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The Emmaus Road - Part 3

Back to Jerusalem

Luke 24v33-35

15th April 2016

We've been looking at the story in Luke 24 about the time Jesus met two disciples on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. It was the afternoon of the day that Jesus had risen from the dead. In all probability, they were so bewildered by the events of the past week, and so afraid of the Roman and Jewish authorities, that they were getting out of town, in the hope that Emmaus would be a safer place to live until things calmed down.

The resurrected Jesus met them on the road and explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself" (verse 27). They urged him strongly, "Stay with us" (verse 29) and When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognised him (verses 31-32).

The story continues:

Luke 24v33-35
They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

When you've discovered that Jesus is alive, risen from the dead, you want to be with His people. You want to be with the church. Cleopas and his companion walked the twelve miles back from Emmaus to Jerusalem, through Roman-occupied Judea, in the dark, to be with their fellow believers in Christ. They just had to celebrate the wonderful news of the Resurrection with their friends.

Has our passion to be with God's people diminished over time? If so, is it because we've lost our excitement about knowing and recognising the risen Christ? Has our love for Him grown dim, causing our love for His people to grow dim?

When they got back to Jerusalem, they found the eleven (Judas had already committed suicide) and a number of other believers. They were about to tell this assembly - the first ever Sunday church worship service - the amazing news, when they found out that the others already knew! Jesus had appeared to Simon Peter!

(Mary Magdalene and the other women who first witnessed the resurrection may not have been pleased by this version of events. Jesus had appeared to them first, so why does only Peter get a mention? Also, why don't the Gospel writers tell us about what happened when Jesus appeared to Peter on Resurrection day? We only have this statement, and Paul's corroboration in 1 Corinthians 15:5, which also ignores the appearance to the women. There must be a good reason for this, but we can only speculate as to what that reason might be).

Then the two travellers got to tell their story. These two (probably fugitive, frightened) believers were among the first to see the risen Christ. God says "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion" (Romans 9v15, quoting Exodus 33v19). He chose to reveal Himself to them rather than to others, and who is going to criticise the decisions of Lord of Lords?

When they told their story, they emphasised that Jesus was recognised by them when he broke the bread. Dear brothers and sisters, let us not fail to celebrate His resurrection in the same way, because those of us with eyes to see will recognise Him in the breaking of bread, too.