August Read - "The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus"

Over the past year I have been exposed to this book – “The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus.” Maybe you’ve seen this book on the shelves through the years (that orange and black cover with two men with their eyes bugging out in shock as they are looking at some man whom you only see from the back? That would be this book. The old cover of this book claims that it can help you understand the “world’s best seller” in “clear and simple” terms. This claim is most certainly true!

Maybe you’ve wondered what this book is all about. What’s with the title? It comes from Luke 24 when two men are travelling on a road out of Jerusalem to a city called Emmaus. It is just 3 days after Jesus has died, and now Jerusalem, which the two men have just exited, is all abuzz about this crucified Rabbi who has apparently vacated His final resting place. His followers claim it was a “resurrection.” While walking home a stranger meets up with these men—a stranger who acts as if he has no idea what has just happened in Jerusalem. Baffled, one of the two, named Cleopas, says, “Are You the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that happened there in these days?” (Luke 24:18).

After hearing the two men’s explanation (and confusion) of the events of the weekend, the Stranger shows that He knows much more than He has been letting on. “He said to them, ‘How unwise and slow you are to believe in your hearts all that the prophets have spoken! Didn’t the Messiah have to suffer these things and enter into His glory?’ Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted for them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures” (Luke 24:25-27).

The Stranger is Jesus Christ—but the two are still clueless to this truth! After He tells them His story, He goes home with the men to share supper, but He doesn’t get too far. At supper Jesus prays, breaks bread, and then the Bible says that the men’s eyes were opened—and now they know: the Stranger is Jesus! But then Jesus vanishes from their sight.

Notice how Jesus explained the gospel beginning with Moses and all the prophets (that is, from the Old Testament). John Cross, the author, does an excellent job of clearly laying out the gospel story from Genesis to the Resurrection. This book is wonderful to share the gospel with people who know nothing about the Bible. At my church in Pana we are using this as a way to share the gospel with people around us – constantly praying for God to give us opportunities to go through this Bible study with someone.

If you’re looking for a way to evangelize, than look no further! This book is great! Check it out yourself and get to know the whole story of “The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus,” the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.