Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen
The text for this meditation is written in the 24th Chapter of the Gospel according to St Luke: Verse 13 - 35
13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” 19 He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22 Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23 and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” 25 Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29 But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” 33 That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34 They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Christ has risen! He has risen, indeed! Alleluia!
There is a subtle, but very persistent theme in the events of the Resurrection as told in the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It shows up in the announcement that the angels make to the women at the tomb. Listen to the angel’s words and you will hear a common thread. In Matthew’s account, (Matthew 28:6) the angel said, “He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.” In Mark, the angel said, (Mark 16:7) “Go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” Luke’s account is the longest. In his account, the angel said, (Luke 24:6–7) “He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” Did you notice the small, but very important idea that each angel had in their message? Each of these accounts made it clear that an important part of the angel’s message of the Resurrection was a reminder that Jesus had regularly told His disciples that He would rise from the dead. They all included an emphasis on the Word of Jesus. And, since Jesus is God, this is an emphasis on the Word of God.
Jesus Himself made this very clear in the reading we just heard. Jesus joined two of His disciples who were traveling from Jerusalem to Emmaus. (Luke 24:13–16) “13That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16But their eyes were kept from recognizing him”. Notice that Jesus did not immediately reveal Himself to them. Instead, He first taught them from the Word of God. The opening words of their conversation show how much they need this instruction.
Jesus greeted them by asking a perfectly natural question. (Luke 24:17) “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” This gave the two travellers the opportunity to express their grief at Jesus’ death. In their grief, the two travellers stood still, looking sad. (Luke 24:18) 18Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” From these words, we learn that the news of Jesus’ crucifixion had spread throughout Jerusalem. Cleopas assumed that anyone who had been in Jerusalem would know all about it.
Then Jesus asked one of those open-ended questions that gave Cleopas and his friend an opportunity to talk. He said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, (Luke 24:19–24) “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24Some 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.”
This is a very good summary of Jesus’ ministry. It even speaks of the resurrection. The words, “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel,” even proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah. The only problem is that they didn’t believe that it was true. Their words showed that they knew everything they needed to believe in Jesus. Never the less, from their point of view, it was more like a dream than reality.
Right then and there, Jesus could have said, “Here I am! The accounts of my resurrection are true!” He could have shown them His hands, feet, and side. He could have shown them that He was alive, but He didn’t. Instead, He began an intense Bible Study. He said to them, (Luke 24:25–27) “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
Before Jesus revealed Himself to these two disciples, He showed them Christ in Moses and the prophets … what we would call the Old Testament. He taught them that the entire Old Testament points to Christ. He used the Old Testament to show these two disciples that it was necessary that the Christ should suffer as they had witnessed with their own eyes and ears. He showed them, from the Old Testament, that the very heart of what it meant to be the Christ was for the chief priests and rulers to deliver Him up to be condemned to death, and crucified. According to the Scriptures, this is exactly what the Christ came to do and experience. The very testimony that they gave when they explained the happenings in Jerusalem … who Jesus was … what He experienced … His suffering and death … this very testimony points to Jesus as the Messiah promised by God in the Holy Scriptures.
Last week we heard John’s account of Jesus appearing to the disciples in the locked room. When Thomas saw the Lord, he confessed, (John 20:28) “My Lord and my God!” Jesus responded to Thomas and said, (John 20:29) “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” In today’s Gospel, we heard how Jesus did that with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. In this account, Jesus pointed to the Holy Scriptures as the proof of His resurrection before He revealed Himself to these two disciples. They did not know it was Jesus talking to them, but still they believed because of the testimony of the Holy Scriptures. They believed without seeing.
When Jesus first joined the disciples, they had the facts exactly right, but the facts depressed them. The facts depressed them because they did not interpret the facts in light of the Holy Scriptures. They did not understand how the crucifixion fit into the plan of God. They had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel,but they did not understand that the crucifixion was the way that the Christ did the redeeming. It was as Jesus opened the Holy Scriptures to them that they began to understand that, in the crucifixion, Jesus not only redeemed Israel, but He redeemed the entire world. Jesus opened the Gospel of the Old Testament to them, and the Holy Spirit called them by that Gospel. The Holy Spirit created faith in them even though they did not recognize that it was Jesus Himself who taught them. Not only did the Holy Spirit bring them to faith, but they became an example of (John 20:29) “those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
There are many devout Christians who really wish they could have heard the Bible class that Jesus gave on that road to Emmaus. How wonderful it would be to hear God’s Word taught by the perfect teacher. While we cannot know every last detail of His teaching, but if I was to pose the question “What is the key to the correct understanding of the Bible?” The official answer is: “Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, is the heart and centre of the Scripture and therefore the key to its true meaning.” This is a primary principle of Biblical interpretation taught by the Scriptures themselves and demonstrated in today’s Gospel: (Luke 24:27) “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself”.These words teach us that you have not fully explored a passage in Scripture until you have learned something about Jesus from that passage. Jesus Himself tells us that the Bible teaches us that it is (Luke 24:26)“necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” It is by this suffering that Jesus not only redeemed Israel, but also redeemed the entire world.
Now that Jesus had taught them from the Holy Scriptures, it was time for them to share a meal. As they talked, the two disciples (Luke 24:28–29) “drew near to the village to which they were going. [Jesus] acted as if he were going farther, 29but 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”. This is common Middle Eastern hospitality at work. There were no Motels or other public lodgings. As travellers came to the end of the day, those who had farther to go, acted as though they would continue their journey. Those who had arrived at their destination, insisted that other travellers stay with them and enjoy their hospitality.
Hospitality included a meal. When you stayed at someone’s house, they would serve a meal to you. They would bless the food and serve it to you, the guest. But something changed as this guest came to eat with these two disciples. Notice how Jesus turned the tables on His hosts. He became the host and served them. . (Luke 24:30–31) “When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31And their eyes were opened, and they recognised him”. Jesus was the invited guest, but He became the host. He took the bread. He blessed it. He broke it. He gave it. Jesus served the two disciples. It was as Jesus served them with this meal that He finally revealed Himself to them.
This pattern of teaching and then eating is very common in the Bible. The Gospels record many meals that Jesus had with a wide variety of people. Every time there was teaching before eating. First there is teaching from the Word of God. Then there is a meal with the Christ. This meal in Emmaus was different in that it is a meal after Jesus rose from the dead. In this meal, Jesus began teaching the disciples that although they could not always see Him, He was always with them. He was with them in disguise on the road as He taught from God’s Word. He was with them as He broke the bread and they recognised Him. He was still with them even after He disappeared from their sight.
This pattern of hearing God’s Word and then eating God’s meal has made its way into the liturgy of the church. We follow the pattern that Jesus used as we first have the Service of the Word where we hear the teaching that Jesus has passed on to us through the writings of His apostles. We continue that pattern as we eat a meal with Jesus and all the company of heaven even as Jesus gives His body and blood for us to eat and to drink.
Even though we cannot see Jesus, He has promised to be with us. He is with us as we hear the Word of God and the Holy Spirit uses it to strengthen our faith. Then, after we hear teaching that is based on the Word of God, we have a meal with Jesus where He feeds us His true body and His true blood given and shed for us for the forgiveness of sins.
Jesus comes to us in His Word. He comes to us as His Word falls on our ears and He comes to us as the Word combines with the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper. In each case Jesus reveals Himself to us. He is with us just as He was with the Emmaus disciples. We have His promise and by His promise He gives us forgiveness, life, and salvation. Amen
The love and peace of our Great Triune God that is beyond all human understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen
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