COMMENTARY ON MARK
LESSON NUMBER 178
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.”
Luke 24:30 And it came to pass, as He sat at meat with them, He took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him; and He vanished out of their sight. 32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the scriptures?” (Mark 16:12; Luke 24:30-32)
THE TWO ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS, #5
INTRODUCTION
Commencing with Jesus joining these two on the road (24:17), until the conclusion of this portion of the text (24:32), Jesus is referred to twenty-four times. Three times we read that “He said.” Jesus is referred to as “a prophet,” and one who was “mighty in deed and word.” Cleopas said they trusted He was the “One which should have redeemed Israel.” There is reference to Him being “delivered,” “condemned to death,” and “crucified.” There is mention of His “sepulcher” and His “body,” and to Him being reported as “alive.” Jesus referred to His suffering and His “glory.” There is mention of all of the Scriptures “concerning Himself.” It is written that He “made as though He would go further,” that “He went in to tarry with them,” “sat at meat with them, “took bread,” “blessed” the bread, “gave it to them,” then “vanished from their sight.” The two “knew Him,” and referred to the time He “walked with us,” and “opened to us the Scriptures.” Tell me, who is the subject of this text? Is it Cleopas? The women? The Jews? Is this simply a narrative of the experience of two travelers? The answer is apparent – Jesus Christ is One who brings relevance and clarity to this text. This is a sterling example of what Jesus meant when He said to His critics, “Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me” (John 5:39). Actually all of Scripture is like this. There are others mentioned – like Cleopas, his companion, the chief priests and rulers, the women, Peter and John, and the company of disciples – but Jesus Christ is the Theme, the Subject, the Person of consequence in this text!
AS HE SAT WITH THEM
“ Luke 24:30 And it came to pass, as He sat at meat with them, He took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.”
Having arrived at their destination, Jesus, at the request of the two on the road to Emmaus, has “went in to tarry with them.” The word “tarry” means “to remain, abide,” and to “continue to be present.” THAYER In this case, it does not mean that Jesus moved in with them, so to speak, for He had already told Mary to tell His disciples He was going to ascend to His Father. The intent here is that Jesus purposed to remain until He had finished what He set out to do while with them. Actually, this is always the intention of Jesus. He does not simply abide with us, like living in the house. He has come to “give us an understanding,” (1 John 5:20), and to “perform” the work He has begun “until the day of Christ” (Phil 1:6). Technically speaking, just as in this text, Jesus identifies with us in order to ensure that we are properly prepared for His return, the day of judgment, and to dwell with Him forever. While there is some truth to the idea that Jesus is with us to assist and care for us in this world, that is really a subordinate objective. This will be clarified in this text, as the very same evening during which He went in to remain with them, was the evening in which He disappeared from their sight. This confirms that the seen realm is not the primary one.
IT CAME TO PASS AS. Here, the emphasis is on the word “as.” Other versions read “when.” NIV Grammatically, “as” is primary preposition denoting a fixed position in place, time, or state. In a way, this is rather simplistic, and yet it conveys a very essential view of the working of the Lord. Here it means that what follows took place while He was remaining with them. The opportunity to learn and to perceive occurred while they were conscious of His presence – while they were involved with Him, and in fellowship with Him.
HE SAT AT MEAT WITH THEM. Not only was Jesus in their presence, they were eating together – “he sat at the table with them.” NKJV Jesus also “sat at meat” at the house of Matthew, who prepared a great feast for Him (Matt 9:10). He did the same at the house of “Simon the leper,” at which time a woman with an alabaster box of ointment poured it upon His head (Mk 14:3). After His time with Cleopas and his friend, Jesus will also “sit at meat” with the eleven (Mk 16:14). You may remember that the institution of the Lord’s table took place while Jesus was with His disciples, and “as they were eating” (Matt 26:26). The early church also “ate their meat with gladness and singleness of heart” (Acts 2:46). The thing to be seen is that time spent with Jesus is time well spent.
HE TOOK, BLESSED, AND BRAKE BREAD. Although Jesus was in their home, and eating their food, HE “took bread and blessed it.” When Jesus fed the multitudes with five loaves and two fishes, He also “took the loaves” and gave “thanks” (John 6:11). When He fed the four thousand. He also “took the seven loaves, and gave thanks.” He also “blessed” the “few small fishes” that were also served to the multitude (Mk 8:6-7). With Jesus, this was not a mere formality. It was rather the recognition of the true Source of food. Isaiah reminded men that God not only gives “seed to the sower,” but also gives “bread to the eater” (Isa 55:10).
HE GAVE TO THEM. One might have thought Cleopas or his partner would have given Jesus the bread. Instead, He gave it to them. This is also what He did with the disciples on the night of His betrayal, when He instituted the Lord’s Supper. He “took bread,” “gave thanks,” and “gave to them” (Mk 14:22). There is more here than the mere eating of a meal. By eating with them, Jesus was confirming that His presence was real. They were experiencing a very real communion with Jesus.
In this regard, we must view the Lord’s Table in the same manner. This is not an empty routine, although many have so considered it. Solemnly, Paul tells the church, “ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s Table, and of the table of devils” (demons) (1 Cor 10:21). It is not that a person ought not do this. It is impossible to do it. We can really only sit at one table, and every person makes a choice which one it will be. By sitting at the table, we also partake of the spirit and ways of the one who is managing it – whether demons or Jesus.
A VITAL LESSON TO LEARN. There is something vital to learn in this text. It is that while we are with Jesus, we do well to eat with Him, and have Him serve the bread that comes down from heaven. This is not a time to be distracted by other things, as was Martha when Jesus was at her house (Lk 10:41-42). Many a soul has drifted into dangerous places simply because they did not take advantage of the presence of the Lord. When Jesus was present, teaching and feeding, they were occupied with other things, giving no heed to Him. Their minds were not set on things above, but were rather mired down in the affairs of this life. It could have taken the form of anything from lusts to undue care – but they did not capitalize on the moment. This kind of thing is heightened when people profess to gather in the name of Jesus, but spend their time teaching and discussing the things of this world. In such a case, Jesus is really not even present, for He comes only to those who gather in His name (Matt 18:20).
THEIR EYES WERE OPENED, AND THEY KNEW HIM
“ Luke 24:31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him; and He vanished out of their sight.”
THEIR EYES WERE OPENED. As they were with Jesus, and as they were eating with Him, “their eyes were opened.” These were the same eyes that were before “holden,” or “prevented.” NASB They did not open their own eyes, just as they were not the ones who had caused them to be “restrained.” NKJV When it comes to beholding Jesus, and knowing that you are doing so, heavenly action is required.
All spiritual misunderstanding proceeds from not being able to see Jesus properly. The varied doctrines concerning Christ death, present enthronement, and second coming are the result of some not being able to see Jesus as He really is. Such contradicting doctrines are not the result of what men understand, but of what they do not understand. They do not proceed from differing persuasions, but of the lack of godly persuasion.
THEY KNEW HIM. Other versions read, “they recognized Him,” NASB “had knowledge of Him,” BBE and “clearly recognized Him.” AMPLIFIED As long as they entertained erroneous views of Jesus, they were unable to recognize Him – even though they had spent thee years in His presence – following Him, and being devoted to Him. However, when a false view of Christ is embraced, that very view obscures the real Christ, so that He cannot be recognized.
Ungodly distractions, whether they have directly to do with Jesus, or cause us to be turned to other things, cause a sort of haze to fall over the Lord’s Christ. God will not allow us to look at what is false with one eye, and gaze at Jesus with the other. When men choose to entertain false notions, they forfeit a proper view of Christ. Some, like Saul of Tarsus, have been shaken to the core by the revelation of the real Christ. Of course, Paul was acquainted with what the Scriptures had said about the Messiah, but had been unable to correlate them with Jesus of Nazareth. But when the real Jesus broke through the darkness that surrounded him, Saul made the connection, and immediately asked what he should do (Acts 9:6). We know that Saul was familiar with what the Scriptures said about the Christ, for as soon as he was converted, he was found “confounding the Jews” that “dwelt in Damascus, proving that this is very Christ,” or “is the Christ” (Acts 9:22).
No one can “recognize” Jesus, or have their eyes opened to His reality, who has not been exposed to Him in an intelligent manner. With the two on the road to Emmaus, they knew the Scriptures, and had been in the presence of the Messiah Himself, beholding His wonderful works, and hearing His powerful words. The same was true with the people on the day of Pentecost, for Peter reminded them that they knew very well about the real Jesus (Acts 2:22). The Ethiopian eunuch and Cornelius had also been introduced to what God had said about Jesus through Moses and the prophets (Acts 8 and 10). When, therefore, their eyes were “opened,” or their understanding became fruitful, it was because they recognized the real Jesus, associating Him with the truth that had been previously revealed concerning Him.
But what of those who have little or no knowledge of the Savior God said He would give to the world – or of the Gospel of Christ in which both His Person and work are delineated. How are their eyes to be “opened?” It should be apparent that a generation that has not been appropriately taught concerning the Lord’s Christ are really incapable of recognizing Him. Wherever the church has influence, it is to see to it that this circumstance does not exist. If such a condition does exist, it has been recreant and derelict in its duty.
HE VANISHED OUT OF THEIR SIGHT. As soon as they recognized Jesus, they could no longer see Him with their natural eyes. They were not allowed to know Jesus any longer “after the flesh.” The outward view of Jesus immediately faded when the real Jesus was made known to them. Here is another case where the truth of Scripture was lived out: “Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him no more” (2 Cor 5:16).
It is a day of great significance when we come to see Jesus as He really is! He is not of this world. He Himself declared, “I am not of this world” (John 8:23). He twice said to God the Father, “I am not of the world” (John 17:14,16). It stands to reason, therefore that only those who recognize that “they are not of the world” (John 17:16) are capable of knowing Jesus. When men present a Jesus that blends well with this present evil world, they have presented “another Jesus” (2 Cor 11:4). Those who can only think of Jesus in relation to their worldly needs have embraced “another Jesus.”
For at least part of that first day of the week, Cleopas and his companion entertained a false view of Jesus, thinking that He probably was not the One spoken of by the holy prophets. However, before the day was over, that misapprehension had been corrected, and they were able to recognize that He was not only the same Jesus with whom they had companied, but was also the same “Christ” that God had promised to send into the world.
DID NOT OUR HEARTS BURN WITHIN US?
“ Luke 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the scriptures?”
THEY SAID TO ONE ANOTHER. If these men had not seen Jesus correctly, they would have been disappointed when He vanished out of their sight. But this is not at all what happened. They did not resume talking as they did when they were walking along the road, and were sad, even though they were now without the bodily presence of Jesus, just as they were before. This time, however, they spoke differently, because they were thinking of Jesus correctly.
DID NOT OUR HEARTS BURN. The Amplified Bible reads, “Were not our hearts greatly moved and burning within us.” And, what is the meaning of such an expression? What does it mean for the heart to be ignited, and “ablaze within us?” CSB Their hearts were taken up with what Jesus had been saying. Their minds were fertile, expectation had been awakened, and they were deeply stirred. It was late, but they were not tired. Their minds were recalling and correlating the refreshing facts of Jesus – putting them all together in such a way as to strengthen and embolden them. They were knowing the truth, and the truth was making them free (John 8:32). The Son of God had masterfully liberated them from delusion, and they had been given the oil of joy for mourning (Isa 61:3). They were drawing water with joy out of the wells of salvation (Isa 12:3), rejoicing in hope (Rom 12:12), and the peace of God was ruling their hearts and their minds (Col 3:15). They were joying in God (Rom 5:11), rejoicing in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:3), and filled “with all joy and peace in believing” (Rom 15:13).
A burning heart is one that is filled with faith, hope, and rejoicing. It is one in which the dross of sin cannot remain, and in which no place for the world can be found. Such a heart finds heaven closer than earth, and heavenly things more precious than perishing ones. Such people are not lukewarm. They are “hot” and are not “old” (Rev 3:16).
We are living in a time when the society of burning hearts appears rather small. It is a time when men are not found rejoicing in “the light” (John 5:35), “hope” (Rom 5:2), “the Lord” (Phil 3:1), or that their names are written in heaven (Lk 10:20). A burning heart is not only joyful, it is confident, and filled with assurance. It does not stagger, but is strong in faith.
HE TALKED WITH US BY THE WAY. What was it that has ignited their hearts? Was it the food that Jesus had served them? Or the delight of having Him come into their house? Indeed, that was not the cause of their burning hearts. It was the speaking Jesus – the teaching Jesus – that had set their hearts aflame. It was the one who “talked” with them along the way. I suppose it is possible to consider the speaking of Jesus only from a legal point of view, where He tells us what to do and what not to do. However, Jesus is not at His speaking peak when He is talking about us, correctly us, and rebuking our unbelief. Oh, such things are often necessary, but they are not the pinnacle of spiritual experience! Jesus is, so to speak, at His best when He is clarifying to us God the Father, His eternal purpose, and His own Person. Those are the matters that elevate the human spirit, strengthen the heart, and fortify the mind. They are the things that cause cleansing and refreshing waves to cover the soul.
HE OPENED TO US THE SCRIPTURES. As these two blessed men spoke with one another, they were precise about what had thrilled their souls. It was when Jesus “opened to us the Scriptures.” Oh, they were not speaking of Scriptures that clarified human responsibility, or supposedly expounded a novel view of the end times. Luke specified the exact nature of Jesus’ words. “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). Oh, what a marvelous experience that must have been – and it is still going on! Perhaps you have experienced the teaching Jesus, when He showed You Himself in all the Scriptures – Scriptures with which you were familiar.
Unlike much of the preaching of our time, neither Jesus nor the apostles started with the perceived needs and situations of humanity, then relating Jesus with them. They did not present Jesus as the solution to domestic, social, and other difficulties related to life in the flesh. They rather set forth a Christ who precisely fulfilled the promises of God to deliver from sin, fill with righteousness, and make fit for an eternal inheritance. Moses and the Prophets presented a Christ who would personally please God as the Representative of men, reconcile them to God, and lead them on to glory. For those who made a practice of feeding upon the Word of God, an expectation and profound longing for such things were awakened within the core of their being. A hearty exposure to Scripture, “mixed with faith” (Heb 4:2), awakens a compelling desire for what God has promised. Further, what God has promised is completely realized in Christ Jesus. It is in this sense that the “exceeding great and precious promises” of God become the means through which we “participate in the Divine nature” NIV (2 Pet 1:4). Of coursed, as you must know, where there is a prevailing ignorance of the Scriptures, none of these blessed realities are available. In such a case, Satan is given the advantage, and the flesh, governed by Satan, becomes the ruthless tyrant of the soul.