COMMENTARY ON MARK
LESSON NUMBER 174
Mark 16:12 “After that He appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. 13 And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.” (Mark 16:12; Luke 24:13-32)
THE TWO ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS, #1
INTRODUCTION
The Spirit spends a considerable amount of time on the activities of Jesus and His disciples AFTER He had risen from the dead, and prior to His ascension into heaven (Matt 28:1-20; Mark 16:1-20; Luke 24:1-53; John 20:1-21:25; Acts 1:1-9) – 158 verses. These are a record of Jesus’ last activities in a visible form, and before the eyes of men. It was a period of forty days in duration, during which Jesus engaged in two primary activities. Luke sums them up in these words in the book of Acts: “To whom also He showed Himself alive after His passion [suffering] by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). This is the time covered by the sixteenth chapter of Mark’s gospel. It is a kind of interim period during which the minds of the disciples were refocused with eternity in mind. During this time Jesus stressed how He had fulfilled the words of Moses and the Prophets, which highlighted the obtuseness of the disciples as well as the objective of the God of heaven. During those forty days, the Lord Jesus clarified that the world is the arena in which salvation is being worked out. However, it is not the fundamental place, nor is life on earth the fundamental thing. Therefore Jesus emphasized “the Kingdom of God” rather than the kingdoms of men. That means that Divine activity supercedes human activity, and that heaven is more important than earth. Had this emphasis not been made, the ascension of Jesus would have been most confusing. It is this very perspective – that of heaven being superior to earth – that has been obscured by Babylon the Great. The great falling away of which the Spirit warned could not have occurred without this world being perceived as the primary place, and the present as the fundamental time (2 Thess 2:3; 1 Tim 4:1-3; 2 Tim 3:1-5). With a consistency that is staggering to the intellect, Jesus refuses to dwell upon the present as He spoke with His disciples. He will turn their hearts and minds toward the future, and will equip them to view things from a heavenly point of view, with the purpose of God in mind, i.e. “the Kingdom of God.” Jesus will prepare His disciples to live without his visible appearance – something that will be a completely new experience for them. Since we are to live in the same manner, this is very relevant to us.
JESUS APPEARS IN ANOTHER FORM TO TWO “OF THEM”
“ Mark 16:12 After that He appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.”
AFTER THAT. Other versions read, “and after these things,” ASV “and after that,” NASB “afterward,” NIV “after this,” NRSV and “later.” GWN The point of reference is the appearance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene and her report to “them that had been with Him” (16:9-11). On the surface, this may appear to be incidental, but it is not. Notice that the stress is being placed upon Jesus and what He did. People are included only when their activities relate to Him. This is true of everyone mentioned in the Gospels – both friend and foe. Individuals are mentioned only within the context of Jesus, whether they are coming to Him, or He is going to them. Even religious dignitaries come into the picture only when they have to do with Christ, whether chief priests, scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, or lawyers. Political figures are also noted only when they have to do with Jesus: i.e. Herod and Pilate.
All of this indicates that a Divine agenda is really driving the affairs of this world. That is the precise reason why things in this world obtain importance only to the degree they relate to the Lord. They are altogether right when they are in harmony with His nature and will, and they are altogether wrong when they are averse to such associations.
It is also important to note here that the commentary is on what Jesus is doing, not what men are doing. “After that” does not relate to what Mary did, but to what Jesus did. He is the theme, men are the incidentals.
HE APPEARED IN ANOTHER FORM. Jesus “appeared in another form.” Other versions read, “appeared in different form,” KJV “was manifested in another form,” ASV “under another aspect,” MRD “showed himself under another form,” NJB “in a strange figure,” TYNDALL “He had changed His appearance,” LIVING and “used a different form to appear.” IE
The word “appeared” is a key one. In the Gospels, it is never applied to the manner in which individuals are ordinarily seen. It is used fourteen times in the Gospels. Angels “appeared” (Matt 1:20; 2:13; Lk 1:11; 22:43). The Lord “appeared” to Joseph in a dream (Matt 2:19). The Savior’s star “appeared” (Matt 2:7). Moses and Elijah “appeared” at Jesus’ transfiguration (Matt 17:3; Mk 9:4; Lk 9:8,31). Those who rose from the dead when Jesus died later “appeared “ to many in Jerusalem (Matt 27:53). The resurrected Jesus “appeared” to Mary Magdalene (Mk 16:9). Jesus “appeared” to the eleven as they were eating (Mk 16:14). Jesus “appeared” to Simon following His resurrection (Lk 24:34). Jesus referred to His second coming as the time when He would “appear” (Lk 24:30). The only other use of this word has to do with the interpretation of what men see (Matt 6:16,18; 23:27-28; Lk 11:44; John 7:24).
This confirms that the resurrected Christ could not be seen unless He accommodated Himself to human vision. He was of a different order, meaning that He could not be seen unless He manifested Himself. The word “manifest” in any of its varied forms is used a single time in Genesis through Revelation KJV (Eccl 3:18). The NASB uses it twice, speaking of a future time (Ezek 28:22,25). It is of the same literary gender as “appear.”
The appearance of our text was, in fact, a manifestation, or revelation. Jesus had plainly told His disciples that after His death “the world seeth Me no more” (John 14:19). The only people that would ever see Him again were those to whom He chose to reveal, or manifest, Himself. Even then, He was only recognized when He said or did something.
Here, “another form” does not speak of shape, but of external appearance. He appeared as an ordinary individual, and yet these two could not recognize Him. In other words, they could not see past the outward appearance – and they saw nothing in that appearance that led them to think it was the Jesus with whom they had walked. Luke says of this appearance, “But their eyes were holden that they should not know him” (Luke 24:16). Other versions read, “their eyes were restrained,” NKJV “their eyes were prevented,” NASB “they were kept from recognizing,” NIV and “their eyes were held.” AMPLIFIED Keep in mind that this is said of those to whom Jesus “appeared.” They were kept from recognizing Jesus, even though they could see Him. The King James Versions says they did not have the ability to “know Him.” In other words, they could not correlate the One they saw with the One with whom they had walked and with whom they were intimately acquainted – the One they had heard, and the One whose works they had seen.
This accounts for why some people can read the Scriptures, yet fail to see what is declared in them. Jesus is in every aspect of the Scriptures, for they testify of Him (John 5:39). Yet, some are not capable of perceiving Him. They can, at the very best, see only laws, guidelines, instructions, and various things they call patterns or guidelines. Their eyes are “holden.”
TWO OF THEM. Mark says that Jesus appeared to “two of them . . . that had been with” Jesus, and to whom Mary testified (Mk 16:10-11). These two were there at that time. Luke also says they were “two of them” to whom the women testified, numbering them with “all the rest” who were “with the eleven” (Lk 24:9-11). Luke identifies one of them as “Cleopas” (Lk 24:18).
THEY TALKED TOGETHER OF ALL THESE THINGS
“ Luke 24:13 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.”
Luke provides an extensive record of this appearance, and it is worthy of our consideration. Concerning Christ’s appearance on the day of His resurrection, Matthew gives two verses relating to the appearance of Jesus to the women (Matt 28:9-10). John has nine verses relating to Christ’s appearance to Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-19). John also contains thirteen verses relating to Christ’s appearance to His the eleven and those with them (John 20:19-31). Luke devotes fourteen verses to the same account (Lk 24:36-49). The account of Jesus’ appearance to the two on the road leading to Emmaus contains in twenty verses (Lk 24:13-32).
THAT SAME DAY. The activities being reported took place on the same day Jesus was raised from the dead – the “first day of the week” (Mk 16:9). What a remarkable number of things took place on that day – and they all related to the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no record of what the chief priests and their cohorts were doing on this day. The doings of Pilate and Herod during this time are not known, nor is the state of the city of Jerusalem.
A VILLAGE CALLED EMMAUS. These two, numbered among those who were assembled together “with the eleven” when the Mary Magdalene and the women gave their report, were journeying back to their home, which was in “a village called Emmaus.” This is the only mention of this “village” in the entire Bible – and the only reason it is mentioned is because some of those to whom Jesus appeared lived there.
It is the manner of the Lord to dignify certain places because of people lived there of whom He approves. Thus we read of “the land of Uz” in association with Job (Job 1:1), “the city of Thyatira” being the residence of Lydia (Acts 16:14), Bethsaida, which was “the city of Andrew and Peter” (John 1:44), and “Cana of Galilee,” which was identified with Nathanael (John 21:2). Take, for example, the worldly famous city of Athens. In the Scriptures, it is only mentioned when it relates to the activities of men of God (Acts 17:15,16,22; 18:1; 1 Thess 3:1). Without spending an inordinate amount of time on this point, this gives some indication of what being “the salt of the earth” involves (Matt 5:13). If God ascribes any value to a place in this world, it is only because of its identity with Himself (Canaan – His land), or those who are favored in His sight.
A “village” is a small town, and was generally regarded as a place where laborers in the fields returned for rest. In our time, such places are referred to as “bedroom communities,” away from the activities of a busy city and employment of the masses. This village was located “about three thousand furlongs” from Jerusalem. That is “about seven miles,” NKJV a “furlong” being equal to 606 feet 9 inches. McCLINTOK-STRONG’S Keep in mind what had taken place up this time – particularly after Jesus has risen from the dead. The disciples had gathered together in Jerusalem, and spent some time mourning and weeping (Mk 16:10). Mary had reported to the disciples that the tomb was empty, and she did not know where the body of Jesus had been taken (John 20:1-2). At the report, Peter and John had ran to the tomb to confirm the report that the body was not there (John 20:2-10). Jesus had appeared to Mary, telling her to tell His disciples He was ascending back to the Father (John 20:15-18). Other women also came to the tomb, saw angels, were instructed by them, confronted Jesus who confirmed the message given to them, and had reported to the disciples what they had seen and heard (Matt 28:1-10; Mk 16:1-8).
THEY TALKED TOGETHER. Now, we are well into the day – the first day of the week – and these two men are on a seven-mile walk back to their home. There is no mention of them being fatigued or worn out with all of the stress, sorrow, and activities that had taken place during the last three days. Indeed, they had been busy days for them all. Not only that, the greatest grief of their entire lives was now being experienced. These individuals were under the cloud of sorrow, and not even a small cloud of hope
was in their sky.
One might imagine that such men would engage in some distracting activity to get away from the grief of that time. After all, their hopes had been dashed upon the rocks of futility, and the One to whom they had given themselves was no longer with them.
Notwithstanding this rather human assessment, there is something else to be seen here. They “talked together of all these
things which had happened.” They had been associated with Him who is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6), and they could not easily forget it. That is the nature of the Lord’s Christ – to deliver an impact upon the hearts and minds of men that they cannot easily dismiss, No person can come in contact with “God manifest in the flesh” and treat that confrontation as something ordinary. There are holy influences brought to bear upon the souls of those who are confronted with Jesus. To dismiss them, one must quench the Spirit, and violently thrust holy inclinations from themselves. These people did not do this. Even though it appeared hopeless, they “were talking with each other about everything that had happened.” NIV We will now see how the Lord responds those who are engaged in such a conversation.
JESUS DREW NEAR AND WENT WITH THEM
“ Luke 24:15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus Himself drew near, and went with them. 16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know im. 17 And He said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?”
IT CAME TO PASS. Other versions read, “so it was,” NKJV and “it came about.” NASB This is a significant expression in Scripture – “it came to pass.” Those four words are translated from a single Greek word (evge,neto). The word means “to come into being, begin to be . . . happen.” THAYER This is speaking of an effect that can be traced back to a cause. It is not speaking of happenstance, or something that takes place randomly, or incidently, or unintentionally. The phrase itself (“it came to pass”) is mentioned four hundred and fifty-three times in Scripture. It is a way of speaking of the Lord being the Governor, and causing certain things to take place, even though, from an earthly perspective, it does not appear likely, or even possible.
WHILE THEY COMMUNED. The preceding verse said they “talked together,” giving us the subject about which they were walking “all these things which had happened.” Now, the nature of their talking is unveiled. It is said that they “communed” and “reasoned.” Other versions read, “conversed and reasoned,” NKJV “conversing and discussing,” NASB “walked and discussed,” NIV and “communed and questioned.” ASV The word “communed” means discuss together, emphasizing that both were involved in the communication. The word “reasoned” means to examine, question, and even to dispute. It is an effort to see the logic of a thing, or how “the things that had happened” related to one another, and to what they had known about Jesus. The thing that makes something reasonable is when all seeming contradictions have been resolved, and the conclusion does not conflict with any other known reality. This is what legitimate debate is all about – arriving at a conclusion that does not require the repudiation of any established verity.
In this case, you might say they were trying to put everything together. How did the death of Jesus fit in with what they had perceived Him to be, and with what they understood Him to have declared. In other words, they wanted to understand, but were unable to do so. However, they were not willing to throw away all of that time they had spent with Jesus, or to forget what they had seen Him do and heard Him say.
It ought to be noted that there are countless numbers of professing Christians who have never had such a discussion. They have never really probed the things to which they have been subjected, or examined them with care and interest. In fact, the structure of the nominal church does not encourage such an approach to truth. It rather presents positions and approaches that are said to have been proven true. That is sufficient reason to accept them, whether they have been substantiated to the heart or not. However, this is not the manner of the Lord of glory. When, for example, the apostle Paul was faced with some kind of contradiction, he went about to cast down what was false and establish what was true. He confirmed the soundness of truth and the corruption of the lie. This is how he showed the wrongness of fornication (1 Cor 6:12-20). It is how he unveiled the absurdity of being justified by the works of the Law (Rom 4:1-25). It is also how he established the blighting effects of human philosophy (Col 2:9-23). A truly unreasonable religion cannot possibly be a true one. All truth is integrated and harmonious with a common objective.
JESUS DREW NEAR. Confirming that what “came to pass” had to do with Divine initiatives and not lifeless principles, “Jesus Himself drew near, and went with them,” or “walked along with them.” NIV He did not do this because He had to, but because the subject being discussed was one in which He could engage. He was further attracted to people who talked about such things, just as surely as God was to those who “feared the Lord” and “spake often to one another” because of it (Mal 3:16-17). One of the monumental hindrances in an assembly that does not speak of the things of Christ is that He does not join the people. He affirmed that He can only be found where people have gathered together in His name (Matt 18:20).
Appearing in “another form” with which the two were not acquainted, they were not aware of who it was that had joined them. Their eyes were “holden,” “restrained,” NKJV “prevented,” NASB or “kept from” NIV seeing or recognizing Him. This was the work of God, who will not allow men to see His Son correctly until they have believed the truth about Him! Those who insist on maintaining incorrect views of Jesus are still not allowed to see Him in truth. That view is promoted exclusively by the Gospel, which is “record God has given of His Son” (1 John 5:10-11). Until that specific view is declared, espoused, and discussed, Jesus will remain incognito, and in such a circumstance, spiritual advantages are not likely to occur.
WHAT MANNER OF COMMUNICATIONS ARE THESE? Being fully aware of what they are discussing, Jesus presses the issue. He specifically wants to know what kind of discussion had promoted sadness in them as they walk and talk. What kind of reasoning has produced such an burden? Let us learn from this question to trace our reactions back to their cause, whether they are comely or uncomely. Also, clarity is often realized by reasoning with Jesus Himself.