Luke 24:18, commentary and pictures

On the afternoon of the resurrection day one of the two disciples walking on foot from Jerusalem toward Emmaus was named Cleopas, and he turned to the traveler who had joined them with surprised questioning as if he were only a visiting stranger in Jerusalem who had not heard what had happened there in these days. The things he meant were assumed to be common knowledge in the city, the trial, condemnation and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth by the chief priests and rulers, the removal of his body, the angels and the reports of the women that he was risen, now the third day since these things were done. They spoke as men in grief, disappointment, perplexity and despair, whose hope that he would redeem Israel was buried with him in the tomb, and though they had heard the testimony of the women and of Peter they did not believe he had risen. They did not recognize that the companion was the risen Son of God himself, who deliberately kept his identity hidden so that their faith would rest not merely on seeing him but on the agreement of Moses and all the prophets with the facts of his life, death and resurrection. Beginning with Moses he opened what was written concerning himself and showed that Christ had to suffer and then enter his glory, so that their hearts burned within them, and when he was known to them in blessing the bread they hastened back that same night to Jerusalem to bear witness that the Saviour lives.

Words and Setting

One of the two walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus on the afternoon of the resurrection day was named Cleopas. They were making the journey on foot across open country away from the city. They went perplexed by what had happened, including reports that Jesus' body was gone and that women had seen angels and met him. Troubled by the events in Jerusalem and grieving over lost hopes, they spoke together of recent events without knowing the risen Jesus walked beside them.

Cleopas treated the traveler who joined them as a stranger, a visitor, an unknown companion, even an ordinary toiling traveler or pilgrim returning from the feast. With surprise he asked whether this one alone had not heard what had happened there in these days. He asked whether he was the only visitor to Jerusalem unaware of the recent events there. He asked it as they walked away from the city, grieving Christ's death and struggling to understand how the humiliated sufferer could be the Christ.

The things come to pass were those concerning Jesus of Nazareth. They were his trial and condemnation and crucifixion by the chief priests and rulers and by wicked hands, as a mighty prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people. They were the removal of his body, the angels, and the women's reports that he had risen and met them. It was now the third day since these events.

The question assumed these events were common knowledge in Jerusalem, so that any visitor should have known them. Cleopas supposed the stranger alone among visitors had not heard what had happened there. He assumed the events surrounding Jesus were known while he himself grieved and did not recognize Jesus.

Grief and Unbelief

Cleopas' surprised question was poured out on the road away from the city, as the two walked from Jerusalem toward their homes at Emmaus in grief, disappointment, perplexity and despair over Christ's death. Their blighted hopes were buried with Jesus in the tomb, and they were leaving Jerusalem to return home intending to take up their old employment again. Absorbed in sorrow, they struggled to understand how the humiliated sufferer could be the Christ, having witnessed or heard of His trial, condemnation and crucifixion yet not recognizing that He had risen.

They told the supposed stranger that Jesus of Nazareth had been a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, mighty in power, yet taken by wicked hands and by the chief priests and rulers delivered to be condemned to death and crucified. They had hoped that it was He who would redeem Israel, and His death on what was now the third day since these things had left them grieving a mighty prophet killed.

They had already heard the report that His body was gone, that women had seen angels and had met Him, with Peter's testimony also heard, but they did not believe He had risen. Unbelief had blinded them to their Saviour and their eyes were clouded, so that though He taught and comforted them for hours the truths only sank deeply without recognition. Their sadness and small faith kept them from expecting Him or knowing Him when He drew near.

Instead of searching the Scriptures to see if these things were so, they only talked over their troubles together. Tradition, mistaken interpretations and human maxims obscured the truth, so they hardly grasped the idea of a suffering Saviour. They had not yet understood that everything that had transpired was written in the Scriptures, neither what the prophets had spoken about the Messiah nor what Christ was then opening to them from Moses and the prophets as He walked the rough way with them and traced His very history to their understanding.

Hidden Presence and Teaching

The two did not know the risen Son of God walking beside them, taking Him for an ordinary toiling traveler like themselves and an ordinary pilgrim returning from the feast. Cleopas answered His question with surprise that He alone as a stranger in Jerusalem did not know what had taken place there in these days. He told Him that Jesus, a mighty man and prophet mighty in power, had been taken by wicked hands and crucified, words revealing sorrow and inability to take in that all that had transpired was written in the Scriptures. They did not recognize Jesus by His appearance, knowing who He was only when He told them.

He kept His identity hidden and refused first to reveal Himself in His true character, maintaining His disguise as a stranger while talking with them. Overjoy at seeing Him risen from the dead would have satisfied their souls and left no hunger for the sacred truths He needed to impress indelibly on their minds for them to impart to others until thousands received the light. He first interpreted the Scriptures to lead them to an intelligent faith in His life, His character, His mission to earth, and His death and resurrection. Truth would thus take firm root not because it was supported by His personal testimony but because the typical law with Moses and the prophets of the Old Testament agreeing with the facts of His life and death presented unquestionable evidence. When that object was gained He revealed Himself to them that their joy might be full, and then vanished from their sight. In this way their faith would rest on the Scriptures and the evidence of events and on hunger for truths about His life, mission, death, and resurrection to share with others, not merely on seeing Him.

As a humble companion He walked the difficult, rough way beside them for hours, sharing their road and identifying Himself with His suffering and perplexed people. He used His presence and words to teach and comfort the two discouraged disciples and to open the truths of Scripture to strengthen His followers. Though their eyes were clouded and they did not recognize Him, the truths He spoke nevertheless sank deeply into their hearts.

Beginning at Moses and in all the prophets He opened to them the things concerning Himself, tracing His very history to their understanding in a straight chain of prophecy from the patriarchs onward. He showed that Christ had to suffer and then enter His glory, clearing their difficulty over His trial and death, the report that His body was gone, and the news of His resurrection. Their difficulty had come because tradition, mistaken interpretations, and human maxims obscured the truth and made them slow to comprehend, so He explained the Old Testament until they saw meanings in its teachings they had not previously recognized. He opened their understanding so they could understand the Scriptures, their faith revived, and they recognized Him.

They recognized Him when He blessed the bread and stayed with them, taught and comforted them. Their depression on the way out was turned to joy greater than their despair when the Scriptures were opened to them and Christ was revealed as risen from the dead. Their hearts burned within them, they forgot hunger and fatigue and left the prepared meal. Late at night they hastened back to Jerusalem over a rough, uncertain, moonless road, stumbling over stones and ledges and losing the path yet pressing on, longing to impart their new knowledge and rejoice together with the other disciples in a living Saviour. The fact of Christ's resurrection was to be the great truth around which all the faith and hope of the church would center, and when they received light they returned and found those whom God had led and was still leading and told them how they had seen Jesus and had talked with Him.

Witness and Present Application

The walk to Emmaus belongs with the empty sepulcher found early on the first day of the week, the shroud left without the body, and Christ revealing himself risen to the eleven in the upper chamber, as abundant evidence that the Saviour is living and not dead. This witness that the disciples had seen him and talked with him made of none effect the falsehood of the priests and established Christianity by evidence that could not be controverted. He is a risen and living Saviour who conquered the tomb after mighty angels rolled back the stone and came forth proclaiming himself the resurrection and the life over the rent sepulchre of Joseph. When the two came from Emmaus to Jerusalem with joyful tidings that Jesus had risen, they entered the upper chamber where the disciples were assembled in excitement, with hope and faith struggling for ascendancy against doubt. Their report joined Mary's, the other women's, and Peter's ardent and assured testimony that the Lord was risen indeed and had appeared to Simon, which had more weight so that faith began to revive, though some were still too hopeless to believe. Heard in breathless silence, it told how the Lord had opened their eyes and revealed the straight chain of prophecy from the patriarchs foreshadowing all that had transpired, inspiring new and reviving faith in some while others remained incredulous, and it was immediately followed by Jesus himself appearing in their midst.

The risen Christ humbly joined the journey to teach and comfort, walking beside the two for the difficult road as an ordinary pilgrim returning from the feast, though he thoroughly understood the prophecies. His presence with the sorrowful, despondent disciples shows that he identifies with his suffering and perplexed people and is with them on their hardest paths. He is likewise by the side of those who are despondent and in grief, ready to give peace and life and consolation if they accept him. His accompanying those who long for his presence belongs to all who want Jesus to abide with them. His unseen presence beside his followers should turn their conversation toward his lessons and holy things and the plan of redemption, bringing the joy of hallowed association.

The same burning of heart comes to those seeking the righteousness of Christ when they dwell on the themes of the great salvation and feed on the Bible as nourishing food for the soul. Meditating on the incarnation of Christ and contemplating the great sacrifice made to save from perdition and to bring pardon, peace, and everlasting righteousness makes the soul glow with grand and elevating themes, so that holiness and truth, grace and righteousness occupy the thoughts, self dies and Christ lives in his servants. After his resurrection he continued his earthly work as educator who spoke as never man spoke, teaching both the lonely disappointed travelers and those assembled in the upper chamber, opening the Scriptures concerning himself. His teaching refreshes and heals like pure streams from the living fountain of the water of life, and where hearts are subdued by the Spirit and the eye is single to God's glory it pours a flood of heavenly light upon the soul and binds hearts with holy, new, sacred hope and joy, bringing holy joy and renewed spiritual life as hearts burn while contemplating his words.

When the two received light they returned and found those whom God had led and was still leading, and told them how they had seen Jesus and talked with him. That course is the pattern for all who claim God has given them great light concerning the church: to go to those chosen to bear a living testimony and giving the world the last message of warning, who have had deep experience in the things of God, to give evidence that this light will better qualify them to prepare a people to stand in the great day of God, and to seek their counsel. The same experience of hearts burning within while he talks and opens the Scriptures belongs to those who with prayer study Daniel, Revelation, and the other prophecies of the Old and New Testaments, when the Holy Spirit shining upon the sacred page gives light and opens understanding to know what is truth.