Luke 24:13–35

Explore the Bible
Dean, School of Christian Studies, University of Mobile

Two facts, among others, support the claim that Jesus rose from the dead on the first Easter. First the tomb was empty (Luke 24:1–12). Even Jesus’ enemies admitted this. His opponents would not take His body from the tomb and thus lend support to His “wild” claims that He would rise from the dead. His friends could not take His body from the tomb because it was well-guarded.

Second Jesus appeared in person. Mostly He appeared to His followers but not always (First Corinthians 15:7 may hint that His brother James became a believer when the risen Lord appeared to him). The first appearance of the resurrected Christ that Luke mentioned was to a couple of disciples on the road to Emmaus, a village about seven miles northwest of Jerusalem. 

On the Road (13–27)

On Easter evening, these two left Jerusalem after observing Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Along the way, they engaged in deep discussion about the recent events in Jerusalem: the events before Jesus’ crucifixion, the crucifixion itself and now the mysterious reports that His tomb was empty and He was alive.

Jesus joined them but they did not at first recognize Him. To draw them out, He asked what they were talking about and pretended to know nothing about the past few days’ events. One of them found the question incredible. “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there?” When Jesus asked for more details, the two poured out their disappointment and pain. His words and deeds proved Him a true prophet of God, they said, but the Jewish rulers handed Him over to authorities for execution. Their hope that He was the Messiah was shattered. Many first century Jews thought of the Messiah as a king like David at his best, i.e., the Rambo of Judea or Conan the Destroyer. If a “messiah” lost even one battle, then it was proof he was not the Messiah. Death on the cross meant Jesus was not the Messiah. These two knew the women reported that the tomb was empty and angels said He was alive, but in the first century, women were not considered credible witnesses. Peter and John checked out the tomb and also found it open and empty. But this was a perplexing mystery for these two.

Taking the lead in the conversation, Jesus rebuked them for failure to believe the whole of Scripture. “Moses and all the prophets” clearly indicated that it was “necessary” for the Messiah first to suffer and then enter into His glory. First the cross, then the crown. On the road to Emmaus, Jesus taught them truths about the Messiah from the Hebrew Bible that they had completely missed. He would suffer and die to redeem His people from their sin.  

At the House (28–32)

Jesus’ Bible class ate up the time, and soon the three approached Emmaus. Jesus started to go farther, but Cleopas and his partner begged Him to stay the night with them. He agreed. During dinner, He took bread, blessed it and broke it for them to eat. In the breaking of the bread, they knew Him. Perhaps the way Jesus broke the bread reminded them of the feeding of the 5,000 (Luke 9:16), or maybe they saw the nail wounds in His hands (Luke 24:39–40). Their eyes were opened and they fully recognized Him. It was Jesus, alive indeed.

At that point, He vanished. Perhaps this indicated He would no longer be with His disciples permanently as He was before the crucifixion and resurrection.

Now they saw that they should have known Him earlier. Along the way, Jesus’ explanation of what Scripture taught about the Messiah had set their hearts afire.

With the Apostles (33–35)

Jesus’ appearance made it impossible for the duo to stay in Emmaus. Immediately they raced back to Jerusalem to find the apostles and tell them the good news. To their astonishment, they found the band abuzz about Jesus appearing to Simon Peter. If much about the resurrection remained a mystery, then they were sure Jesus was alive.