The Road to Emmaus

We are in the season of Easter when we celebrate the risen Lord.  Easter lasts 50 days.  This year Easter began on April 9th with the proclamation that Jesus overcame death and rose from the grave.  The Easter season will end on Sunday, May 28th when we celebrate Pentecost and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Easter encompasses the 40 days when Jesus was with the Apostles, preparing them to continue the mission Jesus had started.  It would be the disciples task to continue Jesus’ work of establishing and building the church.

We will spend the next few Sundays examining the appearances of Jesus to his followers and others.

Beyond appearances at the tomb as recorded in the gospels, Jesus also appeared to two other disciples on Resurrection Day.

According to the gospels of Mark and Luke, and a brief mention in 1 Corinthians, Jesus walked with Cleopas and Simon.

The Gospel of Mark describes the encounter in two brief two sentences.  Essentially Jesus appeared to them, and they returned to others and told them about his appearance.

The Gospel of Luke has nearly twenty scriptures explaining how Cleopas and Simon were on their way to Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.  They were discussing what had happened the past few days in Jerusalem.  They were upset when a man (Jesus in disguise) walks up to them and asks what is bothering them.

They told this stranger about Jesus and his miracles, how he was turned over to the authorities, how they crucified him and now three days later his tomb is empty.  Jesus then tells them about all of the scriptures in the Old Testament which proclaimed his coming, his mission, and his resurrection.

They reach their destination in Emmaus.  It is late in the day so they ask Jesus to stay with them for the night.  They sit at the table.  Jesus blesses the food.  Taking the bread he breaks and passes it to the table, and they recognize him….and Jesus disappears.

Cleopas and Simon return to Jerusalem and tell the others they have seen the Risen Lord.

This fresco from the 14th Century in the Grachanitsa Monastery in Serbia shows three events which take place with Jesus, Cleopas and Simon.  On the far left we see Jesus, as the stranger, walking with Cleopas and Simon as they tell Jesus about the events which have taken place in Jerusalem.  The center section shows Jesus blessing and breaking the bread then passing it to Cleopas and Simon, when Jesus is revealed to them.  The far right section shows Cleopas and Simon returning to the disciples in Jerusalem to tell them they have seen the risen Christ.