The Disciple on the Road to Emmaus
Cleopas is one of the two disciples who encountered the resurrected Jesus Christ on the road to Emmaus on the very day of the Resurrection. His experience is a powerful testament to the disappointment caused by misplaced expectations and the profound transformation that occurs when the Scriptures are opened and the risen Christ is revealed.
The Journey of Disappointment
Cleopas is named only once, in the Gospel of Luke, during a somber journey two disciples were making from Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus, approximately seven miles away. The day was the third day since the crucifixion, and the disciples were distraught:
“And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. … And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?” (Luke 24:13-18, KJV)
Their sorrow stemmed from the perceived failure of Jesus’ mission. Cleopas confessed their shattered hope: “But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.” (Luke 24:21, KJV). They believed in a political Messiah who would overthrow Rome, and His crucifixion seemed to confirm their hopes were misplaced—a form of despair and early spiritual wavering.
The Scripture Unveiled
In response to their sadness and confusion, the disguised Jesus administered the perfect cure: a comprehensive exposition of Old Testament prophecy. He rebuked them for their slowness to believe the Prophets and revealed that the sufferings of the Christ were an indispensable part of God’s plan:
“Then he said unto 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.” (Luke 24:25-27, KJV)
This is a foundational moment in biblical theology, showing that the entire Old Testament focuses on Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.
The Revelation at the Breaking of Bread
The true revelation came when they reached Emmaus and urged the “stranger” to stay with them. It was in a simple act of fellowship that their eyes were finally opened:
“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.” (Luke 24:30-31, KJV)
The experience left Cleopas and his companion with an undeniable spiritual certainty: “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?” (Luke 24:32, KJV).
Cleopas’s Prophetic Lesson
Cleopas provides a powerful lesson for the Church in the last days:
- The Priority of Scripture: The ultimate cure for doubt, disappointment, or apostasy is not a miracle but the careful, Christ-centered opening of the Scriptures. The Bible is the primary tool for revealing the resurrected Lord.
- The Power of Fellowship: The revelation occurred during a communal meal, a precursor to the Lord’s Supper, reminding believers that Christ often reveals Himself in the context of Christian fellowship.
- The Restoration of Hope: Cleopas’s journey from despondency to immediate joy (they immediately ran back the seven miles to Jerusalem) is a type of all believers who encounter the risen Lord. He restores the true hope (Titus 2:13) that had been temporarily lost.