The Road to Emmaus

Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.

And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?”

Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?”

And He said to them, “What things?”

So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was 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 crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. And certain 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.”

Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
- Luke 24:13-27 NKJV (bold mine)

Setting

It is Sunday morning. Jesus had been crucified on Friday and buried in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb (Luke 23). The women who had been following Jesus observed the tomb and how Jesus’ body was laid and went back home to prepare spices and fragrant oils but they rested in the Sabbath and came back on the first day of the week, very early in the morning.

Jesus had finished the work on Friday (John 19:30) and also rested on Sabbath and early on Sunday He got up feeling refreshed and began the next phase of His ministry. The women were the first ones to realize that Jesus had risen from the dead, the angels reminded them that Jesus had told them exactly what would happen (Luke 24:6) and they remembered Jesus’ words and told the disciples but they did not believe them.

(Just as a side note, some point to the apparent lack of obvious female leaders in the Bible as evidence of “God’s unwillingness to use women in roles of leadership” but I wonder if the people and culture of the time limited the extent to which God could use women. The women had the good news of the risen Savior but no one believed them. I wonder how often we limit the extent that God can use us and those around us.)

The Road to Emmaus

Now let’s jump back to the road to Emmaus, that seven-mile trip where Jesus joined two of His followers who were talking and trying to figure out what had happened and what it all meant. I love how two people are walking, going through life, and struggling with spiritual things, they are struggling to understand what God is doing, and Jesus Himself takes the initiative and draws near to them (for more on this principle see God with Us). When His followers are struggling and coming together to discuss spiritual things Jesus desires to draw near to us and join our conversation. Jesus does not appear and simply answers all their questions right away. Jesus does not appear and work wonders and miracles to convince them. Jesus veils His presence and engages in dialogue with His followers.

How often do we want God to just give us everything in a platter?

How often do we doubt God’s existence if things don’t make sense right away?

Jesus’s Approach

Jesus draws near to His followers and goes with them, then He begins a dialogue with them, He asks them questions.

“What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?” (Luke 14:17b)

To me, personally, this seems like an investigative judgment. Jesus shows up and asks questions. He is investigating. This is not the first time God behaves in this way either. A few other times to come to my mind include:

• When God asked Adam “where are you?” (Genesis 3:9)

• When God asked Eve “what is this you have done?” (Genesis 3:13)

• When God asks Cain “why are you angry? (Genesis 4:6)

• When God asks Cain “where is Abel your brother?” (Genesis 4:9)

• When God asks “what are you doing here Elijah?” (Genesis 19:9)

God does not ask these questions because He needs information, but rather to engage us and to cause us to grow. God is helping us realize our situation, our great need of Him.

The men on the road to Emmaus at first think this stranger who joined them must be the most clueless person in Jerusalem. How could He not know about what had taken place in Jerusalem recently?

But Jesus insists and asks “what things?” This question forces the men to organize their thoughts and emotions. What had happened? How would they tell the story? What was their interpretation of the current events? Sometimes we assume everyone thinks and views things as we do. I find it beneficial to put my thoughts into words. That’s essentially what this blog is, my views on life the universe, and everything. By writing it out it helps me figure it out.

As the men describe the current events to Jesus their thoughts and feelings are crystalized and we catch a glimpse of what it was like to be a believer on the third day after the death of Jesus.

Surprisingly that stranger rebukes the lack of faith of the two men.

Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!
Luke 24:25 NKJV

Jesus rebuked the men specifically for not believing in what the prophets had spoken. Jesus then gives the two men a Bible study covering the writings of Moses and all the Prophets expounding, translating, explaining, interpreting everything that was concerning the Messiah.

I love this because for me this highlights the importance of the study of the Bible. Jesus could have simply allowed the men to recognize who He was, they were familiar with His appearance. But Jesus did not want that to be the basis for belief or faith. Jesus wanted their faith to be based on the writings of Moses and the Prophets, in other words, in the scriptures they had available at the time.

Please make a note of this. I believe this is extremely important. Jesus wanted the disciples to recognize and believe in Him based on the teachings of the Bible, based on the word of God revealed through the prophets and recorded in the scriptures.

Jesus teaches something similar in the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus. (Luke 16:19-31)

“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”
- Luke 16:27-31 NKJV (bold mine)

Interestingly, there was a man named Lazarus who came back from the dead (John 11), and people still didn’t believe Jesus.

Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.
- John 12:9-11 NKJV

According to the teachings of Jesus, the revelation of God made available to us in the Bible is of extreme importance. Our faith should be based on the scriptures and not so much on signs and wonders.

For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand.
- Matthew 24:24-25 NKJV

Why did Jesus tell us beforehand? So that we would not fall. In other words, if we are not familiar with the teachings of Jesus and the Bible as a whole we would fall for the deception. When someone shows up working miracles and all kinds of wanders many will be deceived.

He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.
- Revelation 13:13-14 NKJV

If we are not familiar with prophecies and the teachings of the Bible we are in danger of being deceived. God miraculously kept the Bible throughout the ages though many have tried to destroy it. During the first three centuries of the Christian era different Roman Emperors sought to destroy God's Word (https://biblehub.com/). Diocletian probably made the greatest effort of all, and even though not all Roman emperors persecuted Christians and the Bible to the same degree, none of them ever helped the Christians in any way until Constantine made Christianity popular. (http://www.truthmagazine.com)

Centuries after the persecution by the Roman Emperors, when the Roman Catholic Church obtained command of the city of Rome, the Pope and his priests took up the old quarrel against the Bible. The Holy Scriptures were taken away from the people, copies of the Bible were forbidden to be purchased and all who were found with a copy of God's Word in their possession were tortured and killed. For centuries the Roman Catholic Church bitterly persecuted the Bible and it was not until the time of the Reformation at the close of the sixteenth century that the Word of God was again given to the masses in their own tongue.
(BibleHub)

It is amazing how there are so many copies of the New Testament, especially when compares to other texts ancient texts (there’s a helpful chart on https://www.toughquestionsanswered.org).

If God went through all the trouble to make the Bible available to us, should we not dedicate some time to studying it? If the Bible was not that important God would have allowed it to be destroyed and forgotten, but we have it today. People were tortured and died painful deaths so that you would be able to read the bible today, how much do we value it?

Here are some things the Bible has to say about itself;

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Hebrews 4:12

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17

“Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.”
Psalm 119:105

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”
Matthew 4:4

The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.
Psalm 119:130

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
John 8:31-32

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
John 15:7

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
Psalm 19:7

My challenge for us

Here’s a practical and simple challenge for you and for me, since I’ll be doing this as well.

I challenge you to open your Bible every day. This works best with a physical Bible. Every day, take your Bible in your hand, open it, and read at least one verse. You do not have to limit your reading to just one verse, but I challenge you to read at least one verse. If you like what you read, keep reading and read as much as you would like, but I challenge you to not go a single day without reading at least one verse.

Tip: Pick a book or passage of the Bible ahead of time, for example:

Matthew 5 - The beginning of the sermon on the mount.

Genesis 37 - The beginning of the story of Joseph.

Ruth - A short but beautiful love story (the whole book is only 4 chapters long).

Jonah - Another short book with a powerful story!

1 Samuel - The story of the birth of Samuel (the whole book is amazing and for my take on it check out Of Kings and Men)

Mark - The shortest of the gospels.

John 14-15 - Have profound truths from the lips of Jesus.

Psalms and Proverbs offer short passages for quick reads.