Luke

24:13-35

The culmination of Messiah's mission, 19:45-24:53

3. The Glorification of the Messiah, 23:26-24:53

v] The Emmaus appearance - a message

In this passage, "The Road to Emmaus", Jesus explains to two of his disciples that his death was a necessary and ordained means for the Messiah to enter his glory. Therefore, in his death Israel was redeemed and the long awaited kingdom of God realized. The kingdom was not the type of political entity that the disciples had expected, but none-the-less, it had indeed dawned; the new age had begun. So, Jesus' message to the two disciples on the Emmaus road is that "Messiah did redeem Israel and will restore the kingdom to Israel. But it is not the Israel of nationalist definition. And his redemption is not the political victory of current messianic expectation", Ellis.

Luke makes an interesting point in v27. He notes that Jesus explained the meaning of the cross from all the Scriptures - "beginning with Moses", ie., starting at the books of the Law. We know that the writing prophets were very strong on the notion of a Suffering Servant - a suffering Messiah. Therefore, it is not hard to find textual support for the idea that Messiah must suffer first before ushering in the eternal kingdom. But what about the books of the Law, the first five books of the Old Testament?

In the books of the Law there are no direct references to a coming King, an anointed one of God, who will achieve glory through suffering and humiliation. Yet, we are introduced to a broad sweep of Biblical theology. Glory, salvation and the kingdom, come through trial and suffering. The first picture of this salvation history is revealed in the story of Noah. In the face of the rejection of his own people, he stands against all odds and constructs an ark in which he and his family are saved through the surging waters of the deep. Suffering and trial leads to glory.

The most representative picture of salvation history emerges in the life of the people of Israel. Here, the events leading up to the establishment of the historic kingdom of God depict clearly the suffering, humiliation and trial of the descendents of Abraham in their slavery in Egypt and their struggle through the wilderness. The kingdom could only come by leaving Egypt and striking out into the wilderness, there to face the trials and tribulation of the journey to the promised land. This humiliated, suffering people of God, imaged the one who similarly would face a great trial, the trial of the cross. Unlike Israel of old, the messianic son of God would stand the test without cursing God, without doubting or wavering. His suffering would bring the fruit of glory beyond measure.

So, Jesus had a rich source in "all the scriptures" which enabled him to instruct the disciples that "it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer many things and to enter into his glory."

On the morning of the resurrection Jesus joins two disciples walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus, v13-18.

en auth/ th/ hJmera "that same day" - on the same day. "That same day" is th .. mia twn sabbatwn "the first day of the week". Luke is describing the day as the day following the sabbath, or the eighth day, rather than the first day of the week. It is the day which ushers in a new creation because it is the day during which Jesus rose from the dead. Luke touches on this imagery in 9:28. It was an imagery developed by the Fathers, eg. Justin.

ex (ek) + gen. "[two] of [them]" - out of from. Semitic use, functioning as a partitive genitive, cf. Zerwick #80. As well as setting this event on the day of Jesus resurrection, Luke has two of Jesus' disciples making the journey, men who had doubted the report of the women and who are struggling to understand the significance of the cross and empty tomb.

hsan poreuomenoi "were going" - were travelling. The imperfect of the verb to-be with a present participle serves to form a periphrastic imperfect construction which probably serves to emphasize the ongoing nature of the action (durative aspect).

h|/ onoma "called" - which name. "On their way to a village called Emmaus", Barclay.

EmmaouV "Emmaus" - This is the only mention of this village by Luke. Its identity is disputed, but the important issue is its proximity to Jerusalem.

apecousan (apecw) pres. part. "about" - being distant, far off [sixty stadia from Jerusalem]. The participle is adjectival, limiting "village", "a village [named Emmaus] which is about seven miles from Jerusalem."

wJmiloun (oJmilew) imperf. "[they] were talking" - were speaking. The imperfect is typically used for speech since it is an ongoing action (durative).

peri + gen. "about" - about, concerning. "They were in deep conversation, going over all the things that had happened", Peterson.

twn sumbebhkotwn (sumbainw) perf. part. "[everything] that had happened" - [all the thing] happening. The participle is adjectival, "all the things which had happened." "That had occurred", Cassirer.

egeneto ...... kai "-" - Expresses "it came to pass / it happened ........ that [Jesus himself].

en tw/ oJmilein (oJmilew) pres. inf. "as they talked [and discussed]" - This preposition with the articular infinitive forms a temporal clause, as NIV.

suzhtein (suzhtew) pres. inf. "discussed" - argued, debated. Indicating that the discussion is agitated, although probably not heated.

autoV "[Jesus] himself" - The pronoun here is emphatic so reflective.

eggisaV (engizw) aor. part. "came up" - [was travelling with them] having come near. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the main verb "was travelling". Describing Jesus also coming from Jerusalem and overtaking the disciples to join with them, so not "approached and walked with them", Phillips, but "overtook them and began to walk with them", Junkins.

de "but" - but, and. Here adversative, as NIV.

ekratounto (kratew) Imperf. pas. "they were kept from" - [their eyes] were held back, hindered in action, restrained, grasped, secured forcibly. Probably a divine passive such that the disciples were restrained by divine power from recognizing Jesus. Yet, it is also possible that the language of sight is used to align with faith such that it is their own doubts and fears that have blinded them to the obvious, making the passive an unreflective statement of fact. The use of this word by Luke is probably intentional given that it is necessary to explain why two disciples, who have travelled with Jesus up to the present, are unable to recognize him. The word probably denotes "a mysterious supernatural action of God (here of the risen Lord himself)", Evans. "Something was restraining their vision", Cassirer.

tou mh epignwnai (epiginwskw) aor. inf. "recognizing" - not to recognize. The negated articular infinitive here may form a final clause expressing purpose, "in order that they may not recognize him", or a consecutive clause expressing result, "with the result that they were not able to recognize him." "They did not recognize who he was", CEV.

antiballete (antiballw) pres. "you are discussing" - you are discussing, debating. Although probably not heated, a conflict of opinions is implied in the word, so "debating".

peripatounteV (peripatew) pres. part. "as you walk along" - [what words these which you are debating with one another] walking along? The participle is adverbial, temporal, "while walking along."

skuqrwpoi adj. "their faces downcast" - [they stood still / stopped] gloomy, downcast / sullen. Given the sharp response in v18, "gloomy" is probably not intended, possibly "angry", but better, "sullen". "So they stopped, with a sullen look on their faces", Cassirer.

onomati (a atoV) dat. "named" - [one] named, called [Cleopas]. Dative of respect / reference.

KleopaV "Cleopas" - The Semitic name is usually Clopas, with the Greek version being Cleopatros. Tradition has it that he was Jesus' uncle, ie. brother of Joseph and that his son Symeon took over the leadership of the Jerusalem church after the death of Jesus' brother James. Eusebius is the source of this tradition, a tradition he draws from the Memoirs of Hegesippus.

apokriqeiV (apokrinomai) aor. pas. part. "asked" - having answered [said]. Attendant circumstance participle, redundant.

paroikeiV (paroikew) pres. "are you [only] a visitor" - [you alone] living as a stranger / visitor [Jerusalem]. The sense of the question rests on the meaning of this word. Most opt for "visitor", so NIV, but the question could be sarcastic with the word meaning "stranger", "are you such a stranger that .....?"; "are you a man who lives in Jerusalem so much apart from others that you have heard nothing of the things which have been happening there during the last few days?", Cassirer.

kai "and" - and. Probably functioning as a coordinate, but possibly functioning as a relative pronoun, so "who does not know", Zerwick #455e.

ta genomena (ginomai) aor. part. "[do not know] the things that have happened" - [do not know] the things having happened [in her]. The participle functions as a substantive; "the things which have happened."

en taiV hJmeraiV tautaiV "in these days" - The sense is "recently", TH.

Luke now relates the gospel in an interchange between Jesus and the two disciples. The two disciples relate the events up to the resurrection and Jesus then takes over to explain their significance in relation to the empty tomb, v19-27. The discussion focuses on "the apparent incongruity between his (Jesus) prophetic ministry and his death at the hand of the Jerusalem leadership, and to the puzzle of the empty tomb", Green.

poia "what things" - what kind of things.

ta peri "about [Jesus of Nazareth]" - the things concerning. A technical term = "the history of / the record of past events about", Evans. The phrase "about Jesus of Nazareth" is limited by the following adjectival clause, }oV ..... "who [was a prophet .....]".

Nazarhnou (oV) "Nazareth" - Serving to identify a person by their home town. Useful here for a "stranger / visitor".

egeneto (ginomai) aor. mid. "[he] was" - [who] became. The sense of "became" is "showed / proved himself to be", Plummer.

anhr profhthV "a prophet" - a man a prophet = a prophet man = a prophet. As indicated below, the two disciples properly understand that Jesus is the long promised messianic prophet, like unto Moses, who will serve as Israel's liberator; Jesus is the messiah who will achieve Israel's redemption. So, Luke is not critical of their understanding of Jesus as a prophet. Their problem lies in failing to understand that it was necessary for the messiah to suffer and die and in failing to take Jesus' promise seriously that he wold rise to life on the third day.

dunatoV en ergw/ kai logw/ "powerful in word and deed" - The phrase stands in apposition to the phrase "a man a prophet" and serves to define it. Possibly descriptive of "a prophet like" Moses, Deut.18:15, whose powerful ministry was also acknowledged by / "before God and all the people", Deut.34:10-12, cf. Acts 3:22, 7:22.

enantion + gen. "before" - The sense "in the presence of" is making the point that Jesus' standing as a powerful prophet was recognized / acknowledged by God and all the people.

o{pwV "-" - in order that, so that. Obviously here taking the sense "how / in what manner", where this conjunction is used for pwV, "how", in an indirect question, cf. BDF#300.1, although a rather awkward change from the ta peri, "the things concerning / about [Jesus of Nazareth ....]", v19.

te "-" - both [the chief priests and our authorities]. Note that there is no mention of the Roman authorities. Luke lays the crime squarely on the head of the Jewish authorities.

paredwkan (paradidwmi) aor. "handed [him] over" - delivered over. "Handed him over for execution", Phillips.

eiV krima qanatou "to be sentenced to death" - to a judgment of death. "To be condemned to death", Barclay.

de "but" - but, and. Here adversative. The disciples are not like those who acted to murder Jesus.

hJmeiV "we" - Emphatic.

hlpizomen (elpizw) imperf. "had hoped" - were hoping. Durative imperfect; the disciples hoped over a period of time.

oJti "that" - that. Introducing a dependent statement of hoping/wishing/desiring, expressing what was hoped.

oJ mellwn (mellw) pres. part. "the one who was going" - the one being about. The participle functions as a substantive, as NIV.

lutrousqai (lutrow) pres. inf. "to redeem [Israel]" - The infinitive is complementary, completing the verbal sense of the participle "being about". Jesus has indeed redeemed religious Israel, the Israel of faith, but he has not redeemed national Israel, the state of Israel as it exists subject to Rome. It is national redemption which is on the disciples' mind.

alla ge kai "and what" - but/whereas also indeed. "Not only has all this happened in Jerusalem over the last week, but also ......"

sun pasin toutoiV "is more" - in addition to / with / besides all these things. "Moreover", Rogers.

agei (agw) pres. "it is" - he is driving, leading, bringing. When expressing a temporal sense, as here, "spending [time]". The subject is possibly Jesus, "[Jesus] is spending [this third day from/since which / the time when these things happened." The sense being that Jesus, as messiah, is spending, this third day, in a tomb, since this happened; "he (Jesus) is spending the third day since ....", Bauer. On the other hand, the subject may be impersonal, "one is keeping the third day = we are at the third day", Plummer, or better, "this day is the third since these things happened", Nolland, "it is three days since this happened", Fitzmyer.

alla kai "in addition" - but also. Serving to express a strong contrast; "moreover", "what is more", Zerwick.

ex (ek) + gen. "of" - from [us]. Here functioning as a partitive genitive, as NIV (Semitic form). ex in omitted in codex D.

exesthsan (existhmi) aor. "amazed [us]" - amazed, disturbed. When "amazed", the word carries a touch of awe, tending to be a pre-faith response. Here though "disturbed" may be the sense as the disciples have substantiated that the tomb is empty, as reported by the women, a disturbing event in itself, but there is also the unsubstantiated report from the women of an angelic vision and an announcement that Jesus is alive.

genomenai (ginomai) "they went" - having been [early at the tomb]. The participle is adverbial, probably forming a temporal clause; "some women of our circle amazed us when, after they went to the tomb early [in the morning], they were unable to find his body."

epi + acc. "to" - to [the tomb early]. Expressing motion toward.

orqrinai adj. "early this morning" - early. The adjective functions adverbially, "having been early"; "they went to the tomb early in the morning."

kai "but" - and. A touch adversative.

mh euJrousai (euJriskw) aor. part. "didn't find [his body]" - not having found [the body of him]. The participle is adverbial, probably forming a temporal clause; "some women of our circle amazed us when, after they went to the tomb early in the morning, they were unable to find his body."

legousai (legw) pres. part. "and told us" - saying. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "they came"; "they came and said."

eJwrakenai (oJraw) perf. inf. "that they had seen" - to have seen. The infinitive serves to form a dependent statement of stating expressing what they "said"; "we have also (kai) seen a vision of angels." Rather than "two men in dazzling cloths", v4, Luke now tells us that what the women saw was "a vision of angels". This is often used to prove a different source for the tradition. The words of the angels/men is also different, although both accounts make the same point.

zhn (zaw) pres. inf. "[he] was alive" - [he] to live. The infinitive again forms a dependent statement of stating expressing what the angels said, namely "he lives". Present tense is durative.

tineV "some" - In v12 it is only Peter who goes to the tomb to confirm the account given by the women, but obviously Luke is aware of the Johannine tradition of both Peter and John visiting the tomb on the Sunday morning.

twn sun hJmin "of our companions" - some of those with us.

auton "him [they did not see]" - The pronoun takes an emphatic position in the Gk. "No one saw him."

The stranger / Jesus / the risen Lord now recites the gospel, v25-27. For Luke, "the risen Lord himself is the authoritative source of the apostolic message to be given in Acts, v26, and of the message as the content of scripture, v27", Evans.

w\ "how [foolish]" - Oh, alas. Vocative for a strong emotional expression.

anohtoi adj. "foolish" - Adjective as a substantive. A strong word, even rude; "stupid", Evans, although Green suggests that "moronic" is too strong and that the sense "obtuse" is better.

bradeiV adj. "slow" - slow, dilatory. Forming a substantival phrase with "of heart".

th/ kardia (a) dat. "of heart" - of the heart. Dative of respect, "with respect to the heart." The "heart" is used to express the seat of reason, so "dull-witted", Cassirer.

tou pisteuein (pisteuw) pres. inf. "to believe" - The infinitive is epexegetic, such that "to believe all that the prophets have spoken" explains the substantives "foolish" and "slow of heart". "How stupid and slow you are to believe ...."

epi + dat. "-" - in/on [all]. "Believe" followed by this preposition usually refers to a person, so faith in an object, eg. faith in the person of Jesus Christ. Here it is faith in what the prophets have spoken, so it is more a resting upon / on their words, cf. BAGD 287. As far as the disciples are concerned, Luke is making the point that "things would have been different if their starting point had been a thoroughgoing belief in the evidence of scripture", Nolland.

oi|V pro. dat. "that [the prophets have spoken]" - which [the prophets said]. Dative due to the attraction of its antecedent "all".

Here Luke gives us a summary of the apostolic gospel. Luke develops this doctrinal statement more fully in the book of Acts.

ouci "[did] not" - This negation is used in a question expecting a positive answer. The question is directed to two Jews who are bound to affirm the obvious, namely that the prophets have clearly stated that it was necessary for the Christ / messiah to suffer and to enter into glory.

edei "did [not the Christ] have to" - it was necessary. Under the sovereign will of God, as revealed in the scriptures, there exists a divine imperative for the Christ to suffer, die, rise and enter into his glory for the redemption of remnant Israel and her associate Gentiles.

paqein (pascw) aor. inf. "to suffer" - The aorist is perfective, expressing a completed action. The infinitive functions as a substantive, subject of the sentence. "the Christ", acc., functions as the subject of the infinitive forming an accusative infinitive construction; "the Christ to suffer these things [and to enter into his glory] was necessary."

eiselqein (eisercomai) aor. inf. "then enter" - to enter. As above.

thn doxan "[his] glory" - the glory. The divine imperative applies to Christ's entry into glory as it does to Christ's suffering, for only in his death and life can we pass through death to life eternal.

See introductory notes above.

arxomenoV (arcw) aor. part. "beginning" - having begun. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "he explained." Understood: "beginning with Moses and proceeding to all the prophets", TH.

diermhneusen (diermhneuw) aor. "he explained" - "He expounded", TH.

ta peri eautou "what was said [in all the scriptures] concerning himself" - the things concerning himself. "All the references in the scriptures to himself", Barclay.

Luke continues to relate the events surrounding the journey to Emmaus. Jesus intends to go further, but the disciples beg him to stay with them for the night, presumably at the home of one of them, v28-29.

prosepoihsato (prospoiew) "Jesus acted as if" - [he] acted as though. The subject is obviously Jesus. Sometimes translated as if "Jesus appeared to be going further", or the more blunt "he pretended to go (travel) further.". The aversion to "pretend" stems from the implied deception. Jesus' action serves "to bring to light an urgent but unconscious need of the disciples", Evans, but then does this mean that the ends justify the means? Marshall and Bock argue that "pretend" is too strong since the word means "to act as if something is going to happen." Fitzmyer suggests that it is simply "a literary foil" on the part of Luke, a means of increasing "suspense", Green, such that Jesus actually had every intention of going further, Plummer, but was "constrained" to stay with the two disciples.

poreuesqai (poreuomai) pres. inf. "he were going [farther]" - to go [farther]. The infinitive functions as the direct object of the verb "pretend"; "Jesus gave the impression that he was going further."

parebiasanto (parabiazomai) aor. "they urged [him] strongly" - they persuaded, pressed. The word leans toward the meaning "pressed", so more in line with "constrained", AV.

legonteV (legw) pres. part. "-" - saying. Attendant circumstance participle, redundant.

meinon (menw) aor. imp. "stay [with us]" - abide. "Abide" in the sense of "stay overnight as a guest", TH.

oJti "for" - that. Here causal, "because".

proV esperan estin "it is nearly evening" - it is toward evening. A common phrase for late afternoon.

kekliken hdh hJ hJmera "the day is almost over" - the day has tipped over already. Serving to reinforce the argument that Jesus should stay with his fellow travellers.

tou meinai (menw) aor. inf. "to stay [with them]" - to remain, abide. The genitive articular infinitive usually serves to form a purpose clause, "he entered [the home] in order to say with them."

Luke now records "how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread" (v35), v30-32. The head of a home would normally say the grace over the meal, but here Jesus takes the lead. This may imply that they are staying at an inn, but not necessarily so. In acting as the host, breaking the bread, and saying the words, Jesus is recognized by the disciples. Luke would have us see this recognition as miraculous, a divine initiative, supported by a miraculous disappearance. It has been argued that the oral tradition here has at least been influenced by eucharistic practice in the early church, cf. Jeremias, Eucharistic Words. It is widely accepted that "Luke wants to make the point that the Christians of his day were able to have the living Lord made know to them in the eucharist celebration in a manner that was at least analogous to the experience of the Emmaus disciples", Nolland. It is certainly possibly that Luke is describing this event in "a liturgical way", Bock, and it is more than likely that he is alluding to the feeding of the five thousand and the last supper, but that he is making the point that the Lord is present and known in the Lord's Supper is surely going too far. "The breaking of bread' more likely refers to the common fellowship meal / love feast of the Christian community rather than the more particular Christian Passover Meal / ritual eating and drinking / Lord's Supper. That these two activities were separated early within the history of the New Testament church seems likely from the evidence in Acts. If Luke is crafting a spiritual paradigm here it is surely that Christ is realized in our midst / made real to us in the love of the brotherhood. "Luke affirms that the resurrection of Jesus is to be understood in terms of the fellowship he extends to the Christian community", Danker. This, along with the study of the scriptures, realizes the risen Christ in the midst of his people.

kai egeneto "-" - and it happened. Serving to introduce a narrative.

en tw/ katakliqhnai (kataklinw) aor. inf. "when [he] was at the table" - to reline at table. This preposition with the articular infinitive usually forms a temporal clause, as NIV.

labwn (lambanw) aor. part. "he took [the bread]" - having taken. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "he blessed".

klasaV (klaw) aor. part. "he broke [it]" - having broken. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "he began to give" (inceptive imperfect where the focus is on the beginning of the action).

dihnoicqhsan (dianoigw) aor. pas. "[their eyes] were opened" - An example of a theological passive, ie. God does the opening. This classification remains dubious, so the disciple's recognition may be prompted by Jesus' behavior, or by divine intervention.

afantoV adj. "[he] disappeared]" - [he became (someone)] disappearing, invisible. The are a number of post resurrection appearances, but this is the only time Jesus disappears, becomes invisible, and this without a word. "With the revelation that Jesus lives, his visible presence is no longer necessary", Bock. In fact, given that Jesus is now entering into his glory, his visible presence is no longer possible; "this is Luke's contribution to the problem of the resurrection", Danker.

ap autwn "from their sight" - from them. Fitzmyer notes the unusual grammar here is best explained by the fact that this phrase often follows the verb afanizein, "to be made to disappear [from them / their sight]."

ouci "[were] not" - This negation is used in a question expecting a positive answer.

kaiomenh h\n "were [not our hearts] burning" - burning were. The present participle with the imperfect of the verb to-be forms a paraphrastic imperfect construction, probably emphasizing durative aspect. "Heart" obviously means "mind", unless the Semitic understanding of "heart" is not present. A "burning mind" is rather awkward. Possibly "weren't we agitated / excited while he talked to us ..."

wJV "while" - Introducing a temporal clause which is paralleled with a second for emphasis; "while he talked to us on the road [and] while he opened the scriptures to us."

The two disciples return to Jerusalem to report their meeting with Jesus to the apostles.

anastanteV (anisthmi) aor. part. "they got up [and returned]" - having got up, arisen. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "they returned", as NIV.

auth/ th/ wJra/ "at once" - this hour. "And there and then they started out", Barclay.

hqroismenouV (aqroizw) perf. pas. part. "assembled together" - having been gathered together. The participle is adjectival, limiting "the eleven" / the apostles; "they found the eleven [who were] gathered there with their companions", Cassirer.

legontaV (legw) acc. "and saying" - saying. The participle is probably adjectival, further limiting / describing "the gathered eleven and others", v34. "Who told them that the Lord had really risen", Moffatt. Variant nominative would have the two disciples declaring that the Lord is risen, although how did they know about Peter?

oJti "-" - that. Introducing a dependent statement of stating, expressing what the eleven told the two disciples. NIV opts for direct speech.

ontwV "it is true!" - indeed. "For certain", Evans.

hgerqh (egairw) aor. pas. "has risen" - was raised. Expressed in the terms of a recounted gospel tradition (the kerygma) rather than a more grammatically correct expression of the words used at the time of speaking. Luke's language is similar to first Corinthians 15:3-5a.

Simwni "[and has appeared] to Simon" - [and there was seen] to Simon. Why "Simon" rather than "Peter"? It is interesting that only here among the synoptic gospels is an appearance to Peter mentioned? Clearly Paul is aware of such a tradition, as recorded in first Corinthians 15, so Luke, as a colleague of Paul's, at least has this source. Again, another formula-like phrase; "a stereotyped formula for appearances", Fitzmyer.

exhgounto (exhgeomai) imperf. "[they] told" - [they] were explaining. The imperfect is used due to the durative nature of speech.

ta en th/ oJdw/ "what had happened on the way" - the things on the way. "They told their story of what had happened on the road", NJB.

wJV "how" - This conjunction takes numerous meanings, here probably expressing "how / in what manner" Jesus was made known to them.

en th/ klasei tou artou "when he broke the bread" - in the breaking of bread. As noted above, the phrase may allude to the Lord's Supper, but more likely to fellowship meals.

Luke Introduction

lectionarystudies.com