]. It’s over! They, and many others, had high hopes of Jesus of Nazareth. They u/s that he was the Messiah. Their hopes and dreams shattered by the cross.
Their real journey was not to Emmaus but a closer walk with God – a pilgrimage. The risen Jesus drew alongside them and asks what they were talking about. Luke 24:19, they tell Jesus, about a man called Jesus. They say he “was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.” As first-century Jews their hope was that the Messiah, usher in a whole new age. He would overturn the oppressors, would rebuild the temple, establish God’s justice. Palm Sun.
They couldn’t make sense of this; they were broken. Get out of your heads any notion that they were all waiting on Saturday to see if he would arise on Easter Sunday. For these two walking home, the crucifixion of Messiah did not say that the kingdom had come. It said the opposite. It said he was not the truth and his kingdom had not come. They speak in the past tense as they walked: “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped who was going to redeem Israel.
Programmes about Walks and Pilgrimage are popular at the minute. Emmaus Rd is different. This is a personal walk with the risen Christ – it must be personal. Before they were even aware of him, Jesus had come alongside. We are often slow to recognise Jesus on our spiritual journey, but we can become more deliberate about recognising Jesus in our daily thoughts, prayers and praises eg ‘Thanks for the scenery, eg thanks for that friend, eg thanks for that child’s laughter eg see the face of God in a begger you pass egremembering Gods promises ‘I am with you always’ when we are in the depths of despair. Matt 28v20 Elvis 1958 ‘Just a Closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea, daily walking close to Thee Let it be, dear Lord, let it be. I am weak but Thou art strong, Jesus keep me from all wrong, I'll be satisfied as long as I walk, let me walk close to Thee.
We can be assured that long before we turn to God he has already come alongside us.
The Word
The Bible says Luke 24v27 ‘Jesus explained to them what was said about himself in all scriptures beginning with the books of Moses and the writings of the prophets.’ Remember, they still did not recognise Jesus as he explained to them how all scriptures in fact looked forward to the cross and resurrection.
The Resurrection makes the cross make sense and together (cross and resurrection) opens up all of Scripture.
What a bible study that would have been. I hear about Rev Dozie’s Bible study and Rev Denis’ Bible Study. Let’s face it they would not be a patch on this BB Study.
I would love to have a record of what Jesus said in his explanations about himself (best seller) but starting with the Torah I expect he would have said:
He was the seed of the woman in Genesis, He is the Passover lamb in Exodus, He's the high priest in Leviticus, Numbers (Pillar of cloud by day & fire by night) Deuteronomy (law giver) Joshua (Capt. of our Salvation) Judges Judge Ruth (kinsman redeemer) 1 & 2 Samuel (calls us by name) 1&2 Kings & 1&2 Chron (King of Kings), Ezra & Nehemiah (rebuilder of broken down walls), Esther (Deliverer) Job (redeemer who liveth & will stand in the last days) Psalms (the Lord is our Shepherd, ever present help); Prov & Eccs (Wisdom); Song of Songs (Bridegroom & Lover); Isaiah (Prince of Peace, despised and rejected, man of sorrows) Jeremiah (Righteous Branch); Lamentations (Weeping Lord who says does the cross mean ‘nothing to you’); Ezekiel (breathes life in to dry bones) Daniel (He’s in the fiery furnace) Hosea (Faithful Husband married to people who prostitute themselves) Joel (Baptiser in the HS) Amos & Obadiah (Burden Bearer & Mighty to save) Jonah (3 nights in the depths & rose again) Micah (messenger of beautiful feet, born in Bethlehem) Nahum (avenger of God’s people) Habakkuk & Zephaniah (saviour in troubled times) Haggai (He restores our heritage); in Zechariah He's humble king riding on a donkey & in Malachi he's the son of righteousness with healing in his wings.
All scriptures looked forwards to Jesus; cross and resurrection. And the OT written over 2000 years by more than 20 authors in 36 different books are fulfilled in one person, in Jesus Christ, who died & was buried on a Friday and rose again on the Sunday.
When the scriptures were opened to Clopas & his wife and when it dawned on them who was leading their Bible study – they knew for sure this was it, the glorious resurrection day. ‘Wasn’t it like a fire burning within us as he explained the scriptures to us.’ Yes for some of us today the power of Easter and the miracle of the scriptures being the ‘living word’ of God are burning within you and it’s the HS warming your heart & I encourage you to take that fire in your belly and feast on the scriptures again for yourself (return to your 1st love (Rev 2v5). Share it with your FRANC
The Reveal
Finally the REVEAL.[When Lois Lane met Clark Kent in the Daily Planet offices she couldn’t recognise him as Super-man, the one who could be her saviour. But when he got his T shirt & red pants on she recognised him.]
In Luke 24:29…they urged him strongly, ‘stay with us’ As he sat down to eat took bread & blessed & broke it & gave it to them & their eyes were opened – they knew it was Jesus – they recognised him [& he disappeared]…… to say they invited him to stay is not a strong enough word. NB The phraseology in Luke 24:29 “they urged him strongly…” Now, that is the context in which Jesus is urged to stay. He would have walked on if they had invited him to stay with them. I wonder how often does Jesus encounter us along life’s journey, longs to be invited. God hears the earnest, simple prayers of the meek and of the child. If they had not invited him to stay, he would not have stayed and they would have missed the reveal of who he really is. If you have not invited him in to your heart, you have [to this point] missed he opportunity to know him personally and to make your eternal destiny secure.
[KB conversion: a missed opportunity in Tent mission. At home I prayed the simple prayer of a child.]
Notice how the reveal happens. Having urged him to stay they decided to eat. They honoured this stranger by asking him to perform the function of a host. Like asking a guest in your home to say grace. The stranger had impressed them thro the Bible study as they walked, so they asked him to do the usual thing at the start of a Jewish meal, a bit like saying grace, “Would you break bread for us?” This was just the start of a Jewish meal. We should avoid linking this in Luke 24 to a Communion service, because it isn't.
But look what happened next! Luke 24:31 “Then their eyes were opened and they recognised him.” NB it doesn’t say, “Then they opened their eyes.” No…their eyes were opened.” NB in Luke 24:16, it wasn’t that they didn’t recognise him; it was that “they were kept from recognising him.” Maybe like me, you wonder, what did it? The sight of the nail marks. Maybe the intimate prayer to Father. We don’t know but all we need is what Luke says, that God chose at this moment to make clear that they were in the presence of the risen Lord Jesus Christ. Wow, what a REVEAL
Then he disappeared from their sight.” The whole reason for his being there was the REVEAL Jesus is alive. He drew alongside them, their eyes were “kept from recognising him.” On the WALK, the Scriptures were opened and they saw how they pointed to JC the one who was crucified and entombed on Friday. This stranger explained the whole thing/truth to them, but their eyes were not opened. And then, as he acted as host, broke bread, they recognised him, and he was gone.
Just when it all made sense, they didn’t get to speak to or thank or worship him. The REVEAL triggers his departure But that was important too. I think there’s a little touch of the “Don’t touch me” in this. Remember, in the garden? “Don’t touch me. Don’t lay hold of me.”[6] Why? “Because you need to understand now that it’s not going to be like it was before the crucifixion. Before the crucifixion we were together all the time. We went in and out of buildings together. I was physically with you. I was visibly with you. I was permanently with you over a three-year period. But now, since my resurrection, you will only know me as the risen Christ, and you’re about to know me only as the ascended Christ.”
Conclusion
In our gospel reading today Cleopas & friend were off to Emmaus but their journey didn’t end at Emmaus. They turned around and walked 7 miles back to Jeru to share what they had received!“The Lord is risen indeed!” But real walk was not geographical but a journey with Jesus and a new living relationship with our risen saviour. Resurrection gives us a message to take to the world. We can't just sit on it. Luke 24v9 the women ran to tell others and Luke 24 v33 Emmaus Rd disciples walked right back to tell the others what they had seen.
The Resurrection is the lens we must see Jesus through, our Saviour and Lord. The resurrection changes everything. The Resurrection gives us assurance that the Lord draws alongside us, it's a personal relationship, we can recognise him in OT&NT scriptures and & in everyday things.
How does this leave us? Do our hearts burn within us or ice in the cooler? Fire in our bellies with love for our Lord as we recognise him in the word or comfortably numb and untouched. Where does it leave us - cold or on fire? Pray. Come in to my heart Lord Jesus….
