Luke 24:13-35

Verse 13 – And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.

There is 606 feet in a furlong. Three score furlongs is 60 furlongs. Multiply 60 times 606 feet, then divide by 5280 feet and it is 6.8888 miles from Emmaus to Jerusalem: west and north of Jerusalem.

They are making this trip on a Sunday afternoon, probably in the afternoon because it would take approximately 2-3 hours to walk 7 miles and they got to their home about evening. See verse 29.

This particular Sunday afternoon is in the middle of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Christ was crucified on Passover afternoon (Wednesday) and placed in the tomb as Thursday began (at the going down of the sun). Thursday begins the seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which all the Jews celebrated. I have a notion these two disciples are leaving Jerusalem and the Feast of Unleavened Bread because they are disgusted with what their rulers have done to the one they believed is the only hope of Israel. See verse 20.

Who are these two disciples? One is Cleopas, (verse 18) and I do not know who the other is. The other might be his wife, but it is difficult to understand why the wife of Cleopas would leave the side of Mary, the mother of Christ at this time. She was with Mary at the cross, see John 19:25, and it is probably she remained by the grieving mother. It is also very possible that Mary was not grieving. She knew from the very beginning that this son of hers was the Son of God. Even though she did not understand all the things he would do, or the facts of the crucifixion, she knew that her son had special directions from God, and would follow him. The only reason I think Cleopas and his wife traveled from Jerusalem to Emmaus is that they settled in (what I think was) their home.

There is no doubt that these two disciples, along with the other disciples, did not understand the resurrection. Their hopes were dashed and they might not have known what they were doing as they were in the midst of confusion, dashed hopes, and uncertainty. It is also true that other disciples left the congregation of the church: Peter and Thomas left. The Bible records in verse 34 that when the two disciples returned to Jerusalem and to the church assembly, one of the first things they heard (before they could tell that Christ had appeared to them) was that Christ was indeed risen and had appeared to Peter. I Corinthians 15:5 confirm that the Lord first appeared to Peter. It is true that Christ first appeared to Mary, but this passage is speaking about the appearance of Christ to the apostles as leaders of the first church.

Verse 14 - And they talked together of all these things which had happened.

Of course, they were talking about all the things that had happened.

The betrayal of Christ.

His crucifixion.

His burial.

His resurrection (that morning) as related to them by the women and Peter and John.

Verse 15 - And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.

It is good for believers to commune together and reason of scriptural things.

It is remarkable that Jesus appeared to them. I do not know why these two disciples left Jerusalem in the midst of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, or in the very midst of the revealing of the resurrection of Christ, but they did. Christ would not allow them to continue away from him, which is very encouraging to me. In the midst of all my confusion about scriptural things, God will not allow me to continue in my path away from him, but will come to me in my confusion, reveal his word to me (give me faith) and bring me back to the church.

Verse 16 - But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.

Why did Christ hide himself from them? Because they are church members, and they must see Christ through the church. Unto Him be glory in the church – Eph. 3:21. At this point, these two disciples are going away from the congregation, not toward it. Christ will cause them to return, then he will reveal himself to them.

Verse 17 - And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?

Christ asks this question as if he does not understand.

Christ often speaks to us on this manner in order to cause us to understand where our difficulties are and to force us to communicate with him.

Verse 18 - 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?

Cleopas is not berating Christ, but stating that he must be a stranger in Jerusalem, or he would know something of what has happened.

Verse 19 - And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:

Christ desires them to tell him exactly what things, even though he already knows what things, and the thoughts of both of these travelers.

The first thought of the two travelers is not of the rulers, but of Christ, who is the reason for their sadness. They state that all the people knew what a mighty prophet Christ was, not only before the people, but also before God.

Verse 20 - And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.

The two travelers describe the betrayal of Christ by their rulers. It is not wrong to state the facts about political and religious leaders, but it is wrong to berate them because of their wickedness.

It seems to me the two travelers speak with some bitterness toward their leaders at this point. When they got up in the morning to celebrate the Passover, almost the first thing they heard was that Christ was being crucified, as he was placed on the cross about 9:00 am in the morning. They would then hear of the wicked false trial during the night when everybody (at all the defenders of Christ) was asleep. If the common people had known what their rulers were doing, they might have intervened and saved his life, which was against the determination of God.

Verse 21 - 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.

The hope of Israel, as far as these two travelers were concerned, lay in the hands of this mighty prophet of God. Look at how they misunderstand the intentions of God. Their thoughts are for the restoration of their nation, not the salvation of the world.

How we need to be careful and pray that God would give us proper understanding, that we would understand his will, and not be confused or bitter when things go against what we believe it should.

Today is the third day – a special day. It is amazing that the disciples remember the words of Christ concerning his resurrection on the third day, but fail to believe his resurrection! Honestly, it would be very difficult to believe that a person would be able to rise from the dead when they were dead. It is one thing to believe that a person is able to give life to a dead person, but to believe that a dead person could rise from the dead all by himself is another thing.

Verse 22 - Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;

It is important to understand that the two travelers were in the company of the disciples when they returned to the congregation and told of the resurrection.

Verse 23 - And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.

The women did not "jump to the conclusion" of the resurrection of Christ, but were told by a vision of angels of his resurrection. There is no room for human error here.

Verse 24 - And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.

The two travelers were also still in the church congregation when Peter and John went to the tomb and returned.

Note: In verse 23, the women said Christ was alive, but verse 24 records that Peter and John only said they did not see him. They also did not see the vision of angels which told them of his resurrection and life.

Verse 25 - Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

Jesus calls them "fools" because they do not believe what God said, not that they do not believe in God. They are "slow of heart" to believe. May God help me to be "quick of heart" to believe all the Bible teaches.

Verse 26 - Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

The first thing Christ relates to them is that the suffering of Christ is absolutely necessary, not the restoration of Israel. Salvation is more important than the restoration of any nation. The glory of Christ will come from the suffering and resurrection of Christ, not from the restoration of Israel. Israel will receive all the glory if they are restored.

Verse 27 - And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

Christ gives them faith. He gives them the word of God. Romans 10:17 declares, "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." Hebrews 11:1 states that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The only way we can ever get faith is from the Word of God. If you do not have a scripture, you do not have faith. If you have faith, you will have a scripture.

Christ speaks to them concerning himself, not concerning the restoration of Israel, or of themselves and their own personal growth. So much preaching today is how you can be a success in this life, not about how Christ is the success.

Verse 28 - And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.

Why did Jesus make as if he would go further? He did not lie to them. Christ wants willing worshippers, not worshippers that are forced into worship. See Exodus 35 and 36 for an example of willing people giving freely to build the tabernacle. Christ could have made a bunch of dummies to worship him, but he wants willing worshippers.

When Christ seems so very far away from you, what do you do? Do you wait on him to come to you, or do you seek to go to him? God wants us to seek to come to him.

Verse 29 - But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.

The two disciples constrained Jesus to abide with them. This is Christian hospitality toward strangers. It is toward evening, which makes me believe the two travelers left Jerusalem sometime after lunch to travel to Emmaus.

It is always good to have Jesus in our home, even if we do not know he is Jesus.

Verse 30 - And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.

Jesus is the initiator at this meal provided by the two travelers. The two travelers are submissive to him, even though they do not know he is Jesus. Christian people will always be submissive to the leaders God gives them, even though they do not necessarily know who those leaders are.

Verse 31 - And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

Their eyes are not their physical eyes, but their spiritual eyes.

Why did Christ vanish out of their sight? Because he gets glory in the church, not in individuals. Christ reveals himself to individuals, but gets his glory in the church. These disciples are being lead back to the church they have left, and to the nation of Israel, which they have also left in a symbol.

Verse 32 - And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

They now relate to each other how their hearts burned with them, and that is internal evidence they have seen the risen Christ.

Verse 33 - And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,

I do not know if they finished eating the meal or not, but I imagine they were more interesting in sharing the good news of the risen Saviour than in eating.

It would take them the same amount of time to return to Jerusalem as it took in going from Jerusalem, unless they hurried along the way.

They knew where to find the church.

Note: not only were the eleven there, but also others. I do not know who the "others" were, but I imagine the women who traveled with Christ were there, along with other believers. It should be noted that Thomas was not there at this point. It is not wrong to say the eleven, because that is referring to the group of the apostles, not to the particular individual people called apostles.

Verse 34 - Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.

This is what the church is saying to the two travelers, not what the two travelers are saying to the church.

Verse 35 - And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

Here is the two travelers sharing what happened to them on the way to Emmaus, and how the Lord revealed himself to them.

It must be stated here that the two travelers were present when Christ revealed himself to the church, see verse 36.