lesson one
Burning Hearts

On the Road to Emmaus



(Luke 24:13-32) Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" They stood still, their faces downcast. 18One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?" 19"What things?" he asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see." 25 He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. 28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. 29But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"




Ethiopian Eunuch
(Acts 8:26-40) Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road--the desert road--that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." 27So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. 29The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." 30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked. 31"How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 33In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth." 34The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" 35Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. 36As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" 37 Phillip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." The official answered, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."* 38And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

*This verse is not in all ancient manuscripts. It is a footnote in the NIV translation.




Anointed to Preach Liberty

(Isaiah 61:1-3) The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

 

(Luke 4:17-21) The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." 20Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

(Acts 10:38) how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.




Lesson 1

On the Road to Emmaus

Group Discussion Questions

1. Most people remember where they were when they heard of a major national incident. Tell where you were when you heard of the murder of President Kennedy, the Challenger explosion, or the invasion to liberate Kuwait and the strong emotions that event evoked.



2. Tell of the emotions of the two men walking to Emmaus after a national incident. How would your emotions be similar to or dissimilar from the two men walking to Emmaus after Jesus' death and the women's report of His empty tomb?



3. What is meant by "burning hearts" in Luke 24:32? What made the two men's hearts burn?



4. How can the prophecies' fulfillments evoke similar emotions today?



5. How did the two men react after Jesus disappeared?



6. Because of their amazement, what explanation did Jesus share with the eleven and those gathered with them in Luke 24:44-46?



7. What charge did Jesus give them?



ACTS 8:26-40

8. From Acts 6:5 and Acts 8:4-40, what do we know of Phillip?



9. What kind of man was the Ethiopian eunuch?



10. What scripture was the eunuch reading? Why was he confused?



11. What did Phillip teach the eunuch?



12. What response did the good news evoke in the eunuch? Why did he leave rejoicing?



ISAIAH 61:1-3; LUKE 4:17-21; ACTS 10:38

13. Discuss the time frame of these three scriptures.



14. From Isaiah 61:1-3 & Luke 4:17-21, what was Jesus sent to do?



15. What does Jesus say about the fulfillment of the Isaiah prophecy?



16. Reading further in Luke 4, how did the people of Nazareth react to Jesus' interpretation?



17. What does Peter add to the story in Acts 10:38?



18. What do the three events in today's lesson have in common?



Women IN God's Service

Burning Hearts - On the Road to Emmaus (lesson 1)
Ladies Bible Class Lesson, 5 January 1999
West-Ark Church of Christ, Fort Smith, Arkansas
Copyright © 1999, West-Ark Church of Christ
Permission is granted to freely copy and distribute with text unchanged, including source.
Read Jeannie Cole's lecture--
The Messiah In Prophecy
--introducing Burning Hearts.

next lesson

(outline)
On the Road to Emmaus
The Preexistent Messiah
The Promised Messiah
The Messiah's Lineage & Birth
His Character & Nature
His Ministry
His Suffering
His Death
His Kingship
His Promise to His Followers


Comments may be directed to WINGS@westarkchurchofchrist.org



  Link to WINGS' Home Page


West-Ark Church of Christ