When God Showed Up on the Road to Emmaus

When God Showed Up on the Road to Emmaus

Scripture: Luke 24:13–35

Cleopas was walking away from Jerusalem.

That detail matters.

The city that once held promise now held disappointment. The cross had crushed their hopes and confusion had replaced faith. As Cleopas and his companion walked to Emmaus, they pondered this question: How did we get it so wrong?

Then Jesus showed up.

Not in glory or power but as a stranger on the road, walking at their pace, listening to their grief. They did not recognize Him.

He asked them what they were discussing. They were stunned. Are You the only one who doesn’t know what happened? The irony is almost overwhelming. They began explaining the crucifixion to the risen Christ.

And then Jesus did something extraordinary.

Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. Every promise. Every shadow. Every sacrifice. Everything. All of it pointed to Him.

I once heard a preacher say that if he could travel back in time and witness any moment in human history, he would choose this one. Not the parting of the Red Sea—not even the birth of Jesus or the empty tomb—but the walk to Emmaus. Why? To hear Jesus explain how all of Scripture had always been about Him.

Something changed. Their hearts were burning, though their eyes were still blind. It was only when Jesus broke the bread that they recognized Him—and in that instant, He vanished.

They finally understood.

Jesus revealed something profound about Himself: He is the fulfillment of Scripture. The Bible is not ultimately a collection of moral lessons or great stories—it is a single, unfolding story of redemption, and Jesus stands at its center.

I use to think that the purpose of the Bible was to teach us about God. That’s not it. The purpose of Scripture is to tell the story of redemption from God‘s point of view. That makes sense, doesn’t it?

When Jesus speaks, Scripture comes alive because He is the Living Word. It’s all about Jesus and the cross.

Jesus still walks with discouraged hearts, still opens the Scriptures and still reveals Himself to those who walk with Him long enough to listen.