The Road to Emmaus

Introduction

AHA moments

When something clicks, something we don’t understand starts to make sense.

Our story today allows us to see the “Aha” moment of two disciples.

Background and Context

First record of the appearance of the Risen Jesus within the Lucan gospel, to two seemingly unknown disciples. One in Cleopas, who is not mentioned anywhere else in the gospel, they other is not identified. These two disciples were not part of the twelve. Earlier in Luke’s gospel (Luke 23:49) it is indicated that the number of Jesus’s followers has expanded beyond the twelve, likely to around 120 (Acts 1:15).

Our story takes place on the road to Emmaus. Emmaus was about seven and a half miles from Jersusalem. It is likely that these two unknown disciples were from Emmaus or somewhere in that direction. They were likely returning home following the Passover. Commentators disagree over the distances, some say 7 and some day around 20 miles. The actual distance isn’t the important part. What is important is the involvment of residents from a village that is some distance away from Jersusalem. They is an indication that Jesus’ ministry had been widening in impact and spreading over a larger geographic area.

Narrative

We see the narrative of our story begins in verse 14, these disciples are discussing everything that has happened. Luke provides this over-arching summary, without much detail. As these two individuals had likely been around for the Passover festival, they had witness all the events up to and including the announcement by the women that Jesus was not in the tomb.

In the midst of this recount, Jesus walks up beside them but they did not recognize him. In fact, Luke’s gospel says they “were kept from recognizing him”. Greek translates: “Their eyes were overpowered”. Jesus asks them what they are talking about. Cleopas is a little facetious in his response:

New International Version (2011) Chapter 24

Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days

For the disciples, the execution of Jesus has dominated their recent experience. From their perspective, it was a significant moment! They would be surprised that someone could have been in the same place as them and have missed these events!

Then Jesus follows up: “what things?”.

Their answer:

New International Version (2011) Chapter 24

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”

So here in this response, there is a few things I want to call out, because I will return to them later.

First- they refer to Jesus as a prophet. This label bears some importance as we look at Jesus’ response next.

Second- We see the despair of these disciples. Jesus was supposed to be the one who would redeem Israel. The women didn’t find the body of Jesus at the tomb, and even though they said he was alive, no one has seen Jesus. Hope was fading, and despair and doubt are starting to set in.

Jesus replied:

New International Version (2011) Chapter 24

25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

We see in the response:

Not prophet. MESSIAH.

And then we also see Luke establish something else. We see him bring Moses and the Prophets. The Old Testament as we call it. As part of this biographical piece of Jesus, Luke has introduced the Old Testament to the context of events. We see Prophecy introduced as an element of this story.

And so I want to pause the narrative recount there for now. Because through this section of the narrative of the Road to Emmaus, Luke has set up two key movements that will take place in this story.

First, the movement from Despair to Hope and Second, the movement from Prophecy to Fullfillment. I want us to look at these two movements as my key points for today and then briefly talk about what they mean for us today.

Movement 1: Despair to Hope

So first, we see the despair established in the early part of the text. These disciples explictly state they were looking for a liberator. But now he was dead.

R.T. France suggests that Jesus’ death had extinguished their hope in that Jesus could be that liberator. We see them communicating in past tense, “we were hoping”. This could also be the reason behind the prophet descriptor they opt to use. They likely still clung to the teachings of Jesus and cherished their relationship with him. But his death has caused them to see who he is in new light.

So we look at the cause of the despair. Death. In Jesus’ death, their hopes have been extinguished. So in a way that only God can, he injects hope in the midst of despair and darkness. And he does it by directly combating the thing that has caused the despair in the first place. He demonstrates his ability to defeat even death itself.

New International Version (2011) Chapter 24

30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

Jesus restores and revives hope by yes, being triumphant over death. That is key. But he restores hope by reminding them who he is. He is at their house at this point and oddly, assumes the host role. And then he engages in this familiar practice of breaking bread and offering it to them. He had done this previously in Luke 9:16 and 22:19. Its possible there are more unrecorded instances of Jesus engaging in this practice. These disciples were obviously familiar with this procedure as it is through this they are able to see who he is.

We see in this text hope is restored through triumph over the very things that cause despair. And we also see hope found in the consistency of who Jesus is and what he does.

Movement 2: Prophecy to Fullfillment

The second movement we see is the movement of Prophecy to Fulfillment. To see this, we remember that Luke is writing a biographical account of Jesus. In his resurrection, we see Luke bring in the Messianic identity of Jesus.

But this is a case that Luke, and Jesus, make through this text. It’s not just claimed, its argued.

I remind you of these verses that establish prophecy.

New International Version (2011) Chapter 24

25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

Moses and the Prophets has written throughout the entire Old Testament about the coming of the Messiah. R.T. France puts it this way: “The inclusion here of Moses...points to a comprehensive hermeneutic of fulfillment that finds in Jesus the endpoint of not only of selected prophetic oracles but also of the whole pattern of scripture...”.

Jesus reminds these disciples that he is Messiah, not just because he says he is, but the whole truth of scripture, the whole story laid out by the prophets, is brought to complete fulfillment in who he is and what he has done.

We see this line in verse 32 as the two disciples are reflecting on their interaction with Jesus…

New International Version (2011) Chapter 24

They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

There is excitment and understanding present in this question. This is the aha moment. To them in now all makes sense. And while they specifically reference their conversation on the road to Emmaus and the scriptures that Jesus would have gone over with them then, we remember that as disciples they have likely sat under Jesus’ teaching previous to this. This moment ties it all together. What was once just prophecy and prediction is now completely fulfilled in Jesus.

Application

So what does this mean for us?

Well first, we remind ourselves that through the scriptures and our experience we know who Jesus is, he is victorious, he is consistent.

In this life, when we encounter despair, when things don’t go as we had planned, we can cling to the hope that we find in Jesus. We can always remember that we are never without hope. In their despair as their hopes of a liberator faded, the disciples could have potentially been feeling that they had no hope. Jesus reminds them that as people of the cross, as people of the empty tomb and people of the ressurection, we ALWAYS have hope.

Second, in Jesus we see scripture fulfilled. It makes sense. Everything we know about God, everything we know about God’s plan for humanity, it all comes together and is brought to fulfillment in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

There is no mystery. There is no lingering prophecy. There is Jesus. And so even though we will encounter things that don’t make sense, or that we don’t understand we can take heart in knowing that the author of our story, the author of life brings everything together in the end for the good of his people. In Jesus, we find the completion of our story and we find wholeness in our relationship with God. The battle is won, victory is ours.

Conclusion

And so as we reflect on these words, we remind ourselves that all we need is Jesus. His story fills us with hope, and he meets our every need.

We are going to sing in reflection, “I Need thee every hour” as we remind ourselves as we walk our own road, that Jesus is there. He is alive. He is the restorer of hope and the fulfillment of God’s perfect plan for us.

I NEED Thee every hour, Most gracious Lord, No tender voice like Thine Can peace afford. I need Thee, O I need Thee, Every hour I need Thee; O bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee.

May you reflect on the words of scripure and the hope of Jesus Christ as we sing.