Worth Repeating - The Road to Emmaus

 

The Road to Emmaus

by Mary E. Stephens
April 2017

The account of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and their meeting with Jesus is one of my favorite parts of the events surrounding His resurrection. It has drama, mystery, humor, and pathos. It is beautiful. Let's take a closer look.

Luke 24:13 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.

On the first day of the week, the day that Jesus rose from the dead, two of His disciples headed to their home at Emmaus in the afternoon. Sixty furlongs is about 10-12 kilometers or 7 miles, depending on how you measure it. So, it was a bit of a walk. At a moderate pace it would take them close to two hours, longer if they went slower.

Many of the paintings and illustrations of this story have shown two men walking with Jesus or sitting at the table eating with Him. If a woman is present, it's usually in the eating scene and she is usually a background figure serving the food or merely an onlooker. But is that really how it was?

We know that one of these disciples is Cleopas because he is named in verse 18. The other person is not named, but we do know some things that point to the possibility that it was his wife.

First of all, we read in John 19:25, Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. The spelling is only slightly different, but John mentions Mary and her husband as if they should be known disciples. Assuming that it is the same Cleopas that we read about in Luke, it is very likely that he and his wife, Mary, were returning from observing the Passover in Jerusalem (something that faithful Jews would have done), and that at least Mary had been present at the crucifixion.

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Evening Song - Room At the Cross for You

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 

Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. 

Romans 10:8-11 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 

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The Thousand Word Project - Spring Gold

Golden Poppies

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Evening Song - Jesus, What A Friend for Sinners

Matthew 11:16-19 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children. 

John 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. 

Hebrews 13:5-6 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. 

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Himself He Could Not Save

Isaiah 53:4-5 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 

Himself He Could Not Save

Himself He could not save,
He on the cross must die,
Or mercy cannot come
To ruined sinners nigh;
Yes, Christ, the Son of God, must bleed,
That sinners might from sin be freed.

Himself He could not save,
For justice must be done;
And sin's full weight must fall
Upon a sinless one;
For nothing less can God accept,
In payment for the fearful debt.

Himself He could not save,
For He the surety stood
For all who now rely
Upon His precious blood;
He bore the penalty of guilt,
When on the cross His blood was spilt.

Himself He could not save,
Yet now a Saviour He:
Come, sinner, to Him come,
He waits to welcome thee;
Believe in Him, and thou shalt prove
His saving power, His deathless love.

Albert Midlane, 1865

May be sung to the tune "Lenox", otherwise known as "Arise, My Soul Arise".  

Matthew 27:41-42 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save...

John 10:17-18 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Evening Song - Beneath the Cross of Jesus

Because Passover is on April 22nd, we will be remembering the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ here and on related ministry locations this week.

Isaiah 32:2 And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. 

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 

Galatians 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. 

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The Thousand Word Project - Fish Hooks and Lace

Fish hook cactus

Lace cactus

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Engaged! - A Word Study

Guest post
by Stephen Van Nattan

March 9, 2024

2 Corinthians 1:19-22 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea. For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

Verse 19 tells us that God never says "No" when talking to us about our salvation. Once we believe in Jesus Christ, and confess him before men, God never again says NO to us.

Verse 20 tells us that "YES" and Amen, which is a word of total agreement, is what God says to you about your confession of faith in Christ.

Verse 21 Tells us that it is God who decided, before the foundation of the world, that he would accept and keep you once you confessed faith in Christ.

Verse 22 Here is the word we want to see to find good hope. First God sealed us. A seal in Bible times was red wax melted onto a document and the stamp of some official pressed into the hot was before it hardened. No one but the recipient had the legal authority to open the document sealed this way. No one can break the seal of God on you. It is official.

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Evening Song - One of the Family

Romans 8:15-17 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 

Hebrews 4:15-16 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. 

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The Thousand Word Project - Baby Green

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature’s first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf’s a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

Robert Frost

Evening Song - He Brought Me Out

Psalm 40:1-5 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. 

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The Thousand Word Project - Periwinkling

Psalm 18:35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.