Christ, The Third Man on the Road to Emmaus
Learning Objectives
Explain the events surrounding Jesus’ appearance to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.
Show that Christ cares for ordinary, unknown, and overlooked people.
Demonstrate that confusion about Christ is corrected by the Scriptures, not by speculation.
Explain how the Old Testament pointed forward to the suffering, resurrection, and glory of Christ.
Show that faith must rest upon the revealed word of God.
Urge hearers to examine whether they are walking the road with Christ or away from Him.
Thesis
The risen Christ met two confused and sorrowful disciples on the road to Emmaus, opened the Scriptures to them, revealed Himself to them, and turned their sadness into conviction, joy, and proclamation.
Introduction.
Luke 24:13–35 records one of the most beautiful resurrection appearances of Jesus.
It happened on the same day Jesus rose from the dead.
It happened away from the noise of Jerusalem.
It happened on a road with two disciples who were confused, discouraged, and sorrowful.
These two men were traveling to Emmaus.
Emmaus was about seven miles from Jerusalem.
They were walking away from the city where Jesus had been crucified.
They were talking about everything that had taken place.
Their conversation was not casual small talk.
They were wrestling with the death of Jesus.
They were trying to understand the reports of the empty tomb.
They were struggling with disappointed expectations.
Then Jesus Himself came near.
They did not recognize Him.
He walked with them.
He questioned them.
He taught them.
He revealed Himself to them.
The Lord could have appeared first to the religious rulers.
He could have gone to the chief priests.
He could have gone to Pilate.
He could have stood before the mocking crowd and shown His scars.
But He appeared to two ordinary disciples on a dusty road.
That tells us something about the heart of Christ.
He cares about the little people.
He cares about the confused.
He cares about the sorrowful.
He cares about those whose names the world will never remember.
The question for us is simple.
Are we listening while Christ opens the Scriptures?
Are our hearts burning because the word is being explained?
Are we walking the road with Christ?
Or are we walking away from Him?
I. Two Disciples Were Walking in Confusion.
They were traveling away from Jerusalem.
Luke 24:13 says two of them were going to a village named Emmaus.
It was about seven miles from Jerusalem.
The crucifixion had happened in Jerusalem.
The reports of the resurrection had begun in Jerusalem.
They were moving physically away from the place of the great events.
That does not necessarily mean they had abandoned faith.
But they were clearly troubled.
They were trying to process what had happened.
Their steps were heavy.
Hope had been shaken.
Expectations had been crushed.
Their minds were full of questions.
They were discussing the events of the crucifixion.
Luke says they were talking with each other about all these things.
The betrayal.
The arrest.
The trial.
The crucifixion.
The burial.
The report of the empty tomb.
The word translated “talking” carries the idea of conversation back and forth.
They were throwing thoughts back and forth.
One would speak, and the other would answer.
Their minds were searching for meaning.
They knew the facts, but they did not yet understand the meaning.
Many people are like that today.
They know Jesus died.
They know Christians speak of the resurrection.
But they do not understand why it matters.
They were sorrowful.
Luke 24:17 says they stood still, looking sad.
Their grief showed on their faces.
Their hope had been wounded.
Their hearts were heavy.
They thought Jesus’ death had ended their hope.
They had followed Him.
They had trusted Him.
They had expected Him to redeem Israel.
But they had not understood the necessity of the cross.
They saw death as defeat.
God saw the cross as victory.
They saw burial as the end.
God had already raised Him from the dead.
II. Jesus Came Near to Ordinary Men.
Jesus Himself approached them.
Luke 24:15 says Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them.
That is the beauty of this text.
The risen Lord came to them.
He entered their sorrow.
They did not go looking for Him.
He came looking for them.
He joined them on the road.
He walked with them while they were confused.
This is the compassion of Christ.
He does not despise honest confusion.
He does not crush the sorrowing heart.
He teaches, corrects, and restores.
The men were not famous.
One of them was named Cleopas.
The other is not named.
Neither is presented as a great public figure.
They were disciples, but not apostles.
They were not among the mighty of the world.
They were not priests.
They were not rulers.
They were not men of political influence.
Yet Christ appeared to them.
That matters.
The Lord sees people the world overlooks.
The Lord values souls men ignore.
Christ cares for the common people.
If we had written the story, we might have written it differently.
We might have sent Jesus to Pilate first.
We might have sent Him to the chief priests.
We might have had Him stand before the rulers and show His scars.
But Christ came to two men on a road.
Two grieving disciples.
Two confused believers.
Two men unknown to the world.
This fits the pattern of God’s work.
God often chooses the lowly.
God often uses the common.
God often humbles the proud by blessing the overlooked.
Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:26–29 that not many wise, mighty, or noble are called.
God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.
God chose the weak things to shame the strong.
No man can boast before God.
Mark 12:37 says the common people heard Jesus gladly.
That still speaks.
The gospel is not reserved for the elite.
Christ receives the humble heart.
III. Jesus Drew Out Their Confession.
Jesus asked what they were discussing.
Luke 24:17 says He asked, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?”
Jesus knew the answer.
He was not asking for information.
He was drawing out their hearts.
The Lord often asks questions to expose what is inside man.
Not because He lacks knowledge.
But because man needs to see himself.
The question becomes a mirror.
These men needed to speak their grief.
They needed to confess their confusion.
They needed to say what they believed.
They needed to reveal where their understanding was lacking.
Cleopas answered with surprise.
Cleopas asked whether Jesus was the only one visiting Jerusalem who did not know what had happened.
The crucifixion was public.
The city knew.
The disciples were stunned by the events.
There is irony here.
They thought Jesus did not know.
Jesus knew more than anyone.
They were speaking to the very One who had been crucified.
They knew events, but not interpretation.
They knew Jesus had been delivered up.
They knew He had been crucified.
They had heard the tomb was empty.
But they did not understand the Scriptures.
They confessed what they believed about Jesus.
They called Him “Jesus the Nazarene.”
That identifies the historical Jesus.
The One from Nazareth.
The One who had walked among them.
They said He was a prophet mighty in deed and word.
His works were powerful.
His words were powerful.
God’s approval had been seen in Him.
They said the chief priests and rulers delivered Him up to death.
They understood human responsibility.
They knew the religious leaders had rejected Him.
They knew Jesus had been crucified.
But their confession was still incomplete.
They spoke of Him as a prophet.
But He was more than a prophet.
He was the Christ, the Son of God, the risen Lord.
IV. Their Hope Was Confused by Wrong Expectations.
They had hoped Jesus would redeem Israel.
Luke 24:21 says, “But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.”
That sentence carries heartbreak.
“We were hoping.”
Their hope sounded like something that had died.
They expected redemption.
That expectation was not wrong in itself.
The prophets had spoken of redemption.
Jesus did come to redeem.
But they misunderstood the nature of that redemption.
They expected the wrong kind of kingdom.
They expected the wrong kind of victory.
They did not understand that redemption required suffering first.
They were thinking too much like many Jews of their day.
Many expected a political Messiah.
A national deliverer.
A military king.
A ruler who would restore earthly Israel.
They struggled to see a suffering Messiah.
A rejected Christ.
A crucified King.
A Savior who would redeem through death.
That confusion still exists today.
Some want Christ without the cross.
Some want a kingdom of earthly power.
Some want glory without suffering.
Some want salvation without submission.
They had heard resurrection reports but were still confused.
They knew it was the third day.
That detail should have mattered.
Jesus had spoken of rising on the third day.
The timing was not accidental.
They heard that women had gone to the tomb.
The body was not found.
Angels had appeared.
The message was that Jesus was alive.
Yet they were still sorrowful.
Evidence had reached their ears.
But understanding had not yet filled their hearts.
They needed the Scriptures opened.
V. Jesus Corrected Them with Scripture.
Jesus rebuked their slowness of heart.
Luke 24:25 says, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!”
Jesus did not flatter their confusion.
He corrected it.
He told them the truth.
“Foolish” here does not mean they were unintelligent.
It means they were dull in understanding.
They were slow to grasp what God had revealed.
Their problem was not lack of information only.
They were slow to believe all the prophets had spoken.
Not some.
Not the parts that fit their expectations.
All that the prophets had spoken.
That is where many stumble.
They believe the parts they like.
They skip the parts that correct them.
They build a doctrine from preference instead of revelation.
Jesus said the suffering of Christ was necessary.
Luke 24:26 says, “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?”
The cross was not an accident.
The cross was not plan B.
The cross was necessary.
Christ had to suffer.
Sin demanded a sacrifice.
Prophecy had to be fulfilled.
Redemption required blood.
Christ would enter His glory.
Suffering came first.
Glory followed.
Death did not defeat Him.
Resurrection vindicated Him.
Jesus began with Moses and all the prophets.
Luke 24:27 says He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
What a Bible class that must have been.
The Teacher was Christ Himself.
The subject was Christ Himself.
The textbook was the Scriptures.
He began with Moses.
Genesis.
Exodus.
Leviticus.
Numbers.
Deuteronomy.
He continued through the prophets.
The promises.
The types.
The shadows.
The prophecies.
The Old Testament was not a disconnected book.
It pointed to Christ.
It prepared for Christ.
It explained the necessity of Christ.
The Scriptures concerning Christ were already there.
Genesis 3:15 pointed to victory over the serpent.
The seed of woman would bruise the serpent’s head.
The serpent would bruise His heel.
Victory would come through suffering.
Deuteronomy 18:15 pointed to the Prophet like Moses.
God would raise Him up.
The people must listen to Him.
Christ is that Prophet.
Numbers 21:8–9 pointed to the lifted remedy.
Moses lifted the serpent in the wilderness.
Jesus would be lifted up on the cross.
Those who look to Him in obedient faith live.
Isaiah 53 pointed to the suffering Servant.
Despised.
Pierced.
Crushed.
Silent like a lamb led to slaughter.
Bearing the sins of many.
Daniel 2 pointed to the kingdom not made with hands.
A stone cut without hands.
A kingdom established by God.
A kingdom that would never be destroyed.
Isaiah 9:6–7 pointed to the promised King.
Wonderful Counselor.
Mighty God.
Eternal Father.
Prince of Peace.
Government upon His shoulders.
Psalm 16 pointed to resurrection.
God would not abandon His Holy One to decay.
Death would not hold Him.
Christ would rise.
Psalm 22 pointed to crucifixion suffering.
Mockery.
Piercing.
Casting lots.
Suffering that ends in vindication.
Psalm 110 pointed to His reign and priesthood.
Seated at God’s right hand.
Ruling in the midst of enemies.
Priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
Jeremiah’s righteous Branch pointed to the coming King.
The promised ruler.
The righteous One.
The hope of God’s people.
VI. The Men Were Humble Enough to Be Taught.
They did not argue with the Lord’s correction.
Jesus called them foolish and slow of heart.
That was plain.
That was strong.
That was needed.
They could have taken offense.
They could have stopped listening.
They could have defended themselves.
They could have rejected correction.
Instead, they listened.
That is humility.
That is teachability.
That is the kind of heart Scripture can help.
Ignorance can be corrected when pride is removed.
These men did not understand everything.
But they were willing to hear.
They were willing to be taught.
They were willing to let Scripture correct them.
The Ethiopian eunuch was the same kind of man.
He was a man of authority.
He served under a queen.
Yet he admitted he needed guidance.
Acts 8 shows him reading Isaiah.
Philip asked whether he understood what he was reading.
The eunuch said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?”
That was not weakness.
That was humility.
Pride keeps many people in darkness.
Some people do not know, but pretend they do.
That is dangerous.
Ignorance can be taught.
Pride resists teaching.
Some people would rather keep a false idea than admit they were wrong.
That is how error survives.
That is how souls stay confused.
That is how men miss Christ while holding a Bible.
The question must be asked plainly.
Are we too proud to admit ignorance?
Are we too proud to be corrected?
Are we too proud to let Scripture change our expectations?
VII. They Invited Jesus to Stay.
Jesus acted as though He would go farther.
Luke 24:28 says they approached the village where they were going.
Jesus acted as though He were going farther.
He did not force Himself upon them.
He gave them opportunity to respond.
The men urged Him to stay.
“Stay with us.”
The day was nearly over.
Evening was coming.
Something about His teaching had reached them.
They did not yet recognize Him.
But they wanted more.
The word had begun working in their hearts.
Jesus went in to stay with them.
He accepted their invitation.
The Teacher entered the house.
The Stranger became the Guest.
The Lord was still hidden from their eyes.
They reclined at the table.
Ordinary setting.
Ordinary bread.
Extraordinary revelation.
Christ often reveals truth in moments men do not expect.
On a road.
At a table.
Through opened Scripture.
In the breaking of bread.
Their eyes were opened.
Luke 24:30–31 says Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them.
Then their eyes were opened.
They recognized Him.
He vanished from their sight.
Christ revealed Himself when He chose.
Not when curiosity demanded it.
Not when human timing required it.
When His purpose was accomplished.
He wanted their faith grounded in Scripture.
They heard the explanation first.
They understood the necessity of His suffering first.
Then they recognized Him.
Their physical eyes were opened after their hearts had been taught.
That matters.
Faith does not rest on sight alone.
Faith rests on the word of God.
VIII. Their Hearts Burned Because the Scriptures Were Opened.
They reflected on what had happened.
Luke 24:32 says they said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us?”
They remembered the road.
They remembered His words.
They remembered the Scriptures being explained.
The burning heart was not emotionalism without truth.
It came while He was speaking.
It came while He was explaining the Scriptures.
It came from truth opening their understanding.
Real conviction is tied to God’s word.
Not manipulation.
Not hype.
Not entertainment.
Scripture.
The word turned sorrow into conviction.
They had been sad.
Their faces showed it.
Their conversation showed it.
Their confusion showed it.
Then Christ opened the Scriptures.
Their sorrow was corrected.
Their understanding was enlarged.
Their hope was restored.
The same thing still happens.
The word gives light.
The word corrects false hope.
The word reveals Christ.
The word produces faith.
The word explained the cross.
Without Scripture, the cross looked like failure.
A dead teacher.
A crushed movement.
A disappointed hope.
With Scripture, the cross was seen as necessary.
The suffering Servant.
The Lamb of God.
The lifted Savior.
The King entering glory.
The difference was not a change in facts.
Jesus had still been crucified.
Jesus had still been buried.
The tomb was still empty.
But now they understood what God had done.
IX. They Returned Immediately with the Good News.
They went back to Jerusalem that very hour.
Luke 24:33 says they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem.
It was already late.
The day was nearly over.
The road was long.
They had already walked about seven miles.
Now they walked back.
But this time the journey was different.
Sorrow had turned into urgency.
When they walked to Emmaus, they were slow and sad.
When they returned to Jerusalem, they had news.
The risen Christ changes the pace of a man’s steps.
The gospel gives urgency.
They found the eleven and those with them.
The disciples in Jerusalem had news too.
“The Lord has really risen.”
“He has appeared to Simon.”
The resurrection testimony was spreading.
Cleopas and the other disciple had their own testimony.
He appeared to us also.
He walked with us.
He opened the Scriptures.
We recognized Him in the breaking of bread.
What a night that must have been.
Fear.
Amazement.
Wonder.
Joy.
Testimony after testimony that Jesus was alive.
Those who meet the risen Christ must speak.
These men did not keep silent.
They returned.
They reported.
They told what happened on the road.
Good news is not meant to be buried.
Christ is risen.
The Scriptures are fulfilled.
The cross was not defeat.
The tomb is empty.
The church today must speak with the same conviction.
Not a dead Christ.
Not a defeated Christ.
Not a merely historical Christ.
A risen Christ who reigns.
X. Application: Is Christ on the Road You Are Walking?
These men were confused about Christ and His mission.
They knew many facts.
They knew Jesus had lived.
They knew Jesus had worked mighty deeds.
They knew Jesus had been crucified.
They had heard about the empty tomb.
But they did not understand the gospel clearly.
They misunderstood the kingdom.
They misunderstood the necessity of suffering.
They misunderstood the Scriptures.
Christ corrected them.
Not with dreams.
Not with speculation.
Not with tradition.
With Scripture.
Many today are still confused about Christ.
Some think Jesus came to build an earthly political kingdom.
That was not His mission.
His kingdom is not of this world.
He reigns as risen Lord.
Some think Jesus is only a prophet.
He is a prophet, but more than a prophet.
He is the Christ.
He is the Son of God.
He is Lord and Savior.
Some admire Jesus but do not obey Him.
Admiration is not discipleship.
Religious respect is not saving faith.
The Lord must be heard and obeyed.
Christ is found through the Scriptures.
Jesus opened the Scriptures to these men.
That is still what men need.
We do not need less Bible.
We need more understanding of the Bible.
The Scriptures testify of Christ.
His suffering.
His death.
His resurrection.
His kingdom.
His authority.
The honest heart must listen.
Let Scripture correct your expectations.
Let Scripture expose your confusion.
Let Scripture bring you to Christ.
You must decide what road you are on.
The Lord was on the road with two nobodies.
That gives hope.
He cares for the unknown.
He cares for the sorrowful.
But you must not keep walking in ignorance.
Hear the word.
Believe Christ.
Repent of sin.
Confess Him.
Be baptized for the remission of sins.
Walk faithfully with Him.
Is the Lord on the road you are walking?
If not, get on His road.
If you are walking away from truth, turn around.
If your heart has grown cold, let the Scriptures burn within you again.
If you know the risen Christ, go tell others.
Conclusion.
Two disciples walked from Jerusalem to Emmaus with sorrowful hearts.
Jesus came near and walked with them.
They did not recognize Him at first.
He opened the Scriptures and showed them that the Christ had to suffer and enter His glory.
Their eyes were opened.
Their hearts burned.
Their steps changed direction.
Their mouths carried the message: “The Lord has really risen.”
The risen Christ still changes men. He changes sorrow into hope. He changes confusion into understanding. He changes slow steps into urgent obedience. He changes silent hearts into proclaiming mouths.
Is Christ on the road you are walking?
Invitation.
Hear the word.
Romans 10:17 says faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Believe Christ.
John 8:24 warns that unless you believe that Jesus is He, you will die in your sins.
Repent.
Acts 17:30 says God commands all people everywhere to repent.
Confess Christ.
Romans 10:9–10 teaches confession with the mouth and belief in the heart.
Be baptized for the remission of sins.
Acts 2:38 commands repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.
Live faithfully.
Revelation 2:10 calls the Christian to be faithful until death.
Word Study.
| Word | Original | Meaning | Use in Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| Death | θάνατος / thanatos | Death, separation of life from the body. | Names the certainty every person must face. |
| Spirit | πνεῦμα / pneuma | Spirit, breath, inner life. | Shows death involves the spirit’s departure from the body. |
| Fear | φόβος / phobos | Fear, dread, reverence. | Addresses why death troubles mankind. |
| Hope | ἐλπίς / elpis | Hope, confident expectation. | Shows the faithful face death with confidence in Christ. |
| Crown | στέφανος / stephanos | Crown, victor’s wreath. | Points to the reward promised to the faithful. |
| Obedience | ὑπακοή / hypakoē | Submissive hearing, obedience. | Connects hearing God’s word with doing what He commands. |
|---|---|---|---| | Death | θάνατος / thanatos | Death, separation of life from the body. | Names the certainty every person must face. | | Spirit | πνεῦμα / pneuma | Spirit, breath, inner life. | Shows death involves the spirit’s departure from the body. | | Fear | φόβος / phobos | Fear, dread, reverence. | Addresses why death troubles mankind. | | Hope | ἐλπίς / elpis | Hope, confident expectation. | Shows the faithful face death with confidence in Christ. | | Crown | στέφανος / stephanos | Crown, victor’s wreath. | Points to the reward promised to the faithful. | | Obedience | ὑπακοή / hypakoē | Submissive hearing, obedience. | Connects hearing God’s word with doing what He commands. |
Scripture Interlock Table.
| Testament | Reference | Original Context | Connection to Main Text | Doctrinal Use | Sermon / Teaching Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Testament | Genesis 1:1 | God is revealed as Creator. | Establishes God’s authority over man. | Shows that man answers to God. | Useful for grounding the lesson in divine authority. |
| Old Testament | Psalm 119:105 | God’s word guides His people. | Shows Scripture as the rule of faith and conduct. | Supports Bible-based application. | Useful for calling hearers back to the word. |
| Old Testament | Ecclesiastes 12:13–14 | Man’s whole duty is to fear God and keep His commandments. | Connects obedience with final accountability. | Supports the need to obey God. | Useful in conclusion and invitation. |
| New Testament | Matthew 7:21–23 | Jesus warns that not all religious people will enter the kingdom. | Shows the need to do the Father’s will. | Refutes empty profession. | Useful for pressing obedience. |
| New Testament | Romans 10:17 | Faith comes by hearing the word of Christ. | Shows how saving faith begins. | Supports the invitation. | Useful for gospel response. |
| New Testament | Acts 2:38 | Peter commands repentance and baptism for forgiveness of sins. | Shows the apostolic answer to convicted sinners. | Supports baptism for remission of sins. | Useful in invitation. |
| New Testament | Revelation 2:10 | Christians are called to be faithful until death. | Shows the need for endurance. | Supports faithful Christian living. | Useful for closing exhortation. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Old Testament | Genesis 1:1 | God is revealed as Creator. | Establishes God’s authority over man. | Shows that man answers to God. | Useful for grounding the lesson in divine authority. | | Old Testament | Psalm 119:105 | God’s word guides His people. | Shows Scripture as the rule of faith and conduct. | Supports Bible-based application. | Useful for calling hearers back to the word. | | Old Testament | Ecclesiastes 12:13–14 | Man’s whole duty is to fear God and keep His commandments. | Connects obedience with final accountability. | Supports the need to obey God. | Useful in conclusion and invitation. | | New Testament | Matthew 7:21–23 | Jesus warns that not all religious people will enter the kingdom. | Shows the need to do the Father’s will. | Refutes empty profession. | Useful for pressing obedience. | | New Testament | Romans 10:17 | Faith comes by hearing the word of Christ. | Shows how saving faith begins. | Supports the invitation. | Useful for gospel response. | | New Testament | Acts 2:38 | Peter commands repentance and baptism for forgiveness of sins. | Shows the apostolic answer to convicted sinners. | Supports baptism for remission of sins. | Useful in invitation. | | New Testament | Revelation 2:10 | Christians are called to be faithful until death. | Shows the need for endurance. | Supports faithful Christian living. | Useful for closing exhortation. |
Application.
Apply the doctrine personally.
Do not leave the lesson as information only.
Let the word of God examine your heart, conduct, and priorities.
Obedience begins when the hearer stops excusing himself.
Apply the doctrine congregationally.
The church must be shaped by Scripture.
Brethren must encourage one another to remain faithful.
A congregation is strengthened when truth is taught and practiced.
Apply the doctrine evangelistically.
Souls need the gospel.
The lost must be taught plainly and lovingly.
The faithful must not be ashamed of the Lord’s way.
