Seeing Jesus on the Way
A Bible Study on
Luke 24:13-35
Luke 24
Three post-resurrection scenes:
1. 24:1-12 – Women go to tomb and are told
that Jesus is alive.
2. 24:13-35 – Two disciples walk to Emmaus
and eventually see Jesus.
3. 24:36-49 – Jesus appears to his disciples and
commissions them.
Luke’s Story of the Disciples
Positive traits: (They try!)
• They leave everything to follow Jesus.
• Jesus gives them authority to preach and heal.
• Peter confesses Jesus to be the Messiah of God.
Luke’s Story of the Disciples
Negative traits: (They don’t get it!)
• They don’t understand that Jesus must suffer and
die.
• They squabble about who is the greatest and vie
for power.
• They are often afraid; they betray, deny, desert
Jesus.
Luke 24:13-35: Structure
Part A: vv. 13-27
Part B: vv. 28-35
• v. 13 – “Now on that same
day two of them were
going to a village called
Emmaus, about seven
miles from Jerusalem.”
• Movement away from
Jerusalem (v. 13)
• “But their eyes were kept
from recognizing him.”
(v. 16)
• BLINDNESS
• v. 28 – “As they came near
the village to which they
were going, he walked
ahead as if he were going
on.”
• Movement toward
Jerusalem (v. 33)
• “then their eyes were
opened and they
recognized him” (v. 31)
• SIGHT
Part A: Blindness
Luke 24:13-27
Luke 24:13: Setting the stage
• Who? Two disciples (Cleopas and friend)
• When? The same day (as the empty tomb
was discovered)
• What? A journey
• Where? The road between Jerusalem and
Emmaus
Luke 24:13-17
13
Now on that same day two of them were going to
a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from
Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all
these things that had happened. 15 While they were
talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and
went with them, 16 but their eyes were kept from
recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What are
you discussing with each other while you walk
along?” They stood still, looking sad.
Sight, vision, light in the Gospel of Luke
• Lk. 1:78-79: “By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will
break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow
of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.“
• Lk. 2:30-32: “For my eyes have seen your salvation, you have prepared in
the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for
glory to your people Israel."
• Lk. 3:5: “Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be
made low, . . . and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
• Lk. 6:41: “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not
notice the log in your own eye?” Lk. 6:41: “Why do you see the speck in
your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?”
Sight, vision, light in the Gospel of Luke
• Lk. 10:23: “Then turning to the disciples, Jesus said to them privately,
‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many
prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to
hear what you hear, but did not hear it.’”
• Lk. 11:34: “Your eye is the lamp of your body. If your eye is healthy, your
whole body is full of light; but if it is not healthy, your body is full of
darkness.”
• Lk. 19:41-42: “As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying,
"If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for
peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.”
Luke 24:19-24
Disciples’ response to “What things?”
1. Jesus’ identity and fate (vv. 19b-20)
• “a prophet mighty in deed and word . . .”
• “handed over to death and crucified”
2. The significance of Jesus’ death (v. 21)
• “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.”
3. The rumours of his resurrection (vv. 22-24)
• The tomb is empty “but him they did not see.”
Luke 24:25-27
Jesus’ response to the disciples
"Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to
believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not
necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things
and then enter into his glory?"
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he
interpreted to them the things about himself in all the
scriptures.
Part B: Sight
Luke 24:13-35
Meals and Table Fellowship
• An important theme in the Gospel of Luke
• At least 19 meals, 13 of which appear only in Luke
• A metaphor for the Reign of God
• All are invited to the banquet
• The least are the greatest
• The hungry are fed
Jesus becomes host at the meal (v. 30)
• took bread
• blessed it
• broke it
• gave it to them
Jesus becomes host at the meal (v. 30)
Feeding of the 5000 (Lk. 9:12-17)
• Took bread, blessed, broke, gave
•
“You are the Messiah of God” (v. 20)
Last Supper (Lk. 22:14-23)
• Took bread, gave thanks, broke, gave
•
“This is my body given for you . . . This cup
poured out for you is the new covenant in my
blood.” (vv. 19-20)
“Their eyes were opened
and they recognized him.” (v. 31)
How? (v. 35)
• In what happened on the road (when Jesus
opened Scripture for them)
• In the breaking of the bread
So What?
1. Scripture helps us understand and gives us the
big picture.
• It is our “memory book”, our Story.
2. Fellowship in community and shared practice
lead to new insight.
• “We do not gain a grasp of Scripture’s significance
solely through lectures on the text; we come to
understand it as we participate in the shared life of the
community, enacted in meals shared at the table.”
(Richard Hays)
So What?
3. Revelation is a gift.
4. The resurrection of Jesus makes discipleship
possible.
5. Disciples are “witnesses” who share the good
news.
• “We cannot keep from speaking about what we
have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:21)