After His resurrection Jesus told His disciples, "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit," (Acts 1:4-5).

Cleopas was one of Jesus’ disciples. Yet he and his friend were in the dark about the current events of the day. Even though Jesus had told them to stay in Jerusalem, they were walking the seven mile road toward Emmaus. They were walking away from Jerusalem, the place Jesus told His disciples to gather; away from the place where believers would be first clothed with power from on high; and away from the place where repentance and forgiveness of sins would be first preached in Jesus’ name. So Jesus, the resurrected Christ, still that Great Shepherd of the sheep, appeared to the two sheep who had wandered off in the wrong direction.

Cleopas and his friend were so deep in conversation they didn’t even recognize Him or notice when the resurrected Lord joined them on their journey. When Jesus asked what they were talking about, they explained to Him His own crucifixion and the disappearance of His body! They seemed to forget that the events they discussed had been prophesied.

Jesus rebuked them for being so slow to believe the Scriptures, "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself," (Luke 24:27).

As they approached Emmaus, Jesus pretended to be going further, but they urged Him to stay. Then they finally recognized Him when He broke bread and gave it to them. When their eyes were opened to their living Savior, Jesus disappeared.

"Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?" they asked each other, (Luke 24:32).

They were so excited, "They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem," (v.33) to share their joy in knowing for sure that Jesus was alive. Can’t you just imagine their joy as they walked and ran seven miles in the dark back to Jerusalem to share the Good News with the other believers.

Unfortunately for them, Cleopas and his friend didn’t have the benefit of their own personal copy of God’s Word to enrich and strengthen their belief in the risen Lord like we do. They had to rely on hearing the Word from Old Testament prophets and then Jesus Himself, for a brief period of time.

But I’m so thankful that I have my own personal Bibles to encourage me. I am so thankful that when I wander off in the wrong direction like they did, that the Great Shepherd of the sheep will leave the 99 to find me and turn me back to the path He wants me to walk. And I’m so thankful for the constant presence of His indwelling Holy Spirit that Cleopas and his friend ran back to Jerusalem to receive.

Aren’t you?