54 lines
2.9 KiB
Markdown
54 lines
2.9 KiB
Markdown
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title = "Luke 24:13–35"
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date = "2023-02-25"
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### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Lk24.13-35)
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At some point during that first Resurrection Sunday, two of the disciples, a
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Cleopas and one other, leave Jerusalem for the village of Emmaus. Jesus follows
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them and overtakes them on the road and overhears them talking about the things
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that had happened to Him over the last few days. He stops them and asks what
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they are talking about, and they can't believe there's anyone who has been in
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Jerusalem (as they presume Jesus has come from) who hasn't heard about the
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death of Jesus. Jesus pretends not to know, so Cleopas tells how He had been
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condemned by the chief priests and rulers to be crucified, how His disciples
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had hoped that He was the promised Messiah who would redeem Israel, and how the
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women told the story of seeing angels at the tomb but no body.
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Jesus responds by saying they don't understand the Scriptures very well, or
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they would see that the Messiah would have to suffer before being glorified. He
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then proceeds to explain how that is so from all the Scriptures that had been
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written to that point. This is important, because it shows that God's plan from
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the beginning was for Jesus to die on the cross to atone for the sins of all
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who trust in Him for salvation. It wasn't a Plan B or a mid-flight adjustment
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to try to fix a mistake. God is sovereign and cannot make mistakes because He
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is all powerful and knows all things.
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When they get to Emmaus, Jesus appears to be heading past it, but Cleopas and
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his companion ask Him to stay with them because the day is nearly done, and
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they want to share a meal with Him. He agrees, and after He blesses the food
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and starts to hand it to them, their eyes are opened to who He is. And then He
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vanishes. It has been suggested that the reason they recognize Him at that
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moment is because they could see the nail wounds in His wrist as He hands them
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the food. You can imagine the sleeve of His robe pulling up as He stretches His
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hand out.
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Why does Jesus suddenly disappear as soon as the disciples are allowed to
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recognize Him? I think it has a lot to do with why He appeared to these two in
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the first place. Certainly, they needed to be told how to read the Scriptures
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more accurately, but I also think Jesus was going around and finding all the
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disciples who were trying to leave Jerusalem and getting them to turn around
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and head back. He eventually tells them to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy
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Spirit to come upon them, which is hard to do when everyone has started going
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in different directions.
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These disciples understand the implications of Jesus appearing to them and head
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back to Jerusalem, probably after finishing their meal. They get back to tell
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all of the other disciples what they had seen and heard, only to find out Jesus
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had already appeared to Simon.
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* * *
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Let us always be quick to share the good news that You are alive today, and
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that this fact has ultimate, eternal significance.
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