Bible ReadingLuke 24:13-35 “Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked them, ‘What are you discussing together as you walk along?’ They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, ‘Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?’ ‘What things?’ he asked. ‘About Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied. ‘He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.’ He said to them, ‘How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, ‘Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’ They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, ‘It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.’ Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.”
[45:48] [49:32] [57:59]Luke 24:44-47 “He said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.’”
[01:02:11]Genesis 3:15 “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
[53:19]John 1:1-14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
[47:51]Observation questions- In Luke 24, what details do the two disciples already know about Jesus and the empty tomb, and what words show that they are still discouraged rather than believing?
- What does Jesus do with the Scriptures on the road to Emmaus, and which parts of the Old Testament are specifically mentioned as pointing to him? [49:53]
- What happens at the table that finally opens the disciples’ eyes, and what do they say had already been happening in their hearts before that moment?
- In Luke 24:44-47, what message does Jesus say must be preached, and where does he say that message will begin? [01:02:23]
Interpretation questions- The disciples had many of the right facts, but they still did not believe. What does that show about the difference between knowing gospel pieces and seeing how those pieces fit together in Christ? [49:19]
- Jesus says it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer before entering glory. Why is that word “necessary” so important for understanding the cross as part of God’s plan rather than a failure of it? [50:10]
- Genesis 3:15 speaks of the serpent being crushed while the offspring of the woman is struck. How does that promise help explain why Jesus’ suffering and victory belong together? [53:19]
- When Jesus opens the disciples’ minds to understand the Scriptures and then sends them out as witnesses, what does that suggest about the kind of witness the church is meant to be? [01:02:23]
Application questions- “We had hoped” can reveal a heart that expected Jesus to work in a different way. Where has disappointment made it hard to trust him right now, and what would it look like to bring that honestly before him? [48:40]
- Jesus comes near to confused and discouraged people on the road. In this season of life, where does someone need to remember that Christ has not stayed distant from them? [47:49]
- The whole Bible tells one great story about Jesus. What part of Scripture has felt disconnected or hard to understand, and how might seeing Christ in it change the way it is read? [01:00:00]
- Burning hearts led to moving feet for the Emmaus disciples. When truth about Jesus becomes real and personal, what usually helps move it from a private comfort to an actual conversation with someone else? [01:00:49]
- Jesus opens minds before sending mouths. What would help someone grow more rooted in Scripture so that their witness is steady, clear, and full of peace? [01:02:23]
- The Holy Spirit wastes no hike and no ordinary moment. What ordinary setting in the coming week—a walk, a drive, a meal, a break at work, time with a child—might become an opening for a deeper conversation about God? [01:05:15]
- Life has real ups and downs, like that road to Emmaus. On the harder stretches right now, how could someone practice noticing the presence of Jesus beside them instead of assuming they are walking alone? [01:04:45]
