What happened on the road to Emmaus?

This was to Cleopas and his companion, probably his wife, when on their way to their home in the village of Emmaus. The risen Lord drew near to them, their eyes holden that they should not know Him. He asked the reason of their sadness, as they talked by the way. With astonishment they asked, Was He only a stranger in Jerusalem, and had He not heard of the wonderful happenings that had taken place? Our Lord enquired what things. They replied;

They then went on to say that certain of their company had gone to the sepulchre, and had found it empty, and had heard the angel’s testimony that the Lord was risen.

"And behold, two of them were going on the same day to a village, distant sixty stadia from Jerusalem, called Emmaus; and they conversed with one another about all these things which had taken place. And it came to pass while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus himself drawing nigh went with them. But their eyes were holden so as not to know him. And he said to them, What words [are] these which ye interchange with one another as ye walk and are downcast?†601 And one [of them], named Cleopas,602 answering said to him, Dost thou sojourn alone in Jerusalem and knowest not602a the things come to pass in it in these days? And he said to them, What things? And they said to him, The things concerning Jesus the Nazarean,‡ who was603 a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people; and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to [the] judgment of death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was [the one] about to redeem604 Israel; but then also§ with all these things, this is the third day since these things came to pass. And withal, certain women from among us astonished us, having been early at the sepulchre, and, not having found his body, came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who say that he is alive. And some of those with us went to the sepulchre, and found even as the women also had said; but him they saw not."605 "Sixty": so Edd., after ABDL, etc. "One hundred and sixty" is in ℵ[Kpm Npm Π, etc., and Old Lat. †The reading of the Sinaitic, Alexandrian (first hand it would seem), Vatican, Parisian (L. ἔστησαν), confirmed by some excellent ancient versions [Egyptian], is ἐστάθησαν [R.V. "stood still"], the effect of which would be to close the Lord's question with "as ye walk," and to present the words "and they stood downcast" as the consequence before Cleopas answers. This appears to me as remarkably graphic as it is according to the manner of Luke. (B.T.) So Tisch., Treg., W. H., and Weiss. Blass, following D, omits περιπατοῦντες καὶ ἔστε, and also rejects ἐστάθη αν. ‡"Nazarean": so Blass, after ADN, etc. Edd. "Nazarene," with ℵBL. §"Also": so Edd. with ℵBDL, 1, 33, and Arm. It is not in ANP, etc.

Now turn to Luke 24:17, and you will find it even stronger there. The two disciples are going to Emmaus, and talking of the things which had happened, and Jesus Himself drew near and went with them, though they knew Him not. "And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?" Their hearts were heavy; they had left Jerusalem, they were going home, it was all over on earth. I think that Luke 24 is one of the most touching of scriptures, if you put yourselves in the position of the disciples for a moment. Their backs were upon Jerusalem, they had satisfied themselves that His body was not in the tomb, their faces were to Emmaus, it was the third day, and it was all over. No wonder their hearts were sad. "What manner of communications," says the blessed risen One to them, "are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? And the one of them whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?" Suppose you had been only a few hours in Jerusalem, is it possible that you could be ignorant of the crushing sorrow that has fallen upon us in consequence of all that has happened there? He replies (how skilful His love is in drawing out their hearts), "What things?" Well He knew, but there is nothing so skilful in this world as love, nothing. "And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people;" now you get the sense of how much they knew, and what their hearts were connected with as to His Person. He was "Jesus of Nazareth, a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and have crucified him; but we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to-day is the third day since these things were done."

Thus He commences with them by asking, "What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?" In reply to this, one of them whose name was Cleopas, expressed his surprise by saying, "Art Thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things that are come to pass in these days?" The Lord simply replied, "What things?" And then Cleopas poured out his whole heart, and proceeded to narrate what had taken place concerning Jesus of Nazareth, how that He was a prophet, mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and the rulers had delivered Him to be condemned to death, and had crucified Him. Such were the facts as they had presented themselves to the minds of these two disciples.

Having given these, Cleopas goes on to speak of the effect of these things upon themselves. With great sadness he adds, "But we trusted that it had been He that should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done," that is the day upon which they had been led to expect His resurrection. Then, moreover, he tells of the visit of the women of their company to the sepulchre on the morning of that day, and that, while not finding the body of the Lord, "they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, who said that He was alive." There was yet more; certain of the disciples went also to the sepulchre and found it even so as the women had said, and then Cleopas added what contained the cause of all their grief, "But Him they saw not."

Journey to Emmaus. — Up to this in our gospel we have read of no appearances of the Lord to any of His own on that first day of the week. Luke will now tell us of three different appearances, and of two of them he writes somewhat at length, indicating again in this his independence of his brother evangelists. To Emmaus, a village north-west of Jerusalem, and distant about sixty furlongs, going on to eight miles, two disciples were proceeding on foot, the name of one being Cleopas; that of the other is unknown. Evidently he was not an Apostle (ver. 33); that is all we know. Ere leaving the city they had become acquainted with the report of the women that the Lord was risen, but clearly had not heard of His appearance to any one (vers. 22-24). They must then either have left Jerusalem before Mary Magdalene had told the disciples, "I have seen the Lord" (John 20:18), or had not been present when she announced that joyous fact. Much of deep interest had those two to speak about with reference to the events of the last few days, an interest now increased by the visit of the women to the tomb, and the vision of angels which they had seen there who affirmed that the Lord was alive. Pondering over these things, a stranger, as they supposed, drew near, and probably from behind. Talking together, they did not accost the stranger, but He accosted them, and asked what the communications were which they had one with another. Aroused probably by His interrogatory to the fact of His presence, they stopped, and, as Luke graphically describes it, "they stood still, looking sad" (ver. 17).

Cleopas had finished. Then the stranger began, not asking any more questions, nor condoling with them on the death-blow to all their hopes, but at once rebuking them for their slowness of heart to believe all that the prophets had spoken (ver. 25). Who was the stranger, that He should act thus, taking at once a teacher's place? He was not a scribe nor a lawyer, nor by profession an expounder of the Divine Word. Yet surely never in any synagogue had they heard such an opening up of the Scriptures of truth. Acquainted they learnt that He was with Old Testament revelation from Moses downward, for He expounded all the things concerning the Christ, having prefaced that assuredly most masterly exposition with the words, "Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?" Were they mistaken as to the Crucified One being the Christ? The stranger affirmed that He was the Messiah, and all that had taken place was just the fulfilment of the prophetic word.

The tedium of the way must now have been removed. With burdened, questioning hearts, they had left the city. With elastic steps they doubtless now went forward till Emmaus was nearly reached. Malachi (3:16) wrote of those fearing the Lord speaking often one to another, and the Lord hearkening and hearing. These two could afterwards have said how blessed that was, but their blessing was greater. For the Lord drew near, talked with them, and went with them. What joy to Him it must have been to watch these two occupied with Him! What joy to them as He opened up?The Scriptures concerning Himself! But now must they part? Emmaus was their goal. What was His? He seemed disposed to go further. With untiring interest had they listened to His discourse, and that interest continued unabated. So they asked Him, nay, constrained Him, to tarry with them. He had entertained them. They would entertain Him. "Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is now far spent." He agreed, and went in to tarry with them. Refreshment provided, He sat at meat with them. And now He who had been their Instructor by the way, to their amazement doubtless, took the place of host at the board: "For He took the bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them." All doubt, all uncertainty, about the stranger was removed. Their Companion by the way, their Instructor out of the Word, their Guest at the table, was their Master, the Lord Jesus Christ. Their eyes were opened. They knew Him. But He vanished out of their sight. The Lord indeed was risen. He had travelled with them and talked with them that day.

While, then, they were on the road discussing the events that had happened, "Jesus Himself drew near and went with them." It is a sign of their condition that "their eyes were holden, that they did not know Him." In answer to His inquiries, the whole thing comes out, and "we trusted that it had been He who is going to redeem Israel" tells the tale of doubt and trouble. Yet they have heard the women's story of His being alive, and of Peter's visit to the sepulchre. What to think they know not.

Then, with a reproof for their unbelief, He begins to unfold the long prophetic burden of the ages past, through Moses and all the prophets following: their hearts burning within them as faith is rekindled at the sacred fire. They reach the village while He is reciting; and there they stay the wondrous Stranger from passing on; as He appears ready to do. Constrained by their solicitude, He enters the house to abide with them. There, in the breaking of bread He is revealed to them at last.

Luke then ushers in another scene, still more precious, peculiar in its details at least to himself — the journey to Emmaus, where Jesus joins Himself to the two downcast disciples, who discoursed as they went, on the irreparable loss they had sustained. Jesus hears this tale of sorrow from their lips, brings out the state of their hearts, and then opens the Scriptures, instead of merely appealing to the facts in the way of evidence. This employment of the Scriptures by our Lord is very significant. It is the word of God which is the truest, deepest, weightiest testimony, even though the risen Jesus Himself were there, and its living demonstration in person. But it is the written word which, as the apostle himself shows, is the sole adequate safeguard for the perilous times of the last days. Here, too, the loved companion of Paul proves, in the history of the resurrection, the value of the Scriptures. The word of God — here the Old Testament interpreted by Jesus — is the most valuable means for ascertaining the mind of God. Every Scripture is inspired of God, and is profitable — yea, able to make us "wise unto salvation through faith that is in Christ Jesus." Hence our Lord expounds to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. What a sample that day was of the walk of faith! Henceforth it was not a question of a living Messiah on the earth, but of Him that was dead and risen, now seen by faith in the word of God. On the face of the account, this was the great living lesson that our Lord was teaching us through the two disciples. (Verses 13-29.)

But there was more. How is He to be known? There is but one way that can be trusted in which we can know Jesus. There are those in Christendom that descant upon Jesus as ignorant of His glory as a Jew or a Mahometan. Our own day has seen how men can speak and write eloquently of Jesus as a man here below, all the while serving Satan — denying His name, His person, His work, when they flatter themselves they are honouring Him, like the weeping women (Luke 23:27), without a grain of faith in His glory or His grace. Hence was it of all importance that we should learn wherein He is to be known. Thus Jesus sets forth the Only way in which He can be rightly known, or that can be confided in. On this alone God can put His seal. The seal of the Holy Ghost is unknown until there is the submission of faith to the death of Jesus. And so our Lord breaks bread with the disciples. It was not the Lord's Supper; but Jesus made use of that act of breaking the bread significantly, which the Lord's Supper brings before us continually. In it, as we know, bread is broken — the sign of His death. Thus Jesus was pleased, Himself with them, that the truth of His death should flash upon the two souls at Emmaus. He was made known unto them in the breaking of bread — in that most simple but striking action which symbolises His death. He had blessed, broken, and was giving the bread to them, when their eyes were opened, and they recognised their risen Lord. (Verse 30.)

Drawing near to the two, the Lord enquired of them what it was that had caused their sadness, to be told that their hopes had been fastened upon Him with the expectation that He would deliver Israel from all their foes and troubles by a display of omnipotent power. No such deliverance had come. Instead He had been crucified and slain by the chief priests and rulers of their nation. Some spoke of a vision of angels, who said that He was alive, but all they knew was that the grave was empty, though He had not been seen. How did our Lord meet this situation? He charged them with being slow of heart to believe all that the prophets had spoken, for they had indicated that Christ must enter into His glory by the suffering of these things. He then opened up to them all the prophetic Scriptures concerning Himself. No wonder their hearts burned within them under such a wonderful unfolding, and they besought Him to stay in their home. Sitting at their table and partaking of their evening meal, their Guest rose up, took bread, blessed it, and gave it to them. In an instant their eyes were opened and they recognized their risen Lord; but at that same moment He disappeared.

He had accomplished His mission, for Jesus Himself, risen from the dead, was known to their hearts. Their doubts were turned into triumphant joy, which brought them back to Jerusalem that very night to tell the other disciples. They arrived with their glad news, but only to find that the Lord had been caring for another needy disciple that day, even Simon Peter.

This beautiful narrative at the close of Luke's gospel sets before us the gracious way of the Lord in leading "His own" into right thoughts of Himself, and instructing them in that which was His will and purpose for them. Two disciples of Jesus, distressed and disappointed, were leaving Jerusalem with their faces toward their own home. As they walked they talked of those things which had happened. The Lord drew near and inquired the cause of their sorrow. Readily they responded, and poured into His ear the whole tale of their trouble. Having won their confidence, and drawn from their lips a true confession of their state, He next proceeds to deal with their consciences. He reproves them for their slowness of heart and unbelief. "Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?" The Lord then instructed them in the "things concerning Himself." Drawing nigh to the village whither they went, "He made as though He would go further," but they constrained Him to abide with them. In the house the Lord made himself known to them in the "breaking of bread," and vanished from their sight. Thereupon the two disciples return to Jerusalem and find their fellow-disciples gathered together. While in the act of telling "what things were done in the way, and how He was known to them in breaking of bread," the Lord came into their midst, speaking peace to their hearts, and unfolding His thoughts and intentions regarding them and their service.

"And he said to them, O senseless and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!606 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter607 into his glory? And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets,608 he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself."