Luke 24:20Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He expressed, "We had anticipated that He would be the one to rescue Israel." As if disillusioned by their expectations, they remarked, "We believed He would save others, yet He could not save Himself." Their words reflected a lack of courage and a wavering faith. This resonates with the taunts of those at the cross: "He saved others, but He cannot save himself" (Mark 15:31). Consequently, the Lord refers to them as dull and slow to comprehend. What do the words "to rescue Israel" truly signify? It was previously noted that the Jewish people, even the least among their foundational figures, anticipated Christ as a savior who would free them from the afflictions that burdened them and from the oppression of Roman rule, aspiring for Him to establish His reign on earth. Therefore, it is said, "We hoped that He would deliver Israel from the Gentiles—the Romans—but behold, He Himself faced an unjust judgment." The third day: see vv. 22.

The Master journeys alongside his disciples, embodying the path itself; however, they strayed from that path. Prior to his suffering, he revealed to them everything related to his trials, his demise, and his resurrection after three days; he communicated all of this, yet his death slipped their minds. As they beheld him nailed to the cross, their indignation blinded them, causing them to forget his teachings, lose hope in the resurrection, and misunderstand the promise he had made.

They turned against Him... Leading to the sentence of death.

However, even after these events, there were still those who did not believe (Mark 16:13). Additionally, not all the followers had a full grasp of His current condition. Therefore, the Lord sought to provide them with spiritual nourishment in light of their upcoming mission and to reaffirm His bond with them. To accomplish this, He planned to reveal Himself to them collectively. At this moment of wavering faith, the grace of the Holy Spirit would leave them, only to return fully on the day of Pentecost, ushered in by the breath of the Spirit. First, though, the Lord intended to bring back some who had strayed from Jerusalem, one of whom was Cleopas, a relative of the Lord (Mary, Cleopas' wife, is regarded as the sister of the Mother of God, as referenced in John 19:25).

They began recounting to Him the events surrounding Jesus of Nazareth, who was recognized as a prophet, mighty in word and deed before God and all the people. They described how the chief priests and our leaders had handed Him over to be condemned to death and subsequently crucified (Luke 24:19-20). In sharing these details, Cleopas and the other disciple candidly admitted that following the crucifixion, all of Jesus' disciples regarded Him merely as a prophet. They further remarked: But we had hoped that He was the One who would redeem Israel (Luke 24:21). These statements illustrate the mindset of the apostles and other disciples at that time: they had believed Him to be the Messiah, yet.... He was not the Messiah!

They halted and regarded the unfamiliar figure with a mixture of wariness and disdain. When one of the men, named Cleopas, responded to him, his tone conveyed both astonishment and suspicion. “Are you not one of those who have arrived in Jerusalem unaware of the events that have unfolded here these past few days?” the stranger inquired. "What events?" he asked them. They recounted how their expectations of Jesus as a mighty prophet destined to rescue his people had been shattered, explaining the sorrowful conclusion of his miraculous deeds before God and humanity just two days prior when he was condemned to a humiliating crucifixion.

In reply to the Lord’s inquiry regarding the events of recent days, which He seemed to not comprehend, the confusion and grief of the two travelers is evident. Their account is noteworthy, particularly as it illustrates their reliance on Jesus, their Teacher, even when their greatest aspirations appeared unfulfilled. They refer to Him as Jesus of Nazareth, omitting the title of Christ (Messiah), which reflects their belief that their hopes concerning Him had not materialized. This title, they assume, should be known by anyone in Jerusalem during that time. They are convinced that despite His ignominious crucifixion alongside criminals, He was a ‘prophet,’ an extraordinary envoy of God, similar to the prophet John the Baptist who had graced their people after a lengthy absence.