Introduction
When we think of the cross of the Lord Jesus, we think about the salvation that He provides for us. And, thinking about the cross, we might have feelings of joy because we are saved, but do we feel sad? Do we think of the pain and suffering the Lord Jesus endured on that cross?
In Luke 24 we learn about the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and we witness His bodily appearance after His resurrection. In this blog, we will focus on a few verses from the story “On the Road to Emmaus.”
On the Road to Emmaus
13 And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles distance from Jerusalem.
This event is the same event as the one described in Mark 16:12-13 (see Comments Mark 16:12-13). These two were not apostles but other disciples of the Lord Jesus (see verse 33).
14 And they communed with each other about all these things which had taken place.
15 And it came to pass, while they communed and reasoned together, that Jesus Himself drew near, and went with them.
16 But their eyes were held that they should not know Him.
From this verse, the readers can understand that the beloved Son of God appears to all that have faith and believe in Him, not only for the purpose of using them, but for the purpose of helping them. Because when they hear someone else had a chance to meet the Lord, even if they did not know it was the Lord at that time, later on they will realize that the Lord will never leave them, He will always be there and someone can witness.
See Comments Mark 16:12-13 as the Lord Jesus appeared to these two in His heavenly form. The heavenly forms are different from human forms; the heavenly form of the beloved Son of God Himself has material that can be touched, but for others (when the Father sends angels that use human form), it has material that is not touchable.
Q: Why did the Lord appear to some people only at first? A: There is always a purpose with the Lord; it helps one another later, not necessarily at the time of the event.
17 And He said to them, What conversation is this that you have with one another walking? And they stood still, looking sad.
18 And one of them, named Cleopas, answering said to Him, Do Thou alone visit Jerusalem and not know the things which are come to pass there in these days?
The readers can notice from this answer that the purpose of spreading good news has started. These two started talking with strangers to tell them what had happened during that time, and this would start the conversation further on. This is the way to spread the good news, and this is the Lord’s will for all to do: when you meet someone new, you hope they will have faith as well.
19 And He said to them, What things? And they said to Him, The things concerning Jesus the Nazarene, who was a man, a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people;
In this verse, they tell all who Jesus is and what His work is and the portion of Scripture, verses 19 to 24, summarizes the Gospel of the beloved Son of God on earth.
20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him up to be condemned to death, and crucified Him.
In this verse, we will concentrate on the chief priests. From their position, their duty was to glorify God, but they had used their duty in condemning the beloved Son of God to crucify Him, and that was the end of their action.
21 But we hoped that it is He who is about to redeem Israel. Yes and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things came to pass.
This verse clearly shows the reader that the people of God have been expecting the Messiah to come and redeem the people; they know who would redeem them, but they have not believed in Him yet.
The verse also tells us that the Lord Jesus rose three days after His crucifixion.
In further reflection on verse 17, we observe that the two disciples were sad about the events surrounding the crucifixion: “And He said to them, ‘What conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk?’ And they stood still, looking sad.” These disciples were genuinely mourning the Lord’s crucifixion, death, and suffering. They had lost their Master; He had been crucified at the hands of their leaders.
The Roman method of crucifixion was designed to instill fear in the populace, and many people were crucified for minor offenses or even no offenses at all. The agony of dying on the cross was immense; the Lord Jesus, as a human, endured significant suffering from the beatings and the hanging on the cross. There are various theories regarding the nature of the Roman cross and the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, some of which are blasphemous. However, the Bible clearly states that the Lord Jesus was nailed to a wooden cross, not to a stake. His back was pressed against the rough, splintered wood, and His body was covered in many wounds. As the Lord Jesus hung there, His human suffering was truly excruciating.
As followers of the Lord Jesus, we should reflect on our sadness and consider the significance of the cross. These two disciples didn’t understand the meaning of the cross at that time. They were sad about losing their Lord, and they were sad to see that their Lord was crucified and suffered unjustly on the cross. They were also confused about the resurrection, as we see from Luke 24:25.
Conclusions
In conclusion, we should reflect on whether we can truly grasp the pain and suffering that the Lord endured and whether we genuinely feel sorrow for His immense suffering on the cross, or if we merely accept it as a historical fact. When we contemplate the cross, we, as modern-day disciples, should feel sadness for two main reasons. First, our Lord suffered greatly at the hands of the Romans and the leaders of that time. Second, we must recognize that we are all sinners, and the Lord Jesus bore the weight of the world’s sins—ours included. Ultimately, we all share in the responsibility for putting the Lord on the cross; He suffered for the sins of the world, which encompass our own transgressions today, as stated in 1 Peter 3:18-22.
“18 Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water, 21 which also after a true likeness does now save you, even baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the interrogation of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ; 22 who is on the right hand of God, having gone into heaven; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him.”
The Lord Jesus looks at us with love and reminds us that He died on the cross for our sins so that we can be set free and find peace with God the Father, becoming alive in the Spirit. Therefore, if we have not yet been baptized in water, we need to repent and joyfully accept this baptism while remembering the suffering of our Lord Jesus for our sins.
Moreover, we should regularly examine ourselves, repent of all our sins, ask forgiveness in the name of the Lord Jesus by the blood of Jesus shed on that cross, and give thanks to the Lord.
Let us express our gratitude to the Lord for His sacrifice on the cross, receive baptism in water, seek the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and strive to bear fruits worthy of His name. As we are reminded in Hebrews 6:7-8: “For the land which has drunk the rain that comes often upon it, and brings forth herbs meet for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receives blessing from God; but if it brings forth thorns and thistles, it is rejected and near to a curse; whose end is to be burned.”
Meditation Tasks
- We invite all readers to explore our blog article titled: “Teachings about the Cross of Jesus Christ: Persecution, Betrayal, Trial, Suffering, Crucifixion, Death, and Burial.”