Going to a Village Called Emmaus, About Seven Miles from Jerusalem

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We are continuing our series on ‘40 Days with Jesus’, looking at how for a period of 40 Days, Jesus appeared to hundreds of His followers – and on each occasion convincing them that He really was alive.We will see that as their lives were changed then, our lives can be changed now!

Today we are going to be looking at ‘An Eye-Opening Journey’. It’s Easter Sunday afternoon and two of Jesus’ disciples were:

going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.

(Luke 24:13)

On that journey they are joined by the risen Jesus.At first they fail to recognise Him – but by the end of their journey their eyes were opened, and their lives were changed forever.

[At this point Dave originally shared some of his testimony about how he was ‘blind to the reality of Jesus’.]

Question: How about you? How clear is your vision of the risen Jesus? Is your vision blurred and do you need ‘corrective spiritual-eye surgery’?

We may not be able to see Jesus physically in this life as the disciples did, but we can go on a similar ‘eye-opening journey’.

An eye-opener is something surprising and unexpected, which reveals the truth about something or someone. You can say something’s an eye-opener if it’s made you realise something you hadn’t been aware of before.As we look at the eye-opening journey to Emmaus found in Luke 24:13–35, two key principles stand out:

1. Our vision of Jesus can be blurred

We see in the story how:

As they talked and discussed…with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognising him.

(Luke 24:15–16)

There are different reasons as to why the disciples didn’t recognise Him. They maybe some of the same reasons we looked at last week in Jesus’ encounter with Mary Magdalene – in that Jesus, although the same, was somehow different.

However, the phrase ‘kept from’suggests something else. One commentator has suggested that this was Satan keeping them spiritually blind; others suggest that God Himself was doing so.But as we shall see it was also the attitude of the disciples themselves that caused a partial blindness or blurring of their spiritual vision. As we look at the text there arethree things that hindered disciples and that can hinder us. Firstly,our vision can be blurred:

•By despair: Notice their sense of despair as Jesus engages them:

They stood still, their faces downcast.One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, ‘Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?’

(Luke 24:17–18)

Notice the immense sense of sadness:‘their faces were downcast’.Why? Because they were looking at life without the resurrection!Life is ultimately full of sadness and despair if there is no resurrection–if there is no hope beyond death.

The good news,as we saw last week, is that the resurrection promises freedom from the grip of despair. However, not only do we have this promise, but we also know that Jesus is present in the midst of the most troublesome and distressing of circumstances.He is a God who doesn’t stand aloof from human suffering, but instead He became one of us.

Unfortunately, like the disciples, our despair can blur our vision and prevent us from being aware that our comforter is right there with us!

Secondly, our vision can be blurred:

•By disappointment: The despair of the disciples was clearly based on a sense of acute disappointment.In a dialogue of continuing irony they tell Jesus about Himself: how He was a mighty prophet who was eventually crucified:

but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.

(Luke 24:21)

The key phrase here is ‘we had hoped’.Their disappointment came from the fact that they saw the cross as the defeat of Jesus – and therefore ultimatelythe defeat of their hopes that He might ‘redeem’ or liberate Israel from political oppression.

Ironically it was because of the cross, and the fact that Jesus paid the ransom price with His own life blood, that not just Israel but the whole world could be freed from the greater spiritual slavery to sin, self and Satan.

Disappointment can have a huge blinding or blurring effect on us. We can all face disappointments in life. Things don’t work out as we hoped.However, Jesus is present even in the midst of these disappointments, in the midst of heartache, in the midst of job loss, in the midst of bereavement.Yet disappointment can blur our spiritual vision.

Thirdly,our vision can be blurred:

•By doubt: Having revealed their disappointment concerning the cross, they go on to reveal their doubt concerning the resurrection:

In addition, some of our women amazed us.They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body.They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive.Then some of our companions went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.

(Luke 24:22–24)

In spite of reports of an empty tomb and angels declaring that Jesus was really alive, their doubt still blurred their vision. Like these two disciples, our doubt and unbelief can blur our vision from the truth of the risen Jesus.

Thankfully that is only the first part of the story.There is a cure!

A woman named Rose Crawford had been blind for 50 years. ‘I just can't believe it!’ she gasped as the doctor lifted the bandages from her eyes after her recovery from delicate surgery in an Ontario hospital. She wept for joy when for the first time in her life a dazzling and beautiful world of form and colour greeted eyes that now were able to see. The amazing thing about the story, however, is that 20 years of her blindness had been unnecessary. She didn’t know that surgical techniques had been developed, and that an operation could have restored her vision at the age of 30. The doctor said, ‘She just figured there was nothing that could be done about her condition. Much of her life could have been different.’

The good news is that no matter how blurred your spiritual vision, or how spiritually blind you are; there is a cure. So the second principle found in the Emmaus story is:

2. Our vision of Jesus can be corrected

This is the wonderful news contained in this story.Firstly we should note the context.Throughout the 40 days Jesus does appear: a) to individuals – Mary Magdalene; Peter and James b) to large groups – 500 people; c) to small groups ; two women in Matthew 28; ten disciples, eleven(inc. Thomas); seven by the sea; elevenon a mountain in Galilee.Jesus tends to show up as we gather together and our vision can be corrected. There arethree different forms of laser surgery!

As we read the Scriptures: What would be the first thing you would do if you had been in a coma and came back to life?Go and have a pizza?! Go and visit your family?What we would do first emphasises our priorities.Notice here the priority of the risen Jesus:

He said to them, ‘How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?’And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

(Luke 24:25–27)

This is a hugely important section in understanding how Jesus reveals Himself to humanity.Notice what he doesn’t do.He doesn’t at this point say,‘Don’t be stupid, it’s me, Jesus!’He doesn’t draw their attention to His physical presence; rather He directs them to what the Old Testament scriptures say about Himself, His suffering and His entering into glory.

Just by means of a quick overview – what we know as ‘the Bible’ contains 66 books, divided into two volumes, Old Testament and New Testament.However, the only Bible that the disciples and Jesus would have had would have been the Old Testament.The Old Testament can be difficult to understand, but let me give you a simple headline – it is a book whose main character is God and His Son Jesus Christ!Then of course we have the New Testament (if you are new Christian, or seeking God, then start there). The New Testament is all about Jesus and you’ll find the New Testament writers speaking of the birth, life, teachings, miracles, death, resurrection, ascension and second coming of Jesus; and His coming totally changes our lives today.The Bible is all about Jesus.The Former Bishop of Rochester, Dr Christopher Chavasse says:

The Bible is the portrait of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Gospels are the figure itself in the portrait. The Old Testament is the background leading up to the divine figure, pointing towards it and absolutely necessary to the composition as a whole. The Epistles serve as the dress and accoutrements of the figure, explaining and describing it. Then, while by our Bible reading we study the portrait as a great whole, the miracle happens, the figure comes to life and stepping down from the canvas of the written word, the everlasting Christ of the Emmaus story becomes himself our Bible teacher, to interpret to us in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

If you are not a Christian, but you want to know Christ, then can I encourage you to start reading the Bible?If you are a Christian – read the Bible daily, and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal Christ to you.Come to church services and expect the Lord Himself to speak through the speaker to your heart and mind.Join a small group and expect Christ to show up!

If we do then our experience can be that of the two disciples on the Emmaus Road. Christ will come close to us, and we will be able to say:

Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?

(Luke 24:32)

Thesecond way that our vision of Jesus can be corrected is:

As we welcome His presence: Here’s the shocking truth.In spite of Jesus being on the journey with these two disciples, and Him personally revealing the Scriptures to them, they still could have missed Him!

As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going further. But they urged him strongly, ‘Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them.

(Luke 24:28–29)

Jesus was about to continue on with His journey. It wasn’t until they responded to His presence by showing Him hospitality and urging Him to come in and eat with them, that He actually revealed Himself to them. This reminds me of a similar principle in Revelation 3:20 where Jesus says:

Here I am!I stand at the door and knock.If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

Jesus is knocking but He will only come in when invited!There is a powerful story in Duncan Bannatyne’s autobiography which demonstrates this.Duncan Bannatyne is one of Britain’s most successful entrepreneurs. His book tells the story of a ruthless guy who went from owning one ice-cream truck in Glasgow to a huge chain of health clubs, bars, hotels and much more.At one point the book suddenly changes its tune as Bannatyne retells the story of his visit to an orphanage run by Christians in Romania. Grieved by their poverty, but moved by the significant work of the Christians, he suddenly bares his soul. Listen to his words:

For me the tears came at about ten o’clock that night. I went outside and found a quiet place at the side of the house. I couldn’t stop the tears, my face was wet, my nose began to run and I was a mess.I had no choice but to let the tears flow; and they just kept pouring out of me and wouldn’t stop. After many minutes I began to get the feeling that I wasn’t alone. It was there that God said hello.I felt that I had been consumed by this presence, that something had completely shrouded and taken hold of me. It was unmistakable: I knew who had come and I also knew why. It wasn’t a spiritual thing, it was a Christian thing, and I felt I was being told, ‘You’ve arrived, join the faith, be a Christian, this it is.’It was profound, and I stood there, stunned, considering the offer and thinking about what it would mean. I knew I wanted to keep on making money, and I also knew I wanted to carry on doing all the things I wasn’t proud of – I knew I was never going to be this totally Christian guy going to church on Sundays. So I said, ‘No, I’m not ready.’And God said okay and disappeared.

How tragic is that?To be aware of Christ but not welcome Him!To miss the moment of eternal destiny.Christ is knocking on the door.Have you opened it yet?[If not, then at the end of this meeting I want to give you an opportunity to open the door.]Yet this is not just a one-off event.The Christian life really is a journey of increasing revelation and an ongoing deepening awareness of Him.We have to actively welcome the presence of His Spirit.

The third way that our vision of Jesus is corrected and our eyes are opened is:

As we break bread together: The disciples invite Jesus to come in and He immediately takes charge:

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognised him, and he disappeared from their sight.

(Luke 24:30–31)

There is a contrast here with the first meal in the Bible at the time of the first creation.There in disobedience of God’s command, Eve gave Adam some of the forbidden fruit, they both ate and their eyes were opened and they recognised their nakedness and shame. The result: sin, guilt, shame and death came in with all the consequences that we are still in today.

But here, on the first Easter day, on the first day of the week (symbolising the start of the new creation), the resurrected Jesus took the bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them.Now their eyes are opened not to their shame, but to the glory of the risen Jesus.The long curse has been reversed, the price for sin has been paid for; death itself has been defeated.Jesus really is alive, so we can really live!

This highlights the importance of us having fellowship and eating together with other Christians, and the fact that Jesus loves to present Himself in the midst of His people.

There is a secondary emphasis that is worth highlighting.While not suggesting that Jesus actually took communion with these two, and neither of them would have been at the Last Supper, there is surely a reminder of that historic event when Jesus, at Passover, and in anticipation of His death on the cross:

took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’

(Luke 22:19)

There is then also a promise that as we take communion (as the Early Church began to do), that our vision will be corrected and our eyes will be opened to who He is and what He has done for us through His death – in truly redeeming us – freeing us from spiritual sin and slavery.

What great news – our eyes can be opened, we can see the risen Jesus, and our lives can be changed forever.Once our vision has been corrected and our lives have been changed, the most naturally supernatural thing is to go and share the good news with others.This is what the two disciples did:

They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem.There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, ‘It is true!The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.’Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognised by them when he broke the bread.

(Luke 24:33–35)

Notice that their first response on seeing Jesus was to go and tell others.

End with a conclusion and response.

All Scripture references are from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised (NIV) copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publisher, a Hachette UK company. All rights reserved.

Excerpt taken from Duncan Bannatyne, Anyone Can Do It (Orion, 2006) p231ff