Sermon – The Road to Emmaus

By Sheri O. Raynor

Luke 24:13-36 – ¹³ And behold, that very day two of the disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, [which is] about seven miles from Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And they were talking with each other about all these things that had occurred.  ¹⁵ And while they were conversing and discussing together, Jesus Himself caught up with them and was already accompanying them.  ¹⁶ But their eyes were held, so that they did not recognize Him.  ¹⁷ And He said to them, What is this discussion that you are exchanging (^[a]throwing back and forth) between yourselves as you walk along? And they stood still, looking sad and downcast.  ¹⁸ Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered Him, Do you alone dwell as a stranger in Jerusalem and not know the things that have occurred there in these days?  ¹⁹ And He said to them, What [kind of] things? And they said to Him, About Jesus of Nazareth, Who was a Prophet mighty in work and word before God and all the people—  ²⁰ And how our chief priests and rulers gave Him up to be sentenced to death, and crucified Him.  ²¹ But we were hoping that it was He Who would redeem and set Israel free. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things occurred.  ²² And moreover, some women of our company astounded us and ^[b]drove us out of our senses. They were at the tomb early [in the morning]  ²³ But did not find His body; and they returned saying that they had [even] seen a vision of angels, who said that He was alive!  ²⁴ So some of those [who were] with us went to the tomb and they found it just as the women had said, but Him they did not see.  ²⁵ And [Jesus] said to them, O foolish ones [sluggish in mind, dull of perception] and slow of heart to believe (adhere to and trust in and rely on) everything that the prophets have spoken!  ²⁶ Was it not necessary and ^[c]essentially fitting that the Christ (the Messiah) should suffer all these things before entering into His glory (His majesty and splendor)?  ²⁷ Then beginning with Moses and [throughout] all the Prophets, He went on explaining and interpreting to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning and referring to Himself.  ²⁸ Then they drew near the village to which they were going, and He acted as if He would go further.  ²⁹ But they urged and insisted, saying to Him, Remain with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is now far spent. So He went in to stay with them.  ³⁰ And it occurred that as He reclined at table with them, He took [a loaf of] bread and praised [God] and gave thanks and asked a blessing, and then broke it and was giving it to them  ³¹ When their eyes were [instantly] opened and they [clearly] recognized Him, and He vanished (^[d]departed invisibly).  ³² And they said to one another, Were not our hearts greatly moved and burning within us while He was talking with us on the road and as He opened and explained to us [the sense of] the Scriptures?  ³³ And rising up that very hour, they went back to Jerusalem, where they found the Eleven [apostles] gathered together and those who were with them,  ³⁴ Who said, The Lord really has risen and has appeared to Simon (Peter)!  ³⁵ Then they [themselves] ^[j]related [in full] what had happened on the road, and how He was known and recognized by them in the breaking of bread.  ³⁶ Now while they were talking about this, Jesus Himself took His stand among them…

The Lord has really been speaking to me about transition, change, things shifting…I think most of us are very aware of the text of scripture that tells us about the journey that these disciples were making on the road to Emmaus.

Jesus had been crucified. It was a horrific thing to have to watch and experience. Hopes and dreams were dashed – the future looked bleak. Things that to our natural mind, we can’t always understand the reason why. And I feel the Lord would have me to point out some things this morning that I feel the Lord is speaking to us concerning these scriptures.

The first thing being, that the scriptures tell us that as these men were walking along on this road conversing with one another; yet unknown to them, Jesus had caught up with them. He was already walking along with them on their journey. But evidently they were so caught up in their conversation (distracted; heartbroken, devastated at the things that had occurred in Jerusalem) that they didn’t realize that someone else had joined them. Or as the scriptures say, was accompanying them.

To accompany:

1. to go along or in company with; join in action. (walk along with)
2. to be or exist in association or company with: (Thunder accompanies lightning.)

To put in company with; cause to be or go along; associate (usually followed by with):

An example of this type of association is found in Mark 16:20

Mark 16:20 – Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed His word by the signs that accompanied it.

So not only was the Lord accompanying these disciples by walking along with them on their journey, but like thunder accompanies lighting, now the Lord would be forever with His people. His true disciples, could not be separated from Him. He would follow them wherever they went.

If we put ourselves in the place of these disciples this morning, how often are we caught up in the things that are going on around us in this world? The distractions, the bumps, the detours, the road blocks. The times when things happen that we did not expect or anticipate, where we let our hurt and our disappointment distract us to the point that we don’t realize that Jesus is walking along with us. Where we fail to recognize that Jesus is walking along with us on our journey….

The Lord Himself spoke the words that, “He would never leave us or forsake us. ”That He is always with us on our journey, but yet, a lot of times, we fail to recognize that He is there, and He is waiting for us to take notice of Him.

Now the scriptures go on to say, that even when these disciples do recognize that someone has joined them on their journey, still they cannot see. Verse 16 tells us, 16 But their eyes were held, so that they did not recognize Him. How often in our walk are our eyes held, where we cannot recognize the very face of God or even His voice, as He is speaking to us concerning the things we must do concerning our lives or even the works that He is doing in our lives?

If we are honest with ourselves, we have to all recognize that we are all on this Road to Emmaus. We are all on a journey and the greatest danger we face is that we don’t recognize that the Lord is with us. He is waiting for us, to recognize Him and to converse with Him.

You see, the Lord is concerned with what is going on in our hearts. He is concerned with those things that are burdening us; Those things that weigh us down in this life….Those things that would weigh us down so heavily that we can’t recognize that Jesus is walking with us – right in the midst of the things we are experiencing.

But if you’ll look at these disciples, when they begin to share their heart, those things that are burdening them, it is then that the Lord begins to speak into their situation, and He begins to give them revelation on what He says is His perfect will. That He is in this, and He is working something good out of the situation.

So many times we are blinded by what is before us, and we can’t see the big picture that the Lord is painting regarding our lives. Lay your burdens at the cross and leave them there. Put down the distractions, the heartache, the pain, all those things that would block our vision. And know that Jesus is with us, and if we’ll trust Him, He will bring us through. And we’ll have new vision for the day that lies ahead.

What does the Road to Emmaus represent? The name Emmaus most likely comes from the Hebrew word Hammat or Hamta, which means hot spring.

Some interpret it as `a warm bath’ because it was at Emmaus that there was a warm spring of water that was useful for healing.

I already told you, that we are all on this road to Emmaus. We all need healing, healing not only for the past, but for our present, and for our future.

Emmaus according to Bible dictionaries was 60 stadia or furlongs which is 7 ½ miles from Jerusalem. Now if you’ll remember, when I was teaching on Hebrew, we learned that there is significance hidden in the “numerology of the Bible” even in the Hebrew alephbet.

The number seven represents perfection…….covenant,…..and the ½ would represent going beyond….Or it would represent transition….

There is nothing we can do in this life to perfect ourselves, but in Christ we are made perfect and complete. At salvation, we enter into a covenant relationship with Him. “He always keeps up His end of the covenant, but do we?” And the Lord doesn’t want us to stop and set up shop at the point of salvation, salvation is a wonderful place, but He wants to take us beyond.

We know the walk on the Emmaus Road occurred on the 3^rd day; so Jesus was with them in resurrection power.  In other words, there was resurrection power present with those disciples. Jesus had just been resurrected and now He was revealing Himself in His power. In ways that would demonstrate His deity, His omnipotence, and His desire to establish His Kingdom in the earth.

You see, too many times, we get caught up in our own lives. We get caught up in the fact, that things have happened to us. That our plans for our future, have been disrupted. That things aren’t looking exactly the way we think they should. That things aren’t turning out the way we had planned. But how many of you know, that the Bible says….

John 12:24 – I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone [just one grain, never more]. But if it dies, it produces much grain and yields a harvest.

Jesus, suffering and dying for us, set forth a pattern – a Kingdom principal where all those that die in Christ, that their legacy, the work that they do, is a seed. And for all the seed that is scattered – the Bible says it will produce much grain and yield a harvest.

The same thing happens in our lives – seed time and harvest. We go about scattering seed – and we don’t always see the blossom. We don’t always get to water, and we surely don’t always get to see the harvest….But there is One that does, & He makes sure that His Word does not return back to Him void. It will accomplish the purpose for which He sent it…And that is the promise that we have in Him – that if we will not grow weary in well doing…He will bring about His purposes for our lives in the earth – we need only to trust in Him.

These disciples, they were engaged in a conversation…..that were discussing the things that had occurred in Jerusalem. Jesus is listening to our many words, He is listening even when we don’t realize it…His hope is that we would not spend so much talking among ourselves….And with our friends, but to talk with Him…

We’ve all heard that song, “Just a little talk with Jesus makes it right.” This is so true, whatever need we have, if we’ll just remember to take it to the Lord…. He will in His time and in His way, He will make it right. It might not come about the way we think it should, but then if we have been born again – our lives are no longer our own….but they belong to Him.

Now one of the disciples was named Cleopas. Most Biblical dictionaries and commentators will say that Cleopas means “The Father’s Glory “or something to that extent. Others say it instead means “Glorious Everything or All (Is) Glory.”

When we walk with Jesus in this life, if we will only trust Him – and walk according to His will and purposes….We can expect that “The Father’s Glory” will be revealed in us. In all that we do or say in this life, if we will honor the Lord…Then He will reveal His glory to us and through us in every way!

How foolish the Christians must have looked in Jerusalem the day that Jesus was crucified. The enemy thought He had won. He thought He had fully destroyed the purposes of God in the earth. But how wrong He was because the Father had a greater plan. The Father knew all of the things that had to occur in order for His glory to be revealed in the earth to all of humanity.

You see, your life, is as a seed.  What you do with your life has the ability to bring forth much fruit in life and in death. How we glorify God in this life is up to the Father because our life is not our own. He chooses the times and the seasons of our lives. We only have to be faithful to Him on a day by day basis.

The name Cleopas (The Father’s Glory or “glorious everything or all is glory”) urges us to keep talking about the wonders of creation and the glory of the Creator, without restrictions and without holding back. It marks the fact that Truth cannot be subdued and will come back no matter what tyrants do to people and no matter what tyrants tell people to believe.

The enemy tried to stop what the Father had purposed in the earth through His people, but the Father had the final say, “He triumphantly defeated the enemy in every way.” And just as He did this in the life of Jesus, He does this in our lives, each and every day…if we will only trust in Him. and put His will before our own – and be BOLD in Christ – bold in our faith!!!

The name Cleopas reflects in short what Paul says in Philippians 4:8:

Philippians 4:8 – “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”

You see, the Lord already knows what is on our hearts and minds, but He wants us to tell Him about it. His desire is that we would share our heart with Him. The Lord has the power to change our situation, and it really doesn’t matter if we haven’t had a full revelation of who He is in the past, Because the Lord is always willing, at the point that we begin to speak to Him, He will reveal Himself to us. In His full resurrection power and might. And He will begin to reveal His purposes for our lives.

The scriptures go on to say…Some women of our company astounded us and ^[b]drove us out of our senses. They were at the tomb early [in the morning]  ²³ But did not find His body; and they returned saying that they had [even] seen a vision of angels, who said that He was alive!  ²⁴ So some of those [who were] with us went to the tomb and they found it just as the women had said, but Him they did not see.

How many times have we been told by those that Jesus has revealed Himself to of His might resurrection power, of how the grave cannot even hold Him? How many times have God’s people spoken of having seen angels; of angels revealing God’s truth to His people, and yet we reject it?

You see wherever the Lord is moving in resurrection power, the supernatural realm will be revealed. Wherever the Lord is actively working in the earth, the veil is very, very thin. The veil, I mean, is a covering between heaven and earth. And what does Jesus say concerning their inability to believe?

²⁵ And [Jesus] said to them, O foolish ones [sluggish in mind, dull of perception] and slow of heart to believe (adhere to and trust in and rely on) everything that the prophets have spoken!  

The Lord desires that we would understand the prophets and all that has been spoken concerning Him in the Word, and through prophetic utterances. He desires that the eyes of our heart be opened; that we be enlightened to recognize Him and all things concerning Him.

Do we recognize Jesus? Do we look beyond what we see with our natural eyes? Do we look beyond the circumstances of this life, and the things that are going on in our lives, and see Jesus?

This is what the Lord desires for us. It would be very easy for many of us to look at our life at times and think that it is all over. It would be very easy, at times, for us to have said that “Things look bleak.” But how many of you know that the Lord has said concerning each one of us that we have a purpose in this world, and He who is faithful will bring it to pass….All we have to do is trust in Him. We don’t have to understand it, we don’t have to see it all laid out before us….We just need to remember that “He who has begun a good work in us, will bring it to fruition.”

²⁸ Then they drew near the village to which they were going, and He acted as if He would go further.  ²⁹ But they urged and insisted, saying to Him, Remain with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is now far spent. So He went in to stay with them.  ³⁰ And it occurred that as He reclined at table with them, He took [a loaf of] bread and praised [God] and gave thanks and asked a blessing, and then broke it and was giving it to them  ³¹ When their eyes were [instantly] opened and they [clearly] recognized Him, and He vanished (^[d]departed invisibly).

The Lord was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread. The bread symbolizes His body…..it symbolizes covenant. And if we want to recognize the Lord, we need to walk in covenant. We need to recognize that He was broken so that we could have life, and life more abundantly.

In the breaking of His body, Satan’s power over our lives was eternally broken. Just as Satan could no longer restrain Jesus, he could not keep Him in the grave….Satan has no power over the believer – he has no power over your life. He has no power over mine. He only has what power we give him.

The disciples recognized that this man that they had been speaking with, His words caused their hearts to be greatly moved and burning within them while He was talking with them. They urged Him to stay with them…..Jesus never intended that we wouldn’t recognize Him in our lives. He never intended that He would be far from us. His desire is that He would be right with us – very close to us….Where we would recognize Him – and we would recognize His will in our lives and in the things that are going on around us.

But often times, we are too willing to let Him go on further without us. If you aren’t recognizing Jesus in your situation maybe it is because you haven’t urged Him to come and stay with you where you are at. He is a friend that sticketh closer to you than a brother, but He will not push Himself off on you. He is waiting for an invitation – He is waiting for you to ask Him to come & spend time with you. Because what the enemy means for evil, the Lord Himself can turn it around for His glory!

³³ And rising up that very hour, they went back to Jerusalem, where they found the Eleven [apostles] gathered together and those who were with them,  ³⁴ Who said, The Lord really has risen and has appeared to Simon (Peter)!  ³⁵ Then they [themselves] ^[j]related what had happened on the road, and how He was known and recognized by them in the breaking of bread.  ³⁶ Now while they were talking about this, Jesus Himself took His stand among them…

What the Lord does for you as an individually has the ability to bring revival and break the power of unbelief in the Body of Christ. These men could have continued on in their private journey, but I believe they felt that what God had done in their lives, the things that had witnessed and experienced had to be told. And when they did this, in telling what happened on the Road to Emmaus, Jesus Himself took His stand among them.

The work the Lord has begun in you continues on. It has the potential to break the power of unbelief in others, and it has the power to reveal Jesus. Not just a witness, not just a relayed story, but the resurrected Jesus. Where He stands among His people. The “kabod”, the weighty, tangible presence of our Lord.

And for all of those that would stand in unbelief….For those whose hearts have been distracted…..For those that have allowed circumstances in this life to overtake their vision of who Jesus is and what He represents in this life….The risen Jesus, and the revelation of who He truly is has the power to break all doubt, all unbelief, all of the heartache and the pain of the past season…..And in the new day that stands before you, He will help you to overcome and walk in His victory and power and might where the glory of the Father will be revealed in your life.  Where His glory will be revealed in your life.

Wherever Jesus is, His glory will be revealed. All throughout the earth, especially among the Muslim people….there are stories coming forth about the Man in white being revealed to these people as Jesus. They have no concept, they have no knowledge of Jesus.

But I want to say to you this morning that we are on the verge of the greatest revival that the earth has ever seen. One of the key things that we should expect is that Jesus is going to begin to reveal Himself in a tangible way. If Jesus came and stood among His disciples, and He is visiting the Muslim people in their dreams and even through visions, how much more does He desire to reveal Himself to His people – to His church – to the Body of Christ in this hour?

John 16:16 (TLB) ¹⁶ “In just a little while I will be gone, and you will see me no more; but just a little while after that, and you will see me again!”

So I ask you this morning?  Are you seeing Jesus? Do you have a revelation of Him in your life? Do you hear His voice? Are you walking on your journey with Him & have failed to recognize Him? (because He is there) Are you walking in covenant? (following His commandments and precepts – putting Him first above all other things) Are you sharing the truth of who He is with others – and the Body of Christ?——A lot of us just want to leave Jesus tucked away at home, we fail to bring Him to church with us so that He can be revealed to others…..He desires that the revelation of who He is to you be shared throughout the earth!

I want to point out that these disciples had to return to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is Zion…..it represents Kingdom. All that we are called to do in this earth – the experiences we have with Jesus they build up and transform the Kingdom of God…