Emmaus Church name explained

In Luke 24:13-35, two of Jesus’ followers are walking to Emmaus, a town outside of Jerusalem. Jesus, the man they had hoped was the Messiah, had died three days earlier. As they talked about these things, Jesus himself joined them on the road, but they were kept from recognizing him. Understanding their hopelessness, Jesus told them that the Christ had to suffer these things and then enter into his glory. “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27)

As they drew near the village they implored Jesus to stay with them. At dinner, Jesus took the bread, blessed it, and broke it and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight. “They said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?’” (Luke 24:32)

The two men went back to Jerusalem right away to be with Jesus’ other followers. They said, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” And “they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.” (Luke 24:34-35)

This passage highlights key elements that we pray will characterize us at Emmaus Church. Our hope is that Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, shows himself to us in the Scriptures and that we would recognize him in the breaking of the bread. We long for our hearts to burn while he talks to us on the road and opens to us the Scriptures. And we pray that our encounters with the risen Christ in the Scriptures will compel us to share them with others.