On the Road to Emmaus

Context

Jesus had been crucified in Jerusalem, leaving his followers with shattered expectations. They had hoped he was God’s promised deliverer, the one who would redeem Israel. His death seemed impossible to reconcile with that hope.

It was now the third day. Reports of an empty tomb and a message from angels had begun to circulate, but Jesus’ followers did not yet understand what had happened. Two of them left Jerusalem carrying both their grief and their unanswered questions.

Story

That same day, two of Jesus’ followers set out for Emmaus, a village about seven miles from Jerusalem. One of them was named Cleopas. As they walked, they talked through everything that had happened.

While they were discussing these things, Jesus himself came up and began walking with them. They saw him, but they were kept from recognizing him.

Jesus asked what they were discussing as they walked. They stopped, and their sadness was plain.

Cleopas answered with amazement. Was this man the only visitor to Jerusalem who had not heard what had happened there?

Jesus asked, “What things?”

So they told him about Jesus of Nazareth. They described him as a prophet who had been powerful in both word and deed before God and all the people. They explained how the chief priests and rulers had handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified.

Then they spoke of their disappointed hope: they had believed Jesus was the one who would redeem Israel. But he had died, and this was already the third day since it had happened.

Still, there were reports they could not explain. Some women from their group had gone to the tomb early that morning and found that his body was not there. The women said they had seen angels who told them Jesus was alive. Others went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said—but they did not see Jesus.

The two travelers knew the reports. They knew the tomb was empty. Yet they still could not see how suffering, death, and their hope of redemption belonged together.

Jesus challenged them for being slow to believe all that the prophets had spoken. Was it not necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and then enter his glory?

Beginning with Moses and continuing through the prophets, Jesus explained what the Scriptures said concerning him. Step by step, he showed them that the Messiah’s suffering was not the end of God’s purpose. The Scriptures they knew were opening before them in a new way, even though they still did not recognize the one teaching them.

By the time they reached Emmaus, evening was approaching. Jesus appeared ready to continue farther, but the two followers urged him to remain with them.

“Stay with us.”

Jesus went in with them. When they sat down to eat, he took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them.

At that moment, their eyes were opened. They recognized him.

It was Jesus—alive and present with them. Then he disappeared from their sight.

The two turned to each other. They now understood what they had experienced on the road.

“Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us and opened the Scriptures to us?”

They got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven apostles gathered with others. The group was already declaring that the Lord had truly risen and had appeared to Simon.

Then Cleopas and his companion told what had happened on the road. They described how Jesus had walked beside them, opened the Scriptures to them, and finally made himself known when he broke the bread.

What We Learned

• Jesus was present with the two followers even before they recognized him.
• The Messiah’s suffering was not a failure of God’s plan; Scripture showed that suffering and glory belonged together.
• Their hearts were stirred as Jesus opened the Scriptures and helped them understand God’s purpose.
• Recognizing the risen Jesus changed their direction immediately: they returned to the other followers and shared what they had experienced.