Luke 24:23, commentary and pictures

On the afternoon of the third day after His death, two disheartened followers walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus repeated what the women had reported that morning, that His body was missing from the tomb and that angels had appeared saying He was alive. Their hopes had died with Him, so grief and unbelief blinded them and they did not trust the testimony or recognize the risen Christ walking beside them. In pitying love He stayed hidden and walked with them as a humble traveler, opening Moses and the prophets to show that all that had happened to Him was written there and to ground their faith in Scripture rather than in sight. His empty tomb with the graveclothes left behind, the word of the angels, His exposition of Scripture, and His making Himself known prove Him a risen, living Saviour, and the joyful witness of the disciples overthrew the hired lie that His body was stolen. Changed from despair to burning joy, they hastened back to Jerusalem to share the good news, showing that He still draws near to the sorrowful and despondent today, walks unseen beside them opening the Scriptures, and fills with peace and holy joy all who receive His word.

Words and Setting

This is the Emmaus disciples' retelling of what the women reported from the tomb, that finding no body of Jesus they came saying they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. The missing body with the accompanying angelic word that He was alive belonged to the evidence of the resurrection that was talked over on the road to Emmaus. With the report that Jesus had appeared, these reports perplexed those returning from Jerusalem and deepened their uncertainty about what had happened to Him. At first some were too hopeless to believe, though the later testimony of Peter and the Emmaus travelers helped revive faith.

The retelling took place on the third day after His death, late in the afternoon of resurrection day, on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Emmaus was a little town eight miles away, and the two were leaving Jerusalem for home there. They had heard that morning that He had risen and had been seen by Mary and by certain of the disciples, yet their hopes remained disappointed and unbelief kept them from recognizing the risen Jesus walking beside them. The women's seeing of angels and meeting of Jesus alive after His resurrection was especially dark to them.

They went homeward disheartened, weeping under heavy grief, to meditate and pray in hope of gaining light. As they went they talked over the events and the disappointed hopes occasioned by the death of the Master. The news they had heard that morning did not end their grief or confusion. Those strange morning reports were that the body was gone, that angels said He was alive, that He had risen and had been seen by Mary and certain disciples, and that the women had met Jesus alive.

Unbelief and Sorrow

The morning news did not end their grief or confusion, for the women had found the body missing from the tomb, had seen angels, and had met Jesus, yet the two were returning home disheartened and talking over the events. On the third day strange reports had reached them that He had risen and had been seen by Mary and certain of the disciples, with angels saying He was alive, and they were discussing these things with disappointed hopes occasioned by the death of the Master. Their faith had failed and had died with the Lord, and sorrow blinded them to the risen Christ. Their eyes blinded by unbelief did not discern the risen Saviour walking beside them, and their unbelief kept them from recognizing Him.

They did not believe the women's testimony that He had risen, though the women reported seeing a vision of angels who told them He was alive. Some were too hopeless to believe that testimony, and too hopeless to believe the evidence of the resurrection in the missing body and the angels' word. The report that the body was missing, accompanied by the report of angels saying He was alive, perplexed them and deepened their uncertainty about what had happened to Him. The reports of heavenly messengers and of His appearance added to their perplexity after they learned His body was no longer in the tomb. That report belonged to the testimony of His resurrection, though at first it only left them hopeless and perplexed until the later testimony of Peter and the Emmaus travelers helped revive faith.

To the Stranger on the way they gave a sad report, seeing in Him only a toiling, traveling man like themselves when He was the resurrected Son of God. When He asked why they were sad they told Him of Christ as a mighty prophet mighty in power, taken by wicked hands and crucified. They spoke thus even though the report had come that angels said He was alive, and they could not take in what was laid open to them.

They had failed to bring the Scriptures to their support and had lost sight of the precious promises, though prophecy plainly stated the treatment Christ would receive from those He came to save. Had they been familiar with the Scriptures in reference to Christ their faith would have been sustained and their hopes unshaken. They did not yet understand the significance of the missing body and the angels' word that He was alive, and the meaning hidden in the Old Testament Scriptures they had not recognized. When the words spoken by the prophets were brought to their remembrance faith revived.

Christ Opens Scriptures

In pitying love the risen Jesus drew near to His perplexed followers on the road and walked with them for hours as a humble traveler, though He was the conqueror of death, asking why they were sad and teaching and comforting them without being recognized. He came to them late in the afternoon of resurrection day as they left Jerusalem weeping under heavy grief, and His presence brought comfort in their sorrow. After rising He had the same size as before crucifixion, with no outward marks immediately revealing Him as the Son of God, so they saw in Him only a toiling traveling man like themselves. They recognized Him only when He told them who He was, by His manner and the marks of crucifixion in the breaking of bread.

Beginning at Moses and the prophets He traced His own history and laid open everything that had happened as written there, opening their understanding to a meaning they had not recognized and revealing Himself in all the prophets. The report that the body was missing and angels had said He was alive was true and certain evidence, and He joined the two walking to Emmaus to open to them in Moses and all the prophets the things concerning Himself. Divine teaching made Scripture clear, for the Holy Spirit brings Christ's words to mind and guides into truth and shines on the sacred page to open understanding. That burning of heart while He opened the Scriptures gives light, including light on Daniel, Revelation, and the other prophecies of the Old and New Testaments.

He kept His disguise until He had interpreted the Scriptures to lead them to intelligent faith in His life, character, mission to earth, death and resurrection. He wanted truth to take firm root not because it was supported by His personal testimony or personal appearance, but because the typical law and the prophets agreeing with the facts of His life and death gave unquestionable evidence. He delayed self-revelation because He knew they would be so overjoyed to see Him risen that their souls would be satisfied and they would no longer hunger for the sacred truths He wanted fixed firmly and indelibly in mind. He held back so those truths would be indelibly impressed, that they might give them to others and others would spread the precious knowledge in turn, until thousands received the light given that day to the despairing disciples.

When the object of His labor was gained He revealed Himself that their joy might be full, and then vanished from their sight. As they contemplated His words their hearts burned within them, and they knew their hearts had burned while He opened the Scriptures because of the illuminating, quickening power in the Scriptures that gives faith and light. As educator He continued His earthly work as one who spoke as never man spoke, opening to them the Scriptures concerning Himself and binding their hearts with a holy, new, sacred hope and joy. Their hearts were filled with new hope and joy as divine teaching opened their understanding so they could understand the Scriptures.

Resurrection Evidence and Triumph

The declaration is that He was alive, risen from the dead, a living Saviour and not dead. After rising He walked on the way and met two of His disciples and made Himself known to them before He left them.

Early in the morning of the first day of the week the disciples went to the sepulcher and found it empty, and that report was true and certain evidence that Jesus had risen. They saw the shroud wrapped about His body and the napkin about His head left behind but found no body, proving His body had not seen corruption. With the angelic word that He was alive stands the testimony of the risen saints, of Christ joining the two walking to Emmaus and opening to them in Moses and all the prophets the things concerning Himself, of His revealing Himself in the upper chamber to the eleven as one risen from the dead, and of the disciples seeing Him and talking with Him.

Their calm and joyful declaration of this abundant evidence triumphed over the falsehood of the priests, the hired lie told by the Roman guards that the body was stolen. Bearing this witness meant everything to the disciples, was a decided triumph that made the falsehood of none effect, and established Christianity by evidence that could not be controverted. The fact of Christ's resurrection is the great truth around which all the faith and hope of the church center, and knowledge of the living Saviour fills His followers with joy and moves them to share the news with one another. Though some were too hopeless to believe the women's report of the missing body and the angels, the later testimony of Peter and of the Emmaus travelers helped revive their faith. The account of the two returning from Emmaus and telling what had happened helped prepare the gathered disciples to hear the testimony of the risen Jesus and to recognize Him.

Joy, Witness, and Present Comfort

Those who had left Jerusalem for home to take up old employment and hide blighted hopes are changed by the news that He is alive, a risen living Saviour, from despair to a joy exceeding their former despair. They forget hunger and fatigue and leave the prepared meal, unable to stay at home and withhold the knowledge, longing to impart their joy to companions that all may rejoice together. Knowledge of the living Saviour fills followers with joy and moves them to share the news with one another, for the resurrection is the great truth around which all the faith and hope of the church center. Though late they retrace the way to Jerusalem with wholly different feelings, with Jesus unseen by their side hearing their expressions of joy and gratitude by the way. They are too happy to notice the rough uncertain road, with no moon to light them but hearts light with new revelation, picking over rough stones and dangerous ledges, sometimes stumbling and falling in haste, sometimes losing the path in darkness and retracing steps to find the track, then pressing on with fresh speed to deliver the precious message.

When they received light they returned and found those whom God had led and was still leading and told how they had seen Jesus and talked with Him. That return to the chosen bearers of living testimony, giving evidence that the light would better qualify them to prepare a people to stand in the great day of God and seeking counsel of those of deep experience still bearing the truth and giving the last message of warning, is the course all claiming great light should follow instead of taking a different line and breaking up unity. His presence on that road shows He identifies with suffering and perplexed people, walks hard paths with them, and brings comfort and consolation to mourners in grief. The risen Christ is just as near to the despondent today, accompanying them and offering peace and life, and opened eyes would see Him by their side. Recognizing His unseen nearness and receiving His words and the truth about Him brings holy joy and makes hearts burn within, and the disciples longed for Him to be present with them.

As on the Emmaus road Christ still walks unseen beside followers by the way and opens the Scriptures concerning Himself, surrounding them with the holy atmosphere of His presence and feeding them the bread of life. He is pleased to hear them talk of His lessons of instruction with relish for holy things, and hearts would burn with holy joy if they knew the Saviour was by their side. Those seeking the righteousness of Christ dwell on the great salvation, fed by the Bible as nourishing food, meditating on the incarnation and contemplating His great sacrifice to save from perdition and bring pardon, peace, and everlasting righteousness, until self dies and Christ lives in His servants. When truth abides in the heart there is no place for criticism of God's servants or picking flaws with the message, what is in the heart flows from the lips and cannot be repressed, and the love of Christ is in the soul as a well of water springing into everlasting life, sending forth living streams bringing life and gladness wherever they flow. As the disciples did, the persecuted Waldenses met their Redeemer, who opened Scripture truths to them and strengthened their faith and resolve to obey and worship God.