Two Disciples Urge Jesus to Stay at Emmausby CBPepper
24:28Luke 24:28
And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
On the evening of the resurrection day two sorrowful and confused disciples were walking from Jerusalem toward their home at Emmaus when the risen Jesus joined them as an ordinary traveler and remained unrecognized. As they drew near the village with the day far spent and night at hand, he made no move to stop but acted as though he would continue farther past them. He did this not to leave them but to give them opportunity to invite him to stay rather than forcing his presence upon them. He deliberately kept his identity hidden until he had opened Moses and the prophets concerning himself, so their faith would rest on the Scriptures and not merely on seeing him alive. When they earnestly constrained him to abide, he went in with them and revealed himself in breaking bread and then vanished, sending them back that same night to Jerusalem with full joy to witness to a risen Saviour.
Emmaus Road Setting
On the evening of the resurrection day two earnest but disheartened disciples were traveling from Jerusalem to Emmaus, about eight miles away. They had heard that Jesus' body was gone from the tomb and that women had seen angels and had met him. They were returning home to meditate and pray, talking over the trial and crucifixion and struggling to understand what had happened. They walked in grief and confusion over his suffering and death, sorrowful after his death as the risen Jesus joined them to teach them. As they traveled he opened the Scriptures to show that the Messiah had to suffer before entering his glory, and this revived their faith and hope. Their joy in learning that he was alive later overcame hunger and fatigue and drove them to return to Jerusalem to share the news with the other disciples.
They were sorrowful, grieving and confused over his suffering, trial, crucifixion and death. Their journey out of Jerusalem was sorrowful, undertaken to take up their old employment again and to conceal their blighted hopes. They were going home to meditate and pray while talking over what had happened and struggling to understand it.
The risen Jesus had the same stature as before his crucifixion, with no special marks immediately identifying him as the Son of God. He walked beside them as an apparently ordinary traveler and stranger, and they did not know who he was until he made himself known to them. They still did not recognize him even as they drew near the village, though he had been walking and talking with them and his words had strengthened their discouraged hearts.
Seeming to Go Further
As they drew near the village where their home was at Emmaus, the sun was setting and going down with the day far spent and nearly over and night at hand. He made no sign of halting but acted as though He would travel further and continue on past the village, appearing ready to go farther rather than stopping there. The walk with Him had seemed unusually short and swift.
His seeming readiness to go on rather than stopping gave the disciples the opportunity to invite Him to stay and to urge Him earnestly to remain overnight, instead of having His presence and company forced upon them. He does not force Himself upon anyone but waits to be invited and yields when importuned with longing desire, and He held back at first to let the new hope and joy and affection He had kindled move them to ask Him. That pause before revealing Himself gave them the opportunity to recognize Him when He afterward took bread and blessed and broke it at meat.
Teaching Before Revealing
Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself while walking unrecognized with the two toward Emmaus. He opened the Scriptures to show that the Messiah had to suffer before entering his glory. What they afterward told was how he had opened their eyes and explained the chain of prophecy foreshadowing what had happened to him, a connected line from the patriarchs to their own time.
He deliberately kept his true identity hidden and did not first reveal himself as risen and then open the Scriptures. The joy of seeing him alive again would have satisfied them so they would no longer hunger for the sacred truths he wanted fixed indelibly in their minds. He wanted those truths firmly fixed to be shared with others until thousands received the light given that day on the journey.
He withheld disclosure until he had finished interpreting the Scriptures to lead them to intelligent faith in his life, his character, his mission to earth, and his death and resurrection. He kept his disguise as they reached Emmaus and acted as if to go further for this purpose. Truth was to 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, so faith would rest on scriptural evidence for his life, mission, death, and resurrection.
Their failure to recognize him and recall the prophecies had left their faith weakened, but his words revived it. Knowing the prophecies about his life, suffering, death, and resurrection would have sustained their faith and kept their hopes firm. As they contemplated his words their hearts burned within them while he opened the Scriptures concerning himself. His educating of the lonely, disappointed disciples filled them with sacred hope and joy and holy joy.
He opened their understanding so they could understand the Scriptures. That enlightening by divine instruction, with the Holy Spirit shining upon the sacred page to open understanding to know what is truth, is work he still does for those who believe it their privilege to understand what God has spoken. What the Lord has revealed is for us and our children forever and gives a clear, well-defined experience, with hearts burning while the Scriptures are opened. This opening of understanding with light through prayer is needed in studying Daniel, Revelation, and the other prophecies of the Old and New Testaments.
When that work was accomplished he revealed himself at meat when he took bread and blessed and broke it so their eyes were opened and they knew him, to make their joy full. Then he vanished from their sight.
Christ With Suffering Followers
Though he was the mighty conqueror of death, he humbly walked the difficult road to Emmaus with the two disciples as an apparently ordinary traveler in order to teach and comfort them. That companionship shows he identifies himself with suffering and perplexed followers and is with them on their hardest paths to help them. His sympathy and love remain the same after his resurrection and ascension.
He walks beside people in despondency and grief even while they do not yet recognize him, and his presence and teaching can fill lonely, disappointed hearts with holy joy. If they accept him he can give them peace and consolation and life. Their experience of his drawing near as an unrecognized companion and sharing fellowship with them provides a pattern for belief that he meets and strengthens his people in lonely retreats, as the Waldenses believed he met them.
His meeting them on the way gives abundant evidence that he had risen from the dead, for on the very day he rose the living Saviour, no longer dead, joined the two as they walked and, beginning at Moses, opened to them in all the prophets the things concerning himself. After mighty angels rolled back the stone and he came forth from Joseph's sepulchre as the resurrection and the life, he walked in the way, met the two disciples, and made himself known to them before leaving them. That meeting proves he died on the cross as a sacrifice and then rose, so believers now have a risen Saviour.
Invitation and Witness Response
He never forces His presence or company on anyone, but seeks out those who need His care and gives them opportunity to ask Him to stay, entering only when earnestly asked to remain to bring comfort and hope. He did not at once yield, but held back to let the new hope and joy and affection He had kindled move them to urge Him earnestly, and their earnest invitation was prompted by affection and the lateness of the day and by courtesy and desire to keep hearing Him explain the Scriptures. When they importuned Him because the day was nearly over and constrained Him to abide with them, He yielded and went in to tarry with them, entering even the humblest home and heart to brighten it for those who long for Him and ask Him to remain.
Those who are indifferent and do not ask Him to abide pass Him by, and He passes on, so they miss knowing Him and suffer great loss of the chance to know Him. Every heart and home must be searched to see if He has been invited in with the request to abide, since He comes in only as He is invited. They urged Him to remain with them because evening was near and the day was far spent and night was at hand, after He had given them beautiful lessons in the Scriptures, and He accepted their invitation. That urging gave them the opportunity to recognize Him, for their failure to recall the prophecies had left their faith weakened, but His words revived it.
Their depressed arrival at Emmaus at the end of a sorrowful journey stands opposite their later joyful departure that same late night, when they left the prepared meal untasted and hurried back over the rough dark road to Jerusalem, their joy in learning He was alive overcoming hunger and fatigue, to share the news of a living Saviour risen from the dead. When they received light they returned to those whom God had led and was still leading and told how they had seen Jesus and talked with Him and how He had opened their eyes. All who claim great light concerning the church must likewise go to those chosen to bear living testimony and seek counsel of those with deep experience who still bear the truth and give the last message of warning, giving evidence that this light will better qualify them to prepare a people to stand in the great day of God, instead of taking a different line and breaking unity. Their time with Him brought them joy and shows desire for Him to stay and share His presence, and conversation about redemption, His love, salvation, holiness, truth and grace can likewise animate the soul and bring joy to those whose affections are centered on Him.
On the evening of the resurrection day two sorrowful and confused disciples were walking from Jerusalem toward their home at Emmaus when the risen Jesus joined them as an ordinary traveler and remained unrecognized. As they drew near the village with the day far spent and night at hand, he made no move to stop but acted as though he would continue farther past them. He did this not to leave them but to give them opportunity to invite him to stay rather than forcing his presence upon them. He deliberately kept his identity hidden until he had opened Moses and the prophets concerning himself, so their faith would rest on the Scriptures and not merely on seeing him alive. When they earnestly constrained him to abide, he went in with them and revealed himself in breaking bread and then vanished, sending them back that same night to Jerusalem with full joy to witness to a risen Saviour.
Emmaus Road Setting
On the evening of the resurrection day two earnest but disheartened disciples were traveling from Jerusalem to Emmaus, about eight miles away. They had heard that Jesus' body was gone from the tomb and that women had seen angels and had met him. They were returning home to meditate and pray, talking over the trial and crucifixion and struggling to understand what had happened. They walked in grief and confusion over his suffering and death, sorrowful after his death as the risen Jesus joined them to teach them. As they traveled he opened the Scriptures to show that the Messiah had to suffer before entering his glory, and this revived their faith and hope. Their joy in learning that he was alive later overcame hunger and fatigue and drove them to return to Jerusalem to share the news with the other disciples.
They were sorrowful, grieving and confused over his suffering, trial, crucifixion and death. Their journey out of Jerusalem was sorrowful, undertaken to take up their old employment again and to conceal their blighted hopes. They were going home to meditate and pray while talking over what had happened and struggling to understand it.
The risen Jesus had the same stature as before his crucifixion, with no special marks immediately identifying him as the Son of God. He walked beside them as an apparently ordinary traveler and stranger, and they did not know who he was until he made himself known to them. They still did not recognize him even as they drew near the village, though he had been walking and talking with them and his words had strengthened their discouraged hearts.
Seeming to Go Further
As they drew near the village where their home was at Emmaus, the sun was setting and going down with the day far spent and nearly over and night at hand. He made no sign of halting but acted as though He would travel further and continue on past the village, appearing ready to go farther rather than stopping there. The walk with Him had seemed unusually short and swift.
His seeming readiness to go on rather than stopping gave the disciples the opportunity to invite Him to stay and to urge Him earnestly to remain overnight, instead of having His presence and company forced upon them. He does not force Himself upon anyone but waits to be invited and yields when importuned with longing desire, and He held back at first to let the new hope and joy and affection He had kindled move them to ask Him. That pause before revealing Himself gave them the opportunity to recognize Him when He afterward took bread and blessed and broke it at meat.
Teaching Before Revealing
Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself while walking unrecognized with the two toward Emmaus. He opened the Scriptures to show that the Messiah had to suffer before entering his glory. What they afterward told was how he had opened their eyes and explained the chain of prophecy foreshadowing what had happened to him, a connected line from the patriarchs to their own time.
He deliberately kept his true identity hidden and did not first reveal himself as risen and then open the Scriptures. The joy of seeing him alive again would have satisfied them so they would no longer hunger for the sacred truths he wanted fixed indelibly in their minds. He wanted those truths firmly fixed to be shared with others until thousands received the light given that day on the journey.
He withheld disclosure until he had finished interpreting the Scriptures to lead them to intelligent faith in his life, his character, his mission to earth, and his death and resurrection. He kept his disguise as they reached Emmaus and acted as if to go further for this purpose. Truth was to 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, so faith would rest on scriptural evidence for his life, mission, death, and resurrection.
Their failure to recognize him and recall the prophecies had left their faith weakened, but his words revived it. Knowing the prophecies about his life, suffering, death, and resurrection would have sustained their faith and kept their hopes firm. As they contemplated his words their hearts burned within them while he opened the Scriptures concerning himself. His educating of the lonely, disappointed disciples filled them with sacred hope and joy and holy joy.
He opened their understanding so they could understand the Scriptures. That enlightening by divine instruction, with the Holy Spirit shining upon the sacred page to open understanding to know what is truth, is work he still does for those who believe it their privilege to understand what God has spoken. What the Lord has revealed is for us and our children forever and gives a clear, well-defined experience, with hearts burning while the Scriptures are opened. This opening of understanding with light through prayer is needed in studying Daniel, Revelation, and the other prophecies of the Old and New Testaments.
When that work was accomplished he revealed himself at meat when he took bread and blessed and broke it so their eyes were opened and they knew him, to make their joy full. Then he vanished from their sight.
Christ With Suffering Followers
Though he was the mighty conqueror of death, he humbly walked the difficult road to Emmaus with the two disciples as an apparently ordinary traveler in order to teach and comfort them. That companionship shows he identifies himself with suffering and perplexed followers and is with them on their hardest paths to help them. His sympathy and love remain the same after his resurrection and ascension.
He walks beside people in despondency and grief even while they do not yet recognize him, and his presence and teaching can fill lonely, disappointed hearts with holy joy. If they accept him he can give them peace and consolation and life. Their experience of his drawing near as an unrecognized companion and sharing fellowship with them provides a pattern for belief that he meets and strengthens his people in lonely retreats, as the Waldenses believed he met them.
His meeting them on the way gives abundant evidence that he had risen from the dead, for on the very day he rose the living Saviour, no longer dead, joined the two as they walked and, beginning at Moses, opened to them in all the prophets the things concerning himself. After mighty angels rolled back the stone and he came forth from Joseph's sepulchre as the resurrection and the life, he walked in the way, met the two disciples, and made himself known to them before leaving them. That meeting proves he died on the cross as a sacrifice and then rose, so believers now have a risen Saviour.
Invitation and Witness Response
He never forces His presence or company on anyone, but seeks out those who need His care and gives them opportunity to ask Him to stay, entering only when earnestly asked to remain to bring comfort and hope. He did not at once yield, but held back to let the new hope and joy and affection He had kindled move them to urge Him earnestly, and their earnest invitation was prompted by affection and the lateness of the day and by courtesy and desire to keep hearing Him explain the Scriptures. When they importuned Him because the day was nearly over and constrained Him to abide with them, He yielded and went in to tarry with them, entering even the humblest home and heart to brighten it for those who long for Him and ask Him to remain.
Those who are indifferent and do not ask Him to abide pass Him by, and He passes on, so they miss knowing Him and suffer great loss of the chance to know Him. Every heart and home must be searched to see if He has been invited in with the request to abide, since He comes in only as He is invited. They urged Him to remain with them because evening was near and the day was far spent and night was at hand, after He had given them beautiful lessons in the Scriptures, and He accepted their invitation. That urging gave them the opportunity to recognize Him, for their failure to recall the prophecies had left their faith weakened, but His words revived it.
Their depressed arrival at Emmaus at the end of a sorrowful journey stands opposite their later joyful departure that same late night, when they left the prepared meal untasted and hurried back over the rough dark road to Jerusalem, their joy in learning He was alive overcoming hunger and fatigue, to share the news of a living Saviour risen from the dead. When they received light they returned to those whom God had led and was still leading and told how they had seen Jesus and talked with Him and how He had opened their eyes. All who claim great light concerning the church must likewise go to those chosen to bear living testimony and seek counsel of those with deep experience who still bear the truth and give the last message of warning, giving evidence that this light will better qualify them to prepare a people to stand in the great day of God, instead of taking a different line and breaking unity. Their time with Him brought them joy and shows desire for Him to stay and share His presence, and conversation about redemption, His love, salvation, holiness, truth and grace can likewise animate the soul and bring joy to those whose affections are centered on Him.