My name is Cleopas and I live in a little village called Emmaus. Some time ago I heard about Jesus and I looked Him up.
Let me tell you something. I have listened to many priests and scribes and Pharisees and Sadducees.
They could hold my attention for a little while but then I lost them. I thought they were boring. Their appearance made an impression on me, but their preaching left me unimpressed.
When I first met Jesus I was impressed. He dressed like all of us. He did not impress me with his attire, but His voice! I have never heard a voice like His. As I sinner I felt there is hope for me.
He had eyes like you and I but there was a message in His eyes. They spoke of purity and forgiveness and acceptance that you won’t believe.
But when eye met that very first time, I saw love in them. It was personal and it was genuine. His glance when He saw me, was telling me that here is One that really cares about me, that really loves me.
HOSANNAS
I invited of our village to join me for a visit to the Passover feast in Jerusalem. It was on Sunday before He was crucified. You should have listened to the thousands of voice singing Hosanna, hosanna and hosanna.
And the more the crowds sing in honour of Him, the more people joined in proclaiming Him king of Israel.
We all believed that was going to overthrow the Roman oppression and set us free.
DISAPPOINTED HOPES
You too must have had disappointed hopes. Let me tell you if mine. On Friday morning there was a big commotion at Pilate’s palace. On investigating the noise of the spiritual leaders and some of the rubble of Jerusalem, I saw Jesus.
He had a crown on His head but it did not represent one that conveyed a message of victory over Rome. It was a crown of thorns.
I noticed that His back revealed 78 lashes and His chest another 26. This was administered by the Sanhedrin the previous night when they found Him to be guilty of blasphemy. I only learned this afterwards.
While we stood there they brought our number one criminal from jail and placed him next to Jesus. Pilate who was a weakling ask the crowd who do they want to be set free, Jesus of Barabbas.
To my surprised they cried that our greatest criminal should be set free and that Jesus should be crucified. From the very same lips that shouted hosanna, hosanna, hosanna, came the words: “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”
I just started crying. How could this happen? What was His crime?
I only discovered later that His crime was His death. He allowed God the Father to place the sins of the world on Him and let He be punished in our stead.
CRUCIFIXION
My friend and I watched Him from a distance as they carried Him to Calvary. He was too weak to carry His cross and unable to walk.
I was flabbergasted. My friend wanted to know what was going on. I could not answer him.
The religious leaders and the rubble of Jerusalem mocked Him. “You saved others. If you are the Christ, get off that cross and save yourself.”
When He died at 1500 that Friday afternoon, my hope of Him as the Coming Messiah also perished.
Have you ever experienced spiritual disappointments? Have your theological dreams been shattered.
SABBATH
That Friday night I did not sleep at all. The tragic scenes of Jesus on the cross were preventing me from sleeping.
On Sabbath I attended the temple but the religious exercises left be cold. I did not find meaning in what the priests were trying to tell us.
My thoughts went out to my Saviour in the new tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. I can imagine that face with the colour of a corpse. How I would miss Him. How would the sick and dying cope without this loving, caring Healer that was crucified.
SUNDAY MORNING
Two devastating followers of Christ was walking the 12 kilometres from Jerusalem to our home town Emmaus. If ever there were two devastated travellers on that road, it was us.
Only now and then we remarked on the disastrous events of the past few days. We came to Jerusalem with high hope to see Jesus on the throne of David.
We were now heading home with the image of Jesus dying on a cruel Roman cross.
AN UNKNOWN STRANGER
Walking in the darkness of the pain of our disappointment, a stranger join us. The question he asked us revealed His ignorance of what happened to past few days in Jerusalem.
Let me quote Luke’s account of what happened on our journey that Sunday afternoon.
Luke 24:13 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem.
Luk 24:14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
Luk 24:15 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them.
Luk 24:16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.
You know at times we are so devasted that we do not discern the good things that happen around us. This is what happened that Sunday morning.
At that stage we were really not interested for any one to join us. There are times when one needs to struggle with his pain in his own privicy.
But when this stranger asked us a question we were obliged to be decent and to reply to his enquiry.
Luk 24:17 And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?”
Luk 24:18 Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?”
I was so surprised that He was unawhere of the greatest tragedy that struck Jerusalem.
Luk 24:19 And He said to them, “What things?” So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,
Luk 24:20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him.
Luk 24:21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened.
Luk 24:22 Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us.
Luk 24:23 When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive.
Luk 24:24 And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.”
Instead of comforting us, He repremanded us.
Luk 24:25 Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!
Luk 24:26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?”
You know i have never read in Tanakt that the Messiah will first have to suffer and then enter into some kind of glory? Does that mean that we have to wait a while to see that glofry?
And then to our surprise He gave us a Bible Study that destroyed our Messianic expectations in a million pieces.
Luk 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
The journey seemed to short when we came to our home at Ammaus. He greeted us but we resist Him.
Luk 24:28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther.
Luk 24:29 But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them.
Luk 24:30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.
Luk 24:31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.
Luk 24:32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”
You know when He took the bread and started to break it, we saw the nailprints in His hands. What a moment. I cannot tell you how emotions of disappointed vanish with the discovery that Jesus was with us.
You know He could have revealed Himself to the celebrities but He decided to come and comfort us in our devasted experience. What a Saviour.
We decided not to keep this revelation for ourselves but to share it with our fellow believers.
We ran back in the dark of the night to bring a message of the dazzling brightness of the resurrection to our brothers.
Luk 24:33 So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together,
Luk 24:34 saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”
Luk 24:35 And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.
Luk 24:36 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.”
Jesus accomanied them through the dark night to Jerusalem and when they entered the Upper Room, He also entered through the open door.
The reacation of the other disciples?
Luk 24:37 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit.
Luk 24:38 And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?
Luk 24:39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”
Luk 24:40 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.
You know what? My friends still refused to accept the fact that this was the real Jesus.
He good have said: “Goodbye my friends. I am going because you refuse to acknowledge me.
But Jesus is so persistant in His love and care for us. Listen what He did.
Luk 24:41 But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?”
Luk 24:42 So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.
Luk 24:43 And He took it and ate in their presence.
He was not hungry. He received a divine immortal body but to try and convince them He did the following thing:
Luk 24:44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”
Luk 24:45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
Luk 24:46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,
Luk 24:47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Luk 24:48 And you are witnesses of these things.
Luk 24:49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
RECOMMENDATION
My dear friend i want to recommend to you the Savious called Jesus.
He is the only One who knows all your shortcomings. He is acqainted with your doubts and your fears.
He is willing to treat you with the utmost sympathy and understanding. He is anderstanding, loving and forgiving Saviour.
What He did for me Cleopas and my friend, insignificant, doubting sinners He will also do for you.
He is on His way to come and rescue us from own sinful tendencies. He is coming to make an end to pain and misunderstanding.
He is on His way to take us home. A home where He will be our neighbour. A home without medical facillities. A home withour graveyards, deaths and goodbyes.
A home where He will continually reveal His love for you. And after the first revelation of how He loves you immensely there will follow more and more throughout eternity.
The most divine, sublime, satisfactory and everlasting relationship awaits you with the One made you and saved you.
Let Him save you because you and I cannot save ourselves.
On reaching Jerusalem the two disciples enter at the eastern gate, which is open at night on festal occasions. The houses are dark and silent, but the travelers make their way through the narrow streets by the light of the rising moon. They go to the upper chamber where Jesus spent the hours of the last evening before His death. Here they know that their brethren are to be found. Late as it is, they know that the disciples will not sleep till they learn for a certainty what has become of the body of their Lord. They find the door of the chamber securely barred. They knock for admission, but no answer comes. All is still. Then they give their names. The door is carefully unbarred, they enter, and Another, unseen, enters with them. Then the door is again fastened, to keep out spies. {DA 802.1}
The travelers find all in surprised excitement. The voices of those in the room break out into thanksgiving and praise, saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.” Then the two travelers, panting with the haste with which they have made their journey, tell the wondrous story of how Jesus has appeared to them. They have just ended, and some are saying that they cannot believe it, for it is too good to be true, when behold, another Person stands before them. Every eye is fastened upon the stranger. No one has knocked for entrance. No footstep has been heard. The disciples are startled, and wonder what it means. Then they hear a voice which is no other than the voice of their Master. Clear and distinct the words fall from His lips, “Peace be unto you.” {DA 802.2}
“But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And He said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself: handle Me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have. And when He had thus spoken, He showed them His hands and His feet.” {DA 803.1}
They beheld the hands and feet marred by the cruel nails. They recognized His voice, like no other they had ever heard. “And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, He said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And He took it, and did eat before them.” “Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.” Faith and joy took the place of unbelief, and with feelings which no words could express they acknowledged their risen Saviour. {DA 803.2}
At the birth of Jesus the angel announced, Peace on earth, and good will to men. And now at His first appearance to the disciples after His resurrection, the Saviour addressed them with the blessed words, “Peace be unto you.” Jesus is ever ready to speak peace to souls that are burdened with doubts and fears. He waits for us to open the door of the heart to Him, and say, Abide with us. He says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20. {DA 803.3}
The resurrection of Jesus was a type of the final resurrection of all who sleep in Him. The countenance of the risen Saviour, His manner, His speech, were all familiar to His disciples. As Jesus arose from the dead, so those who sleep in Him are to rise again. We shall know our friends, even as the disciples knew Jesus. They may have been deformed, diseased, or disfigured, in this mortal life, and they rise in perfect health and symmetry; yet in the glorified body their identity will be perfectly preserved. Then shall we know even as also we are known. 1 Corinthians 13:12. In the face radiant with the light shining from the face of Jesus, we shall recognize the lineaments of those we love. {DA 804.1}
When Jesus met with His disciples, He reminded them of the words He had spoken to them before His death, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalm concerning Him. “Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.” {DA 804.2}
The disciples began to realize the nature and extent of their work. They were to proclaim to the world the wonderful truths which Christ had entrusted to them. The events of His life, His death and resurrection, the prophecies that pointed to these events, the sacredness of the law of God, the mysteries of the plan of salvation, the power of Jesus for the remission of sins,–to all these things they were witnesses, and they were to make them known to the world. They were to proclaim the gospel of peace and salvation through repentance and the power of the Saviour.