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Author: Stephen Weller
622 words, 3 minutes read time

Three On The Road To Emmaus

Scripture: Luke 24:13-18

With the previous lesson we covered a short section about the report from the guard who were told by the Jewish religious leaders to lie about what happened. With this lesson we will begin a section that took place on the road to Emmaus.

^{Lk 24:13} That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, ¹⁴ and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. ¹⁵ While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. ¹⁶ But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. ¹⁷ And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. ¹⁸ Then 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?”

Luke recorded three resurrection appearances with this being the first and the longest. In fact, it is one of the longest stories recorded in the Gospel of Luke. The narrative begins by identifying the day the event takes place and where and who were involved. The day was Sunday, the day when all the activity took place at the tomb when the women found that the tomb open and the body of Jesus was missing. On that day two persons were leaving Jerusalem, headed to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles away from Jerusalem. Today we are not sure of its location. For an article on this, follow this link.

One of the persons traveling from Jerusalem to Emmaus is identified in verse 18 as Cleopas. The other person is unnamed.

As they were traveling together they were talking about all the things related to Jesus that had happened during the last three days in Jerusalem. While they were engrossed in this conversation, another person, who apparently left Jerusalem a short time after they did, drew near to them. At first they did not recognize this third person, as Jesus, as they then walked along together. As Jesus listened to the conversation, he asks them who were they talking about? This question caused them to stop and Cleopas responds with the question, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

There are times when God conceals things from us or does not allow us to recognize something. In Luke 9:45, Jesus was talking to his disciples about the Son of Man being delivered into the hands of men, but they did not understand because “it was concealed from them.” In Luke 18:34, Jesus speaks of his coming crucifixion, but again they did not understand because “it was hidden from them.” At the tomb, in John 20:14 – 15, when Mary Magdalene met Jesus she thought at first it was the gardener, but when Jesus spoke to her she recognized who it was. Later, these two on the road to Emmaus will recognize the third person as Jesus.

In verse 18, the question “Who does not know the things that have happened?” is asked by Cleopas. Those things will be detailed in the next lesson when we cover verses 20 – 24.

Conclusion

We end this lesson with the two travelers on their way to Emmaus being joined by a third who seems to be ignorant of what took place during the last few days in Jerusalem. We will join this conversation, in the next lesson, as they continue their journey together to Emmaus.