And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
On the road to Emmaus the risen Jesus joined two sorrowing disciples as an ordinary traveler, and only at the evening meal when He took the bread, blessed and broke it, were their eyes opened to know Him before He vanished from their sight. They had not known Him on the way because unbelief and sorrow clouded their eyes, but as He expounded Moses and all the prophets concerning Himself their faith revived and their hearts were reached before they discerned Him. He kept His true character hidden until after He had opened the Scriptures, so that their faith would rest not merely on seeing Him risen but on the unquestionable evidence of the law and the prophets agreeing with His life, death and resurrection. They knew Him by His familiar voice and manner in breaking bread and by the nail prints in His hands, and the moment they recognized Him their despair turned to certain joy that sent them that same night back to Jerusalem to witness that the Lord is risen. The same work continues now, for Christ by the Holy Spirit still opens the Scriptures and opens humble, teachable minds to grasp their meaning, walking unseen beside the despondent to give comfort and burning hearts.
Emmaus Road Setting
The verse belongs to the walk to Emmaus, where the risen Jesus humbly joined two disciples as an ordinary fellow traveler to teach and comfort them and to identify with his suffering and perplexed people on their hardest paths. The mighty conqueror of death chose humble, ordinary company rather than appearing in glory, coming alongside without seeming to be more than a fellow traveler.
They did not recognize him by appearance, for he was the same size as before crucifixion with no special outward mark that immediately identified him, seeming only a toiling traveler like themselves. They knew who he was only when he made himself known to them.
At sunset, when the day was far spent and it was toward evening, they urged him to abide with them and to come in, and he went in with them to their home to tarry with them. At the simple evening meal he took his accustomed place at the head of the table and acted as head of the family by placing his hands upon the bread and blessing it. In breaking bread and asking the blessing they knew him, recognizing him by his manner and by the marks of the crucifixion in his hands, and they glorified God.
As they recognized him they rose to worship him, some about to throw themselves upon him, and he suddenly vanished out of their sight. Until then their eyes had been clouded so they had not discerned him during the walk and conversation, though his teaching had reached their hearts and taken root in them. They knew him when they heard their Master's familiar voice and saw the wounds and nail marks in his hands in the familiar way he blessed the meal, after their hopes had been revived by the evidence of his Messiahship and by his words from Scripture.
Eyes Closed and Opened
Their eyes were clouded so that they did not recognize him even while he walked and talked with them and taught and comforted them on the road. Unbelief and sorrow had blinded them, with small faith and sadness keeping them from knowing their companion. That blindness came from failure to search and understand the Scriptures about Christ suffering and entering into glory, though he opened the prophecies to them as they walked. Even though his words had deeply affected them, they still did not discern him until the meal.
Their eyes were opened only after he explained the Scriptures concerning himself, and that exposition revived their faith and brought his promised death and glory back to mind. His teaching had already taken root in their hearts and reached them before they discerned him, for he opened to them the chain of prophecy from the patriarchs to the events concerning their Saviour. So their recognition when he broke bread with them and then vanished from their sight shows that Christ can open human understanding of Scripture.
Recognizing the Risen Jesus
They knew him at the meal by his familiar voice and his own manner of taking, blessing, breaking, and giving the bread, with hands lifted as only he lifted them. Having walked with him without knowing him, they had him with them because the day was far spent, and as he asked the blessing and broke the bread they recognized him by that manner and glorified God. Their eyes had been clouded on the walk though his teaching had already reached their hearts, and as they rose to worship him and were about to throw themselves upon him he vanished from their sight.
In that act they saw the marks of the crucifixion, the wounds and nail prints in his hands, and remembered how he used to bless food, and so knew their companion was their beloved Master and risen Redeemer. Their eyes were opened at supper when he sat with them and blessed the meal in the familiar way, and they rose to worship him only to have him vanish from their sight.
His words, manner, and wounded hands together made him known, after their hopes had been revived by the evidence of his Messiahship and by his words from Scripture. Their eyes had been blinded by unbelief and sorrow and they had failed to recognize him earlier, but as he opened the Scriptures their faith revived and then his words, manner, and wounded hands revealed who he was.
Scripture Before Sight
Jesus deliberately held back his true identity and kept his disguise on the road to Emmaus until after he had opened the Scriptures and led the two disciples to an intelligent faith in his life, his character, his mission to earth, and his death and resurrection. He would not reveal himself in his true character first, but interpreted the Scriptures to the despairing travelers while his identity remained hidden. Only when that object was gained did he let their eyes be opened to know him, so that their joy might be full, and then he vanished from their sight.
He did this because he knew that if they first saw him risen from the dead they would be so overjoyed that their souls would be satisfied. In that satisfaction they would no longer hunger for the sacred truths he wanted to impress indelibly upon their minds and fix firmly there. He wanted those truths fixed in them so they would impart them to others, who would spread the precious knowledge until thousands of people received the light given that day. Full joy came only when that work was done, at the moment of recognition after the Scriptures had been explained.
He wanted the truth to take firm root in their minds not because his personal presence and testimony proved it, but because the typical law and the prophets of the Old Testament agreeing with the facts of his life and death gave unquestionable evidence. Their faith was to rest not merely on seeing him, but on that agreement between prophecy and fact. Beginning at Moses and all the prophets he expounded in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself, opening to them in all the prophets what related to him. He laid before them the chain of prophecy from the patriarchs to the events concerning their Saviour, which had foreshadowed what had happened to him. That exposition showed from Scripture that Christ must suffer and enter into glory, and that the Messiah's death would lead to eternal victory.
Joy and Witness Afterward
The instant their eyes were opened to know him, despair gave way to a joy greater than any they had felt before. They knew for themselves that their Lord had risen, and that certainty filled them with hope and holy joy. The recognition made them forget hunger and fatigue and rise from their prepared meal untouched. They were unwilling to remain at home and withhold their newly found knowledge, longing instead to impart their joy so that all might rejoice together in a living Saviour risen from the dead. Though it was late at night, in that same hour they retraced their way to Jerusalem over the rough, uncertain, moonless road, with feelings opposite to those of the outward journey, because they knew where to find the disciples and could now speak with certainty. Jesus himself was unseen beside them hearing their expressions of joy and gratitude, and with hearts light with new revelation they pressed resolutely on, stumbling over stones and ledges and losing the track in the darkness yet made glad in their talk.
They came with joyful tidings to the assembly gathered in the upper chamber, and their discovery became urgent news to be carried at once to the other disciples. Their report joined the report of Mary Magdalene and the other women, which some in their hopelessness could not believe, and the weightier testimony of Peter about his interview with the risen Lord, borne with ardor and assurance. Hope and faith were struggling for ascendancy in the excited assembly until many voices met the travelers declaring that the Lord is risen indeed and hath appeared to Simon. Such haste was fitting because the fact of Christ's resurrection was to be the great truth around which all the faith and hope of the church would center. The appearance on the Emmaus road stands with the empty sepulcher found early on the first day of the week, the shroud left without the Master, and his revealing himself in the upper chamber as one risen whose body had not seen corruption. Together they give abundant evidence that cannot be controverted, proving he is alive as the risen Saviour whom the disciples saw and talked with, and making of none effect the falsehood of the priests.
True enlightenment from receiving light and talking with Jesus does not take a different line from the church, break up its unity, and draw away disciples after oneself. It returns instead to those whom God has led and is still leading, to those chosen of God to bear a living testimony and give the last message of warning. It seeks counsel of those who have had deep experience in the things of God, giving evidence that the light will better qualify its receivers to prepare a people to stand in the great day of God.
Christ Still Opens Understanding
The opening of the eyes at Emmaus is Christ opening the Scriptures and opening human understanding and the mind to grasp the meaning of the sacred Word, so that believers can know Him and comprehend what God has spoken. He did this as educator on earth when, beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself and then made Himself known in the breaking of bread, and He still does this now. This giving of a clear, well-defined experience with burning hearts is the privilege of all professed Christians, for what He has revealed is for us and our children forever. The same work is needed now by those with subdued hearts and a single eye to God's glory who drink from the living fountain of the water of life.
It follows rebuke for unbelief and slowness of heart and His explaining from Moses and all the prophets, and it comes through divine enlightenment by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, the same divine Teacher, carries its true significance to the soul in a way not seen or valued before, brings Christ's words to remembrance, and guides into all truth. This is given when seekers are humble, teachable, subdued, single-eyed to God's glory, and open to heaven, so that truth becomes newly clear. As the disciples contemplated the Scriptures thus opened concerning Him, their hearts burned within them. His presence and the Scriptures filled them with holy feeling, sacred hope, holy new joy, and refreshment, healing, and heavenly light from the living fountain.
Jesus may be near even when not seen, walking beside His followers unseen and beside the despondent and sorrowing to give peace, life, consolation, and comfort. Knowing He is near fills the heart with holy joy and makes it burn as the disciples' hearts did while He opened the Scriptures to them. Their desire for Him to remain expresses the longing for His presence, and their experience shows the joy found in hallowed fellowship centered on Christ and the plan of redemption. Believers' encounters with their Redeemer in lonely retreats are like this opening of eyes, as when Waldensian believers had the truths of Scripture opened to strengthen them to reject false guides and worship God alone. He also walks beside those who grieve, and when the dead are raised their familiar form will remain though wrinkles are gone, loved ones will recognize them, and they will know Christ.
On the road to Emmaus the risen Jesus joined two sorrowing disciples as an ordinary traveler, and only at the evening meal when He took the bread, blessed and broke it, were their eyes opened to know Him before He vanished from their sight. They had not known Him on the way because unbelief and sorrow clouded their eyes, but as He expounded Moses and all the prophets concerning Himself their faith revived and their hearts were reached before they discerned Him. He kept His true character hidden until after He had opened the Scriptures, so that their faith would rest not merely on seeing Him risen but on the unquestionable evidence of the law and the prophets agreeing with His life, death and resurrection. They knew Him by His familiar voice and manner in breaking bread and by the nail prints in His hands, and the moment they recognized Him their despair turned to certain joy that sent them that same night back to Jerusalem to witness that the Lord is risen. The same work continues now, for Christ by the Holy Spirit still opens the Scriptures and opens humble, teachable minds to grasp their meaning, walking unseen beside the despondent to give comfort and burning hearts.
Emmaus Road Setting
The verse belongs to the walk to Emmaus, where the risen Jesus humbly joined two disciples as an ordinary fellow traveler to teach and comfort them and to identify with his suffering and perplexed people on their hardest paths. The mighty conqueror of death chose humble, ordinary company rather than appearing in glory, coming alongside without seeming to be more than a fellow traveler.
They did not recognize him by appearance, for he was the same size as before crucifixion with no special outward mark that immediately identified him, seeming only a toiling traveler like themselves. They knew who he was only when he made himself known to them.
At sunset, when the day was far spent and it was toward evening, they urged him to abide with them and to come in, and he went in with them to their home to tarry with them. At the simple evening meal he took his accustomed place at the head of the table and acted as head of the family by placing his hands upon the bread and blessing it. In breaking bread and asking the blessing they knew him, recognizing him by his manner and by the marks of the crucifixion in his hands, and they glorified God.
As they recognized him they rose to worship him, some about to throw themselves upon him, and he suddenly vanished out of their sight. Until then their eyes had been clouded so they had not discerned him during the walk and conversation, though his teaching had reached their hearts and taken root in them. They knew him when they heard their Master's familiar voice and saw the wounds and nail marks in his hands in the familiar way he blessed the meal, after their hopes had been revived by the evidence of his Messiahship and by his words from Scripture.
Eyes Closed and Opened
Their eyes were clouded so that they did not recognize him even while he walked and talked with them and taught and comforted them on the road. Unbelief and sorrow had blinded them, with small faith and sadness keeping them from knowing their companion. That blindness came from failure to search and understand the Scriptures about Christ suffering and entering into glory, though he opened the prophecies to them as they walked. Even though his words had deeply affected them, they still did not discern him until the meal.
Their eyes were opened only after he explained the Scriptures concerning himself, and that exposition revived their faith and brought his promised death and glory back to mind. His teaching had already taken root in their hearts and reached them before they discerned him, for he opened to them the chain of prophecy from the patriarchs to the events concerning their Saviour. So their recognition when he broke bread with them and then vanished from their sight shows that Christ can open human understanding of Scripture.
Recognizing the Risen Jesus
They knew him at the meal by his familiar voice and his own manner of taking, blessing, breaking, and giving the bread, with hands lifted as only he lifted them. Having walked with him without knowing him, they had him with them because the day was far spent, and as he asked the blessing and broke the bread they recognized him by that manner and glorified God. Their eyes had been clouded on the walk though his teaching had already reached their hearts, and as they rose to worship him and were about to throw themselves upon him he vanished from their sight.
In that act they saw the marks of the crucifixion, the wounds and nail prints in his hands, and remembered how he used to bless food, and so knew their companion was their beloved Master and risen Redeemer. Their eyes were opened at supper when he sat with them and blessed the meal in the familiar way, and they rose to worship him only to have him vanish from their sight.
His words, manner, and wounded hands together made him known, after their hopes had been revived by the evidence of his Messiahship and by his words from Scripture. Their eyes had been blinded by unbelief and sorrow and they had failed to recognize him earlier, but as he opened the Scriptures their faith revived and then his words, manner, and wounded hands revealed who he was.
Scripture Before Sight
Jesus deliberately held back his true identity and kept his disguise on the road to Emmaus until after he had opened the Scriptures and led the two disciples to an intelligent faith in his life, his character, his mission to earth, and his death and resurrection. He would not reveal himself in his true character first, but interpreted the Scriptures to the despairing travelers while his identity remained hidden. Only when that object was gained did he let their eyes be opened to know him, so that their joy might be full, and then he vanished from their sight.
He did this because he knew that if they first saw him risen from the dead they would be so overjoyed that their souls would be satisfied. In that satisfaction they would no longer hunger for the sacred truths he wanted to impress indelibly upon their minds and fix firmly there. He wanted those truths fixed in them so they would impart them to others, who would spread the precious knowledge until thousands of people received the light given that day. Full joy came only when that work was done, at the moment of recognition after the Scriptures had been explained.
He wanted the truth to take firm root in their minds not because his personal presence and testimony proved it, but because the typical law and the prophets of the Old Testament agreeing with the facts of his life and death gave unquestionable evidence. Their faith was to rest not merely on seeing him, but on that agreement between prophecy and fact. Beginning at Moses and all the prophets he expounded in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself, opening to them in all the prophets what related to him. He laid before them the chain of prophecy from the patriarchs to the events concerning their Saviour, which had foreshadowed what had happened to him. That exposition showed from Scripture that Christ must suffer and enter into glory, and that the Messiah's death would lead to eternal victory.
Joy and Witness Afterward
The instant their eyes were opened to know him, despair gave way to a joy greater than any they had felt before. They knew for themselves that their Lord had risen, and that certainty filled them with hope and holy joy. The recognition made them forget hunger and fatigue and rise from their prepared meal untouched. They were unwilling to remain at home and withhold their newly found knowledge, longing instead to impart their joy so that all might rejoice together in a living Saviour risen from the dead. Though it was late at night, in that same hour they retraced their way to Jerusalem over the rough, uncertain, moonless road, with feelings opposite to those of the outward journey, because they knew where to find the disciples and could now speak with certainty. Jesus himself was unseen beside them hearing their expressions of joy and gratitude, and with hearts light with new revelation they pressed resolutely on, stumbling over stones and ledges and losing the track in the darkness yet made glad in their talk.
They came with joyful tidings to the assembly gathered in the upper chamber, and their discovery became urgent news to be carried at once to the other disciples. Their report joined the report of Mary Magdalene and the other women, which some in their hopelessness could not believe, and the weightier testimony of Peter about his interview with the risen Lord, borne with ardor and assurance. Hope and faith were struggling for ascendancy in the excited assembly until many voices met the travelers declaring that the Lord is risen indeed and hath appeared to Simon. Such haste was fitting because the fact of Christ's resurrection was to be the great truth around which all the faith and hope of the church would center. The appearance on the Emmaus road stands with the empty sepulcher found early on the first day of the week, the shroud left without the Master, and his revealing himself in the upper chamber as one risen whose body had not seen corruption. Together they give abundant evidence that cannot be controverted, proving he is alive as the risen Saviour whom the disciples saw and talked with, and making of none effect the falsehood of the priests.
True enlightenment from receiving light and talking with Jesus does not take a different line from the church, break up its unity, and draw away disciples after oneself. It returns instead to those whom God has led and is still leading, to those chosen of God to bear a living testimony and give the last message of warning. It seeks counsel of those who have had deep experience in the things of God, giving evidence that the light will better qualify its receivers to prepare a people to stand in the great day of God.
Christ Still Opens Understanding
The opening of the eyes at Emmaus is Christ opening the Scriptures and opening human understanding and the mind to grasp the meaning of the sacred Word, so that believers can know Him and comprehend what God has spoken. He did this as educator on earth when, beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself and then made Himself known in the breaking of bread, and He still does this now. This giving of a clear, well-defined experience with burning hearts is the privilege of all professed Christians, for what He has revealed is for us and our children forever. The same work is needed now by those with subdued hearts and a single eye to God's glory who drink from the living fountain of the water of life.
It follows rebuke for unbelief and slowness of heart and His explaining from Moses and all the prophets, and it comes through divine enlightenment by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, the same divine Teacher, carries its true significance to the soul in a way not seen or valued before, brings Christ's words to remembrance, and guides into all truth. This is given when seekers are humble, teachable, subdued, single-eyed to God's glory, and open to heaven, so that truth becomes newly clear. As the disciples contemplated the Scriptures thus opened concerning Him, their hearts burned within them. His presence and the Scriptures filled them with holy feeling, sacred hope, holy new joy, and refreshment, healing, and heavenly light from the living fountain.
Jesus may be near even when not seen, walking beside His followers unseen and beside the despondent and sorrowing to give peace, life, consolation, and comfort. Knowing He is near fills the heart with holy joy and makes it burn as the disciples' hearts did while He opened the Scriptures to them. Their desire for Him to remain expresses the longing for His presence, and their experience shows the joy found in hallowed fellowship centered on Christ and the plan of redemption. Believers' encounters with their Redeemer in lonely retreats are like this opening of eyes, as when Waldensian believers had the truths of Scripture opened to strengthen them to reject false guides and worship God alone. He also walks beside those who grieve, and when the dead are raised their familiar form will remain though wrinkles are gone, loved ones will recognize them, and they will know Christ.