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Luke 24:13-35—That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, ¹⁴ and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. ¹⁵ While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. ¹⁶ But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. ¹⁷ And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?”

And they stood still, looking sad. ¹⁸ Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

¹⁹And he said to them, “What things?”

And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, ²⁰ and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. ²¹ But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. ²² Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, ²³ and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. ²⁴ Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”

²⁵And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” ²⁷ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. ²⁸ So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, ²⁹ but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.”

So he went in to stay with them. ³⁰ When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. ³¹ And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. ³² They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”

³³And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, ³⁴ saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” ³⁵ Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Eating is a significant part of our lives. We have to eat to live. We connect eating with important events in our lives. We’re going to have a potluck after completing a year of Sunday School in a couple of weeks. Most weddings and funerals are followed by eating together with the other guests. Who ever heard of going to a graduation open house where there wasn’t food? Just try to think of a time when you had guests over to your house or you were someone else’s guest when food wasn’t at least offered.

The average person spends about six years of their life eating. Our son, Elijah, turns seven tomorrow. It is hard to imagine that if you broke up his life into activities, he would still be clearing his place from the six years of eating.

Eating is significant in Scripture too. Significant events in the Bible are centered around food and eating. Jacob bought Esau’s birthright in exchange for soup. After God changed Jacob’s name to Israel, he and his sons moved to Egypt because they needed food to eat. God’s act of delivering the nation of Israel out of Egypt was connected with the Passover meal. When the nation of Israel was in the wilderness, they were concerned about food, so God gave them manna and quail. When Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from death, He commanded that she be given something to eat (Mk. 5:43). Jesus fed the multitudes. And almost every time Jesus appears after the resurrection you see people eating.

Scripture tells us about two meals that define our existence. The first meal that defines our existence is the devastatingly fatal meal in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3ff).

God had instructed Adam, “Do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Satan came. He came disguised as a scaly, slithery serpent. He taught Adam and Eve a different lesson than God had taught them.

The devil said that they were blind to what that forbidden fruit would do for them. Satan promised, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Eve ate, and so did Adam. Their eyes were opened for sure, but they saw that they were naked. Their eyes were open to evil and death. Then they saw God and tried to hide themselves from His sight because they saw too much. “The parents of the human race – and we in and with them were left – with a belly full of food, but a life empty of God” (Chad Bird).

Because they ate, God has hidden Himself from humanity. God’s existence and presence is visible everywhere we look in creation (Ro. 1:19-21), but we do not see God Himself. And even though we see God’s presence, we sinfully do everything we can to ignore Him. We do not fear and love Him. Because of our sin, which we have inherited and constantly commit, we cannot see God and live.

But look at what God does here for the disciples on the road to Emmaus – Jesus Himself walks with them. But Cleopas and the other disciple do not recognize Jesus. They were just like you, “Their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.” Their hopes for deliverance and redemption were dashed to pieces as the man who was mighty in deed and word before God and all the people was smashed on the cross and killed. Cleopas goes on lamenting, “Some of the women who are with us went to the tomb this morning, but they didn’t see Jesus’ body. They said they saw a vision of angels who said that Jesus is alive. But we haven’t seen Him.”

Cleopas said all this looking sad (v. 17). He is still mourning even though He is looking straight at the risen Savior. You have to love Jesus’ response, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”

Then look at what Jesus does. He teaches them, but unlike Satan’s tricksy and false lesson about how to become like God, Jesus teaches the disciples a lesson about how God became like them. Jesus teaches them that His suffering was necessary for His own glory and for theirs too. Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. What a Bible study that must have been. You would think that with His mastery of teaching the Scriptures, the disciples would have recognized Him, but they still don’t.

They reach the village they were going to, and beg Jesus to stay with them as a guest. But look at what happens – the Guest becomes the Host. As He was at the table with them, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them. (Sound familiar?)

Just as Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened to their nakedness and their sin and their death after eating the forbidden fruit, the disciples’ eyes were opened to see Jesus – real Jesus in whom is Life. It was only after receiving that bread from the hand of Jesus that Cleopas and the other disciple recognize Him. They recognize Jesus, and what does He do? He does a disappearing act and vanishes! Why? Where did He go?

You know what? He didn’t go anywhere. He wasn’t visible, but He was still there. Before He died, Jesus had blessed bread, broke it, and gave it to His disciples saying, “This is My body.” Cleopas and the other disciple were still holding that bread. They still had Jesus physically present with them in the bread.

Faith is a gift of God, and you can’t get it until God gives it to you. God gives you faith through the teaching of the Scriptures and through His Supper. You see, Jesus wants us to connect His teaching with this Sacrament. He wants you to know Him as the suffering Savior with His body broken and His blood shed – for you.

He is here now teaching you His Word and revealing Himself to you in His Supper.

Do you want to want to know Jesus better? Learn from Him in His Word.

Do you want to see Jesus? Open your mouth. Take, eat the body of Christ given unto death for your sins. Take, drink the blood of Christ, shed for the forgiveness of your sins. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Amen.