I’m teaching the book of Luke in a couple weeks at church. And the more I sit with it, the more I’m thinking that the last chapter is actually a window into a pretty major idea of the whole book. Specifically, the road to Emmaus.
The twist is this Christopher Nolan-esque motif that has been taking place in all of Luke. It’s the great reveal that once you see it, you can’t unsee it everywhere else in the book: They didn’t recognize God right in front of them.
Jesus was right there, risen (bodily, by the way, not spiritually or symbolically), and walking beside them, and they didn’t recognize Him.
*Side-note*: Does this mean all the guys looked the same over there and back then?
The Emmaus story in Luke in particular feels like a, “why are all the disciples such dummies?” moment, until you realize that missing Jesus in plain sight is sort of the story Luke is telling us.
All through Luke, people are engaging with Jesus, but not recognizing Him for who He really is.
He forgives sin in chapter 5, and the Pharisees go, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies?”
In chapter 7, a sinful woman pours perfume on His feet, and the question echoes again: “Who is this, who even forgives sins?”
He calms the storm in chapter 8, and the disciples freak out, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”
Even John the Baptist, from prison, sends word to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”
That’s the refrain, like a recurring motif in the greatest film score:
Who is this?
The converse is strange too: The people who should know DON’T… and the ones who do rightly recognize Jesus in Luke “shouldn’t”.
The demons early on in the story cry out, “I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” (Luke 4:34)
The centurion (of whom Jesus says has greater faith than any in all of Israel) says, “I am not worthy to have you come under my roof… but say the word.” (Luke 7)
The leper recognizes Him… Ten are healed. Only one comes back to thank Jesus and he’s a Samaritan. (Luke 17:11–19)
After Jesus dies, “the centurion… praised God, saying, ‘Certainly this man was innocent!’”
Zacchaeus, the social outsider, a tax collector, and collaborator with Rome, climbs a tree and obeys Jesus’ teaching cause he “gets it”.
This is the point Luke is writing with. He’s writing to Theophilus (presumably a Roman official or high-ranking Gentile) and he’s pointing out, in story after story, that the people of God missed God walking among them.
The Messiah came, and they didn’t recognize Him.
So by the time we get to the road to Emmaus in chapter 24, it all comes to a head. Two disciples are walking away from Jerusalem, dejected, absent of hope, wondering what went wrong with the would be Messiah.
Jesus joins them and they think He’s… just a random guy?
So Jesus plays it coy and asks what happened. They respond in shock… “Where have you been? Haven’t you heard about what’s been going on here?”
In response, Jesus explains the Scriptures to them:
“Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27 ESV)
It’s the greatest walk-and-talk in history. The Word made flesh opens the Word made text. Afterwards, they admit that their hearts burned while He spoke. Something was happening.
But they still don’t see Him here (and I find this completely amazing) until….
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