Emmaus

Biblical Text

Emmaus appears in Luke 24:13–35. On the day of the resurrection, Cleopas and an unnamed disciple were traveling from Jerusalem to Emmaus. The risen Jesus walked with them, but "their eyes were holden that they should not know him" (Luke 24:16). "Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself" (Luke 24:27). As evening approached, the two urged Jesus to stay with them. At the table, when Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, and He vanished out of their sight. The two said, "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), and they returned to Jerusalem at once. There they heard that the Lord had appeared to Simon, and they told what had happened to them. The event is treated in more detail in the article Road to Emmaus. Mark 16:12–13 also briefly recounts an appearance to two disciples, although this passage belongs to the longer ending of Mark, whose textual status is disputed.

Background and Location

The New Korean Revised Version describes Emmaus as a village "twenty-five li from Jerusalem." The Greek text gives 60 stadia (about 11 km), while some manuscripts read 160 stadia. Several candidate sites have been proposed, and scholars differ in their views.

• Amwas (Emmaus Nicopolis): A candidate site handed down since the early church. Its distance from Jerusalem matches the 160-stadia reading.
• El-Qubeibeh: Traditionally regarded as Emmaus since the Crusader period.
• Near Motza: Some identify this area with the Emmaus mentioned by Josephus.

Some connect the name's etymology with "warm spring," but this is uncertain.

Significance in the Whole of Scripture

The Emmaus narrative is frequently cited as a basis for reading the entire Old Testament as centered on Christ. In the same chapter, Jesus declares that the things written in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms were fulfilled in Him (Luke 24:44–46). His actions of taking bread, blessing it, breaking it, and giving it echo the language of the feeding of the five thousand (Luke 9:16) and the Last Supper (Luke 22:19–20). The narrative is also read in connection with the early church's steadfast devotion to "breaking of bread" in Acts.

Interpretations and Debates

• Nature of the meal: Traditions that place strong emphasis on the Eucharist (Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and others) often read this meal in connection with the Eucharist. Many Protestant interpreters regard it as an ordinary meal while drawing attention to the way the opening of the Scriptures and the breaking of bread together lead to the recognition of Christ. Some cite this pattern as a basis for worship consisting of Word and sacrament.
• The unnamed disciple: The text does not name the other disciple. Various conjectures have been handed down, identifying this person as Cleopas's wife, Cleopas's son Simon, or Luke himself, but none of them is grounded in the text. Opinions also differ on whether Cleopas is the same person as the "Cleophas" of John 19:25.
• Why they did not recognize Him: The text says only that their eyes "were holden." Interpreters differ on whether this was God's intention, the result of a change in Jesus' resurrection body, or a consequence of the disciples' grief.

In the Korean Church

This passage is frequently the subject of sermons around Easter. The phrase "the road to Emmaus" is widely used to describe the process by which discouraged believers are restored. The words of Luke 24:32, "Did not our heart burn within us," are often cited to encourage meditation on the Word and Bible study, and the name "Emmaus" is also used for retreats and small-group gatherings.