Luke 24:27Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

28:66) not only alludes to the crucifixion through the term ‘hang’ but also indicates the resurrection with the word ‘life.’ Other prophecies also contain references to the cross and the resurrection, particularly among the most significant prophets, from whom numerous passages can be extracted. It’s also worth noting that the path to glory is often paved with the endurance of suffering.

In the fullness of time, messengers were sent to prepare for the arrival of the Sovereign, presenting prophecies as a vital groundwork for faith. Consequently, like treasures awaiting discovery, the foretold realities would eventually emerge from the shadows of their previous obscurity, becoming manifest and understandable through clear interpretation.

Among them was Cleopas, a relative of the Lord (Mary, Cleopas' wife, is identified as the sister of the Mother of God, John 19:25). The identity of the other traveler remains unknown. Both were making their way from Jerusalem to Emmaus, a village approximately 60 stadia away. They had departed before news of the Lord’s appearance to Mary Magdalene reached them. During their journey, they engaged in discussions about the recent events that had transpired in Jerusalem. The disgraceful execution of Jesus had shattered their hopes of Him being the Restorer of Israel. The Lord approached them, altering His appearance somewhat (Mark 16:12) and concealing their eyes (Luke 24:16), and initiated a conversation, demonstrating that it was essential for the Messiah, the Restorer of Israel, to endure suffering as indicated in the Scriptures; it was through this suffering that He would attain glory. This line of reasoning was meant to help them understand that if they regarded Jesus as the Messiah, His death should not be seen as the end of His mission; instead, they should anticipate the glorification promised in the Scriptures through His resurrection. Jesus spoke at length (as the journey was considerable), explaining the prophetic significance concerning the Messiah, His suffering, and His resurrection. The Evangelist does not specify which Scriptures the Lord mentioned, but they were undoubtedly those later referenced by the disciples and apostles Peter and Paul in their speeches and letters. The disciples were delighted to hear His words, their hearts igniting with hope. As they reached their destination, their companion intended to continue on, but they urged Him to stay and share the evening meal. In that moment, He revealed Himself to them as He broke the bread; they may have noticed the wounds on His hands before He suddenly vanished from their sight. This realization left them even more convinced that they had encountered something beyond an ordinary living person, prompting them to return immediately to Jerusalem to share the news with the Apostles.

Consequently, Christ commenced a deliberate preparation of the apostles for the agonies of His imminent death, revisiting this sorrowful topic whenever possible. This was done to gradually instill the uncomfortable and contrary truth into their hearts, ensuring they recognized this as part of the divine plan for His kingdom. Although He had addressed this before, He now spoke without ambiguity, providing clear explanations, likely drawing upon familiar Scriptures, just as He later did in His dialogue with the disciples at Emmaus, explaining how “Christ must suffer and enter into His glory” (Luke 24:26, Matthew 16:21-28, Mark 8:31-38, Mark 9:1, Luke 9:22-27). Dislodging deeply held beliefs is a challenging task, as it necessitates persuading both intellect and will. Up until this point, their minds were unprepared for such a jarring revelation, and even now, as has been seen repeatedly, they were too hesitant to relinquish their biases to grasp what appeared to them as so strange and conflicting.

In rebuking them for their ‘unreasonableness and slowness of heart,’ the Lord revealed to them how, throughout the entirety of the Old Testament, starting with Moses, there was a continuous prophecy concerning both the sufferings and the glory of Christ.