In 24:13-35 the Man-Savior opened the Scriptures and also the eyes of the disciples. He said to them, “O foolish and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” (vv. 25-26). The Greek word translated “foolish” indicates to be dull of perception. In verse 26 “to enter into His glory” refers to the Lord’s resurrection (v. 46), which brought Him into glory.
Verse 27 tells us that “beginning from Moses and from all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” “All the Scriptures” includes the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and Psalms (v. 44). The Scriptures are mentioned twice more in this chapter. Verse 32 speaks of opening the Scriptures, and verse 45 of understanding the Scriptures. In the Scriptures there is a full record, a complete revelation, concerning Christ and His death and resurrection. However, because these matters were not opened up to the Lord’s followers, He came to them in order to open the holy Word to them.
The Lord also came to them for the purpose of opening their eyes. When they drew near to the village where they were going, and He acted as though He would go farther, “they urged Him, saying, Stay with us, because it is toward evening and the day is already nearly over. And He went in to stay with them.” (vv. 28-29). The Greek words rendered “is already nearly over” literally mean “has already declined.” As they were reclining at the table, the Man-Savior “took the loaf and blessed it, and having broken it, He handed it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him; and He disappeared from them” (vv. 30-31). The Savior walked with them (v. 15) and stayed with them (v. 29), but it was not until they offered the loaf to Him and He broke it that their eyes were opened to recognize Him. They needed Him to walk and stay with them. But He needed them to offer the loaf to Him so that He might break it that He could open their eyes to see Him. Once their eyes were opened, they recognized Him.
Not only did the eyes of these two disciples need to be opened; the eyes of Peter, John, and James also needed to be opened. After the two went back to Jerusalem, He appeared to the eleven and those assembled with them (vv. 33, 36). They were shocked by His appearing. In this portion of the Word the Man-Savior opened the Scriptures and also opened the eyes of His disciples.
As soon as the eyes of the two disciples were opened and they recognized Him, “He disappeared from them.” Literally the Greek here means, “He became invisible from them.” The Savior was still with them. He did not leave them; He only became invisible.
Luke does not say that the Lord Jesus went away. Rather, Luke tells us that He disappeared. To disappear is not the same as to go away. Here to disappear is a way of hiding. The Lord did not leave the two disciples; He simply caused His presence to be invisible. At first, His presence was visible, and then it became invisible. When the Man-Savior’s presence became invisible, He disappeared. But when His presence became visible, He appeared.
Christ is no longer in the flesh. In resurrection He has become the pneumatic Christ, the Spirit. Nevertheless, He still has a body. We do not understand how the Spirit can have a body.
The two disciples in 24:13-35 learned a great deal on their journey. They did not want to wait until morning to return to Jerusalem. “Rising up that very hour, they returned to Jerusalem” and “related the things that occurred on the road, and how He was made known to them in the breaking of bread” (vv. 33, 35). They had left Jerusalem in disappointment, but they returned greatly encouraged.