Day 196: Luke 24:13–35

He asked them, “What is this dispute that you’re having with each other as you are walking?” And they stopped walking and looked discouraged (v. 17).

Imagine that God has decorated your mansion in glory with a number of framed pictures of you and Christ. The pictures capture the two of you during momentous earthly occasions. You could not see Him with your eyes, but He was there every moment in living color. Hopefully, we’ve each walked with Him long enough to have a few treasured photos with expressions suggesting we chose to see with the eyes of faith rather than the eyes of humanity. I can almost imagine Christ sitting around heaven with small groups of us, pulling out the photo album, pointing out a few sour expressions. Picture us covering our faces with good-humored embarrassment, turning as red as beets.

No doubt the still shot of Cleopas in Luke 24:17 is one that would spur a little good-natured, heavenly ribbing. Christ, however, didn’t find it nearly so amusing this side of heaven. Note that the events surrounding Christ’s crucifixion were so well publicized, Cleopas implied that Jesus must have been a visitor to be unaware of the recent happenings. He then proceeded to tell Christ . . . about Himself! Can you imagine being in Cleopas’s sandals? Wouldn’t you hope you got the facts straight?

If Christ had been a teacher grading Cleopas on his oral report, what grade do you think He would’ve given him? If I were doing the grading, I wouldn’t have subtracted points until the “kicker” in Luke 24:21: “But we had hoped that he was the one.” Picture the downcast face, the sagging posture. Listen to the tone in his voice. For a clue, see Christ’s indignant response in Luke 24:25: “He said to them, ‘How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!’” Cleopas seemed to be saying, “We had hoped . . . but He let us down.”

The Word of God often couples a downcast soul with feelings of hopelessness. In Greek the word for “hope” encompasses far more than wishful thinking. It means “confident expectation.” Christ told His followers what to “expect” and reminded them that a victorious ending would follow the tragic means. When Christ gives us His Word, He wants us to live in absolute expectation of it, trusting that whether it happens sooner or later, it will happen.

Cleopas and his friend had allowed the very evidence that could have ignited them with hope to make them hopeless instead. Remember now—the women had shared the testimony that Christ was alive. I realize I’m taking the next statement out of context, but I get a kick out of Cleopas’s words in Luke 24:22: “In addition, some of our women amazed us.” There you have it. Women are amazing. It’s absolutely scriptural. Of course, amazing can mean many things. The most common colloquialism we have that matches the word for amazing is to say something has “blown our minds.” I blow Keith’s mind all the time—but it’s not always something for me to be proud of. Sometimes he just stands there and gives me that “she’s blonder than she pays to be” look.

Christ clearly showed His displeasure over the men’s disbelief. He rebuked them, but He followed the rebuke with some of the most amazing moments in Scripture: “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (v. 27). What I would give to hear that comprehensive dissertation! Christ began with the books of Moses, went straight through the prophets, and explained what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself. Part of heaven for me will be hearing a replay of this sermon! The entire Old Testament was written about or toward Christ. Imagine Jesus Himself explaining the hundreds of ways the Scriptures predict and prepare for His coming. I could teach on this subject for hours, and I don’t know even a fraction of the ways Christ is taught in the Old Testament.

Luke’s use of “explained” (v. 27) in reference to Christ’s teaching means “to interpret, translate. To explain clearly and exactly.” I can’t wait to know exactly what some Scriptures mean. Unlike me, Christ never had to say, “I think . . .” or “I believe this means . . .” He knew. What a Bible lesson those two men heard! A lesson that would have taken forty years of wilderness wanderings for me, Christ delivered with glorious precision over a few Emmaus miles. No wonder the two men hated to part with Jesus! “Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, ‘Stay with us’ ” (vv. 28–29).

Don’t you love the part in a movie when the surprise is revealed? We have now arrived at that climactic moment. Allow me to set the stage for you. The men invited Jesus into one of their homes. A simple meal was prepared. They reclined at the table. Christ took the role as server. He broke the bread and called down divine favor through a benediction. He handed each of them a portion of the small loaf. As if the veil of the Holy of Holies was torn again before their very eyes, they recognized Him! Then He disappeared.

Talk about a photo I want to see in a heavenly album! Can you imagine those expressions? I have a feeling “downcast” wouldn’t be an adequate description.