FUNCTIONAL FAITH
The Wording

The Road to Emmaus

Luke 24:13–35

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Berean Standard Bible

Goodspeed New Testament

BSB and T4T shown with Greek annotations — · Why we show the Greek →

13

That same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.

That same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem,

14

They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.

and they were talking together about all these things that had happened.

15

And as they talked and deliberated, Jesus Himself came up and walked along with them.

And as they were talking and discussing them, Jesus himself came up and went with them,

16

But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.

but they were prevented from recognizing him.

17

He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?” They stood still, with sadness on their faces.

And he said to them, “What is all this that you are discussing with each other on your way?” They stopped sadly,

18

One of them, named Cleopas, asked Him, “Are You the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in recent days?”

and one of them named Cleopas said to him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know what has happened there lately?”

19

“What things?” He asked. “The events involving Jesus of Nazareth,” they answered. “This man was a prophet, powerful in speech and action before God and all the people.

And he said, “What is it?” They said to him, “About Jesus of Nazareth, who in the eyes of God and of all the people was a prophet mighty in deed and word,

20

Our chief priests and rulers delivered Him up to the sentence of death, and they Him.

and how the high priests and our leading men gave him up to be sentenced to death, and had him crucified.

21

But we were hoping He was the One who would redeem Israel. And besides all this, it is the third day since these things took place.

But we were hoping that he was to be the deliverer of Israel. Why, besides all this, it is three days since it happened.

22

Furthermore, some of our women astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning,

But some women of our number have astounded us. They went to the tomb early this morning

23

but they did not find His body. They came and told us they had seen a vision of angels, who said that Jesus was alive.

and could not find his body, but came back and said that they had actually seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive.

24

Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had described. But Him they did not see.”

Then some of our party went to the tomb and found things just as the women had said, but they did not see him.”

25

Then Jesus said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

Then he said to them, “How foolish you are and how slow to believe all that the prophets have said!

26

Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and then to enter His glory?”

Did not the Christ have to suffer thus before entering upon his glory?”

27

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself.

And he began with Moses and all the prophets and explained to them the passages all through the Scriptures that referred to himself.

28

As they approached the village where they were headed, He seemed to be going farther.

When they reached the village to which they were going, he acted as though he were going on,

29

But they pleaded with Him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So He went in to stay with them.

but they urged him not to, and said, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them.

30

While He was reclining at the table with them, He took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to them.

And when he took his place with them at table, he took the bread and blessed it and broke it in pieces and handed it to them.

31

Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus—and He disappeared from their sight.

Then their eyes were opened and they knew him, and he vanished from them.

32

They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us as He spoke with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

And they said to each other, “Did not our hearts glow when he was talking to us on the road, and was explaining the Scriptures to us?”

33

And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, gathered together

And they got up immediately and went back to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and their party all together,

34

and saying, “The Lord has indeed risen and has appeared to Simon!”

and learned from them that the Master had really risen and had been seen by Simon.

35

Then the two told what had happened on the road, and how they had recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread.

And they told what had happened on the road, and how they had known him when he broke the bread in pieces.

Functional Faith Reading

The Greek verb ekratounto describes eyes being "held" or "restrained" — the word implies an active restraint, not mere inattention. Luke is telling us something purposeful is happening in this moment of unrecognition.

Most readings treat this passage as a warm resurrection story about grief turning to joy, and it is that — but the theological weight of verse 19 often goes unexamined. The two disciples call Jesus "a prophet, powerful in speech and action before God," and many rush past that phrase as if it understates him. It does not. It is precisely accurate.

The Pioneer was sent by the Father as the supreme prophet — the one who embodied the Father's word so completely that to hear him was to hear the one who sent him. These disciples knew that much even in their confusion. Their grief was not failure; it was the cost of having followed the Pattern all the way to the wooden pole, only to watch it apparently end there. The road to Emmaus is the road of every follower who keeps walking after the world has refused the Way.

If you are still walking when everything seems to have failed, you are already in the story. The Pioneer joins travelers on broken roads, not triumphant processions.

Sit with this

What road are you walking right now where you have not yet recognized who is walking beside you?

Sources

SBL Greek New Testament (SBLGNT)License

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition

Copyright 2010 Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software.

Licensed CC BY 4.0.

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