S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

The events on the road to Emmaus are discussed in Luke 24. In this final chapter of Luke's Gospel, we read of two disciples (Cleopas and one unnamed) of Jesus who were walking from Jerusalem to Emm...

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July 01 2013 • 11 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Meluleki Maphosa Supporter Amateur Bible Student

Another lesson that we learn from story of road to Emmaus is that God will reveal himself to those that "burn within our hearts". These 2 gentlemen were burning to understand what they had read in the bible and what they had witnessed. They did not give up faith and walk away because they did not understand. Instead they "burned" and desired to understand inspite of all the apparent contradictions. Just like the holy Spirit had directed Philip to the ethiopian Eunuch, God will not let you down if you trully desire to understand His word. 


In my opinion, "burning within our hearts", means that these 2 gentlemen were genuinely searching for the truth. I am sure as they walked they recited the scriptures concerning the Messiah but could not make the connection. They needed someone to come and explain the scriptures to them. When God provided the answers and they had understood He left. 

I like the outcome of the encounter even more, they abandoned whatever they were doing and went to broadcast the good news. Now they could spread the Word that they understood very well. 

I think that applies to all of us. We must genunely seek to know the truth. Our hearts must "burn within us" after the truth. God will not let us down, He will always send someone to come to answer that need. We must not rest until we have found understanding from the Word of God. I am a firm believer in praying to God and asking for Him to explain what He wrote in the Bible. The explaining may come from any source even the most unexpected one! There are still a lot of areas in the Bible that I do not quite understand, but when I look back there is so much that God has revealed to me and I pass it on when I get the chance.

April 15 2014 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

JD Abshire Supporter

I believe it is also very important to realize what DID NOT HAPPEN on the road to Emmaus. Although the risen Lord was walking and talking with these men they did not have a clue who he was, evidenced by his rebuke of them as Michael has already pointed out (Luke 24:25-27). 

Throughout the gospels and on many occasions Christ told his disciples that he would be betrayed, arrested, would suffer, die and would rise again. 

Mark 9:9-10 "And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead. And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean."

Luke 9:44-45 "Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying."

Although these men had possibly been by his side for up to three years yet they did not know or recognize him? Aside from their lack of faith one can imagine the last visual image of Christ burned in their memory was of a bloody, brutalized, mangled and torn corpse. How could they comprehend this same (although glorified) Christ walking and talking?

What made the difference? Why did they believe? Of course, the physical evidence of his resurrection was undeniable but it goes beyond that.
Luke 24:44 "And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
Luke 24:45 "Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,"

John's account gives us more insight as to how and what opened their understanding. John 2:22 "And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:"

I believe the very same Lord God that breathed the breath of life into Adam in the garden was the same one who breathed the eternal Holy Spirit into those in the upper room that day. As he told Nicodemus in John 3:8 “The wind bloweth where it listeth (desires), and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit”.

These “natural” men were regenerated, born again by the power of the living God. Christ had previously told them in John 14:17 “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
John 14:26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

Ephesians 1:17 “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:”
Ephesians 1:18 “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,”
Ephesians 1:19 “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,”
Ephesians 1:20 “Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,”

Romans 11:36 "For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen."

April 15 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Al Mari Supporter Private practice as a cardiovascular & thoracic surgeon

Aside from what was shared, the Emmaus incident gave an inclination of when Jesus resurrected. With verses that the day of resurrection would be "in" 3 days, "on" the 3rd day, and as "Jonah was 3 days and 3 nights", there is uncertainty as to the day. 

A day is counted biblically as starting from sunset to sunset. The facts show that Jesus was crucified on the day-part of Nisan 14 to fulfill the Passover sacrifice for our sins and was buried before sunset of Nisan 14 as the following evening was Nisan 15, the 1st day of Unleavened bread, a High-day Sabbath. 

As to whether a high-day Sabbath is an annual or weekly Sabbath has been debated. For those who believe that a high-day Sabbath is a weekly Sabbath, then Friday to them was the crucifixion, buried before sunset of Friday as the following evening was Saturday starting sunset. Also, they believe that the 3rd day resurrection should be taken as "part of the day" and not a complete 24 hours. See: http://www.remnantofgod.org/wedcruci-fiction.htm 

On the other hand, others believe that the "only proof given to these adulterous generation" was Jesus, like Jonah, has to be buried 3 days and 3 nights, a complete 24 hours as in http://antipas.net/heb_cal_3758.htm. So that. Nisan 14 was Wednesday when Jesus was crucified, then buried before sunset of the following evening which was Nisan 15 or Thursday; resurrection then was Saturday before sunset and that he was already resurrected before the Sunday's road to Emmaus incident. 

Which understanding is true? The key has to be whether the "midst of the week" prophecy in Daniel 9:27 refers to the Messiah's death. Additionally, a calendar of Jesus birth, years after baptism in the river Jordan may help to buttress any of these claims. I am still researching. Please help.

October 08 2014 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report