Pericope 24 (Luke 24:28-35)

V28

• “as if” - “pretended”

  • too strong (Marshall)

  • suggests Jesus was hoping to stay with them and not journey on

V29

• “urge him”

  • travelers did not want Jesus to go on

• perhaps it is unsafe to travel at night (Fitzmyer, Plummer)

V30

• meal of fellowship, described in a worshipful, liturgical way: takes bread, offers a blessing, breaks bread and gives it to the travelers

• language recalls feeding of the five thousand and last supper

V31

• “their eyes were opened”

  • unique in the NT

  • travelers recognised Jesus now, Luke uses language that reversed what was said about their lack of recognition

• “to open”

  • used with a variety of objects: womb (Luke 2:23), Scripture (Luke 24:32; Acts 17:3), mind (Luke 24:45), heaven (Acts 7:54), heart (Acts 16:14), ears (Mark 7:34-35) and eyes (Luke 24:31)

• Jesus’ appearance to the disciples displays continuity between the Jesus of early earthly ministry and the raised Jesus who sits over the church (Dillon)

V32

• “were not”

  • rhetorical question that expects a positive reply

• “our hearts burning within us”

  • idiom lit meaning “light a fire under someone”, comparable to this with figurative force

• “opening the Scriptures”

  • travelers had great excitement and comfort at hearing the Scripture opened up to them

  • they sensed something special was happening, but only after their eyes were opened could they see why this man had opened up the Scriptures so clearly to them

V33

• “returned to Jerusalem”

  • note makes clear that journey to Emmaus started in Jerusalem

• “that same hour”

  • general time marker that means “fairly soon after”

  • idiom shows that they returned fairly quickly, rather than saying that the travelers returned that night

• “eleven and their companions gathered together”

  • issue of Luke’s relationship to John 20:19-29

  • if Emmaus travelers had appeared to the Eleven, why did Thomas not believe until a week later?

  • John implies Thomas was not at the first gathering

V34

• questions, rather than statements, were present (Danker), as remarks in 24:11-12 indicate that they were wondering and did not believe

• “Has the Lord really risen?” “Did he appear to Simon?” (Danker), however making questions out of this syntax is difficult

• “they were saying”

  • refers to the gathered group, who makes a report to the Emmaus travelers

  • some read the travelers are telling the disciples this, but poor external attestation and cannot explain why the travelers are reporting to the disciples when Peter is among the disciples to whom the appearance happened (Creed)

  • Luke inserted this remark (Evans) but Bock says its a clever, appropriate, literary twist

  • report shows that Jesus is really among them, no matter where they are

  • Jesus provides evidence for his resurrection on the road as well as in Jerusalem

  • excitement so great one report interrupts another

  • numerous witnesses to Jesus; resurrection (Ernst)

• “indeed”

  • report stresses the word, NIV (”it is true!” underscores emphatic position of the Greek)

• “the Lord”

  • emphasises risen Jesus’ authority

V35

• “he had been made known”

  • Jesus revealed himself

• one can imagine the thoughts in the room during these discussions: what is God going to do next?