Do We Have A Case Of Heartburn?

In verses 13-16:

The two men walking toward Emmaus were so caught up in themselves and their own problems that they did not see Jesus or even recognize Him. Undoubtedly, they had heard His preaching, the various parables, and what He was teaching about Himself. It was as if they were not looking for Him. When we quit looking for Jesus, we fall. When we take our eyes of Christ, we stumble. We must keep our eyes on Christ, looking for that Blessed Hope.

• Matthew 18:20, For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

• John 20:14, And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

• John 21:4, But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.

In verses 17-24:

The news had spread through Jerusalem regarding the crucifixion of Christ. Jewish pilgrims had been visiting the city because this was the Passover week. Jesus asked them what was wrong and why were they so sad. The men could not believe that someone did not know about the current events. So many people called Jesus a prophet. They thought He was dead, nor did they believe that He had risen. These men then gave witness to the Gospel, they told Jesus what had happened at the tomb. We all need to learn how to give witness to others of what Christ has done for us.

These two disciples from Emmaus had been expecting Jesus to redeem Israel. Many people believed that the prophesied Messiah would come as a military and political leader. They were not expecting the Messiah to come save mankind from the slavery of sin. Everyone lost hope when Jesus had died on the cross, and no one understood its significance.

People knew that the tomb was empty, but they could not understand that Jesus had risen from the tomb. Even though the women had brought witness of His resurrection, and that this had been verified by other disciples, these two men still could not believe. There are people today that cannot believe Christ rose from the dead, that the tomb is empty. What will it take to get people to believe? For some reason, people cannot or just will not have faith. It does not fit into their intellectual way of thinking. As Christians, it is our job to present Jesus to the world in a manner that will help them to build their faith.

• Acts 2:22, Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

In verses 25-27:

O fools, Jesus says, as He refers to the scriptures and the prophecy. The men had head knowledge but no heart knowledge. In essence, read the Book, but not with the intellectual mind. Even though they knew the prophesies, they neglected to comprehend that Jesus' suffering was for His glory. They could not comprehend why God had not interceded. They were focused on worldly adoration of political and military power. They were not ready for the reversal of human expectations with the values of God's Kingdom; the last will be first, and life becomes out of death.

The two disciples explained to Jesus why they were feeling the way they were, why they were sad and confused. Jesus then gives the Scripture and applies it to His ministry. What do we need to do if we read Scripture and do not understand it? First, we should pray and ask the Lord to open our hearts and minds to the Scriptures. We can also ask our Christian friends to help us.

Jesus reintroduced these disciples to the Old Testament, starting with the promised seed in Genesis and moving on to the suffering servant in Isaiah, the pierced one in Zechariah, and the messenger of the covenant in Malachi. Christ is the central theme that unites all of the Scriptures and is the thread that runs through them all. The following is a list of important passages that Jesus most likely mentioned to them while they were walking to Emmaus. (Genesis 3 & 12; Psalms 22, 69, 110; Isaiah 53; Jeremiah 31; Zechariah 9, 13; Malachi 3)

In verses 28-30:

As they came closer to the village, they asked Jesus to stay and break bread, they had dinner. Undoubtedly, they were all hungry from their long travels and they needed time to rest. It appears as if the men were enjoying His company. How often do Christians today get together in fellowship either at the church building or in our own homes? But let us be mindful, do not have so many fellowships that we leave Christ out. No true Christian fellowship can happen unless Jesus is there.