From Jesus to Messiah

Before the day of the crucifixion many of the people, including even these two disciples, had thought of Jesus as the Christ the Messiah. They had even called Him by this name and had borne their witness to others concerning Him. But the shadows had fallen. Their hopes had been blasted, and as they talked with the Stranger they showed their disappointment, and they called Him merely by the name Jesus. When asked by their traveling companion as to what was their perplexity, they said, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth.” They no longer called Him Christ, the Messiah. That hope had gone. When they realized that His life had been taken, all their hopes had dissipated. The Stranger began to reveal Himself, however. The light began to dawn in their minds. They observed what He had said, “Ought not Christ [Messiah] to have suffered these things?” How this must have impressed their hearts, for here was one, apparently unaware of what had taken place in Jerusalem, calling Him “Messiah.” No wonder they were fascinated with the One who walked and talked with them. But their interest deepened, new hope arose in their hearts. Christ “expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” The word “expounded” in this passage is quite significant. There is another Greek word translated “expound” in the New Testament in such places as Acts 11:4; 18:26; 28:23 that means “to put forth, to expose, to set forth, to declare”; but the word used in this instance has the thought of “to interpret and to interpret thoroughly.” The Greek word is used six times in the New Testament, being rendered “interpret” or “interpretation” five times and “expounded” once. Hence, what the Savior did was not so much to preach or proclaim but to take the word of God and give to these disciples a full understanding by interpreting fully the prophecies pointing forward to His crucifixion and resurrection. A well-known commentator remarks:BSPC 38.1

“He refers them to the word they had read in the Old Testament, which the word they had heard from him directed them to; ‘all things must be fulfilled which were written.’ Christ had given them this general hint, for the regulating of their expectations, that whatever they found written concerning the Messiah in the Old Testament must be fulfilled in him, what was written concerning his sufferings, as well as what was written concerning his kingdom, those God had joined together in the prediction, and it could not be thought they should be put asunder in the event. All things must be fulfilled, even the hardest, even the heaviest, even the vinegar; he could not die till he had that, because he could not till then say, ‘It is finished.’ The several parts of the Old Testament are here mentioned, as containing each of them things concerning Christ: “the law of Moses,” that is, the Pentateuch, or the five books written by Moses; ‘the prophets,’ containing not only the books that are purely prophetical, but those historical books that were written by prophetical men. ‘The Psalms’ contain also the other writings, which they called the Hagiographa.”—Matthew Henry’s Commentary (London: Partridge and Co., 1854), vol. 3, p. 356.BSPC 39.1

Then we read that “their eyes were opened, and they knew Him.”BSPC 39.2

Again we say, “What a wonderful experience!” Such an experience, however, may be ours today. It is possible for us to know the sacred gladness of which these disciples became so conscious on that never-to-be-forgotten walk with Jesus. Let us seek for the illumination to beam from heaven into our hearts and minds. As we wait upon God we may hear the still small voice speaking peace to our soul. The Spirit of God is still in His church, and as we seek Him, He will guide us “into all truth.”BSPC 39.3

We read:BSPC 39.4

“If we come to Him in faith, He will speak His mysteries to us personally. Our hearts will often burn within us as One draws nigh to commune with us as He did with Enoch.”—The Desire of Ages, 668.BSPC 39.5