“What things?”
The full verse · Luke 24:19 · KJV
he unto , What ? they unto , of , a the :
Asked by
Jesus: the risen Lord, who drew near and walked with two disciples on the road to Emmaus without being recognized (Luke 24:15-16)
Asked to
Cleopas: one of two followers of Jesus walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus on the day of the resurrection (Luke 24:13, 18); Disciples: "two of them" (Luke 24:13), Cleopas and one unnamed companion (Luke 24:18), going to Emmaus on the day of the resurrection; Jesus drew near and went with them, but "their eyes were holden that they should not know him" (Luke 24:16).
The Scene
On the road to Emmaus, Cleopas has just asked the unrecognized Jesus whether He is the only stranger in Jerusalem who has not heard what happened there (Luke 24:18).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionJesus knew exactly what had happened; it had happened to Him. He asked so the two would tell the story in their own words. Gill says He was "still appearing as if he was ignorant," in order to draw out of them a full account. Their answer shows where their faith stood: they believed Jesus was a prophet sent from God, they had hoped He would redeem Israel, and they did not know what to make of the empty tomb. Jesus let all of it come out before He answered.
The Response
What Scripture recordsThey answered at length. Jesus of Nazareth was "a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people" (Luke 24:19). The chief priests and rulers delivered Him to death and crucified Him (Luke 24:20). "But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel" (Luke 24:21). Certain women found the tomb empty and saw "a vision of angels, which said that he was alive," and others found it so, "but him they saw not" (Luke 24:22-24). Jesus then answered their story from the Scriptures (Luke 24:25-27).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsBarnes explains their words: "prophet" means "A teacher sent from God," and "mighty in deed" means "Powerful in working miracles, in raising the dead, healing the sick, etc." On "we trusted" (Luke 24:21), he writes, "We hoped and expected." Their hope was that He would redeem Israel.
They also noted that "to day is the third day since these things were done" (Luke 24:21). Jesus had foretold that on the third day He would rise again (Luke 18:33), but the twelve "understood none of these things" (Luke 18:31, 34).
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyJesus asks a two-word question and then listens. The risen Lord did not hurry past the disappointment of His followers. He let them say "we trusted" in the past tense, as if hope were over.
Their own story held the answer they could not see. They reported that angels said "he was alive" (Luke 24:23) and that the tomb was empty, and still they were sad. Matthew Henry says that "Christ is the best expositor of Scripture," and that is what He became for them: He took the story they told and showed them, from Moses and all the prophets, what it meant (Luke 24:27).
Look Closer
How did the two describe Jesus of Nazareth?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Lord Jesus, You let two disappointed disciples tell You their whole story; what hope of mine that feels lost do You want me to bring to You now?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- They said, "we trusted that it had been he." When God does not act the way you expected, how does it affect the way you talk to Him?
- Tell about a time when God answered a hope in a way very different from what you first expected.
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
Jesus asks you to tell Him your story, including the parts that sound like "we trusted" in the past tense. He did not need the information, yet He asked and listened.
When you tell Him your disappointments, include what you know of His promises too. The two disciples had already heard that He was alive, but they had not put it together. Sometimes the truth you need is already in front of you, waiting for Jesus to explain it.
Telling your story is the start, not the finish. Jesus answered these two from the Scriptures (Luke 24:25-27), and He still speaks through His word.
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources
Keep questioning
“What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?”
“Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?”
“Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?”
“Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”