Ep. 14 - The One on Road To Emmaus [Luke 24:13-34]

In this episode we talk about the two disciples on the road to a town called Emmaus and the encounter they had with the resurrected Jesus. The walk with him while he unpacks the whole Old Testament and explains how everything that happened to him was to fulfill the law and the prophets. But, the whole time they were walking they didn't realize it was Jesus. It wasn't until he broke bread with them that their eyes were opened and they recognized him. He vanished and they hurried back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples what had happened. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey everyone, welcome back to the Leader Lounge podcast. We are going to talk about the road to Emmaus today. So that's in Luke 24. And we've been talking about the resurrection the past, or we talked about the crucifixion the past three weeks, and then we did an episode on the resurrection. And this is something that happens after Jesus is resurrected.

SPEAKER_01 0:26

40 days.

SPEAKER_00 0:27

40 days and appears to, I believe, over 500 people. Is that I think it says Yeah, at some point it says that.

SPEAKER_01 0:34

It actually says that in um some of Paul's writings. I can't remember the exact book, but yeah, Paul makes mention of that.

SPEAKER_00 0:41

Yeah. Um it might have been Acts. I think it is X.

SPEAKER_01 0:47

We should go find out. Maybe we'll look it up and put it in the show notes.

SPEAKER_00 0:50

All right.

SPEAKER_01 0:51

Let's do that.

SPEAKER_00 0:51

But today we're going to talk about two of the people that he appeared to.

SPEAKER_01 0:55

I will go ahead and read. We're in Luke chapter 24, and as usual, would love for you to grab a Bible if you have one, so you can read along with us. And we'll start in verse 13. And we're going to split this into two chunks. So we'll do 13 through 27, and then we'll do the rest. And we'll just kind of dive into it and be curious together. So let's jump into verse 13. That very day, two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, What is this conversation that you're holding with each other as you walk? And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopus, answered him, Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days? And he said to them, What things? And they said to him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet, mighty indeed and word, before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all these things, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see. And he said to them, O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all the prophets have spoken, was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Alright, so the scene is you got these two people, and it's the same day. So this is on Sunday, right?

SPEAKER_00 3:12

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 3:13

And they are on the road to a village named Emmaus, and it's seven miles from Jerusalem. So they're walking. And you can imagine, verse 14, it says they were talking with each other about all these things that have happened. So you can imagine the conversation, um, just the wide-ranging conversation that they're having with one another about probably the crucifixion and now this thing that might have happened, like that you know, they're talking about that they they've seen there's visions of angels, um, and the disciples went to the tomb and found it just as the women said. Like, just imagine that conversation, you know.

SPEAKER_00 3:53

Yeah. And then Jesus at some point starts walking with them. But they don't recognize him at all. It must have been so interesting. Like he almost he doesn't necessarily say he doesn't know what happened, but he just asks what they're talking about, and then they basically tell him the entire story of his own death and what they think is a possible resurrection. Because they don't think they don't know for sure if he is actually alive. But that's just so funny, like they're telling him about his own story.

SPEAKER_01 4:34

Right. I you know when I whenever I read Luke, we've talked about this before, but you know, Luke, Luke was written to a non-Jewish audience, to a to Gentile audience, and Luke interviews people to write his story, right? And so when when I see little things in here, I just wonder like, who told Luke that particular thing? So for instance, in verse um 17, um, right after Jesus asked them what they're talking about, it says they stood still looking sad. And uh I just wonder, like, did did Cleopus tell? Because he's the one who's gonna say in the next verse it says Cleopus, right? So did Cleopus tell Luke? There's only there's only three people who knew that they stood still and looked sad, right? Cleopus, the other person who's not named, and Jesus. So one of those three people probably told Luke, was detailing this story to Luke, right? And um, you know, yeah, it's just um well, I guess it wouldn't have been Jesus, but I I would suspect it was Cleopas.

SPEAKER_00 5:46

Because he's named.

SPEAKER_01 5:47

Yeah. And he's describing, you know, he's he's like, yeah, I just stood there, like in disbelief. We were just so sad, you know.

SPEAKER_00 5:57

It's interesting the way they talk about Jesus. They say Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet, mighty in deed and word before God and all the people. And I think before I'm sure Peter, Peter earlier um had proclaimed Jesus and said, like, yes, we believe that you are the Messiah, but I'm sure other people believe that too, especially of his followers. Like Peter proclaimed it because he just Jesus asked him and he answered. But it's interesting that I wonder if they had thought that, and then after the crucifixion, they just went back to calling him a prophet because he had died. Like they weren't saying, Oh, this was the Messiah, this was the savior. They were like, and then they said, We hoped. Yeah, we hoped he was the one to redeem Israel. Yeah, but they didn't think it anymore.

SPEAKER_01 6:50

So they were, yeah, you're right, I think they were basically saying we th we hoped he would be the Messiah. And he turned out not to be. He was just a prophet, and he did mighty things, but um, so they couldn't wrap their minds around it, you know. And uh if you if you're if I'm bringing this to life for people, you know, for kids, as I'm sharing this story, I uh I I want to go back just a second and talk like what it must have been like, like they didn't recognize Jesus, which is interesting because that's what happened to Mary, also, right? So Jesus has some sort of different body. He's not, I would imagine he doesn't have blood all over his face, you know. Um, but uh they're kept from recognizing him. And it says that he drew near, right? And you already said that, but I just wonder what that was like. Like, was he did he appear out of nowhere and draw near? Or like did they see him in a from a distance? Was he walking faster than them? Or did he come from maybe he came from them? Yeah, from behind them or beside them, maybe he came walking up. You know, it just says that he came near, he came close to him, right?

SPEAKER_00 8:00

I love at the end of this section we read, it just proves that the entire Old Testament, I'm looking at verse 27, the entire Old Testament is pointing to Jesus and working together with the law and the prophets. And I just love that, I mean it says, and beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them all the scriptures, the things concerning himself, and it's almost like he made it all clear because I think he taught a lot and things weren't always clear to the disciples, like it would say, but they didn't yet understand, or um they were confused, or they kept asking questions. But I think in this moment he kind of makes it all clear, like from the beginning, this was all pointing to me, which is really cool.

SPEAKER_01 8:47

Yeah, when I read that it makes me think of the transfiguration also because at the transfiguration it's Moses and Elijah. And Moses and when you know here it says Moses and all the prophets, like Elijah was seen as like the the highest prophet, or like the you know, the greatest prophet. And so um throughout throughout all of this, the old testament is lifted up, I think is the is the point, you know.

SPEAKER_00 9:19

But he doesn't say that he is they don't recognize him yet still. So he's talking about I mean he even says, was it not necessary that the Christ? Like he didn't say me, he didn't say, Oh, I am Jesus who died. So he's telling the story of Jesus through Moses and the prophets, but he doesn't say it's him yet.

SPEAKER_01 9:40

That's interesting, too, when it says, was it not necessary? Like, I because I've heard some people when it talks about the atonement, you know, that Jesus didn't there's a a lot of different views about the atonement. And when I say atonement, I mean what what happened when Jesus died on the cross? Like, how did that save us from our sins? And you know, I believe in substitutionary atonement, that Jesus took the took our place, He He paid our penalty on the cross. Well, there's a lot of of Christians who um some some people are moving in a different direction and saying that well, it didn't he didn't actually take our place. And but here when he says, was it not necessary?

SPEAKER_00 10:22

Like I'm like, yeah, that had to happen.

SPEAKER_01 10:25

He had to die to take our place on the cross. All right, why don't you want you want to read the rest?

SPEAKER_00 10:31

Yes. Let's all start in verse twenty eight. So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, Stay with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is now far spent. So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them, and their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures? And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem, and they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon. Then they told what is what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

SPEAKER_01 11:20

So they come to the village, and he acts like he's gonna go further. That reminds me of one of my favorite parts of scripture. In the book of Mark, where Jesus is walking on water, it says he intended to pass them by. I think that's probably the funniest, like I as I picture it. Like, how did they know he was intending? What does he was he just not even acknowledging there was a boat there? You know? Um, but here it's kind of the same, like he's like, All right, I'm I'll see you guys, or you know, um, and then they like begged him, they're like urged him strongly. I wonder there must have been something about him where they just wanted to be in his presence, you know.

SPEAKER_00 11:59

I mean, verse 32 said, Did not our hearts burn within us? Like there was definitely they knew he wasn't a normal guy, I think at that point. I don't think they thought at all he was Jesus, but yeah, there was something special about him. It's so cool that the moment they recognize him is when he breaks the bread. Because it just points back to the Lord's Supper, I think. And I mean us taking communion today, even is like he's because he said when he did that, he said, Do this in remembrance of me. So it's almost like he did that, and then they remembered him and recognized him, which is so cool.

SPEAKER_01 12:35

Yeah, I God is sovereign over their eyes too, right? So it says they were kept from it in verse uh 16 it says, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And then in verse 31, it says, and their eyes were opened and they recognized him. And so obviously their eyes were opened all the time, like in terms of like they could see things, but their their eyes were opened in a spiritual sense to be able to see that Jesus was that that was Jesus sitting in front of them. And um, and I do think it it points to the Lord's Supper. Like I think I I I can't explain because because these two people were not at the Lord's Supper, right? It was his twelve disciples, right? Um, at least they're not in the picture that I've seen. I'm sure. Um and so, and this is only on Sunday. So I I wonder if these people have even had time to hear about the Lord's Supper. Maybe, you know, maybe they had time to hear about what Jesus had done when he broke bread and when he washed their feet between Sun Saturday or between Friday and Sunday. Um, but whatever the case, I think that this points to the Lord's Supper, of the the importance of us breaking bread and and recognizing that, you know.

SPEAKER_00 13:52

Are they talking about Peter when it says he has appeared to Simon?

SPEAKER_01 13:57

I gotta be honest. I don't know. I um yeah, I I don't know who they're talking about there. If there's another Simon, um that's one of the confusing verses um when I read, I'm uh I'm like, I don't because it doesn't seem to make sense. Yeah, why don't you look you looking something up?

SPEAKER_00 14:17

Yeah. Yeah my Bible has a note that said Mark 16 verse 7. Um it's not very helpful. It says Oh, it says, but go tell his disciples and Peter that he's going before you to Galilee, and there you will see him just as he told you. So maybe there's a count where he does an account where he does appear before because in Mark it has the angel says that to Mary, and then Jesus appears to Mary, and then we have two verses, it doesn't go into as it doesn't go as deep as Luke does, but two verses where it talks about him appearing to two people walking, and so it looks like he appeared to the disciples in Peter at some point.

SPEAKER_01 15:13

Interesting.

SPEAKER_00 15:14

That we either don't see, or maybe in another gospel it's just not in Luke.

SPEAKER_01 15:20

Yeah. I mean it would have seemed like nonsense to them, right? That Jesus would would appear. So maybe and I don't know. This is just a a thought, and I'm just thinking out loud, but maybe they had heard that Simon had seen Jesus, but they just didn't believe it because they don't say it to Jesus. They don't when they're describing to Jesus what what's happening, all they say is that they didn't find him in the tomb, right? But maybe they're like, the Lord has risen indeed, and he really has appeared to Simon. Like maybe the fact that they saw him made them really believe that Simon had seen him too. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 16:00

In First Corinthians, it says Paul's talking about Jesus' resurrection. It says, I delivered to you as first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures. And then a few verses down it says, and that he appeared to Cephas, who's Peter, and then to the twelve.

SPEAKER_01 16:20

Interesting.

SPEAKER_00 16:20

And then he appeared to, this is where it says it, more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive. So it's, and then he appeared to James and then all the apostles. So it looks like he had a moment with Peter first that we just don't read about.

SPEAKER_01 16:39

Yeah. And that's a good point. I mean, John, John makes the point. If everything that Jesus did was written down, there wouldn't be enough books to hold all of it, right? And so, yeah, that's good. The other thing I would point out, if we're bringing this to life too, like it says that they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. So they walked seven miles. At some point during that seven miles to Emmaus, Jesus shows up. We don't know how many miles Jesus walked with them, but but he walked long enough to like go over the entire Old Testament and you know, with them. Then they break bread, or Jesus acts like he's gonna move on, and then they urge him to stay, so he stays. Then they break bread, then their eyes are opened, and then Jesus just vanishes.

SPEAKER_00 17:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:24

And they're like, What? Can you imagine? And they're like, We've got to go back. So then they keep they get up, it's nighttime, right? It's dinner time, they get up and they, I would imagine, walk even faster, if not run part of the way back to Jerusalem to tell the disciples what happened.

SPEAKER_00 17:43

Yeah. And we didn't read verse 36, but as soon as so they go back, they tell the disciples, and it says, as they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them and said, Peace to you.

SPEAKER_01 17:57

Oh, it's so good.

SPEAKER_00 17:59

And so he just kind of skips the seven miles back. Like they walk back and then he appears where they are.

SPEAKER_01 18:06

They're like out of breath. And Jesus is like, hey, what's going on, you guys? That's so good. We could keep going on. I I I mean, I just keep reading the next verses, but they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, Why are you troubled? And why do you doubt? Why did doubts arise in your hearts? And then he shows them his hands and his feet. So he had this new body, right? The spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see that I have. Wow. Makes me wonder if angels the angels that they saw also had flesh and bones, or if they were just spirits. What do you think?

SPEAKER_00 18:45

I think the angels at the tomb are described as young men in white clothes. So I think they definitely had bodies that looked human.

SPEAKER_01 18:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:56

I don't know about the ones that like appear to marry Zechariah, like in the New Testament.

SPEAKER_01 19:02

But Okay, we could go down some rabbit holes.

SPEAKER_00 19:05

Yeah, I think we said at the beginning we're not hearing that too.

SPEAKER_01 19:08

If you cut an angel open, what do you find? I don't know. Is there blood? Is there bones? I don't know. Yeah, let's not go down that. Let's not go down the rabbit hole right now. But that might be an interesting uh Alright. Well, that is a story of the road to Emmaus. Oh, one other thing I would point out that I've heard before, you know, we assume that these were a lot of times that these were two men who were walking. It doesn't say that. It says that very day, two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, right? And in verse uh 32, I heard a sermon one time, and the pastor said that it says, uh, did they they said to each other, did not our hearts burn within us? But this pastor said that that word for hearts is actually singular. Did not our heart burn within us? And he suggested that this might have been a married couple who was walking together. And so it was just an interesting thought. Like we we always talk about like let's not put things in scripture that aren't in scripture. It doesn't say that this was two men.

SPEAKER_00 20:07

Yeah. And so that's really cool.

SPEAKER_01 20:10

All right. Well, hey, let me pray, and then we'll uh see you guys next time. Jesus, thank you so much for this day. I thank you for your word. We thank you for Easter. We thank you for um uh just what that means in our faith, Lord, that you really did come to earth, you really did live the sinless life, you really did die on a cross, and you really did rise from the dead, Lord. And when you died on the cross, you paid the penalty for our sin, and then you conquered death when you rose and you promise us um eternal life for those who believe in you, Lord God. And so I just pray um for us that um that and for everyone listening, Lord, that we would all just trust you with our lives. We would believe in you. We would believe that you are who you say you are, we would believe that you did die for our sins and that you rose again. Um and uh we just pray that you would be glorified in all of our lives. In Jesus' name. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 21:05

Amen.