And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.
The two travelers hurried back to Jerusalem that same night to tell the disciples how the risen Jesus had walked with them on the road to Emmaus and opened the Scriptures to them, and how they had finally recognized him in the breaking of bread. He had deliberately kept his identity hidden while he taught them from Moses and the prophets why Christ must suffer and enter his glory, so that their faith would rest on the evidence of Scripture rather than being overwhelmed by joy at seeing him alive. Only when he blessed the food as their guest and showed the nail marks in his hands did they know him, and then he vanished from their sight as a living, risen Saviour. Their joyful report proclaimed the resurrection as tidings never before given by human lips, the great central truth around which all the faith and hope of the church would center. The same Jesus still draws near to suffering, perplexed and despondent followers to walk with them, open the Scriptures by the Holy Spirit until their hearts burn within them, and send them to bear witness with power.
Emmaus Road and Recognition
After his death the risen Jesus joined two disciples traveling from Jerusalem to Emmaus, walking with them unrecognized as an ordinary traveler with no outward marks identifying him as the Son of God. He walked carefully over the rough road with them and paused to rest with them, identifying with his suffering, perplexed and despondent followers and remaining with them on their hardest and most trying paths. He draws near in this way to suffering and perplexed people still, to teach and comfort them.
He deliberately kept his true identity hidden until he had finished teaching them from the Scriptures and leading them to intelligent faith. He did this because he knew that if he had first shown himself risen from the dead they would have been so overjoyed and satisfied that their souls would no longer hunger for the sacred truths he wanted fixed firmly and indelibly impressed upon their minds. He held back the revelation so those truths would take firm root in them, that they might impart them to others who would spread that precious knowledge until thousands received the light given that day to the despairing travelers journeying to Emmaus.
Beginning at Moses and going through the prophets and patriarchs, he opened what concerned himself and showed the chain of prophecy foreshadowing why the Christ had to suffer and enter his glory. He continued after his resurrection the same unmatched teaching he had given on earth, acting as educator to the lonely, disappointed disciples by opening to them the Scriptures concerning himself. He led them in this way to intelligent faith in his life, character, mission to earth, death and resurrection, grounded not on his personal testimony but on the unquestionable evidence of the typical law and the prophets of the Old Testament agreeing with the facts of his life and death. As they recalled the prophecies their unbelief was removed and their faith and hope revived with holy, new, sacred hope and joy until their hearts burned within them while he talked with them and opened the Scriptures.
Only when that work was finished was he recognized in the breaking of bread, after he had opened the Scriptures to them on the road. Having been invited to stay, he came in as their guest, blessed and broke the food, and revealed the marks of the crucifixion and the nails in his hands. They knew who he was only when he thus made himself known to them, and when the object of his labor was gained he revealed himself so their joy might be full. They rose to worship him, and then he vanished from their sight, proving himself a risen, living Saviour.
Having set out for Emmaus depressed, intending to resume their old work and hide their blighted hopes, their despair was now replaced by greater joy in a living Saviour risen from the dead. They left their prepared meal untouched, forgot hunger and fatigue, and could not stay home keeping the new knowledge to themselves, but longed for their companions to rejoice with them. They hurried back to Jerusalem the same night to tell the others what happened on the way and how he was known in breaking of bread, eager to share their joy despite the late hour and difficult road. They retraced the rough, dark, moonless road with light hearts and fresh speed, stumbling over stones and ledges and losing the track yet pressing on to deliver their message.
They entered the upper chamber in Jerusalem in the evening with joyful tidings. The disciples were staying in Jerusalem through Passover week because leaving would have been taken as disaffection and heresy, gathering together in the evening in the upper chamber where some of them lived, where Jesus would appear to them twice. They found the disciples assembled in excitement with hope and faith struggling for ascendency. Their report came after the report of Mary Magdalene and the other women, which some had been too hopeless to believe, and after Peter's ardent, assured testimony of his interview with the risen Lord, which had more weight with the brethren and had begun to revive their faith. As the two from Emmaus entered, they were met by many voices exclaiming that the Lord was risen indeed and had appeared to Simon.
Witness to the Risen Christ
The two travelers reached Jerusalem and told what had happened on the way and how he had become known to them in the breaking of bread. Their report described how he had walked with them and opened their understanding of the prophecies concerning himself, from the patriarchs onward. It was a joyful proclamation that Christ was risen and alive, adding its testimony to the other testimony already given and bringing new faith to some who listened.
The fact they carried was tidings never before proclaimed by human lips, that the living Saviour had risen from the dead. That resurrection would become the great central truth around which all the faith and hope of the church would center and rest.
On that resurrection day abundant evidence was given that the Saviour was living and not dead, for the risen Christ himself had joined the two on the walk to Emmaus and, beginning at Moses, had opened to them in all the prophets the things concerning himself. Their encounter and report, joined with the empty tomb and his revelation to the eleven in the upper chamber as one risen from the dead, established Christianity by evidence that could not be controverted.
The chapter to which the verse belongs shows that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son to save the sinful race. Everyone who repents and is converted receives the gift of salvation, made possible because the Saviour suffered the penalty of death. All who come to the Father through faith in Christ, laying hold of the Saviour by faith and following his example, receive assurance of forgiveness of sins, and through his sufferings every soul may be sanctified through belief of the truth. After receiving the Holy Spirit, his recognized followers are to bear witness with power and carry that gospel outward, beginning in Jerusalem and reaching all nations and calling people to salvation.
Faith and Unity Today
The road to Emmaus shows that Jesus still draws near to suffering and perplexed people, walking with them on their hardest paths to teach and comfort them. He still meets and converses with his followers, opening the truths of Scripture to them and strengthening their faith. He stands by the side of those in despondency and will give them peace and life if they accept him.
Welcoming him brings recognition of him, for the two invited him to stay, and then as guest he blessed and broke the bread and revealed the nail marks of the crucifixion in his hands. Faith would have helped the disciples receive that joyful revelation more fully. As he walked with them and opened the Scriptures concerning himself, their hearts burned within them. That burning is the joy and spiritual warmth that come from contemplating Christ in Scripture and dwelling on salvation, his incarnation and sacrifice, pardon, peace, and everlasting righteousness.
The same work is done now when understanding is opened to know what is truth, with the Holy Spirit shining upon the sacred page so that hearts burn as Daniel and Revelation and the other prophecies of the Old and New Testaments are studied. Receiving light as on that journey means returning to find those whom God has led and is still leading, rather than taking a different line and breaking up unity. It means telling how they have seen Jesus and talked with him to those chosen of God to bear a living testimony, giving evidence that the light better qualifies them to prepare a people to stand in the great day of God. It means seeking counsel from those who have been and are still bearing the truth and giving the last message of warning and who have deep experience in the things of God.
The two travelers hurried back to Jerusalem that same night to tell the disciples how the risen Jesus had walked with them on the road to Emmaus and opened the Scriptures to them, and how they had finally recognized him in the breaking of bread. He had deliberately kept his identity hidden while he taught them from Moses and the prophets why Christ must suffer and enter his glory, so that their faith would rest on the evidence of Scripture rather than being overwhelmed by joy at seeing him alive. Only when he blessed the food as their guest and showed the nail marks in his hands did they know him, and then he vanished from their sight as a living, risen Saviour. Their joyful report proclaimed the resurrection as tidings never before given by human lips, the great central truth around which all the faith and hope of the church would center. The same Jesus still draws near to suffering, perplexed and despondent followers to walk with them, open the Scriptures by the Holy Spirit until their hearts burn within them, and send them to bear witness with power.
Emmaus Road and Recognition
After his death the risen Jesus joined two disciples traveling from Jerusalem to Emmaus, walking with them unrecognized as an ordinary traveler with no outward marks identifying him as the Son of God. He walked carefully over the rough road with them and paused to rest with them, identifying with his suffering, perplexed and despondent followers and remaining with them on their hardest and most trying paths. He draws near in this way to suffering and perplexed people still, to teach and comfort them.
He deliberately kept his true identity hidden until he had finished teaching them from the Scriptures and leading them to intelligent faith. He did this because he knew that if he had first shown himself risen from the dead they would have been so overjoyed and satisfied that their souls would no longer hunger for the sacred truths he wanted fixed firmly and indelibly impressed upon their minds. He held back the revelation so those truths would take firm root in them, that they might impart them to others who would spread that precious knowledge until thousands received the light given that day to the despairing travelers journeying to Emmaus.
Beginning at Moses and going through the prophets and patriarchs, he opened what concerned himself and showed the chain of prophecy foreshadowing why the Christ had to suffer and enter his glory. He continued after his resurrection the same unmatched teaching he had given on earth, acting as educator to the lonely, disappointed disciples by opening to them the Scriptures concerning himself. He led them in this way to intelligent faith in his life, character, mission to earth, death and resurrection, grounded not on his personal testimony but on the unquestionable evidence of the typical law and the prophets of the Old Testament agreeing with the facts of his life and death. As they recalled the prophecies their unbelief was removed and their faith and hope revived with holy, new, sacred hope and joy until their hearts burned within them while he talked with them and opened the Scriptures.
Only when that work was finished was he recognized in the breaking of bread, after he had opened the Scriptures to them on the road. Having been invited to stay, he came in as their guest, blessed and broke the food, and revealed the marks of the crucifixion and the nails in his hands. They knew who he was only when he thus made himself known to them, and when the object of his labor was gained he revealed himself so their joy might be full. They rose to worship him, and then he vanished from their sight, proving himself a risen, living Saviour.
Having set out for Emmaus depressed, intending to resume their old work and hide their blighted hopes, their despair was now replaced by greater joy in a living Saviour risen from the dead. They left their prepared meal untouched, forgot hunger and fatigue, and could not stay home keeping the new knowledge to themselves, but longed for their companions to rejoice with them. They hurried back to Jerusalem the same night to tell the others what happened on the way and how he was known in breaking of bread, eager to share their joy despite the late hour and difficult road. They retraced the rough, dark, moonless road with light hearts and fresh speed, stumbling over stones and ledges and losing the track yet pressing on to deliver their message.
They entered the upper chamber in Jerusalem in the evening with joyful tidings. The disciples were staying in Jerusalem through Passover week because leaving would have been taken as disaffection and heresy, gathering together in the evening in the upper chamber where some of them lived, where Jesus would appear to them twice. They found the disciples assembled in excitement with hope and faith struggling for ascendency. Their report came after the report of Mary Magdalene and the other women, which some had been too hopeless to believe, and after Peter's ardent, assured testimony of his interview with the risen Lord, which had more weight with the brethren and had begun to revive their faith. As the two from Emmaus entered, they were met by many voices exclaiming that the Lord was risen indeed and had appeared to Simon.
Witness to the Risen Christ
The two travelers reached Jerusalem and told what had happened on the way and how he had become known to them in the breaking of bread. Their report described how he had walked with them and opened their understanding of the prophecies concerning himself, from the patriarchs onward. It was a joyful proclamation that Christ was risen and alive, adding its testimony to the other testimony already given and bringing new faith to some who listened.
The fact they carried was tidings never before proclaimed by human lips, that the living Saviour had risen from the dead. That resurrection would become the great central truth around which all the faith and hope of the church would center and rest.
On that resurrection day abundant evidence was given that the Saviour was living and not dead, for the risen Christ himself had joined the two on the walk to Emmaus and, beginning at Moses, had opened to them in all the prophets the things concerning himself. Their encounter and report, joined with the empty tomb and his revelation to the eleven in the upper chamber as one risen from the dead, established Christianity by evidence that could not be controverted.
The chapter to which the verse belongs shows that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son to save the sinful race. Everyone who repents and is converted receives the gift of salvation, made possible because the Saviour suffered the penalty of death. All who come to the Father through faith in Christ, laying hold of the Saviour by faith and following his example, receive assurance of forgiveness of sins, and through his sufferings every soul may be sanctified through belief of the truth. After receiving the Holy Spirit, his recognized followers are to bear witness with power and carry that gospel outward, beginning in Jerusalem and reaching all nations and calling people to salvation.
Faith and Unity Today
The road to Emmaus shows that Jesus still draws near to suffering and perplexed people, walking with them on their hardest paths to teach and comfort them. He still meets and converses with his followers, opening the truths of Scripture to them and strengthening their faith. He stands by the side of those in despondency and will give them peace and life if they accept him.
Welcoming him brings recognition of him, for the two invited him to stay, and then as guest he blessed and broke the bread and revealed the nail marks of the crucifixion in his hands. Faith would have helped the disciples receive that joyful revelation more fully. As he walked with them and opened the Scriptures concerning himself, their hearts burned within them. That burning is the joy and spiritual warmth that come from contemplating Christ in Scripture and dwelling on salvation, his incarnation and sacrifice, pardon, peace, and everlasting righteousness.
The same work is done now when understanding is opened to know what is truth, with the Holy Spirit shining upon the sacred page so that hearts burn as Daniel and Revelation and the other prophecies of the Old and New Testaments are studied. Receiving light as on that journey means returning to find those whom God has led and is still leading, rather than taking a different line and breaking up unity. It means telling how they have seen Jesus and talked with him to those chosen of God to bear a living testimony, giving evidence that the light better qualifies them to prepare a people to stand in the great day of God. It means seeking counsel from those who have been and are still bearing the truth and giving the last message of warning and who have deep experience in the things of God.