As Sunday morning dawned, and the Passover feast drew to a close, two of Jesus’ followers were returning home. Demoralized and disillusioned, they had decided to leave their foolish dreams of Jerusalem behind. Despite rumors of the resurrection already beginning to circulate, these two men began their seven-mile trek to the village of Emmaus.
They were talking about everything that had happened. And while they were talking, Jesus came up to them and began to talk to them, “but his eyes did not recognize him.” He asked them what they were talking about so intensely.
“Answering one of them, named Cleopas, said to him: ‘Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened in it in these days?'”
His question was ridiculous. If anyone understood what had happened, it was Jesus. And if anyone had no idea, it was Cleopas. However, Jesus kept the conversation going: “What things?” They replied: “Those concerning Jesus the Nazarene, who was a mighty prophet in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers handed him the sentence of death and crucified him. But we expected that He was the one who was going to redeem Israel.”
As they walked and talked, Jesus opened their perspective little by little until they clearly saw how Scripture spoke of the Messiah’s death and resurrection as part of His coronation. They had heard about his resurrection but simply refused to believe. If they had believed that Jesus was alive, they would have been walking towards Jerusalem, not in the opposite direction. They would have accepted all the tests of him, the crucifixion and the burial as part of the fulfillment of what He had promised, not the end of his hopes.
As the sun went down, these two disciples were so intrigued by this stranger accompanying them that they invited him to spend the night with them at Emmaus. Jesús accepted the offer, but continued to maintain his anonymity.
“And it came to pass that as he reclined at table with them, he took bread and blessed it, and breaking it he gave them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him ; but He disappeared from their presence” (Luke 24:30-31).
Can you imagine their faces at that moment? They were with the risen Lord! It was Him all the time! “And rising up that same hour, they returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, ‘It is true that the Lord has risen.’ Surely He has risen!”