Jesus Revealed: From the Road to the Table

Have you ever heard exciting news and discussed it with a good friend? Growing up my cousins and I would enjoy long walks on dusty country roads talking about the latest news in our lives. The Bible recounts a story similar to this. Walking a road with Jesus without knowing who He was until He was revealed at their table, they found their lives were forever changed by the encounter.

The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus

Two disciples of Jesus were walking down a road toward Emmaus, a village about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were discussing the events that had unfolded in the past three days. Suddenly the two were joined by a stranger. The stranger inquired what all the excitement was about. "Can you be the only one who hasn't heard what happened in Jerusalem?" they exclaimed. "Tell me," the stranger said. The two friends excitedly told the stranger about the Christ.

Sad Faces, Shocking News

With sad faces they explained what had happened. He had been crucified three days earlier, but now some women claim to have seen angels at His tomb, saying He has risen. They said He had risen from the dead! They told the stranger they had hoped that Jesus was the one to redeem Israel.

A Bible Study on the Road

At this, the stranger called them foolish and slow to believe what had been predicted for so long by Moses and the prophets. Point by point He explained how this had been prophesied and showed the excited disciples where Scripture said so (Luke 24:27).

Jesus Revealed: From the Road to the Table

Arriving at their destination they convinced the stranger to stay with them for dinner. When He broke bread at the table they were amazed to realize they had been talking with Jesus Himself the whole time. As soon as they recognized the stranger as Jesus, He disappeared.

What We Learn from the Emmaus Encounter

The disciples noticed their hearts had burned inside when He explained the Scripture to them (Luke 24:32). They felt this was a sign that should have made them realize who they were talking to. Because they heard and understood they could see Jesus clearly. Immediately they left and went to Jerusalem to tell the others what had happened. We learn several important lessons from this encounter.

• Jesus is always with us.

  
  

• Jesus can come to us anywhere, not just church, but even a dusty road in the middle of nowhere. He can come to us in the most unexpected of ways. The disciples didn't rush on with their journey; they took time to listen and invite the stranger to dinner. Do we rush ahead with our own plans and disregard moments where God gives us insight or conviction because we think we don't have time?

  
  

• Jesus valued the Scriptures and so should we. This is how we get to know Him, by reading and studying the Word.

  
  

• Jesus should be invited into every part of our lives. We should walk and talk with Him every day. Oh what wisdom and knowledge we can learn from Him when He is present. Because of His resurrection, He is present to each of us.

  
  

• Jesus was truly and physically resurrected. In the same way as we who belong to Him will be.

  
  

• Jesus comforts these men with the hope He brings them. He wants to comfort us too when we are enduring sorrowful times.

  
  

• Jesus listens to their story. When we open our hearts to people, we often open the door for God to speak through us or to us. Do we listen to others who want to share their pain or life experiences?

  
  

• Jesus lived in a culture where hospitality was highly valued. Do we spiritually treat Jesus with the true hospitality that these disciples did? Let's set aside time each day for prayer, Bible reading, or meditation, not waiting for God to “show up” but deliberately inviting Him into our schedule.

Why Did Jesus Reveal Himself This Way?

Among His first appearances, Jesus chose to reveal Himself to women, but now a relatively unknown disciple named Cleopas and another unnamed disciple have seen Him. Not the sort of people you would think would be the first to have Jesus reveal Himself to if you were trying to convince others that your story was true.

And why does Jesus only reveal Himself in the breaking of bread at the table? Why wait so long to let them know who they had been talking to? Perhaps they needed time to really think about everything that He had explained to them in the Scriptures. Maybe if He had revealed Himself earlier they wouldn't have listened to the Scriptures that foretold what happened.

Or perhaps this echoes back to the Last Supper with His disciples when He said, "Take and eat; this is My body." Now after shared conversation with Him, they understood better who Jesus really was. Or maybe He thought revealing Himself in such an ordinary way to His disciples would show them that He was approachable, accessible, a God who shared their lives with them and would continue to. Jesus revealed Himself through Scripture from the dusty road to the shared table.

Peace in the Midst of Fear

Let's return to the story. As these two men were sharing their story with the other disciples the Lord suddenly appeared in their midst. Startled and afraid the first thing He told them was, "Peace be with you." Always the Lord of Peace, He assures them He is no ghost. Still doubting, our Lord asked for food. As He ate it in front of them He reminded them He had showed them these things in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.

Opening Minds to the Scriptures

Then it says something that may surprise you. "He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures" (Luke 24:45). "What?" you may ask. You mean the disciples did not understand the Scriptures even though Jesus had walked and taught with them for three years? He opens our minds in the same way through the action of the Holy Spirit. This is not just a simple understanding of the words but a deep, spiritual connection to the One who is the truth.

 From Misunderstanding to Faith

The disciples may have believed they understood the Scriptures. And in their own way they did, but it was full of preconceived ideas of how the Messiah would come and how He would reign. They were looking for a worldly king, a political Messiah, not the Suffering Servant prophesied by Isaiah.

Their belief in the resurrection was limited to the end of all things when man would be judged. Only then was the resurrection, in their understanding, to take place. They knew the Scriptures but Jesus didn't seem to fulfill them in the way they thought He should. Jesus, by opening their minds, allowed them to understand the Scriptures with faith.

Spiritual Deconstruction through Scripture

Today many people need Jesus to open their minds to understand the Scriptures. Numerous people are proclaiming they have undergone what they call a "spiritual deconstruction." This expression means that as Christians they began to doubt things about their faith. They began to doubt God. Many times this doubt has led them to completely abandon their faith.

The disciples doubted the resurrection of Jesus because that is not what they were expecting. Jesus wasn't the conquering Savior they expected to rescue Israel. Today we have also inherited certain views of God or denominational teachings we may come to question during times of suffering, unanswered prayer, or cultural changes.

What we see in Jesus is someone willing to listen to the doubts they had. He graciously showed them the truth by unpacking the Old Testament Scriptures in ways they had not thought of before. Their misguided faith was reborn by a fresh understanding of Scripture. Their beliefs were now founded on Scripture, not just traditional views or emotional understanding. When we feel prone to "deconstruct" our faith, let's focus prayerfully on Jesus in the Bible and ask Him to open our minds to truly understand.

God’s Word, Opened by the Spirit

Have we read or heard the Bible and understood the words but not the power and the deep spiritual truths it contains for our life? Have we ever thought, "Well, I'm just not smart enough to understand the Bible"? When Jesus opens our minds, how smart we are doesn't matter so much. It is the power of God, not ourselves, that brings understanding. There is a difference between belief and true faith.

The Old Testament Foretells the Christ

Jesus explained that the Scriptures told them He must suffer and rise from the dead on the third day. Many Old Testament Scriptures point to His suffering including: Isaiah 52:14, Psalm 69:20-21, Psalm 22:14, 18, and Isaiah 53:7-9. Scriptures about His resurrection include Psalm 16:10, Psalm 22, Psalm 118:17-18, and Isaiah 53:10-12. Jesus Himself referred to His resurrection as the "Sign of Jonah" who was in the belly of the fish for three days (Matthew 12:40). We find a pattern of rising on the third day in many places in the Old Testament.

The Great Commission Begins in Jerusalem

Jesus told His followers that "repentance for the forgiveness of sin" would be preached to every nation, not just Israel, and it would begin with them in Jerusalem (Luke 24:47). He lets them know they won't be alone. He will send them what has been promised. Without the Holy Spirit they must wait, for without Him there would be no power. Luke ends with Jesus ascending to Heaven before them, leaving them to praise God continually in the temple.

Empowered to Share the Gospel

Have we attempted to share the Gospel but without the leading and power of the Holy Spirit? Have we prayed sincerely that God will use us how He sees fit to spread the word of repentance? If we try to do it alone it will fail. Without the power of the Holy Spirit we will not be successful. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us!

From the Dusty Road to the Greatest Mission

We can imagine the joy of the disciples when they finally understand, deeply understand, what their Master had been trying to teach them for so many years. From the little-known disciples on the dusty road to Emmaus to His closest followers in Jerusalem, He revealed Himself as the true and living God, raised from the dead, who left them with the greatest mission in human history: to tell the world He lives and He lives to save us from our sins.