Concerning Himself

After Jesus’ resurrection, He meets two men on their way to Emmaus. These disciples need to hear the teaching He provides from scripture concerning Himself.

You can play, download, or read the transcript of this Take Note Podcast below.

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Luke 24:13-27

Today we approach a text in Luke that comes after Jesus has been crucified and risen from the dead
His disciples have heard about His resurrection and some have even seen Him
But others continue to grapple with doubt
They know what He said, but they also know for sure He was dead
And despite eyewitness accounts that say He is alive again, they are wavering

Two such disciples are on their way to Emmaus when we meet them in our passage of the day
They are discussing everything that has just come to pass
How Jesus was delivered to the chief priests and eventually crucified
And how on the third day some women came to His tomb but found Him not
They were told by angels He was alive

These men believed Jesus was the One who would redeem Israel
But now they are wondering, is it true?
Jesus tells them when He meets them along their way
And reveals many things from the scripture “Concerning Himself”
Which is our theme of the day from Luke 24:13-27

Just before our passage of the day begins, we find Peter at the tomb
He stoops down to see the grave clothes laid by themselves
The stone is rolled away and the Savior is gone
Peter wonders within himself about what has come to pass

A few verses earlier, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James told the disciples what they had seen at the tomb
But verse 11 says that “their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not”

With that background information, we enter our passage of the day
Which we will read in its entirety, then look over a little closer…

Luke 24:13-27

13 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.

15 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.

17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?

18 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.

22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;

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 sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.

25 Then he said unto them, 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.

No matter how confusing the events of this period must have been for the disciples
One thing was not confusing: the scriptures
And Jesus takes these men back to the basics
He begins with Moses and the prophets, teaching of the Messiah – of Himself
The One who would come to die
And then raise again to save men from their sins and make a way of salvation

Let’s discuss these events further…

Luke 24:13-14

13 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.

The eleven disciples, and all the rest, verse 9 says, had just heard about the events surrounding the resurrection
These two were among that “all the rest”
People who were believing and following Jesus before His crucifixion

They were walking six and a half miles to Emmaus
And, as people do on a journey like this, they were discussing the extraordinary events from the past few days
Not just the events, but the things they had been told about the events
Maybe wondering, maybe doubting, maybe wanting to believe, maybe struggling to understand
We don’t know much about their conversation
But we know they discussed it all

Then something amazing happens…

Luke 24:15-16

15 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.

Come to grips with what is happening here
Two men who followed Jesus are discussing what has become of Him
Are the reports true of His resurrection?
What should they make of what they have been hearing?
Is it too good to be true?
Does it all make sense?
Should they embrace it?
These kinds of questions are likely part of their discussion

At that moment, the resurrected Christ – Jesus Himself – catches up
He begins walking with them to Emmaus
On any other day, they would have recognized Him
But on this day, it says, their eyes were kept from recognizing Him

Their questions and concerns are voiced further as they walk…

Luke 24:17-18

17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?

18 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?

Jesus makes inquiry
The sadness on their faces was, apparently, readily seen
And He wants to know what kind of conversation they are having that would make them so sad
But, of course, He already knows

Cleopas is surprised
All of the events surrounding Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection had been the talk of Jerusalem
The only explanation was that their companion was a stranger

And this theory made even more sense as the discussion continued…

Luke 24:19-20

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.

This stranger needed to be informed, the men must have thought
We’re talking about Jesus of Nazareth
Surely you must have heard of His mighty words and deeds before God and men?
So mighty, in fact, the chief priests and rulers felt threatened by Him
Enough that they delivered Him up to the Roman officials
By whom He was crucified

All of this, they tell to the resurrected Savior
The very Jesus of which they spoke

They say something even more interesting to Him…

Luke 24:21