Scripture Reading:
Luke 24:13-35
Key Verse:
And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? (Luke 24:5)
What does this passage teach us?
The history contained in these verses, is not found in any other Gospel but that of Luke. Of all the eleven appearances of Christ after His resurrection, none perhaps is so interesting as the one described in this passage.
Let us mark, in these verses—what encouragement there is to believers to speak to one another about Christ. We are told of two disciples walking together to Emmaus and talking of their Master’s crucifixion. And then come the remarkable words, “And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.”
Conference on spiritual subjects is a most important means of grace. As iron sharpens iron so does exchange of thoughts with brethren, sharpen a believer’s soul. It brings down a special blessing on all who make a practice of it. What do we ourselves know of spiritual conversation with other Christians? Perhaps we read our Bibles, and pray in private, and use public means of grace. It is all well, very well. But if we stop short here then we neglect a great privilege and have yet much to learn. We ought to “consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Heb. 10:24). We ought to “comfort” and “edify one another” (1 Thess. 5:11).
Have we no time for spiritual conversation? Let us think again. The quantity of time wasted on frivolous, trifling, and unprofitable talk is fearfully great. Do we find nothing to say on spiritual subjects? Do we feel tongue-tied and speechless on the things of Christ? Surely if this is the case then there must be something wrong within. A heart right in the sight of God, will generally find words to speak about eternal realities. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matt. 12:34). Let us learn a lesson from the two travelers to Emmaus. Let us speak of Jesus when we are sitting in our houses, and when we are walking along the way, whenever we can find a disciple to speak to (Deut. 6:7).
Let us mark, secondly, in these verses—how weak and imperfect was the knowledge of some of our Lord’s disciples. We are told that the two disciples frankly confessed that their expectations had been disappointed by the crucifixion of Christ. These men said, “we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel.” A temporal redemption of the Jews by a conqueror appears to have been the redemption which they looked for. A spiritual redemption by a sacrificial death was an idea which their minds could not thoroughly take in.
Ignorance like this, at first sight, is truly astounding. We cannot be surprised at the sharp rebuke which fell from our Lord’s lips, “O fools, and slow of heart to believe.”
Yet ignorance like this is deeply instructive. It shows us how little cause we have to wonder at the spiritual darkness which obscures the minds of careless Christians. Myriads around us are just as ignorant of the meaning of Christ’s sufferings, as these travelers to Emmaus. As long as the world stands, the cross will seem foolishness to natural man.
Let us bless God that there may be true grace hidden under much intellectual ignorance. Clear and accurate knowledge is a most useful thing—but it is not absolutely needful to salvation, and may even be possessed without grace. A deep sense of sin, a humble willingness to be saved in God’s way, a teachable readiness to give up our own prejudices when a more excellent way is shown—these are the principal things. These things the two disciples possessed, and therefore our Lord “went with them” and guided them into all truth.
Let us mark, thirdly, in these verses—how full of Christ the Old Testament is. We are told that our Lord began “at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”
How shall we explain these words? In what way did our Lord show “things concerning Himself,” in every part of the Old Testament? The answer to these questions is short and simple. Christ was the substance of every Old Testament sacrifice, ordained in the law of Moses. Christ was the true Deliverer and King of whom all the judges and deliverers in Jewish history were types. Christ was the coming Prophet greater than Moses, whose glorious coming filled the pages of prophets. Christ was the true seed of the woman, who was to bruise the serpent’s head—the true seed in whom all nations were to be blessed—the true Shiloh to whom the people were to be gathered—the true scape-goat—the true bronze serpent—the true Lamb to which every daily offering pointed—the true High Priest of whom every descendant of Aaron was a figure. These things, or something like them, we need not doubt—were some of the things which our Lord expounded in the way to Emmaus.
Let it be a settled principle in our minds, in reading the Bible—that Christ is the central sun of the whole book. So long as we keep Him in view—we shall never greatly err in our search for spiritual knowledge. Once losing sight of Christ—we shall find the whole Bible dark and full of difficulty. The key of Bible knowledge is Jesus Christ.
Questions:
1. What are the themes of chapters 1-24?
2. What were the two disciples on the road to Emmaus speaking about when Jesus came near?
3. Why were these disciples disappointed?
Family Application Questions:
1. What does this passage teach us about how we should read the Old Testament Scriptures? Share examples from the Old Testament that speak about Jesus Christ (His person and work).
2. How frequently do we engage in spiritual conversation in our day-to-day activities? Are we taking advantage of the opportunities we have to edify one another?
