The Road to Emmaus
Two friends walk with a stranger
The two friends talk about Jesus's death on the cross, and they are grieving.
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- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
Story
What happened?
Tap a verse number, like , to read the Bible’s exact words.
Who’s who and what came beforePeople, places, and the story so far. Open it anytime.
Scene Card
Cast
- Cleopas: One of Jesus's followers. Luke tells us his name, but little else about him.
- Cleopas's friend: Another follower of Jesus, walking with Cleopas. Luke does not give this person's name.
- Jesus: The one the Gospels present as the promised Messiah and the Son of God. On this road, his two friends do not know it is him.
- The Eleven: Jesus's closest followers, the apostles, without Judas. They are gathered in Jerusalem.
Setting
- A road leading out of Jerusalem to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles away. Then a house in Emmaus, and then Jerusalem again.
When
- About 2,000 years ago. Sunday, the same day the women found the tomb empty. They reach Emmaus near evening (Luke 24:29). They head back to Jerusalem that same hour.
Before the Story
Jesus was crucified on Friday. His friends watched him die. Joseph laid his body in a tomb cut into rock (Luke 23:46-53).
On Sunday morning, the tomb was empty. The women found the stone rolled away. Two men in shining clothes told them Jesus had risen (Luke 24:1-8).
Almost nobody believed the women. The apostles thought their news sounded like nonsense. Peter ran to the tomb and went away wondering (Luke 24:11-12).
Here's what you know that almost nobody in this story knows: Jesus is alive. The stranger on the road is Jesus himself.
Map of the Story
| Scene | Verses | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Walking away | 24:13-14 | Two followers leave Jerusalem, talking |
| 2. A stranger joins them | 24:15-17 | Jesus walks with them, but they do not know him |
| 3. "We were hoping" | 24:18-21 | Cleopas tells what happened to Jesus |
| 4. The women's news | 24:22-24 | They tell about the empty tomb |
| 5. Slow to believe | 24:25-27 | Jesus explains the Scriptures to them |
| 6. "Stay with us" | 24:28-29 | They beg the stranger to stay the night |
| 7. Bread broken | 24:30-31 | He breaks bread, and they know him |
| 8. Back to Jerusalem | 24:32-35 | They return with the news |
Plain Retelling
Scene 1 of 8Walking Away
Two followers of Jesus walked along a road. They were leaving Jerusalem that same Sunday. They were headed to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles away.
Seven miles is a long walk. It takes about two to three hours.
The two friends talked as they walked. They talked about everything that had happened. Jesus had been arrested. He had died on a cross. And that morning, some women said his tomb was empty.
Scene 2 of 8A Stranger Joins Them
As they talked it over, Jesus himself came up. He walked along beside them.
But they did not know who he was. "Their eyes were kept from recognizing Him" (24:16).
Luke does not say who or what kept them from knowing him. He says only that it happened. At supper that evening, their eyes would be opened.
The stranger asked them, "What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?" (24:17).
The two stopped walking. They stood still, and their faces were sad.
Scene 3 of 8"We Were Hoping"
One of them was named Cleopas. He answered the stranger.
"Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn't know what happened there?" he asked.
"What things?" Jesus asked (24:19).
They told the stranger about Jesus of Nazareth. They said Jesus was a prophet. He was powerful in what he said and what he did, in front of God and all the people. A prophet is someone who speaks for God.
They said their chief priests and rulers had handed Jesus over to be killed. And he was crucified.
Then they said the saddest words in the story. "But we were hoping He was the One who would redeem Israel" (24:21).
To redeem means to buy back or set free. They had hoped Jesus would set their people free. Now Jesus was dead. It seemed their hope was gone too.
"It is the third day since all this happened," they added.
Scene 4 of 8The Women's News
Cleopas and his friend kept talking. Some women from their group had amazed them. The women had gone to the tomb early that morning. They did not find Jesus's body.
The women came back and said they had seen a vision of angels. The angels said that Jesus was alive.
Then some of the others went to the tomb too. They found it empty, the way the women had said. "But Him they did not see" (24:24).
The two friends had heard the good news. They still did not know what to believe. They were sad and confused, and they were walking away.
Scene 5 of 8Slow to Believe
Then Jesus spoke. "O foolish ones, how slow are your hearts to believe all that the prophets have spoken" (24:25).
These are strong words. But this is not name-calling. It is a teacher's correction. Jesus wanted them to see what they had missed. And he did not leave them. He kept walking with them and teaching them.
He asked, "Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and then to enter His glory?" (24:26). This question expects a yes. The Christ means the promised king God would send.
Then Jesus went through the Scriptures with them. The Scriptures are the holy writings of Israel, what Christians call the Old Testament. He started with the books of Moses. He went on through all the Prophets. He showed them what was written there about himself.
Luke does not tell us which passages Jesus explained. He tells us only that Jesus explained what all the Scriptures said about him.
Scene 6 of 8"Stay With Us"
The three travelers came near Emmaus. The stranger kept walking, as if he were going farther.
But the two friends begged him to stay. "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over" (24:29).
So he went in to stay with them.
Scene 7 of 8Bread Broken
They took their places at the table to eat together.
Jesus took the bread. He spoke a blessing. He broke it. He gave it to them.
Then their eyes were opened. They knew him. It was Jesus.
And he disappeared from their sight.
Earlier, Jesus had done these same four things with bread. He did them when he fed a huge crowd (9:16). He did them at his last supper, the night before he died (22:19).
Scene 8 of 8Back to Jerusalem
The two friends asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us as He spoke with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?" (24:32).
A burning heart is a picture. This is a comparison. It means they felt something deep and warm and alive while Jesus taught them.
The two friends got up that very hour. It was already near evening. But they went the whole seven miles back to Jerusalem.
They found the Eleven and the others gathered together. The group was already sharing the news. "The Lord has indeed risen and has appeared to Simon!" (24:34). Simon is another name for Peter.
Then the two told their story. They told what happened on the road. They told how they knew Jesus when he broke the bread.
Earlier that day, they had walked away sad. That night, they hurried back with good news. Jesus had been walking with them the whole time.
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "Their eyes were kept from recognizing Him" (24:16) | Jesus was right there, but they could not see who he was. Luke does not say how. At the meal, their eyes were opened (24:31). |
| "We were hoping" (24:21) | This is grief. They had hoped for something good, and it seemed to be gone. Jesus did not scold them for being sad. He walked with them. |
| "O foolish ones" (24:25) | Not an insult. It is a teacher's correction to students who have not yet understood. Jesus said their hearts were "slow," not bad. Here, "heart" means their trust. |
| "Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets" (24:27) | Jesus read Israel's Scriptures as pointing to him. Later that night he said the same to all his followers (24:44). |
| "He took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to them" (24:30) | The same actions as at the Last Supper (22:19). Many Christians see a link here to the Lord's Supper. |
| "Were not our hearts burning within us" (24:32) | This is a comparison. As Jesus explained God's word, something came alive in them. |
Back Then
Emmaus was a village about seven miles from Jerusalem. Easton's says it was "three-score furlongs" away. Three-score means 60. (Easton's Bible Dictionary) Luke's Greek word is stadia. One stadion was about 600 feet, so 60 stadia is about seven miles. A few old copies of Luke say 160 stadia instead, about 18 miles.
Nobody knows for sure where Emmaus was. Easton's names two possible villages, each about seven or eight miles from Jerusalem. (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
People ate special meals lying on low couches around a table. This is what "reclining at the table" means (24:30). (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
Usually the host blessed and broke the bread at a meal. At Emmaus, Jesus was the guest. But he was the one who took the bread and broke it.
Literal Reader Alert
Who was Cleopas's friend? Luke does not say. Some Christians think it was his wife. John names a "Mary the wife of Clopas" at the cross (John 19:25). Clopas is spelled differently, and we cannot be sure it is the same family.
Why didn't they know it was Jesus? Luke says their eyes "were kept from recognizing Him" (24:16). He does not say who kept them. It's okay to notice things like this. Careful readers have asked about it for centuries. Luke's focus is on when their eyes were opened: when Jesus broke the bread.
"Our chief priests and rulers" (24:20). Cleopas was Jewish, and so was Jesus. Cleopas was talking about leaders of his own people. Luke also tells us that Pilate, the Roman governor, gave the sentence, and soldiers led Jesus away to the cross (23:24-26). This story never blames all Jewish people, and neither do we.
Does Jesus disappear like a ghost? No. Later that same night, Jesus tells his followers he is not a ghost. He tells them to touch him, and he eats a piece of fish in front of them (24:37-43).
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The two friends | Sad | Jesus had died, and they did not know what to believe (24:17) |
| The two friends | Let down | They had hoped Jesus would set Israel free (24:21) |
| The two friends | Confused | The women said he was alive, but no one had seen him (24:22-24) |
| The two friends | Stirred up inside | Their hearts burned as Jesus explained the Scriptures (24:32) |
| The two friends | Eager | They got up that very hour and went back to Jerusalem to tell the others (24:33-35) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
Which of these feels closest to you today? Tap one.
I'm walking away sad
So were they. Jesus came up and walked right beside them. They did not know it yet, but they were not alone. If this story brings up big feelings, talk with a parent, pastor, or trusted adult.
I had hoped for something
"We were hoping" is an honest prayer. You can tell Jesus what you lost. He listened to the whole sad story.
I can't see God anywhere
Their eyes could not see Jesus either. He was still there. He comes to us in his word and at his table in Holy Communion, even when we cannot feel it.
My heart is burning
That warmth is a gift. The Holy Spirit works through God's word. Keep listening.
It's really bad right now
Please tell a trusted adult today. If you are in danger right now, call 911 or your local emergency number. In the United States, you can also call or text 988 any time, day or night. Outside the United States, findahelpline.com lists free helplines.
You Might Have Heard
"If you have enough faith, you will always feel God close to you."
What's true: Jesus really is close. He promised, "I am with you always" (Matthew 28:20).
What the story is mainly about: These two friends did not feel Jesus close. They were sad and unsure, and they were walking away. Jesus came to them anyway. He opened the Scriptures. He broke the bread. He opened their eyes. Their faith did not bring Jesus to them. Jesus came and gave them faith.
Where Jesus is: Beside them on the road the whole time, before they knew it.
Good News
The two friends said, "We were hoping" (24:21). Jesus did not tell them to stop being sad. He walked with them in it. He listened. Then he opened God's word to them and broke bread with them.
Jesus still comes to us the same two ways. Lutherans call this Word and Sacrament. Jesus comes in his Word, as when he opened the Scriptures on the road. He comes in the Sacrament, as when he broke the bread at the table. In Holy Communion today, he gives us the bread and says, "This is My body, given for you" (Luke 22:19).
You do not have to find Jesus first. He finds you.
Jesus walks beside sad and confused people, even before they know him, and he makes himself known.
From the Wider Church
Christians of many churches love this story. Many Christians see the pattern of their worship in it. First God's word is read and explained. Then the bread is blessed, broken, and shared. Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran worship all follow this shape.
Big Idea
The risen Jesus walks with his grieving friends, opens the Scriptures, and makes himself known in the breaking of the bread.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
In the Small Catechism (1529), Luther explains the Third Article of the Creed. He says, "I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him." Instead, "the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel." (Small Catechism, Concordia Triglotta English, 1921) The friends on the road could not see Jesus by their own strength either. Their eyes were opened.
The Augsburg Confession (1530) was written by Luther's coworker Philip Melanchthon. It teaches that God gives the Holy Spirit through the Word and the Sacraments. The Spirit creates faith through them. (Augsburg Confession, Article 5)
In Church
Many churches follow a reading plan called the Revised Common Lectionary. It reads Luke 24:13-35 on the Third Sunday of Easter in Year A. A longer reading, Luke 24:13-49, is set for Easter Evening every year.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
Were not our hearts burning within us as He spoke with us on the road
How did that feel?