Why the Name Walk to Enmmaus?
While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and walked with them.
—Luke 24:15
The Walk to Emmaus gets its name from the story in Luke 24:13-35, which provides the
central image for the three-day experience and follow-up. Luke tells the story of that first Easter
afternoon when the risen Christ appeared to the two disciples who were walking together along the
road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Like Christians and churches who are blinded by preoccupation
with their own immediate difficulties, these two disciples' sadness and hopelessness seemed to prevent
them from seeing God's redemptive purpose in things that had happened.
And yet, the risen Christ "came near and went with them," opening the disciples' eyes to his
presence and lighting the fire of God's love in their hearts. As they walked to Emmaus, Jesus explained
to them the meaning of all the scriptures concerning himself. When they arrived in Emmaus, Jesus "took
bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them," and their eyes were opened. They recognized him as
Jesus, the risen Lord, and they remembered how their hearts had burned within them as they talked
with him on the road. Within the hour, the two disciples left Emmaus and returned immediately to their
friends in Jerusalem. As they told the stories about their encounters with the risen Lord, Jesus visited
them again with a fresh awareness of his living presence.
However, the story of Jesus' resurrection does not conclude with the disciples' personal spiritual
experiences. Jesus ascended to the Father, and the disciples became the body of the risen Christ through
the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The disciples were sent forth by the Spirit to bear witness to the
good news of God in Jesus Christ. They learned to walk in the spirit of Jesus, to proclaim the gospel to a
disbelieving world, and to persevere in grace through spiritual companionship with one another.
The Walk to Emmaus offers today's disciples a parallel opportunity to rediscover Christ's presence in
their lives, to gain fresh understanding of God's transforming grace, and to form friendships that foster
faith and support spiritual maturity. While Emmaus provides a pathway to the mountaintop of God's
love, it also supports the pilgrims' return to the world in the power of the Spirit to share the love they
have received with a hurtful and hurting world.
