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Author: Stephen Weller
774 words, 4 minutes read time

Jesus Recognized

Scripture: Luke 24:25-32

In the previous lesson we looked at the meaning of “these things” that Jesus asked the two men on the road to Emmaus about. In this lesson we will look at the response Jesus made to their explanation of “these things”.

^{Lk 24:25} And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” ²⁷ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. ²⁸ So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, ²⁹ 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. ³⁰ When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. ³¹ And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. ³² 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?”

It is interesting to note that some translations begin verse 25 with “So” to indicate the implied result of the disciples’ inability to believe in the resurrection of Jesus. Also, in verse 25, translations vary on “O foolish ones” with some saying, “O foolish men” or “O foolish people”. The English word following “foolish” is added and is not in the Greek. It is also does not specified whether it was two men or a man and his wife that were walking together. Tradition holds that they were two of Jesus disciples. In any respect, Jesus rebukes them for their failure to believe the promise of scripture concerning the resurrection of Jesus.

Before Jesus rises to glory (verse 26), he must be rejected and suffer many things (Luke 17:25). Before the death of Jesus, he told his disciples “that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise” (Luke 24:7 ESV).

Jesus then begins with what Moses and the Prophets had said about him and continues to share with them all the things that were said about him in the Scriptures. He was pointing out to them that the promise of the Messiah runs throughout the Old Testament. The failure came in the inability of combining a suffering savior with their idea of a political Messiah. They were convinced the Messiah would deliver them from bondage to Rome, but instead Messiah was coming to release them from the bondage of sin and death and establish a kingdom of spiritually alive people in heaven.

As Jesus continues to speak to them, they approach the village of Emmaus. Since it was nearly evening, the two travelers insisted that Jesus stay with them. The invitation is accepted, a meal is prepared and as they sit down to eat, Jesus “takes 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.”

Thinking back to previous lessons, we find a striking similarity between this, the Last Supper (Luke 22:19), and the feeding of the 5,000 (Luke 9:16). The common element in these three events is the breaking of bread, blessing it, and giving it to the people.

Once Jesus takes the bread, blesses it and gives it to the two travelers, they are allowed to recognize that their visitor was Jesus. As they did Jesus vanished from them. As the two sit there marveling at what had happened 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?” This burning within their hearts began as Jesus opened the Scriptures to them, giving them hope and began to convince them of the resurrection.

Conclusion

When Jesus and the two travelers arrive at Emmaus, Jesus in invited to stay and as they sat before their meal, Jesus takes bread, breaks it, blesses it and gives it to them to eat, their eyes were opened and they recognized the person as Jesus. One by one, Jesus is revealing himself to people as evidence that he has risen from the dead as he promised.