Jesus Walks With Two Disciples on the Road to EmmausBible World
24:14Luke 24:14
And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
On the afternoon of the resurrection day two disciples were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus talking and reasoning together about all that had happened to Jesus, His trial, suffering, crucifixion and death, His lessons and life, and the perplexing reports of His resurrection. They spoke out of grief, disappointment and weeping with blighted hopes, because unbelief had blinded them so they could not reconcile His shameful death with their hope that He would redeem Israel. While they talked Jesus Himself drew near and walked with them for hours as a humble fellow traveler, listening with pitying love though they supposed Him an ordinary traveler and He deliberately withheld His true character. Beginning at Moses He opened to them in all the prophets the things concerning Himself, showing the connected chain of prophecy fulfilled in His life and death, until their hearts burned within them with new hope and joy and He was recognized in blessing the meal. Their talking together is a picture of followers sharing thoughts about Christ and redemption today, beside whom Jesus still walks unseen and is pleased when they dwell on holy things, making the soul aglow while foolish common talk shows wandering far from God.
Journey to Emmaus
The two walked from Jerusalem to Emmaus on the afternoon of the resurrection day, the first day of the week, with Emmaus about eight miles away. They were leaving Jerusalem restless and unhappy to return home to think and meditate and pray in hope of gaining light about matters that were dark to them. They intended to take up their old employment again and conceal their disappointment as best they could.
The outward road was rough and mountainous, and they paused to rest as they went. They made their evening walk in the shadow of the cross.
After Jesus was revealed to them they hurried back to Jerusalem over the rough, uncertain road in darkness with no moon to light them, to carry the tidings of a living Saviour risen from the dead. They journeyed back into the city and entered by the eastern gate after dark through dark silent narrow streets to the memorable upper chamber where Jesus had spent the last night before His death and where the disciples had passed the Sabbath mourning for their Lord. Jesus Himself was their unseen companion all the way and entered with them when cautious hands unbarred the door at their repeated demand, finding the brethren awake with no disposition to sleep. Those who held the return was by the light of the rising moon so describe it.
Sorrowful Conversation Together
They talked and reasoned together of all these things which had happened, meaning His trial, suffering, humiliation, crucifixion and death, the lessons He had taught, and His life, death and resurrection. They went over the scenes of the trial and the crucifixion, drawing on the full account of Friday's events that some had obtained from eyewitnesses and what others had beheld with their own eyes. Their talk also covered the perplexing reports that His body was gone and that women had seen angels and met Him after His resurrection. Those reports of the women deepened their uncertainty, and their conversation concerned both the death of their beloved Master and the reports that He had risen.
They spoke out of grief, disappointment, discouragement, hopelessness and weeping, with blighted hopes, gloomy forebodings, and voices full of mourning. These strong men were so burdened with grief that they wept as they traveled, telling of blighted hopes as they intended to return home and conceal their disappointment. They were so busy with their conversation that they hardly noticed when a stranger came up and went with them. Their sadness came from unbelief that blinded their eyes and obscured their faith, so they did not discern the risen Saviour when He drew near unrecognized. Their faith had died with the Lord, and they could not reconcile His shameful death with His claim to be the Son of God and their hope that He would redeem Israel, having accepted mistaken interpretations and traditions.
The same kind of talking together later filled the upper chamber, where the assembled disciples in excited discussion spoke of Mary Magdalene and the other women. That report was heard by all but disbelieved by some who were too hopeless to believe. With it was joined Peter's ardent testimony of his interview with the risen Lord, borne with ardor and assurance and having more weight. So hope and faith struggled for ascendency and began to revive, until when the disciples from Emmaus entered with joyful tidings they were met by many voices declaring that the Lord is risen indeed and has appeared to Simon.
Jesus Joins Unrecognized
While they were still talking and reasoning together about what had happened, Jesus Himself drew near and walked with them on the way to Emmaus, listening to their sad discussion without being recognized. He stayed with them for hours as a humble fellow traveler, teaching and comforting them while His words sank deeply into their discouraged hearts. They supposed Him to be only an ordinary traveler returning from the feast, and walked and listened intently with Him over the rough, mountainous road, pausing to rest as they went. He was the divine conqueror of death, yet He came in the same size as before His crucifixion with no special outward marks immediately revealing Him as the Son of God. He deliberately maintained His disguise and withheld His true character as risen from the dead, not telling them who He was until His purpose was accomplished.
He saw their sorrow with pitying love that could comfort it, for they were burdened with grief and even wept as strong men while they traveled. Though He was walking by their side, their eyes blinded by unbelief did not discern the risen Saviour, and He identified with His suffering and perplexed people and shared their hardships with enduring sympathy and love to teach and comfort them. Longing to reveal Himself, He did not choose to do so abruptly but accosted them merely as a fellow traveler and asked what communication they were having with one another and why they were so sad. He is likewise by the side of those who accept Him to give peace and life, staying near people in grief to bring consolation and peace and showing the plan of salvation by opening the Scriptures. He kept Himself hidden so the truth would take firm root in their minds not because it rested on His personal testimony but because the typical law and the prophets of the Old Testament agreeing with the facts of His life and death gave unquestionable evidence. By explaining how the Scriptures agreed with what had happened He led them to an intelligent faith in His life, character, mission to earth, death and resurrection, grounding their faith in scriptural evidence rather than merely in seeing Him, so that the sacred truths would take firm root and be shared with others.
Scriptures Opened to Them
Beginning at Moses He opened to them in all the prophets the things concerning Himself, walking them through the prophecies step by step as they went to Emmaus. He opened their understanding to understand the Scriptures, teaching and comforting them by showing the plan of salvation. In doing so He revealed in them a meaning their writers had not seen.
What He made clear was a connected, straight chain of prophecy extending from the patriarchs to that time, foreshadowing what had happened to their Saviour. Every prophetic detail about the Messiah was shown to have been fulfilled in His life and death.
His words sank deeply into their discouraged hearts during the hours He was with them unrecognized. As they contemplated Christ and the sacred truths about His life, mission, death and resurrection, their hearts burned within them. He bound them with holy, new and sacred hope and joy, coming to them as educator to open the Scriptures concerning Himself. The truths took firm root so they would be shared with others.
Their talk by the way was thus changed from depressed telling of blighted hopes to expressions of joy and gratitude. Jesus heard that changed talk with gladness. On their return to Jerusalem they spoke with that joy and gratitude about what they had learned.
When His purpose was accomplished He was recognized as Jesus when He blessed the meal and they saw the nail marks. He had kept Himself hidden so the truth would take firm root not because it rested on His personal testimony but because the typical law and the prophets agreeing with the facts of His life and death gave unquestionable evidence, leading them to an intelligent faith in His life, character, mission, death and resurrection. Once revealed to make their joy full, He vanished from their sight.
They then hurried back to carry tidings of a living Saviour risen from the dead to Jerusalem. There they recounted how He had opened their eyes to that connected line of prophecy and had opened the Scriptures to them. Their report was heard in breathless silence, inspiring new faith in some while others remained incredulous. They were met by many voices declaring the Lord is risen indeed and has appeared to Simon, amid excited discussion of Mary Magdalene and the other women heard by all but disbelieved by some, and of Peter's ardent testimony of his interview with the risen Lord that carried more weight so hope and faith struggled for ascendency and began to revive.
Pattern for Believers Today
The talking together on the road is a picture of followers sharing thoughts about Christ, His love, His lessons of instruction, the plan of redemption, salvation for fallen man, holiness of heart, saving truth and the grace of Christ, feeding on the bread of life with relish for holy things. Jesus still walks unseen beside His followers today, surrounds them with the holy atmosphere of His presence, hears all their talk, and is pleased when they dwell on holy things. Such holy conversation brings holy joy and divine strength like the joy they felt when He came and walked with them. Lack of relish for this hallowed association, with pleasure instead in foolish common talk and frivolous sentimental nonsense, shows one has wandered far from God and become dead to holy and noble aspirations.
Dwelling upon the great salvation, meditating upon the incarnation of Christ and contemplating the great sacrifice made to save from perdition and to bring in pardon, peace and everlasting righteousness makes the soul aglow with holiness and truth, grace and righteousness, puts self to death and lets Christ live within. When truth abides in the heart as an abiding principle and the love of Christ is in the soul as a well of water springing up into everlasting life, hearts burn with holy joy. What God has prepared for those that love Him then flows from the lips in living streams that bring life and gladness, like a living spring that cannot be repressed but gushes forth in another place, refreshing the weary and restraining vile thought and utterance. In that state there is no place for criticism of God's servants or picking flaws with His message. As educator He still comes to lonely, disappointed, sorrowing people as He came to them, opening to them the Scriptures concerning Himself and binding hearts with holy, new and sacred hope and joy, staying near in grief to give peace and life and consolation to those who accept Him.
Their experience is a pattern for the Waldenses, who met with Jesus in their lonely retreats, heard Him open the truths of Scripture, and were strengthened to remain faithful. It is also the right course for anyone claiming God has given great light concerning the church. Such a one must not take a different line from the church and break up its unity, but when receiving light must return as they did to find those whom God had led and was still leading, tell how Jesus had been seen and talked with, go to those chosen of God to bear a living testimony who have had deep experience in the things of God and are still bearing the truth and giving to the world the last message of warning, give evidence that this light will better qualify to prepare a people to stand in the great day of God, and seek their counsel. Their talking together is likewise the pattern for studying Daniel and Revelation with the other prophecies of the Old and New Testaments, praying for light in the dwelling and for the Holy Spirit shining upon the sacred page to open understanding to know what is truth, so that hearts burn within while He talks by the way and opens the Scriptures.
On the afternoon of the resurrection day two disciples were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus talking and reasoning together about all that had happened to Jesus, His trial, suffering, crucifixion and death, His lessons and life, and the perplexing reports of His resurrection. They spoke out of grief, disappointment and weeping with blighted hopes, because unbelief had blinded them so they could not reconcile His shameful death with their hope that He would redeem Israel. While they talked Jesus Himself drew near and walked with them for hours as a humble fellow traveler, listening with pitying love though they supposed Him an ordinary traveler and He deliberately withheld His true character. Beginning at Moses He opened to them in all the prophets the things concerning Himself, showing the connected chain of prophecy fulfilled in His life and death, until their hearts burned within them with new hope and joy and He was recognized in blessing the meal. Their talking together is a picture of followers sharing thoughts about Christ and redemption today, beside whom Jesus still walks unseen and is pleased when they dwell on holy things, making the soul aglow while foolish common talk shows wandering far from God.
Journey to Emmaus
The two walked from Jerusalem to Emmaus on the afternoon of the resurrection day, the first day of the week, with Emmaus about eight miles away. They were leaving Jerusalem restless and unhappy to return home to think and meditate and pray in hope of gaining light about matters that were dark to them. They intended to take up their old employment again and conceal their disappointment as best they could.
The outward road was rough and mountainous, and they paused to rest as they went. They made their evening walk in the shadow of the cross.
After Jesus was revealed to them they hurried back to Jerusalem over the rough, uncertain road in darkness with no moon to light them, to carry the tidings of a living Saviour risen from the dead. They journeyed back into the city and entered by the eastern gate after dark through dark silent narrow streets to the memorable upper chamber where Jesus had spent the last night before His death and where the disciples had passed the Sabbath mourning for their Lord. Jesus Himself was their unseen companion all the way and entered with them when cautious hands unbarred the door at their repeated demand, finding the brethren awake with no disposition to sleep. Those who held the return was by the light of the rising moon so describe it.
Sorrowful Conversation Together
They talked and reasoned together of all these things which had happened, meaning His trial, suffering, humiliation, crucifixion and death, the lessons He had taught, and His life, death and resurrection. They went over the scenes of the trial and the crucifixion, drawing on the full account of Friday's events that some had obtained from eyewitnesses and what others had beheld with their own eyes. Their talk also covered the perplexing reports that His body was gone and that women had seen angels and met Him after His resurrection. Those reports of the women deepened their uncertainty, and their conversation concerned both the death of their beloved Master and the reports that He had risen.
They spoke out of grief, disappointment, discouragement, hopelessness and weeping, with blighted hopes, gloomy forebodings, and voices full of mourning. These strong men were so burdened with grief that they wept as they traveled, telling of blighted hopes as they intended to return home and conceal their disappointment. They were so busy with their conversation that they hardly noticed when a stranger came up and went with them. Their sadness came from unbelief that blinded their eyes and obscured their faith, so they did not discern the risen Saviour when He drew near unrecognized. Their faith had died with the Lord, and they could not reconcile His shameful death with His claim to be the Son of God and their hope that He would redeem Israel, having accepted mistaken interpretations and traditions.
The same kind of talking together later filled the upper chamber, where the assembled disciples in excited discussion spoke of Mary Magdalene and the other women. That report was heard by all but disbelieved by some who were too hopeless to believe. With it was joined Peter's ardent testimony of his interview with the risen Lord, borne with ardor and assurance and having more weight. So hope and faith struggled for ascendency and began to revive, until when the disciples from Emmaus entered with joyful tidings they were met by many voices declaring that the Lord is risen indeed and has appeared to Simon.
Jesus Joins Unrecognized
While they were still talking and reasoning together about what had happened, Jesus Himself drew near and walked with them on the way to Emmaus, listening to their sad discussion without being recognized. He stayed with them for hours as a humble fellow traveler, teaching and comforting them while His words sank deeply into their discouraged hearts. They supposed Him to be only an ordinary traveler returning from the feast, and walked and listened intently with Him over the rough, mountainous road, pausing to rest as they went. He was the divine conqueror of death, yet He came in the same size as before His crucifixion with no special outward marks immediately revealing Him as the Son of God. He deliberately maintained His disguise and withheld His true character as risen from the dead, not telling them who He was until His purpose was accomplished.
He saw their sorrow with pitying love that could comfort it, for they were burdened with grief and even wept as strong men while they traveled. Though He was walking by their side, their eyes blinded by unbelief did not discern the risen Saviour, and He identified with His suffering and perplexed people and shared their hardships with enduring sympathy and love to teach and comfort them. Longing to reveal Himself, He did not choose to do so abruptly but accosted them merely as a fellow traveler and asked what communication they were having with one another and why they were so sad. He is likewise by the side of those who accept Him to give peace and life, staying near people in grief to bring consolation and peace and showing the plan of salvation by opening the Scriptures. He kept Himself hidden so the truth would take firm root in their minds not because it rested on His personal testimony but because the typical law and the prophets of the Old Testament agreeing with the facts of His life and death gave unquestionable evidence. By explaining how the Scriptures agreed with what had happened He led them to an intelligent faith in His life, character, mission to earth, death and resurrection, grounding their faith in scriptural evidence rather than merely in seeing Him, so that the sacred truths would take firm root and be shared with others.
Scriptures Opened to Them
Beginning at Moses He opened to them in all the prophets the things concerning Himself, walking them through the prophecies step by step as they went to Emmaus. He opened their understanding to understand the Scriptures, teaching and comforting them by showing the plan of salvation. In doing so He revealed in them a meaning their writers had not seen.
What He made clear was a connected, straight chain of prophecy extending from the patriarchs to that time, foreshadowing what had happened to their Saviour. Every prophetic detail about the Messiah was shown to have been fulfilled in His life and death.
His words sank deeply into their discouraged hearts during the hours He was with them unrecognized. As they contemplated Christ and the sacred truths about His life, mission, death and resurrection, their hearts burned within them. He bound them with holy, new and sacred hope and joy, coming to them as educator to open the Scriptures concerning Himself. The truths took firm root so they would be shared with others.
Their talk by the way was thus changed from depressed telling of blighted hopes to expressions of joy and gratitude. Jesus heard that changed talk with gladness. On their return to Jerusalem they spoke with that joy and gratitude about what they had learned.
When His purpose was accomplished He was recognized as Jesus when He blessed the meal and they saw the nail marks. He had kept Himself hidden so the truth would take firm root not because it rested on His personal testimony but because the typical law and the prophets agreeing with the facts of His life and death gave unquestionable evidence, leading them to an intelligent faith in His life, character, mission, death and resurrection. Once revealed to make their joy full, He vanished from their sight.
They then hurried back to carry tidings of a living Saviour risen from the dead to Jerusalem. There they recounted how He had opened their eyes to that connected line of prophecy and had opened the Scriptures to them. Their report was heard in breathless silence, inspiring new faith in some while others remained incredulous. They were met by many voices declaring the Lord is risen indeed and has appeared to Simon, amid excited discussion of Mary Magdalene and the other women heard by all but disbelieved by some, and of Peter's ardent testimony of his interview with the risen Lord that carried more weight so hope and faith struggled for ascendency and began to revive.
Pattern for Believers Today
The talking together on the road is a picture of followers sharing thoughts about Christ, His love, His lessons of instruction, the plan of redemption, salvation for fallen man, holiness of heart, saving truth and the grace of Christ, feeding on the bread of life with relish for holy things. Jesus still walks unseen beside His followers today, surrounds them with the holy atmosphere of His presence, hears all their talk, and is pleased when they dwell on holy things. Such holy conversation brings holy joy and divine strength like the joy they felt when He came and walked with them. Lack of relish for this hallowed association, with pleasure instead in foolish common talk and frivolous sentimental nonsense, shows one has wandered far from God and become dead to holy and noble aspirations.
Dwelling upon the great salvation, meditating upon the incarnation of Christ and contemplating the great sacrifice made to save from perdition and to bring in pardon, peace and everlasting righteousness makes the soul aglow with holiness and truth, grace and righteousness, puts self to death and lets Christ live within. When truth abides in the heart as an abiding principle and the love of Christ is in the soul as a well of water springing up into everlasting life, hearts burn with holy joy. What God has prepared for those that love Him then flows from the lips in living streams that bring life and gladness, like a living spring that cannot be repressed but gushes forth in another place, refreshing the weary and restraining vile thought and utterance. In that state there is no place for criticism of God's servants or picking flaws with His message. As educator He still comes to lonely, disappointed, sorrowing people as He came to them, opening to them the Scriptures concerning Himself and binding hearts with holy, new and sacred hope and joy, staying near in grief to give peace and life and consolation to those who accept Him.
Their experience is a pattern for the Waldenses, who met with Jesus in their lonely retreats, heard Him open the truths of Scripture, and were strengthened to remain faithful. It is also the right course for anyone claiming God has given great light concerning the church. Such a one must not take a different line from the church and break up its unity, but when receiving light must return as they did to find those whom God had led and was still leading, tell how Jesus had been seen and talked with, go to those chosen of God to bear a living testimony who have had deep experience in the things of God and are still bearing the truth and giving to the world the last message of warning, give evidence that this light will better qualify to prepare a people to stand in the great day of God, and seek their counsel. Their talking together is likewise the pattern for studying Daniel and Revelation with the other prophecies of the Old and New Testaments, praying for light in the dwelling and for the Holy Spirit shining upon the sacred page to open understanding to know what is truth, so that hearts burn within while He talks by the way and opens the Scriptures.