The Road To Emmaus
(Mar 16:9) And having risen early on the first of the sabbath, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons.
(Mar 16:10) Going, that one reported to those having been with Him, mourning and weeping.
(Mar 16:11) And those having heard that He lives, and was seen by her, they did not believe.
(Mar 16:12) And after these things, He was revealed in a different form to two of them walking and going into the country.
This is the first recorded visitation of the glorified Christ to his disciples (with the exception of Mary) that lays the foundation for so many biblical precepts.
(Luk 24:13) And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus (Emmaous – warm baths – useful for healing), which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs (7 ½ miles).
(Luk 24:14) And they talked to each other about all these things taking place.
(Luk 24:15) And it happened, as they talked and reasoned, coming near, Jesus Himself traveled with them.
(Luk 24:16) But their eyes were held so as not to recognize Him.
Jesus comes up to His disciple Cleopas and the unnamed disciple, blinding them both to His identity.
(Luk 24:17) And He said to them, What words are these which you exchange with each other while walking, and are sad of face?
(Luk 24:18) And answering, one of them whose name was Cleopas, said to Him, Are you only one who resides in Jerusalem and do not know the things happening in it in these days?
(Luk 24:19) And He said to them, What things? And they said to Him, The things concerning Jesus the Nazarene, who was a man, a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people;
(Luk 24:20) and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the judgment of death, and crucified Him.
(Luk 24:21) But we were hoping that He is the One going to redeem Israel. But then with all these things, this third day comes today since these things happened.
Now Mark 16:11 states that the disciples, whom Mary had told that Jesus lives, did not believe. Apparently these two disciples were among those disciples because they had left and were on their way home. Jesus begins to question them to reveal their own hearts to them.
Notice the response to Jesus question; What things?
“We were hoping that He was the One going to redeem Israel”.
They believe that Jesus had been killed. That He had perished on the cross. They were seeking Yeshua ben David, the King of King and Lord of Lords. What they got was Yeshua ben Joseph the son of a carpenter. The suffering servant. And despite His words, as well as the signs and wonders which followed Him, they did not believe that He was Messiah. He was not the conquering king that they were waiting for who was going to redeem their people. At least they didn’t know that He was the One for whom they had been waiting.
Further more they had little or no concern for what they perceived to be the death of Jesus. They make no mention about His suffering. They speak only of their selfish disappointment and how they had been let down.
(Luk 24:22) And also some of our women astounded us, having been early at the tomb,
(Luk 24:23) and not finding His body, they came saying to have seen a vision of angels also, who say Him to be alive.
(Luk 24:24) And some of those with us went to the tomb, and found it so, even as the women also said; but they did not see Him.
They even went to the tomb and saw that Jesus was not there, as He had told them before time so that they would believe. Yet, they did not believe what Jesus Himself had told them nor did they believe the prophets!
(Luk 24:25) And He said to them, O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe on all things which the prophets spoke!
(Luk 24:26) Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things, and to enter into His glory?
Now these statements, in and of themselves, should have been enough to reveal Jesus to them. These men, at least in the case of Cleopas, walked with Jesus and listened to His words, but they didn’t “hear them”. If they did these words would have opened their eyes.
So Jesus, beginning with Moses, spends the time of walking the 7 ½ miles (some 8 hours) explaining to them that which was written of Him in scripture.
(Luk 24:27) And beginning from Moses, and from all the prophets, He explained to them the things about Himself in all the Scriptures.
Jesus planned on going further in His teaching/preaching.
(Luk 24:28) And they drew near to the village where they were going, and He seemed to be going further.
(Luk 24:29) And they constrained Him, saying, Stay with us, for it is toward evening, and the day has declined. And He went in to stay with them.
This is where the fun starts!
(Luk 24:30) And it happened as He reclined with them, having taken the loaf, He blessed, and having broken He gave to them.
The guest, Jesus, enters the home of Cleopas, is seated at the table which his wife had prepared and becomes the host! He takes the loaf, blesses it, breaks it and give it to them!
Wow, what an amazing event and message He is giving them. He blessed the bread as He did at His last supper, He broke the bread as he did before representing the prophecy of His broken body.
And when He gave the bread to them:
(Luk 24:31) And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him. And He became invisible from them.
(Luk 24:32) And they said to one another, Was not our heart burning in us as He spoke to us in the highway, and as He opened up to us the Scriptures?
Glory to God!
The interesting thing to note here is that even though “their hearts were burning” while Jesus spoke to them and “opened up” the scriptures to them, they still did not know Him. They knew of Him, but it was not personal, they did not know Him. Not in the way of having a personal relationship with Him.
It was not until He gave them the bread that they “knew Him” and then “He became invisible from them. What is interesting here is that the Greek word aphantos being used here literally means non-manifest. Which means that Jesus was always present with them and even though their carnal eyes could no longer see Him, he was still present with them. Just as He is always present with us.
Not at all will I leave you, not at all will I forsake you,” never! (Heb 13:5)
Halleluiah!
Now Watch This:
(Luk 24:33) And rising up in the same hour, they went back to Jerusalem, and they found the Eleven, and those with them, having been gathered,
(Luk 24:34) saying, The Lord really was raised and appeared to Simon.
(Luk 24:35) And they related the things in the highway, and how He was known to them in the breaking of the loaf.
(Luk 24:36) And as they were telling these things, Jesus Himself stood in their midst, and said to them, Peace to you!
Glory to God! Thank You Jesus!
(Mat 18:20) For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst.
Halleluiah to the Lamb of God who is ever present with us and giving us His peace which is beyond all understanding!
(Luk 24:44) And He said to them, These are the Words which I spoke to you yet being with you, that all the things must be fulfilled having been written in the Law of Moses, and the Prophets, and the Psalms, concerning Me.
(Luk 24:45) Then He opened up their mind to understand the Scriptures,
Again the apostles had walked with Jesus, they saw the signs and wonders, they hear Him speak with their own ears, yet they did not understand and did not really know Him. Until He (Jesus) opened their eyes to the scriptures.
(Luk 24:49) And, behold, I send forth the promise of My Father on you. But you sit in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high.
(Joh 14:16) And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
(Joh 14:17) Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
(Joh 14:18) I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
(Isa 44:3) For I will pour water on a thirsty place, and floods on the dry ground. I will pour My Spirit on your seed, and My blessing on your offspring.
(Isa 44:4) And they shall sprout as among grass, as willows by streams of water.
(Isa 59:21) As for Me, this is My covenant with them, says Jehovah: My Spirit who is on you, and My Words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your seed, or out of the mouth of your seed’s seed, from now on and forever, says Jehovah.
The Visitation was a type and shadow of that which was to come. The “comforter”, “the spirit if truth”, The Holy Spirit (the promise of the Father) abides (menō – to live with – to stay – to remain) with us forever.
How comforting is it to “know” that our Lord and our God is “always” with us? No mater what we are going through, no matter how dark things “appear” to be, He is ALWAYS with us covering and protecting us with His wings.
(Psa 91:2) I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
(Psa 91:3) Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
(Psa 91:4) He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
(Psa 91:5) Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
(Psa 91:6) Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
(Psa 91:7) A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
Glory to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit!
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