Anchor My Faith

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Author: Stephen Weller
782 words, 4 minutes read time

What things?

Scripture: Luke 24:19-24

In the previous lesson we journeyed with two persons on their way from Jerusalem to Emmaus. They were apparently in no hurry because a third person caught up to them and asked them what they were talking about. In this lesson we will continue to listen in on that conversation.

^{Lk 24:19} And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, ²⁰ and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up 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 happened. ²² Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, ²³ and 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. ²⁴ Some 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.”

The two men just asked the man, who was now walking with them, the question, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” To which the third person, who they did not know was Jesus, said, “What things?” The two men then detailed what they meant by “these things.”

(1) The person the details were about was named as Jesus of Nazareth. According to the New Testament, Jesus grew up in Nazareth, a town in Galilee, now in northern Israel and thus he is referred to as Jesus of Nazareth. According to John 1:1 – 2 and 14, Jesus was the Word that became flesh.

(2) Jesus is referred to as a “man” because of his physical birth. He was a child that was born and a son that was given (Isaiah 9:6). He was the Son of God who through birth became the Son of Man, fully God and fully Man.

(3) This man was described as a prophet, a title that was inadequate. Luke points out in 7:16 that he was “a great prophet” a correct description but an inadequate one unless one adds such terms as Christ; Son of God; Son of Man; Lord; etc. Because of his signs and wonders, fear seized the people and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!”

(4) This prophet was described as mighty in deed and word before God and all the people. In the Luke 7:16 context, Jesus had just raised from the dead a mother’s only son and gave him back to her alive and healthy. It was deeds like this along with feeding great multitudes, healing the sick, and having control over nature that these two men are referring to.

(5) The chief priests and rulers condemned Jesus for being a king, which was true. He was King of the kingdom of God which was to be populated by people who through faith were born spiritually. Since he was not a king of an earthly kingdom that would challenge Rome, he was not guilty under Roman law.

(6) Through mob control, the Jewish religious leaders managed to pressure Pilate to pass sentence against Jesus to condemn him to death and had Jesus crucified.

(7) In him the people had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel, their coming Messiah.

(8) Jesus was crucified and placed in a tomb and it is now three days later since his death and when some women went to visit the tomb and found the tomb empty.

(9) They also reported that they had seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. (That was actually not what they said but what the disciples believed.)

(10) “Some 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.”

Conclusion

The two men on the road to Emmaus just finished explaining to the third person walking with them what they meant by “these things” that pertained to the crucifixion of Jesus. With that being said they continue to walk along in unbelief and without hope, but the third person, who we know as Jesus, but they don’t, has some things to say, but that will have to wait until the next lesson.