25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:25–27 (ESV)
All four Gospels parallel each other concerning the events on Resurrection Sunday. The Holy Spirit specifically inspired one of two of the writers to provide particular information not found in the other Gospels. While each writer provides selective, insightful information, they do not contradict each other in telling the wonderful news that Jesus Christ is alive. Such is the case with today’s text from Luke regarding Jesus’ appearance to the so-called Emmaus Disciples.
I have some friends who belong to a particular people group. They are godly men, committed to the Scriptures and actively involved in our local church in Indiana; and for some, their churches in Michigan and Florida. They are retired from their professions and careers, but try not to be sedentary, or inactive, in the late autumn of their years. They have their hobbies and interests. All have daily routines. By the way, they also share one more thing in common; they are all widowers.
Their days are filled with precious memories of youthful exuberance, true love, holidays, birthdays, budgets, raising kids, and expectant dreams of leisure retirement living at the lake or ocean with their lifelong companion. Their days are also filled with longing for what they once had, but also fear and apprehension for new responsibilities they now have.
Holidays are particularly painful reminders of what can never be again. Their children have grown and live far away with only an occasional phone call to break up the monotony. A house which once seemed so small, loud and full now feels so large, quiet and empty. The resulting depression of focusing on their earthly circumstances is only broken by a holy resolve to focus on the Lord Jesus Christ and their expectant heavenly home.
It is all too easy to pay attention to one’s circumstances; especially in the pain, sorrow and trials of life and living in this fallen world. My friends understand this truth in ways I as yet cannot, but in a way the Emmaus Disciples could to some extent. We do not know if these two men were widowers, or even if they were married. However, we do know they were grieving the death and subsequent loss of their Teacher: Jesus Christ. All hope seemed lost. All their dreams seem shattered.
It was then Jesus broke the spell of their despair by saying, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Jesus focused their attention away from their seemingly hopeless circumstances and upon the Holy Scriptures. Luke recorded, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”
“The emphasis is on two words: everything and necessary. The trouble with the Jewish religious leaders of Jesus’ day was that, on the whole, in reading the Old Testament they saw only the glory and victory of the Messiah, not the fact that the path to these blessings was one of suffering. At times they would even go so far as to apply to the Messiah the references (in Isa. 52:13–53:12) to the Servant’s glory, but to apply to Israel the references to the Servant’s suffering,” explains Dr. William Hendriksen.
“Now there was no excuse for this. It must be borne in mind that the people of Jesus’ day not only had the Old Testament. They also had in their midst the Lord Jesus Christ, who was constantly interpreting it for them, by what he was, what he did, and what he taught.”
“That for the Messiah it is the way of suffering that leads to glory is basically already pointed out in Gen. 3:15 (in the process of bruising Satan’s head, Messiah’s own heel will be bruised). Another Old Testament passage clearly teaching the same lesson—that for the Messiah it is the path of suffering that leads to glory—is Ps. 118; see especially verse 22, with reference to the rejected stone, which becomes the cornerstone. And did not Jesus also interpret this figure as having reference to himself? (See Matt. 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17).”
“Then there is Isaiah 53 (or 52:13–53:12). Jesus himself stated in so many words that this prophecy referred to him (Luke 22:37). In fact, even some of the words spoken from the cross were quotations (sometimes modified) and interpretations of phrases taken from the Old Testament. All this should suffice to prove that the two men who were on their way to Emmaus deserved to be called “foolish” or “dull” for failing to believe that for Christ the way to glory was and had to be through suffering,” concludes Dr. Hendriksen.
My friends grieve the death of their beloved wives. Yet, they do not grieve as those without hope (I Thess. 4:13). Their hope, or confident expectation, in God’s promises is rooted in the person and work of Jesus Christ (Col. 1:27). It is this hope Jesus encouraged the Emmaus Disciples to understand. It is a hope my friends understand. It is a hope I pray I will understand.
May the Lord’s truth and His graced be found here.
His Word Today 