And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
Late on resurrection afternoon two disappointed believers walked home from Jerusalem to Emmaus, communing sadly together about His trial, death and missing body, when Jesus Himself drew near and went with them as an ordinary fellow traveler unrecognized because their eyes were holden with grief. Though He had triumphed over death and possessed all authority, He took the humble place of a companion on the rough road, longing with pitying love to comfort them yet deliberately hiding who He was until He had taught them. He opened to them in Moses and all the prophets the things concerning Himself, showing the straight chain of prophecy fulfilled exactly in His life, death and resurrection and giving lessons they would never forget. His walking and talking with them stands as proof of a risen Saviour, joined with His appearing to the eleven to make certain the resurrection and establish Christianity against the falsehood that the body was stolen. He still draws near with the same sympathy to suffering, perplexed and honestly seeking people on their hardest paths to teach, comfort and give peace, yet He does not force His company upon those who remain indifferent and do not invite Him to stay.
Journey to Emmaus
It was late on resurrection afternoon, on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus, eight miles away. The two on that road held no prominent place in Christ's work, yet they were earnest believers who had come up to the city to keep the Passover and were now returning home to meditate and pray. They set out depressed, meaning to go back to their old work and hide their crushed hopes.
They had expected Jesus to reign on David's throne in Jerusalem and to redeem Israel, and now they were greatly perplexed and disappointed and had lost hope. That despair remained despite what they had heard that morning, the news of the removal of His body from the tomb and the report of the women who had seen angels and had met Jesus. They were returning in hope of light on matters still dark to them.
As they walked they communed together and reasoned sadly, even weeping, about His trial and crucifixion and death and resurrection and the reports that His body was gone. They talked over disappointed hopes caused by the death of the beloved Master, recounting the scenes of the trial and the crucifixion and their unfulfilled hopes. Their reasoning turned on events and lessons they could not understand, asking how His shameful death could fit His claim to be the Son of God.
They were so absorbed in grief and disappointment and sorrow and unbelief that their eyes were holden and clouded and did not discern the risen Saviour beside them. Burdened with grief, they scarcely noticed the stranger who drew near and joined them. His appearance bore no special marks revealing Him as the Son of God, and they took Him for a fellow traveler returning from the feast.
Jesus Drawing Near Unrecognized
Jesus himself drew near and went with the two as they communed together and reasoned on the road, joining their conversation and hearing their talk by the way. He shared their difficult journey over rough ground and rested with them, though absorbed in grief and disappointment they scarcely noticed they were no longer alone. They had set out depressed, and their eyes were holden and kept from recognizing him.
Though he had endured the garden and the cross, triumphed over death and possessed all authority, he took the humble role of an ordinary fellow traveler. He came merely as a companion asking what sad communications they had as they walked and why they were sorrowful, their eyes blinded by sorrow and unbelief so they did not discern the risen Saviour beside them. He thus identified himself with suffering and perplexed people and remained with them on their hardest paths, his sympathy and love unchanged after resurrection and ascension.
He understood their distress and with pitying love saw a sorrow he could comfort and longed to comfort them and reveal himself. Yet he did not do so abruptly, but stayed hours with them teaching and comforting them while his words sank deep into their discouraged hearts, first giving lessons they would never forget. He saw their perplexity over his death and the reports of the women who had seen angels and had met him, and came near to relieve it.
He deliberately kept his identity hidden until he had interpreted the Scriptures and led them to intelligent faith in his life, his character, his mission to earth, and his death and resurrection. He did this so truth would take firm root 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. He withheld disclosure so they would first attend to the sacred truths he taught and carry that knowledge to others, and when the object of his labor was gained he revealed himself that their joy might be full, and then vanished from their sight.
He remained their companion beyond the first road, hearing with gladness their joyful and grateful talk together as after revelation their joy exceeded former despair and they hastened back to Jerusalem to share the news of a living Saviour risen from the dead. He traveled with them as an unseen companion on the return from Emmaus to Jerusalem through the dark streets by moonlight. He entered with them into the upper chamber in Jerusalem where the brethren were gathered.
He draws near to those who honestly seek to understand God's revelation and is ready to help them. Yet he does not force his company on anyone, but draws near to those who need him. Those who remain indifferent and do not invite him to stay may miss knowing him and suffer loss.
Scriptures Opened and Explained
On the road He opened to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself, beginning at Moses and through all the prophets. His presence with them in doing this is part of the evidence that He has risen. Together with His revelation in the upper chamber to the eleven as one risen from the dead, this appearance proves the resurrection certain, makes of none effect the priests' falsehood that the body was stolen, and supplies uncontrovertible evidence by which Christianity was established. They later recognized Him when He blessed the meal.
He opened their minds and understanding so they could comprehend the Scriptures. He explained the Old Testament in a way that revealed meanings its writers had not themselves seen. He spoke with them about the Scriptures while they remained unaware that He was their companion, thinking Him a fellow traveler returning from the feast. Though weary, they continued listening as He gave them words of life and assurance.
He used their confusion about His trial, death and resurrection to explain that the prophecies about the Messiah had been fulfilled exactly in His life and death. He showed them how prophecy from the patriarchs onward foretold what had happened to their Savior, a straight chain of prophecy reaching from the days of the patriarchs to that time foreshadowing all that had happened to the Saviour. Careful study and comparison of Scripture would have clarified those prophecies, but mistaken interpretations and traditions had obscured them. When the two told this to the assembled disciples, the company listened in breathless silence, with some given new faith and others remaining unbelieving.
After His resurrection He continued His work as an educator, the same who spoke as never man spoke on earth. He drew near to the lonely, disappointed disciples traveling to Emmaus and taught those assembled in the upper chamber. To the Emmaus travelers He opened the Scriptures concerning Himself, and His teaching bound their hearts with a holy, new, and sacred hope and joy. After His resurrection He taught the disappointed disciples by opening the Scriptures about Himself, and their hearts filled with holy hope and joy.
The same divine Teacher still enlightens those who keep their hearts open to heaven. The Holy Spirit brings truth to remembrance and guides them into all truth.
Risen Saviour and Prophecy
His drawing near to the two disciples as they walked and talked on the road to Emmaus, going with them and then explaining from Moses and the prophets what the Scriptures say about Him, is part of the evidence that He has risen. He died on the cross as a sacrifice and was raised from the dead, having proclaimed over the tomb that He is the resurrection and the life, and then He walked on the road where He met two of His disciples and made Himself known to them before leaving them, proving a risen Saviour. His joining the two as they walked to Emmaus was to give abundant evidence that He had risen from the dead, beginning at Moses and opening to them in all the prophets the things concerning Himself.
Together with His revelation in the upper chamber to the eleven as one risen from the dead, this appearance makes the resurrection certain, makes of none effect the priests' falsehood that the body was stolen, and supplies the uncontrovertible evidence by which Christianity was established. The chapter belongs to the teaching that God gave His Son to save sinful people. Through Jesus' suffering and death those who repent, are converted, and come to the Father by faith in Christ can receive salvation and forgiveness, and by believing the truth they can be sanctified.
Present Comfort and Holy Conversation
The risen Jesus walking the Emmaus road shows that He identifies Himself with suffering and perplexed people and stays with them on their hardest paths to teach, comfort and help them, though He was the mighty conqueror of death who possessed all authority He took the humble place of an ordinary fellow traveler, sharing the difficult journey over rough ground and resting by the way. His sympathy and love are unchanged by resurrection and ascension, and He is just as near now to those in despondency and grief as He was to the sorrowing disciples, giving consolation, peace and life to all who accept Him. As He met the two on the road and conversed with them and opened the truths of His word, so He met Waldensian believers in their lonely retreats and strengthened them to reject false guides and worship God alone.
He is present with His followers even when unseen, beside them as they talk, hearing their conversation and surrounding them with a holy atmosphere. Knowing He is near turns conversation from foolish, common talk to His lessons and holy things, and His presence brings holy joy. Feeding on the bread of life makes hearts burn with spiritual gladness, and contemplating Christ and the Scriptures and His saving work stirs holy joy and spiritual life and calls to renewed conversion. Those who commune about Him and seek Christ's righteousness dwell on the great salvation, with the Bible as the storehouse supplying nourishing food for the soul. They meditate on the incarnation of Christ and the great sacrifice made to save from perdition and to bring pardon, peace and everlasting righteousness, their souls glow with these grand themes and holiness and truth and grace and righteousness fill their thoughts, self dies and Christ lives in them, and in contemplating the word their hearts burn within them as did the hearts going to Emmaus when He opened the Scriptures concerning Himself.
The same joy belongs to the pure in heart now when they talk together about the plan of redemption, the love of Jesus, salvation offered through His infinite love, holiness of heart, the precious saving truth for these last days, and the grace of Christ. Those who have centered their affections on Christ relish such hallowed association and gather divine strength by it, while those who have no relish for it and prefer sentimental nonsense have wandered far from God and are becoming dead to holy and noble aspirations. When the travelers received light as Jesus drew near, their joy exceeded their former despair, and they pursued the right course by hastening back through the night to Jerusalem to share the news of a living Saviour risen from the dead. True light brings believers back into unity with the church instead of taking a separate line and breaking unity, leading them to return to those whom God has led and is still leading and tell what they have seen, to bear living testimony that better qualifies them to prepare a people to stand in the great day of God, and to seek counsel of those who have borne and are bearing the truth and the last message of warning with deep experience in the things of God. His companionship on that journey is the example for all who feel Jesus is not with them, to long for His presence and ask Him to abide with them.
Late on resurrection afternoon two disappointed believers walked home from Jerusalem to Emmaus, communing sadly together about His trial, death and missing body, when Jesus Himself drew near and went with them as an ordinary fellow traveler unrecognized because their eyes were holden with grief. Though He had triumphed over death and possessed all authority, He took the humble place of a companion on the rough road, longing with pitying love to comfort them yet deliberately hiding who He was until He had taught them. He opened to them in Moses and all the prophets the things concerning Himself, showing the straight chain of prophecy fulfilled exactly in His life, death and resurrection and giving lessons they would never forget. His walking and talking with them stands as proof of a risen Saviour, joined with His appearing to the eleven to make certain the resurrection and establish Christianity against the falsehood that the body was stolen. He still draws near with the same sympathy to suffering, perplexed and honestly seeking people on their hardest paths to teach, comfort and give peace, yet He does not force His company upon those who remain indifferent and do not invite Him to stay.
Journey to Emmaus
It was late on resurrection afternoon, on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus, eight miles away. The two on that road held no prominent place in Christ's work, yet they were earnest believers who had come up to the city to keep the Passover and were now returning home to meditate and pray. They set out depressed, meaning to go back to their old work and hide their crushed hopes.
They had expected Jesus to reign on David's throne in Jerusalem and to redeem Israel, and now they were greatly perplexed and disappointed and had lost hope. That despair remained despite what they had heard that morning, the news of the removal of His body from the tomb and the report of the women who had seen angels and had met Jesus. They were returning in hope of light on matters still dark to them.
As they walked they communed together and reasoned sadly, even weeping, about His trial and crucifixion and death and resurrection and the reports that His body was gone. They talked over disappointed hopes caused by the death of the beloved Master, recounting the scenes of the trial and the crucifixion and their unfulfilled hopes. Their reasoning turned on events and lessons they could not understand, asking how His shameful death could fit His claim to be the Son of God.
They were so absorbed in grief and disappointment and sorrow and unbelief that their eyes were holden and clouded and did not discern the risen Saviour beside them. Burdened with grief, they scarcely noticed the stranger who drew near and joined them. His appearance bore no special marks revealing Him as the Son of God, and they took Him for a fellow traveler returning from the feast.
Jesus Drawing Near Unrecognized
Jesus himself drew near and went with the two as they communed together and reasoned on the road, joining their conversation and hearing their talk by the way. He shared their difficult journey over rough ground and rested with them, though absorbed in grief and disappointment they scarcely noticed they were no longer alone. They had set out depressed, and their eyes were holden and kept from recognizing him.
Though he had endured the garden and the cross, triumphed over death and possessed all authority, he took the humble role of an ordinary fellow traveler. He came merely as a companion asking what sad communications they had as they walked and why they were sorrowful, their eyes blinded by sorrow and unbelief so they did not discern the risen Saviour beside them. He thus identified himself with suffering and perplexed people and remained with them on their hardest paths, his sympathy and love unchanged after resurrection and ascension.
He understood their distress and with pitying love saw a sorrow he could comfort and longed to comfort them and reveal himself. Yet he did not do so abruptly, but stayed hours with them teaching and comforting them while his words sank deep into their discouraged hearts, first giving lessons they would never forget. He saw their perplexity over his death and the reports of the women who had seen angels and had met him, and came near to relieve it.
He deliberately kept his identity hidden until he had interpreted the Scriptures and led them to intelligent faith in his life, his character, his mission to earth, and his death and resurrection. He did this so truth would take firm root 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. He withheld disclosure so they would first attend to the sacred truths he taught and carry that knowledge to others, and when the object of his labor was gained he revealed himself that their joy might be full, and then vanished from their sight.
He remained their companion beyond the first road, hearing with gladness their joyful and grateful talk together as after revelation their joy exceeded former despair and they hastened back to Jerusalem to share the news of a living Saviour risen from the dead. He traveled with them as an unseen companion on the return from Emmaus to Jerusalem through the dark streets by moonlight. He entered with them into the upper chamber in Jerusalem where the brethren were gathered.
He draws near to those who honestly seek to understand God's revelation and is ready to help them. Yet he does not force his company on anyone, but draws near to those who need him. Those who remain indifferent and do not invite him to stay may miss knowing him and suffer loss.
Scriptures Opened and Explained
On the road He opened to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself, beginning at Moses and through all the prophets. His presence with them in doing this is part of the evidence that He has risen. Together with His revelation in the upper chamber to the eleven as one risen from the dead, this appearance proves the resurrection certain, makes of none effect the priests' falsehood that the body was stolen, and supplies uncontrovertible evidence by which Christianity was established. They later recognized Him when He blessed the meal.
He opened their minds and understanding so they could comprehend the Scriptures. He explained the Old Testament in a way that revealed meanings its writers had not themselves seen. He spoke with them about the Scriptures while they remained unaware that He was their companion, thinking Him a fellow traveler returning from the feast. Though weary, they continued listening as He gave them words of life and assurance.
He used their confusion about His trial, death and resurrection to explain that the prophecies about the Messiah had been fulfilled exactly in His life and death. He showed them how prophecy from the patriarchs onward foretold what had happened to their Savior, a straight chain of prophecy reaching from the days of the patriarchs to that time foreshadowing all that had happened to the Saviour. Careful study and comparison of Scripture would have clarified those prophecies, but mistaken interpretations and traditions had obscured them. When the two told this to the assembled disciples, the company listened in breathless silence, with some given new faith and others remaining unbelieving.
After His resurrection He continued His work as an educator, the same who spoke as never man spoke on earth. He drew near to the lonely, disappointed disciples traveling to Emmaus and taught those assembled in the upper chamber. To the Emmaus travelers He opened the Scriptures concerning Himself, and His teaching bound their hearts with a holy, new, and sacred hope and joy. After His resurrection He taught the disappointed disciples by opening the Scriptures about Himself, and their hearts filled with holy hope and joy.
The same divine Teacher still enlightens those who keep their hearts open to heaven. The Holy Spirit brings truth to remembrance and guides them into all truth.
Risen Saviour and Prophecy
His drawing near to the two disciples as they walked and talked on the road to Emmaus, going with them and then explaining from Moses and the prophets what the Scriptures say about Him, is part of the evidence that He has risen. He died on the cross as a sacrifice and was raised from the dead, having proclaimed over the tomb that He is the resurrection and the life, and then He walked on the road where He met two of His disciples and made Himself known to them before leaving them, proving a risen Saviour. His joining the two as they walked to Emmaus was to give abundant evidence that He had risen from the dead, beginning at Moses and opening to them in all the prophets the things concerning Himself.
Together with His revelation in the upper chamber to the eleven as one risen from the dead, this appearance makes the resurrection certain, makes of none effect the priests' falsehood that the body was stolen, and supplies the uncontrovertible evidence by which Christianity was established. The chapter belongs to the teaching that God gave His Son to save sinful people. Through Jesus' suffering and death those who repent, are converted, and come to the Father by faith in Christ can receive salvation and forgiveness, and by believing the truth they can be sanctified.
Present Comfort and Holy Conversation
The risen Jesus walking the Emmaus road shows that He identifies Himself with suffering and perplexed people and stays with them on their hardest paths to teach, comfort and help them, though He was the mighty conqueror of death who possessed all authority He took the humble place of an ordinary fellow traveler, sharing the difficult journey over rough ground and resting by the way. His sympathy and love are unchanged by resurrection and ascension, and He is just as near now to those in despondency and grief as He was to the sorrowing disciples, giving consolation, peace and life to all who accept Him. As He met the two on the road and conversed with them and opened the truths of His word, so He met Waldensian believers in their lonely retreats and strengthened them to reject false guides and worship God alone.
He is present with His followers even when unseen, beside them as they talk, hearing their conversation and surrounding them with a holy atmosphere. Knowing He is near turns conversation from foolish, common talk to His lessons and holy things, and His presence brings holy joy. Feeding on the bread of life makes hearts burn with spiritual gladness, and contemplating Christ and the Scriptures and His saving work stirs holy joy and spiritual life and calls to renewed conversion. Those who commune about Him and seek Christ's righteousness dwell on the great salvation, with the Bible as the storehouse supplying nourishing food for the soul. They meditate on the incarnation of Christ and the great sacrifice made to save from perdition and to bring pardon, peace and everlasting righteousness, their souls glow with these grand themes and holiness and truth and grace and righteousness fill their thoughts, self dies and Christ lives in them, and in contemplating the word their hearts burn within them as did the hearts going to Emmaus when He opened the Scriptures concerning Himself.
The same joy belongs to the pure in heart now when they talk together about the plan of redemption, the love of Jesus, salvation offered through His infinite love, holiness of heart, the precious saving truth for these last days, and the grace of Christ. Those who have centered their affections on Christ relish such hallowed association and gather divine strength by it, while those who have no relish for it and prefer sentimental nonsense have wandered far from God and are becoming dead to holy and noble aspirations. When the travelers received light as Jesus drew near, their joy exceeded their former despair, and they pursued the right course by hastening back through the night to Jerusalem to share the news of a living Saviour risen from the dead. True light brings believers back into unity with the church instead of taking a separate line and breaking unity, leading them to return to those whom God has led and is still leading and tell what they have seen, to bear living testimony that better qualifies them to prepare a people to stand in the great day of God, and to seek counsel of those who have borne and are bearing the truth and the last message of warning with deep experience in the things of God. His companionship on that journey is the example for all who feel Jesus is not with them, to long for His presence and ask Him to abide with them.