“JESUS HIMSELF DREW NEAR”

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“JESUS HIMSELF DREW NEAR”
by Philip Owen

Cleopas and another unnamed disciple had just experienced the most devastating loss in their entire lives. The one they had “trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel” (Lk. 24:21) had been cruelly abused and crucified just three days earlier. As they walked along together toward the village of Emmaus commiserating with each other in their grief, a third figure approached and began walking with them. They did not recognize him because “their eyes were holden that they should not know him” (v. 16). He immediately noticed their sadness and asked them what they were discussing.

Cleopas was surprised by the question. “Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?” he asked their recent companion (Lk. 24:18), and then he proceeded to explain how Jesus, “a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people” (v. 19) had been sentenced to death by the chief priests and rulers and delivered to the Romans to be crucified. Furthermore, some of the women had gone to the tomb early and found it empty. They had seen a vision of angels who told them that he was alive. Other disciples went to the tomb and confirmed that it was indeed empty, but they hadn’t seen the Lord.

Instead of expressing sympathy over their loss, their companion immediately rebuked them: “O fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself” (vv. 25-27). Still they did not recognize him.

When they entered Emmaus, their new companion acted as though he would continue on his journey, but Cleopas and the other disciple invited him to spend the night with them. “And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. 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?” (vv. 30-32).

May we note several lessons from this blessed account. (1) Things that we may view as dreadful accidents are part of God’s plan and under His control. (2) Were we to understand and believe the Scriptures, things that seem grievous to us would suddenly become joyous. (3) During the times we feel most forsaken, although we may not recognize it, Christ is close to us. (4) Just as we often fail to recognize His higher purpose in the trial we are experiencing, we fail to recognize His holy presence with us in the trial. (5) Though Christ is always with believers, He sometimes deliberately withdraws the knowledge of His presence. He may do so for the purpose of showing us some sin or some lack in our lives. (6) Christ instructed the two disciples out of the Word before opening their eyes to recognize Him. In doing so, He not only rebuked their lack of faith in the Word but also through the response of their “burning” hearts showed them that they no longer needed His physical presence: the Scripture was sufficient to strengthen and sustain them. With the indwelling Spirit, the Scripture is sufficient for all our needs. And (7) though we sometimes sin, true believers still rejoice when the Scripture is opened and Christ is preached. How wonderfully gracious are the words: “Jesus himself drew near” (v. 15). The believer will ever find it so.

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“JESUS HIMSELF DREW NEAR” by Philip Owen

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“JESUS HIMSELF DREW NEAR”
by Philip Owen