On the last chapter of the Gospel of Luke, Luke 24, the blessed physician tells us what happened “on the first day, very early in the morning” (Luke 24:1), on the third day following Jesus’ death and burial. The women did not find the soldiers who were guarding the Tomb of Jesus – they were not there. The women found “the stone rolled away from the grave” (Luke 24:2). Two shining Witnesses at the Tomb speak to the women:

Luke 24:5-7 Why seek ye the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 7 saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

Luke tells us that the women run back to where the disciples are, and tell them what the Witnesses said. Then we come to verse 13.

Two Witnesses told the women to tell the disciples that Jesus was risen from the grave. But two other witnesses to our Lord’s death – they do not believe what they hear. So they head back to their home in Emmaus. Let’s read:

Luke 24:13-14 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.

Unbelief Blinds Us To Jesus

These two do not believe that Jesus rose from the dead. We know this before we read any farther. In a moment one of the two, Cleopas, will tell us that he and his companion heard the testimony of the women who came from the empty tomb (see verse 23). Had Cleopas and his companion believed the testimony of the women, had they believed that Jesus was risen from the grave, they nonetheless would have lingered in Jerusalem. But they do not linger. The Passover has ended. They are going home.

Luke 24:15-16 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. 16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.

As Cleopas and his companion head the threescore (60) furlongs – about a seven mile journey back to Emmaus, Jesus joins them on the journey. Yet the Bible says in verse 16,

their eyes were holden that they should not know him

Word Study The word translated “HOLDEN” is the Greek κρατέω kratéō, {pronounced krat-eh’-o}. The word means “to be ruled over, to be mastered by, to gain possession of”. The same word is used in Matthew 14:3 when King Herod SEIZED John the Baptist, and cast him into prison. Their eyes were imprisoned, held hostage, or mastered by something. What was that something?

It was unbelief.

The devil uses unbelief to keep us from seeing Jesus. 2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us that the devil, “ the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” Cleopas and his companion had hoped that Jesus would overthrow Rome. But He died on that Cross. How does Cleopas know Jesus died? From his companion.

I was studying on who this unnamed companion was who with Cleopas, when I came across a study by Dr. James M. Boice, who used to do “The Bible Study Hour” on the radio. Dr. Boice noted:

“… one of the disciples was called Cleopas. Moreover, if you will then use any good concordance of the words occurring in the New Testament and look up the word “Cleopas,” you will find a second mention of his name in another account of the Resurrection. The reference is John 19:25. There we read, “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary, the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene.” It is true that John spells the name a bit differently. But the spelling of names often varied in antiquity, and here the two names undoubtedly refer to the same person.”

Cleopas’ companion is his wife. She was at the foot of the Cross with Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Jesus. She saw Jesus suffering. She saw Jesus as His heart was pierced with a soldier’s spear, and blood and water poured out (John 19:34). She was probably there when Joseph of Arimathæa and Nicodemus took the body of our Lord down from the Cross (John 19:38). She may have been one who helped prepare our Lord’s body. She saw the slashes, the exposed bone, the white, bloodless corpse. Cleopas’ wife tells him all about what she saw. Though both have heard the message of the Two Shining Witnesses, they do not believe.

Unbelief blinds their eyes.
Unbelief robs them of joy.
Unbelief is a thief!

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Jesus did not come to free Israel from Rome. He came to free Israel from satan and sin and destructive ways. Jesus Christ came to give us the abundant life that God created us for. He did not come to give us temporary blessings. He came to fix our brokenness, our hurt, our suffering forever. He came to bring us to God.

1 Peter 3:18 … Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

Jesus Is Near When We Are Low

We live in world filled with suffering. We need God in our lives. When we suffer, Christ comes to us. He came to Cleopas and his wife as they mourned the death of Jesus, walking on the Emmaus Road.

Luke 24:17 {Jesus} said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?

Jesus knows why they are sad. Jesus knows your hearts. He knows what you think, what you feel. He knows why you are sad. “Jesus knew what was in man” (John 2:25). Jesus always knows what we are thinking (Luke 6:8). He asks so that they will voice their disbelief to God. Jesus Christ is God, God in the flesh.

Luke 24:18-21 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? 19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. 21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.

Cleopas and his wife thought that Jesus was only a PROPHET mighty in deed (vs 19). Though Cleopas had followed the life of Jesus, to Him Jesus was but “Jesus of Nazareth”. The title “Jesus of Nazareth” is used only 17 times in the Scripture, and in each use it focuses on our Lord’s humanity. When Jesus died on Calvary, the Titular or Sign that Pilate ordered hung over Jesus’ head was:

John 19:19 … JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS

I have searched the Scriptures, and have only found one instance when Jesus called Himself “Jesus of Nazareth”, and that was when He knocked Paul down on the Damascus Road (Acts 22:8). Cleopas saw Jesus as the son of man, but not as the Son of God. He goes on to say:

Luke 24:22-24 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulcher; 23 and when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. 24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulcher, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.

Cleopas and his wife did not believe the witness of the women who went to the Tomb. Jesus chastises them both, saying:

Luke 24:25-27 O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: 26 ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

Word Study Jesus called Cleopas and his wife “FOOLS”, the Greek ἀνόητος anóētos, {pronounced an-o’-ay-tos}, which is better translated “UNWISE”. The word “FOOL” is usually the Greek μωρός mōros, and speaks of an unbeliever (see Matthew 5:22). Jesus tells them “The Messiah had to suffer these things”. Jesus then takes the Scripture – at this time the Old Testament text – and shows how His first Coming is found all throughout the Bible.

Jesus is the Seed of the Woman in Genesis 3:15, the One Who will crush satan’s head. In Exodus, Jesus is the Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7), and the Pillar of Fire and Pillar of Cloud in Exodus 13:21-22. In Numbers, Jesus is the Rock in the wilderness by which God’s people were refreshed (1 Corinthians 10:4). In Deuteronomy Jesus is the Righteous God, the Definer of God’s Law and God’s Truth. In Joshua, Jesus is the King of Kings, the Leader of Heaven’s Host. Jesus is, in some way, in every Book of Scripture.

It takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes for a healthy person to walk 7 miles. During that walk, Jesus opened the Scriptures for Cleopas and his wife. “Jesus expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself”. What a fantastic Bible class that must have been! Oh Beloved, when God opens the Scripture to us, He opens our eyes and opens our understanding. Let’s read on:

Hold On To Jesus

Luke 24:28-29 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and {Jesus} made as though he would have gone further. 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 tarry with them.

Word Study Cleopas and his wife “CONSTRAINED” Jesus, the Greek παραβιάζομαι parabiázomai, {pronounced par-ab-ee-ad’-zom-ahee}. This is a very strong word which means “to compel by employing force”. They grabbed hold of Jesus and would not let Him go. This is a beautiful picture of genuine faith. Genuine faith reaches out in desperation, seizing God. Jesus told His disciples:

Matthew 11:12 … from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

When life begins to tear you down, when it seems as if there is no respite from the darkness, reach out and seize Jesus by faith. Cleopas and his wife did not truly understand that this is Jesus just yet, but as He share the Scripture with them, they felt the power of God.

Beloved, you will find Jesus in the Scripture. When you open the Book and seek the Lord, you will find Him – or He will find you. Jesus stands ready to enter your homes, to bless you, to be a part of your churches. Has He not said:

Revelation 3:20 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.

Too many Churches – like the Church at Laodicea – have locked Jesus out of the services. Let’s invite Him in. No, let’s COMPEL Him to come in. Let us seize Him by faith, and never let Him go. Let us, as Jacob did, wrestle the Lord beyond the pain (Genesis 32:22-32; Hosea 12:4). Let us not wander about, sad and scared, but let us hold on to Jesus. Let us be as bold as Jacob was when he grabbed the Lord, saying:

“I will not let thee go, except thou bless me” (Genesis 32:26)

Luke 24:30-32 And it came to pass, as {Jesus} sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. 32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

James M. Boice said:

“the opening of the scriptures, the opening of the eyes, and the opening of the understanding, are three great blessings that we should all desire of the resurrected Lord. Because when the Bible is opened and we see the Lord Jesus Christ as He is interpreted to us by the divine operation of the Spirit, we will never be the same again”.

The end of the story we read today is so sweet. We read:

Luke 22:33-35 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, 34 saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. 35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

Believers know Jesus in the breaking of bread. As we come to the Lord’s Table I ask, Do YOU know Him? Do you know Jesus as both Savior and Lord? Not just as Jesus of Nazareth, but as Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. May God open your eyes and open your hearts to Jesus this very day. Through His Word and His Spirit, Amen and Amen!