That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. Luke 24:13
We’re continuing our series on Easter at a distance. Some are at a distance by choice. Others because of circumstances. On Resurrection Sunday afternoon two of Jesus’s followers, who were outside the group of twelve, were making their way to the village of Emmaus, presumably heading back home after the Passover and the crucifixion of Jesus.
We have one name, Cleopas or Clopas or Cleophas. Later in the chapter they arrive at the home they shared, so they were at least close family, and more likely than not, a married couple. Stretching the speculation a little further, John 19:25 tells us Mary, the wife of Clopas was at the crucifixion. So it’s possible that this was Mary and Clopas.
The two were discouraged, maybe even disillusioned, and as they made the two-hour walk, they tried to process what had just happened. Jesus joins them as they walk, but they don’t recognize Him. They discuss what transpired over the last three days. Jesus then explains all the Old Testament prophecies that foretold the sacrifice of the savior before the reign. The couple arrives home and invites Jesus to stay the night. The moment He blessed and broke the bread for them, they recognized Him and He disappeared. They hightailed it back to Jerusalem and discovered the others had seen Jesus too.
Here are some takeaways from these two Emmaus disciples.
Even the specific promises Jesus made and the truth about Him can be hard to grasp when they move from the abstract to the concrete. He told the Twelve He would rise from the dead on the third day. These two from Emmaus were close enough to the disciples that they knew the women had found an empty tomb and had seen the angels. But they couldn’t believe it.
Sometimes, the promises Jesus made can be difficult for us to believe. We even believe the testimony of others regarding those promises but when viewed through the lens of our experience and preconceptions … they are just too much. When that happens, keep walking. Even though it doesn’t make sense right now, keep going. Just like these two from Emmaus, the lightbulb moment is coming.
Jesus can be walking right beside us and we don’t realize it. Verse 16 says they were prevented from recognizing Jesus. Why? Because there were some things He wanted them to learn first. The two from Emmaus needed to understand that Jesus’s death wasn’t a horrible tragedy. No, it was according to the plan God had crafted from the foundation of the world. God is sovereign. That had not changed.
Sometimes, in the depths of our discouragement, when we feel confused and alone, Jesus is there with us, but we don’t realize it. Why? Because there is something He wants us to learn about Him before He reveals Himself. His promise to never leave us nor forsake us still holds. (Remember the previous takeaway.)
The sadness is nothing compared to the joy. The joy of the resurrection reverberates through eternity. It is that joy that energized these two for a quick seven-mile run back to Jerusalem to the disciples. It is that joy that empowered the early church to preach boldly. It is that joy that engaged the rest of Roman world head on.
We have that same joy. Right? The joy that energizes and empowers us, that engages the world? If not, why not?
No question, these are uncertain, even scary times. But so was the first century. And the fifth. And the tenth. And the thirteenth. We can’t allow the culture to determine if and how much joy we have.
Do we find it hard to grasp the promises Jesus made? Or that He is walking beside us? Ask Him to reveal Himself.
Has the resurrection lost its wonder? If so, I pray that He gives us that same burning in our hearts that compels us to tell everyone we know – He is risen!
He is risen, indeed!