The gospel story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus is important. It shows Jesus' victory over death and reveals his role as the Messiah (God's chosen one). It also connects to Old Testament prophecies about him.
The two disciples told their unknown traveling companion that Jesus was a great prophet because of his teachings and miracles. They had hoped he was the Messiah. When the Jewish leaders arrested and crucified him, these two disciples became desperate and discouraged.
Jesus scolded them for not reading the Scriptures carefully. The Scriptures had always prophesied the Messiah's suffering. The apostle Luke then describes how Jesus guided the two disciples through the Scriptures, explaining “explained to them what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself” (Luke 24:27).
Jesus does not indicate which Old Testament passages talk about the suffering Christ. But other passages from Luke's writings refer to various texts:
Jesus is "the stone the builders rejected" that "has become the cornerstone," for a new temple of God (Psalm 118:22, cited in Luke 20:17).
He is the suffering servant of the Lord, treated like a common criminal (Isaiah 53:12, cited in Luke 22:37).
His opponents mock, insult, and spit upon him (Isaiah 50:6, suggested in Luke 18:32).
He is the anointed king rejected by the leaders and the people of Israel, but declared innocent by God (Psalm 2:1–2, cited in Acts 4:25–28).
He is the descendant of King David who God will not abandon to the grave (Psalm 16:8–11, cited in Acts 2:25–28).
According to Luke 24:27, Jesus reviewed Israel's history and showed how it anticipates and achieves its purpose (climax) with Jesus the Messiah, God's agent of salvation. This is similar to how the apostle Paul describes Christ as "the end of the law" (Romans 10:4). All the Old Testament Scriptures, including the law of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms, show God's story of salvation (Luke 24:44). This story achieves its purpose in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Passages for Further Study